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And David reigned in Jerusalem thirty-three years, 5 and these sons were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea,a   Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon. These four were born to him by Bathsheba b   daughter of Ammiel. c   6 David's other sons were Ibhar,d   Elishua,e Eliphelet, 7 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 8 Eli-shama, Eliada, and Eliphelet —nine in all. 9 These were all the sons of David, besides the sons by his concubines. And Tamar was their sister. The Descendants of Solomon 10 Solomon's son was Rehoboam: Abijah was his son, Asa his son, Jehosh-aphat his son, 11 Joram f  his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son, 12 Amaziah his son, Azariah g   his son, Jotham his son, 13 Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son, 14 Amon his son, and Josiah his son. 15 The sons of Josiah: Johanan was the firstborn, Jehoiakim the second, Zedekiah the third, and Shallum  h   the fourth. 16 The successors of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah i  his son, and Zedekiah. The Royal Line After the Exile 17 The descendants of Jeconiah the cap-tive: Shealtiel his son, 18 Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah. 19 The sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimei. The children of Zerubbabel: Meshullam and Hananiah, their sister Shelomith, 20 and five others: Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-hesed. 21 The descendants of Hananiah: Pelatiah, Jeshaiah, and the sons of Rephaiah, of Arnan, of Obadiah, and of Shecaniah. 22 The six descendants of Shecaniah were Shemaiah and his sons: Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat. 23 The sons of Neariah: Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam —three in all. 24 The sons of Elioenai: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Jo-hanan, Delaiah, and Anani —seven in all. The Descendants of Judah The descendants of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal. 2 Reaiah son of Shobal was the father of Ja-hath, and Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the clans of the Zorathites. 3 These were the sons j  of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. And their sister was named Hazzelelponi. 4 Penuel was the father k   of Gedor, and Ezer was the father of Hushah. 4 1 Chronicles 4:4 | 493 a 5 Shimea is a variant of Shammua  ; see 2 Samuel 5:14 and 1 Chronicles 14:4. b 5 One Hebrew manuscript and Vulgate (see also LXX and 2 Samuel 11:3); most Hebrew manuscripts Bath-shua   c 5 Ammiel is a variant of Eliam  ; see 2 Samuel 11:3. d 6 Hebrew does not include David's other sons were  . e 6 Two Hebrew manuscripts (see also 2 Samuel 5:15 and 1 Chronicles 14:5); most Hebrew manuscripts Elishama   f 11 Joram is a variant spelling of Jehoram  . g 12 Azariah is also called Uzziah  ; see 2 Chronicles 26:1. h 15 Shallum is another name for Jehoahaz  . i 16 Jeconiah is a variant of Jehoiachin  ; also in verse 17; see 2 Kings 24:6. j 3 LXX (see also Vulgate); Hebrew Thes e were of the father k 4 Or the founder  ; also in verses 5, 12, 14, 17, 18, and possibly elsewhere

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These were the descendants of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah and the father of Bethlehem. 5 Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah. 6 Naarah bore to him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the descendants of Naarah. 7 The sons of Helah were Zereth, Zohar,a   Ethnan, 8 and Koz, who was the father of Anub and Zobebah and of the clans of Aharhel son of Harum. The Prayer of Jabez 9 Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez,b   saying, “Because I bore him in pain. ” 10 And Jabez called out to the God of Israel, “If only You would bless me and enlarge my territory! May Your hand be with me and keep me from harm, so that I will be free from pain. ” And God granted the request of Jabez. More Descendants of Judah 11 Chelub the brother of Shuhah was the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton. 12 Eshton was the father of Beth-rapha, of Paseah, and of Tehinnah the father of Ir-nahash. These were the men of Recah. 13 The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah. The sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai. c   14 Meonothai was the father of Ophrah, and Seraiah was the father of Joab, the fa-ther of those living in Ge-harashim, which was given this name because its people were craftsmen. d   15 The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam. The son e   of Elah: Kenaz. 16 The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel. 17 The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Ep her, and Jalon. And Mered's wife Bithiah gave birth f  to Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. 18 These were the children of Pharaoh's daughter Bithiah. g Mered also took a Judean h   wife, who gave birth to Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. 19 The sons of Hodiah's wife, the sister of Naham, were the fathers of Keilah the Garmite and of Eshtemoa the Maacathite. i  20 The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon. The descendants of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-zoheth. 21 The sons of Shelah son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah and the clans of the linen workers at Beth-ashbea, 22 Jokim, the 494 | 1 Chronicles 4:5 a 7 Alternate MT reading; the other alternate (see also Vulgate) reads Izhar  . b 9 Jabez sounds like the Hebrew for pain or distress  . c 13 Vulgate and some LXX; Hebrew does not include and Meonothai  . d 14 Literally Ge-harashim, for they were craftsmen  . The Hebrew Ge-harashim means valley of craftsmen  . e 15 Hebrew sons f 17 Literally she gave birth   g 18 This statement is at the end of verse 18 in the Hebrew. h 18 Or Judahite   i 19 Or were the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemo a the Maacathite  

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men of Cozeba, and Joash and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and Jashubi-lehem. (These names are from ancient rec-ords. ) 23 These were the potters who lived at Netaim and Gederah. They lived there in the service of the king. The Descendants of Simeon 24 The desc endants of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah,a   and Shaul. 25 The sons of Shaul: Shallum, Mibsam, and Mishma. 26 The sons of Mishma: Hammuel, Zaccur, and Shimei. 27 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daugh-ters, but his brothers did not have many children, so their whole clan did not be-come as numerous as the sons of Judah. 28 They lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual, 29 Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, 30 Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, 31 Beth- marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri, and Shaaraim. These were their cities until the reign of David. 32 And their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan — five towns — 33 and all their surrounding villages as far as Baal. b   These were their settlements, and they kept a genealogical record: 34 Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah, 35 Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah (son of Seraiah, son of Asiel), 36 Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, 37 and Ziza son of Shiphi (son of Allon, son of Jedaiah, son of Shimri, son of Sh emaiah). 38 These men listed by name were the leaders of their clans. Their families in-creased greatly, 39 and they journeyed to the entrance of Gedor, to the east side of the valley, in search of pasture for their flocks. 40 There they found rich, good p as-ture, and the land was spacious, peaceful, and quiet; for some Hamites had lived there formerly. 41 These who were noted by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. They attacked the Hamites and Meunites there in their dwellings, devoting them t o destruction  c   even to this day. Then they settled in their place, because there was pasture for their flocks. 42 And five hun-dred of these Simeonites led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, went to Mount Seir 43 and struck down the remnant of the Amalekites who had escaped. And they have lived there to this day. The Descendants of Reu ben These were the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel. Though he was the firstborn, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel, because Reuben defiled his father's bed. So he is not reckoned accord-ing to birthright. 2 And though Judah prevailed over his brothers and a ruler came from him, the birthright belonged to Joseph. 3 The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 4 The descendants of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son, 5 Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son, 6 and Beerah his son, whom 5 1 Chronicles 5:6 | 495 a 24 Zerah is a variant of Zohar  ; see Genesis 46:10 and Exodus 6:15. b 33 Hebrew; some LXX manuscripts (see also Joshua 19:8) Baalath   c 41 Forms of the Hebrew cherem refer to the giving over of things or persons to the LORD, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering.

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Tiglath-pileser a   king of Assyria carried into exile. Beerah was a leader of the Reubenites. 7 His relatives by their clans are recorded in their genealogy: Jeiel the chief, Zechariah, 8 and Bela son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel. They settled in Aroer and as far as Nebo and Baal-meon. 9 They al so settled in the east as far as the edge of the desert that extends to the Euphrates River, because their livestock had increased in the land of Gilead. 10 During the days of Saul they waged war against the Hagrites, who were de-feated at their hands, and they occupied the homes of the Hagrites throughout the region east of Gilead. The Descendants of Gad 11 The descendants of Gad lived next to the Reubenites in the land of Bashan, as far as Salecah: 12 Joel was the chief, Shapham the second, then Jaanai and Shaphat, who lived in Bashan. 13 Their kinsmen by families were Mi-chael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber —seven in all. 14 These were the sons of Abihail son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son o f Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz. 15 Ahi son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was head of their family. 16 They lived in Gilead, in Bashan and its towns, and throughout the pasturelands of Sharon. 17 All of them were reckoned in the genealogies during the reigns of Jotham king of Judah and Jeroboam king of Israel. 18 The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 warriors —valiant men who carried the shield and sword, drew the bow, and were trained for battle. 19 They waged war against the Hagrites, as well as Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. 20 And because they cried out to God in battle, they were helped against their en-emies, and the Hagrites and all their allies were delivered into their hands. Because they put their trust in God, He answered their prayers. 21 They seized the livestock of the Hagrites —50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, and 2,000 donkeys. They also took 100,000 captives, 22 and many others fell slain, because the battle belonged to God. And they occupied the land until the exile. The Half-Trib e of Manasseh 23 Now the people of the h alf-tribe of Manas-seh were numerous. They settled in the land from Bashan to Baal-hermon (that is, Senir, also known as Mount Hermon). b   24 These were the heads of their families: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and J ahdiel. They were mighty men of valor, famous men, and heads of their families. 25 But they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers, and they prostituted themselves with the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. 26 So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath- pileser king of Assyria) to take the Reu-benites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. And he brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan, where they remain to this day. 496 | 1 Chronicles 5:7 a 6 Hebrew Tilgath-pilneser  , a variant spelling of Tiglath-pileser  ; also in verse 26 b 23 Literally from Bashan to Baal-hermon and Senir and Mount Hermon.  

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The Descendants of Levi The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 2 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 3 The children of Amram: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 4 Eleazar was the father of Phinehas, Phinehas was the father of Abishua, 5 Abishua was the father of Bukki, Bukki was the father of Uzzi, 6 Uzzi was the father of Zerahiah, Zerahiah was the father of Meraioth, 7 Meraioth was the father of Amariah, Amariah was the father of Ahitub, 8 Ahitub was the father of Zadok, Zadok was the father of Ahimaaz, 9 Ahimaaz was the father of Azariah, Azariah was the father of Johanan, 10 Johanan was the father of Azariah, who served as priest in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem, 11 Azariah was the father of Amariah, Amariah was the father of Ahitub, 12 Ahitub was the father of Zadok, Zadok was the father of Shallum, 13 Shallum was the father of Hilkiah, Hilkiah was the father of Azariah, 14 Azariah was the father of Seraiah, and Seraiah was the father of Jehozadak. a   15 Jehozadak went into captivity when the LORD sent Judah and Jerusalem into exile by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. 16 The sons of Levi: Gershom,b   Kohath, and Merari. 17 These are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei. 18 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites listed according to their fathers: 20 Of Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, 21 Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, and Jeatherai his son. 22 The descendants of Kohath: Amminadab his son, Korah his son, As-sir his son, 23 Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph c   his son, Assir his son, 24 Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son. 6 1 Chronicles 6:24 | 497 a 14 Jehozadak is a variant of Jozadak  ; also in verse 15; see Ezra 3:2. b 16 Gershom is a variant of Gershon  ; similarly in verses 17, 20, 43, 62, and 71; see verse 1. c 23 Ebiasaph is a variant of Abiasaph  ; also in verse 37; see Exodus 6:24.

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25 The descendants of Elkanah: Amasai, Ahimoth, 26 Elkanah his son,a   Zophai his son, Nahath his son, 27 Eliab b his son, Jeroham his son, and Elkanah his son. c   28 The sons of Samuel: Joel his firstborn and Abijah his second son. d   29 The descendants of Merari: Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uz-zah his son, 30 Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, and Asaiah his son. The Temple Musicians 31 These are the men David put in charge of the music in the house of the LORD after the ark rest ed there. 32 They ministered with song before the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, until Solomon built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem. And they performed their duties according to the regulations given them. 33 These are the men who served, together with their sons. From the Kohathites: Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, 34 the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel,e   the son of Toah, 35 the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, 36 the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, 37 the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, 38 the son of Izhar, the son of Ko-hath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel. 39 Heman's kinsman was Asaph, who served at his right hand: Asaph the son of Berechiah, the son of Shimea, 40 the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah,f  the son of Malchijah, 41 the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, 42 the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, 43 the son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi. 44 On the left were their kinsmen, the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, 45 the son of Hasha-biah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, 46 the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer, 47 the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi. The Descendants of Aaron 48 Their fellow Levites were assigned to every kind of service of the tabernacle, the house of God. 49 But Aaron and his sons did all the work of the Most Holy Place. g   They presented the offerings on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded. 50 These were the descendants of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his so n, Abishua his son, 51 Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, 52 Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, 53 Zadok his son, and Ahimaaz his son. 498 | 1 Chronicles 6:25 a 26 Some Hebrew manuscripts, LXX, and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts Elkanah. The sons of Elkanah:   b 27 Eliab is also called Eliel  ; see verse 34. Both of these are other names for Elihu  ; see 1 Samuel 1:1. c 27 Hebrew; some LXX manuscripts include and Samuel his son  ; see verses 3 3-34 and 1 Samuel 1:1 9-20. d 28 See Syriac and some LXX manuscripts (also verse 33 and 1 Samuel 8:2); Hebrew The sons of Samuel: the firstborn Vashni, then Abiah  . e 34 Eliel is also called Eliab  ; see verse 27. Both of these are other names for Elihu  ; see 1 Samuel 1:1. f 40 Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts, one LXX manuscript, and Syriac Maaseiah   g 49 Or the Holy of Holies  

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Territories for the Levites (Numbers 35:1-8 ; Joshua 21:1-45) 54 Now these were the territories assigned to the descendants of Aaron from the Kohathite clan for their settlements, because the first lot fell to them: 55 They were given Hebron in the land of Judah and its surrounding pasturelands. 56 But the fields and villages around the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh. 57 So the descendants of Aaron were given Hebron (a city of refuge), Libnah,a   Jattir, Eshtemoa, 58 Hilen,b   Debir, 59 Ashan,c   Juttah,d   and Beth-shemesh, together with their pasturelands. 60 And from the tribe of Benjamin they were given Gibeon,e   Geba, Alemeth, and Anathoth, together with their pasture- lands. So they had thirteen cities in all among their families. 61 To the rest of the Kohathites, ten cities were allotted from the half-tribe of Manasseh. 62 The Gershomites,f  according to their clans, were allotted thirteen citi es from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh in Bashan. 63 The Merarites, according to their families, were allotted twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. 64 So the Israelites gave to the Levites these cities and their pasturelands. 65 They assigned by lot the cities named above from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. 66 And some of the clans of the Kohathites were given cities from the tribe of Ephrai m for their territory: 67 They were given Shechem (a city of ref-uge) g   with its pasturelands in the hill coun-try of Ephraim, and Gezer, 68 Jokmeam, Beth-horon, 69 Aijalon, and Gath-rimmon, together with their pasturelands. 70 And from the half-tribe of Manasseh the remaining clans of the Kohathites were given Aner and Bileam, together with their pasturelands. 71 The Gershomites received the following: From the cl an of the half-tribe of Manas-seh they were given Golan in Bashan and also Ashtaroth, together with their pasturelands. 72 From the tribe of Issachar they were given Kedesh, Daberath, 73 Ramoth, and Anem, together with their pasturelands. 74 From the tri be of Asher they were given Mashal, Abdon, 75 Hukok, and Rehob, to-gether with their pasturelands. 76 And from the tribe of Naphtali they were given Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon, and Kiriathaim, together with their pasturelands. 77 The Merarites (the rest o f the Levites) received the following: From the tribe of Zebulun they were given Rimmono and Tabor,h   together with their pasturelands. 1 Chronicles 6:77 | 499 a 57 As in the parallel text at Joshua 21:13; Hebrew were given the cities of refuge: Hebron, Libnah   b 58 Some Hebrew m anuscripts; MT Hilez  ; parallel text at Joshua 21:15 Holon   c 59 Ashan is a variant of Ain  ; see Joshua 21:16. d 59 Syriac and the parallel text at Joshua 21:16; MT does not include Juttah,   e 60 LXX, Syriac, and parallel text at Joshua 21:17; MT does not include Gibeon,   f 62 Gershomites is a variant of Gershonites  ; also in verse 71; see 1 Chronicles 23:7.   g 67 As in the parallel text at Joshua 21:21; Hebrew They were given the cities of refuge: Shechem h 77 LXX (they were given) Jokneam, Kartah, Rimmono, and Tabor  ; see Joshua 21:34.

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78 From the tribe of Reuben east of the Jor-dan opposite Jericho they were given Bezer in the wilderness, Jahzah,a   79 Kedemoth, and Mephaath, together with their pasturelands. 80 And from the tribe of Gad they were given Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, 81 Heshbon, and Jazer, together with their pasturelands. The Descendants of Issachar The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah,b   Jashub, and Shimron — four in all. 2 The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Shemuel, the heads of their families. In the days of David, 22,600 descen- dants of Tola were numbered in their genealogies as mighty men of valor. 3 The son c   of Uzzi: Izrahiah. The son s of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah. All five of them were chiefs. 4 In addition to them, according to their genealogy, they had 36,000 troops for battle, for they had many wives and children. 5 Their kinsmen belonging to all the fami-lies of Issachar who were mighty men of valor totaled 87,000, as listed in their ge-nealogies. The Descendants of Benjamin 6 The three sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, and Jediael. 7 The sons of Bela: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri, heads of their families —five in all. There were 22,034 mighty men of valor listed in their genealogies. 8 The sons of Becher: Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth; all these were Becher's sons. 9 Their genealogies were recorded ac-cording to the heads of their families— 20,200 mighty men of valor. 10 The son of Jediael: Bilhan. The sons of Bilhan: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar. 11 All these sons of Jediael were heads of their families, mighty men of valor; there were 17,200 fit for battle. 12 The Shup-pites and Huppites were descendants of Ir, and the Hushites were descendants of Aher. The Descendants of Naphtali 13 The sons of Naphta li: Jahziel,d   Guni, Jezer, and Shallum e  —the descendants of Bilhah. The Descendants of Manasseh 14 The descendants of Manasseh: Through his Aramean concubine, Asriel, as well as Machir the father of Gilead. 15 Machir took a wife from among the Huppites and Shuppites. The name of his sister was Maacah. 7 500 | 1 Chronicles 6:78 a 78 Jahzah is a variant of Jahaz  ; see Numbers 21:23. b 1 Puah is a variant of Puvah  ; see Genesis 46:13 and Num-bers 26:23. c 3 Hebrew sons  ; also in verses 10 and 17 d 13 Jahziel is a variant of Jahzeel  ; see Genesis 46:24. e 13 Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew and LXX manuscripts Shillem  ; see Genesis 46:24 and Numbers 26:49.

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Another descendant was named Zelo-phehad, who had only daughters. 16 Machir's wife Maacah gave birth to a son, and she named him Peresh. His brother was named Sheresh, and his sons were Ulam and Rekem. 17 The son of Ulam: Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead son of Machir, the son of Manasseh. 18 His sister Hammolecheth gave birth to Ishhod, Ab-iezer, and Mahlah. 19 And these were the sons of Shemida: Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam. The Descendants of Ephraim 20 The descendants of Ephraim: Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son, 21 Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son. Ezer and Elead were killed by the natives of Gath, because they went down to steal their livestock. 22 Their father Ephraim mourned for many days, and his relatives came to com-fort him. 23 And again he slept with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. So he named him Beriah,a   because tragedy had come upon his house. 24 His daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth-horon, as well as Uzzen-sheerah. 25 Additionally, Rephah was his son, Resheph his son,b   Telah his son, Tahan his son, 26 Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, 27 Nun c   his son, and Joshua his son. 28 Their holdings and settlements in-cluded Bethel and its villages, Naaran to the east, Gezer and its villages to the west, and Shechem and its villages as far as Ayyah  d   and its villages. 29 And along the borders of Manasseh were Beth-shean,e Taanach, Megiddo, and Dor, together with their villages. The descendants of Joseph son of Israel lived in these towns. The Descendants of Asher 30 The children of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sis-ter Serah. 31 The sons of Beriah: Heber, as well as Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith. 32 Heber was the father of Japhlet, Shomer, and Hotham, and of their sister Shua. 33 The sons of Japhlet: Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. These were Japhlet's sons. 34 The sons of Shemer: Ahi, Rohgah,f  Hubbah, and Aram. 35 The sons of his brother Helem: g Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal. 36 The sons of Zophah: Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, 37 Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran,h   and Beera. 1 Chronicles 7:37 | 501 a 23 Beriah sounds like the Hebrew for tragedy or disaster  . b 25 Some LXX manuscripts; Hebrew does not in-clude his son  . c 27 Or Non   d 28 Ayyah is another name for  Gaza  ; see also LXX. e 29 Beth-shean is a variant of Beth-shan  ; see 1 Samuel 31:10 and 2 Samuel 21:12. f 34 Or The sons of his brother Shemer: Rohgah  ; note that Shemer is a variant of Shomer  ; see verse 32. g 35 Helem is possibly another name for Hotham  ; see verse 32. h 37 Ithran is possibly a variant of Jether  ; see verse 38.

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38 The sons of Jether: Jephunneh, Pispa, and Ara. 39 The sons of Ulla: Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia. 40 All these were the descendants of Asher —heads of their families, choice and mighty men of valor, and chiefs among the leaders. The number of men fit for battle, recorded in their genealogies, was 26,000. Genealogy from Benjam in to Saul Benjamin was the father of Bela, his firstborn; Ashbel was the second born, Aharah the third, 2 Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth. 3 The sons of Bela: Addar, Gera, Abihud,a   4 Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, 5 Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram. 6 These were the descendants of Ehud who were the heads of the families living in Geba and were exiled to Manahath: 7 Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera, who carried them into exile and who was the father of U zza and Ahihud. b 8 Shaharaim had sons in the country of Moab after he had divorced his wives Hushim and Baara. 9 His sons by his wife Hodesh: Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, 10 Jeuz, Sachia, and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of families. 11 He also had sons by Hushim: Abitub and Elpaal. 12 The sons of Elpaal: Eber, Misham, Shemed (who built Ono and Lod with its villages), 13 and Beriah and Shema (who were the heads of fam-ilies of the inhabitants of Aijalon and who drove out the inhabitants of Gath). 14 Ahio, Shashak, Jeremoth, 15 Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, 16 Micha el, Ishpah, and Joha were the sons of Beriah. 17 Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, 18 Ishmerai, Izliah, and Jobab were the sons of Elpaal. 19 Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi, 20 Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, 21 Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath were the sons of Shimei. 22 Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, 23 Abdon, Zichri, Hanan, 24 Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, 25 Iphdeiah, and Penuel were the sons of Shashak. 26 Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, 27 Jaareshiah, Elijah, and Zichri were the sons of Jeroham. 28 All these were heads of families, the chiefs according to their genealogies, and they lived in Jerusalem. 29 Jeiel the father of Gibeon lived c   in Gibeon. His wife's name was Maacah, 30 and Abdon was his firstborn son, then Zur, Kish, Baal,d   Nadab, 31 Gedor, Ahio, Zecher,e   32 and Mikloth, who was the fa-ther of Shimeah. f  These also lived along-side their relatives in Jerusalem. 8 502 | 1 Chronicles 7:38 a 3 Possibly Gera the father of Ehud  ; see verse 7. b 7 Or and Gera, that is Heglam, who was the father of Uzza and Ahihud.   c 29 Some LXX manuscripts (see also 1 Chronicles 9:35); Hebrew The father of Gibeon lived   d 30 Some LXX manuscripts include Ner  ; see 1 Chronicles 9:36. e 31 Zecher is likely a variant of Zechariah  ; see 1 Chronicles 9:37. f 32 Shimeah is a variant of Shimeam  ; see 1 Chronicles 9:38.

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The Famil y of Saul 33 Ner was the father of Kish, Kish was the fa-ther of Saul, and Saul was the father of Jona-than, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal. a   34 The son of Jonathan: Merib-baal,b   and Merib-baal was the father of Micah. c   35 The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tarea,d   and Ahaz. 36 Ahaz was the father of Jehoaddah, Jehoaddah e   was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri, and Zimri was the father of Moza. 37 Moza was the father of Binea. Raphah f was his son, Eleasah his son, and Azel his son. 38 Azel had six sons, and these were their names: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were the sons of Azel. 39 The sons of his brother Eshek: Ulam was his firstborn, Jeush second, and Eliphelet third. 40 The sons of Ulam wer e mighty men of valor, archers, and they had many sons and grandsons — 150 in all. All these were the descendants of Benjamin. The Peopl e of Jerusalem So al l Israel was recorded in the genealo-gies written in the Book of the Kings of Is-rael. But Judah was exiled to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness. 2 Now the first to resettle their own property in their cities were Israelites, priests, Levites, and temple servants. g 3 These were some of the descendants of Ju-dah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh who lived in Jerusalem: 4 Uthai son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, a descen- dant of Perez son of Judah. 5 From the Shilonites: Asaiah the firstborn and his sons. 6 From the Zerahites: Jeuel and 690 relatives. 7 From the Benjamites: Sallu son o f Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah; 8 Ibneiah son of Jeroham; Elah son of Uzzi, the son of Michri; Meshullam son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah; 9 and 956 of their relatives according to their genealogy. All these men were heads of their families. 10 From the priests: Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, and Jachin; 11 Azariah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the chief official of God's temple; 12 Adaiah son of J eroham, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah; 9 1 Chronicles 9:12 | 503 a 33 Esh-baal is also called Ish-bosheth  ; see 2 Samuel 2:8. b 34 Merib-baal is also called Mephibosheth  ; see 2 Samuel 4:4. c 34 Micah is a variant of Mica  ; see 2 Samuel 9:12. d 35 Tarea is a variant of Tahrea  ; see 1 Chronicles 9:41. e 36 Jehoaddah is a variant of Jarah or Jadah  ; see 1 Chronicles 9:42. f 37 Raphah is a variant of Rephaiah  ; see 1 Chronicles 9:43. g 2 Hebrew Nethinim  

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Maasai son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshil-lemith,a   the son of Immer; 13 and 1,760 of their relatives, the heads of their families, able men for the work of the service of the house of God. 14 From the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, a de-scendant of Merari; 15 Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mat-taniah son of Mica, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph; 16 Obadiah son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun; and Berechiah son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites. 17 These were the gatekeepers: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their relatives. Shallum was their chief; 18 he was previ-ously stationed at the King's Gate on the east side. These were the gatekeepers from the camp of the Levites. 19 Shallum son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph,b   the son of Korah, and his relatives from the Korahites were assigned to guard the thresholds of the Tent, just as their fathers had been assigned to guard the entrance to the dwelling of the LORD. 20 In earlier times Phinehas son of Eleazar had been in charge of the gate-keepers, and the LORD was with him. 21 Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was the gatekeeper at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 22 The number of those chosen to be gatekeepers at the thresholds was 212. They were registered by genealogy in their villages. David and Samuel the seer had appointed them to their positions of trust. 23 So they and their descendants were as-signed to guard the gates of the house of the LORD —the house called the Tent. 24 The gate-keepers were stationed on the four sides: east, west, north, and south. 25 Their relatives came from their villages at fixed times to serve with them for seven-day periods. 26 But the four chief gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted with the rooms and the treasuries of the house of God. 27 They would spend the night stationed around the house of God, because they were responsible for guarding it and opening it every morning. 28 Some of them were in charge of the articles used in worship, to count them whenever they were brought in or taken out. 29 Others were put in charge of the furni shings and other ar-ticles of the sanctuary, as well as the fine flour, wine, oil, frankincense, and spices. 30 And some of the sons of the priests mixed the spices. 31 A Levite named Mattithiah, the firstborn son of Shallum the Korahite, was entrusted with baking the bread. 32 Some of their Koha-thite brothers were responsible for preparing the rows of the showbread every Sabbath. 33 Those who were musicians, the heads of Levite families, stayed in the temple chambers and were exempt from other duties bec ause they were on duty day and night. 34 All these were heads of Levite families, chiefs according to their genealogies, and they lived in Jerusa-lem. 504 | 1 Chronicles 9:13 a 12 Meshillemith is a variant of Meshillemoth  ; see Nehemiah 11:13. b 19 Ebiasaph is a variant of Abiasaph  ; see Exodus 6:24.

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The Descendants of Saul 35 Jeiel the father a   of Gibeon lived in Gibeon. His wife's name was Maacah. 36 Abdon was his firstborn son, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, 37 Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth. 38 Mikloth was the father of Shimeam. b They too lived alongside their relatives in Jerusalem. 39 Ner was the father of Kish, Kish was the father of Saul, and Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal. 40 The son of Jonathan: Merib-baal, who was the father of Mica h. 41 The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz. c   42 Ahaz was the father of Jarah; Jarah d   was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri was the father of Moza. 43 Moza was the father o f Binea. Rephaiah e   was his son, Elasah his son, and Azel his son. 44 And Azel had six sons, and these were their names: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. These were the sons of Azel. Saul's Overthrow and Death (1 Samue l 31: 1-6 ; 2 Samuel 1:1-16) Now the Philistines fought against Is-rael, and the men of Israel fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul's sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. 3 When the bat tle intensified against Saul, the archers overtook him and wounded him. 4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run it through me, or these uncircumcised men will come and torture me!” But his armor-bearer was terrified and re-fused to do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. 5 When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his own sword and died. 6 So Saul died together with his three sons and all his house. The Philistines Possess the Towns (1 Samuel 31: 7-10) 7 When all the Israelites in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their cities and ran away. So the Philistines came and occupied their cities. 8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 They stripped Saul, cut off his head, took his armor, and sent mes-sengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people. 10 They put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung his head in the temple of Dagon. Jabesh-gilead's Tribut e to Saul (1 Samue l 31:1 1-13) 11 When the people of Jabesh-gilead heard about everything the Philistines had done to 10 1 Chronicles 10: 11 | 505 a 35 Or the founder   b 38 Shimeam is a variant of Shimeah  ; see 1 Chronicles 8:32. c 41 Vulgate and Syriac (see also LXX and 1 Chronicles 8:35); Hebrew Pithon, Melech, and Tahrea  ; note that Tahrea is a variant of Tarea  . d 42 Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts and LXX Jadah; Jadah  ; note that Jarah and Jadah are vari-ants of Jehoaddah  ; see 1 Chronicles 8:36. e 43 Rephaiah is a variant of Raphah  ; see 1 Chronicles 8:37.

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Saul, 12 all their men of valor set out and re-trieved the bodies of Saul and his sons and brought them to Jabesh. And they buried their bones under the oak a   in Jabesh and fasted seven days. 13 So Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guid-ance, 14 and he failed to inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse. David Anointed King of All Israel (2 Samuel 5:1-5) Then all Israel came together to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood. 2 Even in times past,b   while Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them back. And the LORD your God said, 'You will shep-herd My people Israel, and you will be ruler over them. '  ” 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, where David mad e a covenant with them before the LORD. And they anointed him king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD through Samuel. David Conquers Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5: 6-11) 4 Then David and all the Israelites marched to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus), where t he Jebusites inhabited the land. 5 The people of Jebus said to David, “You will never get in here. ” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the City of David). 6 Now David had said, “Whoever is the first to strike down a Jebusite will become chief commander. ” And Joab son of Zeruiah went up first, and he became the chief. 7 So David took up residence in the fortress; that is why it was called the City of David. 8 He built up the city around it, from the supporting terraces c   to the surrounding wall, while Joab restored the rest of the city. 9 And David became greater and greater, for the LORD of Hosts was with him. David's Mighty Men (2 Samuel 23:8-39) 10 Now these were the chiefs of David's mighty men, who, together with all Israel, bolstered and strengthened his kingdom, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel. 11 This is the list of David's mighty men: Jashobeam son of Hachmoni was chief of the officers; d   he wielded his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed at one time. 12 Next in command was Eleazar son of Dodo e the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men. 13 He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. At the place with a field full of barley, the troops fled from the Philistines. 14 But Eleazar and David stationed themselves f  in the middle of the field and defended it. They struck down the Philistines, and the LORD brought about a great victory. 15 Three of the thirty chief men went down to David, to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 16 At that time David was in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philis-tines was at Bethlehem. 17 David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” 11 506 | 1 Chronicles 10:12 a 12 Or terebinth or great tree   b 2 Or For som e time   c 8 Hebrew the Millo   d 11 Or of the Thirty  ; some LXX manuscripts of the Three  ; see 2 Samuel 23:8. e 12 Dodo is a variant of Dodai  ; see 1 Chronicles 27:4. f 14 Literally But they stationed themselves

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18 So the Three broke through the Philistine camp, drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out to the LORD, 19 saying, “Far be it from me, my God, to do this! How can I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?” Because they had brought it at the risk of their lives, David refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men. 20 Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the Three,a   and he lifted his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name along with the Three. 21 He was doubly honored above the Three, and he became their commander, even though he was not included among the Three. 22 And Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a man of valor from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. He struck down two champions of Moab,b   and on a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion. 23 He also killed an Egyptian, a huge man five cubits tall. c   Although the Egyp-tian had a spear like a weaver's beam in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club, snatched the spear from his hand, and killed the Egyptian with his own spear. 24 These were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who won a name a longside the three mighty men. 25 He was most honored among the Thirty, but he did not become one of the Three. And David appointed him over his guard. 26 Now these were the mighty men: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 27 Shammoth the Harorite,d   Helez the Pelonite, 28 Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite, 29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, 30 Maharai the Netophathite, Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, 31 Ithai e   son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjamites, Benaiah the Pirathonite, 32 Hurai f  from the brooks g   of Gaash, Abiel h   the Arbathite, 33 Azmaveth the Baharumite,i  Eliahba the Shaalbonite, 34 the sons of Hashem j  the Gizonite, Jonathan son of Shagee the Hararite, 35 Ahiam son of Sachar k   the Hararite, Eliphal son of Ur, 36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, 37 Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai son of Ezbai, 38 Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Hagri, 39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah, 40 Ira the Ithrite, 1 Chronicles 11: 40 | 507 a 20 Hebrew; Syriac the Thirty  ; also in verse 21 b 22 Or two sons of Ariel of Moab   c 23 5 cubits is approximately 7 feet 6 inches or 229 centimeters tall. d 27 Shammoth the Harorite is a variant of Shammah the Harodite  ; see 2 Samuel 23:25. e 31 Ithai is a variant of Ittai  ; see 2 Samuel 23:29. f 32 Hurai is a variant of Hiddai  ; see 2 Sam-uel 23:30. g 32 Or from the ravines   h 32 Abiel is a variant of Abi-albon  ; see 2 Samuel 23:31. i 33 Baharumite is a variant of Barhumite  ; see 2 Samuel 23:31. j 34 Hashem is a variant of Jashen  ; see LXX and 2 Samuel 23:32. k 35 Sachar is a variant of Sharar  ; see 2 Samuel 23:33.

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Gareb the Ithrite, 41 Uriah the Hittite, Zabad son of Ahlai, 42 Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, chief of the Reubenites, and the thirty with him, 43 Hanan son of Maacah, Joshaphat the Mithnite, 44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, 45 Jediael son of Shimri and his brother Joha the Tizite, 46 Eliel the Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite, 47 Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite. The Mighty Men Join David at Ziklag Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish (they were among the mighty men who helped him in battle; 2 they were archers using both the right and left hands to sling stones and shoo t arrows; and they were Saul's kins-men from Benjamin): 3 Ahiezer their chief and Joash, who were the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah; Jehu the Anathothite; 4 Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among th e Thirty and a leader over the Thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad the Gederathite; 5 Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite; 6 Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, who were Korahites; 7 and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham from Gedor. 8 Some Gadites defected to David at his strong-hold in the desert. They were mighty men of valor, trained for battle, experts with the shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions and who were as swift as gazelles on the mountains: 9 Ezer the c hief, Obadiah the second in command, Eliab the third, 10 Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, 11 Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, 12 Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, 13 Jeremiah the tenth, and Machbanai the eleventh. 14 These Gadites were army commanders, the least of whom was a match for a hundred, and the greatest for a thousand. 15 These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks, and they put to flight all those in the valleys, both to the east and to the west. 16 Other Benjamites and some men from Judah also came to David in his stronghold. 17 And David went out to meet them, saying, “If you have come to me in peace to help me, my heart will be united with you; but if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free of violence, may the God of our fathers see it and judge you. ” 18 Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, the chief of the Thirty, and he said: “We are yours, O David! We are with you, O son of Jesse! Peace, pea ce to you, and peace to your helpers, for your God helps you. ” 12 508 | 1 Chronicles 11:41

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So David received them and made them lead-ers of his troops. 19 Some from Manasseh defected to David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. (They did not help the Philistines because the Philistine rulers consulted and sent David away, saying, “It will cost us our heads if he defects to his master Sau l. ”) 20 When David went to Ziklag, these men of Manasseh defected to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, chiefs of thousands in Manasseh. 21 They helped David against the raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor and com-manders in the army. 22 For at that time men came to David day after day to help him, until he had a great army, like the army of God. David's Army Grows at Hebron 23 Now these are the numbers of men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul's kingdom over to him, in accordance with the word of the LORD: 24 From Judah: 6,800 armed troops bear-ing shields and spears. 25 From Simeon: 7,100 mighty men of valo r, ready for battle. 26 From Levi: 4,600, 27 including Jehoiada, leader of the house of Aaron, with 3,700 men, 28 and Zadok, a mighty young man of valor, with 22 commanders from his own family. 29 From Benjamin, the kinsmen of Saul: 3,000, most of whom had remained loyal to the house of Saul up to that time. 30 From Ephraim: 20,800 mighty men of valor, famous among their own clans. 31 From the half-tribe of Manasseh: a   18,000 designated by name to come and make David king. 32 From Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israe l should do: 200 chiefs with all their kinsmen at their command. 33 From Zebulun: 50,000 fit for service, trained for battle with all kinds of weap-ons of war, who with one purpose were devoted to David. b 34 From Naphtali: 1,000 com manders, accompanied by 37,000 men with shield and spear. 35 From Dan: 28,600 prepared for battle. 36 From Asher: 40,000 fit for service, prepared for battle. 37 And from east of the Jordan, from Reu-ben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh there: 120,000 armed with every kind of weapon of war. 38 All these men of war, arrayed for battle, came to Hebron fully determined to make Da-vid king over all Israel. And all t he rest of the Israelites were of one mind to make David king. 39 They spent three days there eating and drinking with David, for their relatives had provided for them. 40 And their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali came bring ing food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen —abundant supplies of flour, fig cakes and raisin cakes, wine and oil, oxen and sheep. Indeed, there was joy in Israel. 1 Chronicles 12: 40 | 509 a 31 That is, the half-tribe of Manasseh west of the Jord an b 33 LXX; Hebrew does not include to David  .

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David Fetches the Ark (2 Samuel 6:1-4) Then David conferred with all his leaders, the commanders of hun-dreds and of thousands. 2 And he said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if this is of the LORD our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our brothers i n all the land of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites in their cities and pasture- lands, so that they may join us. 3 Then let us bring back the ark of our God, for we did not inquire of Him a   in the days of Saul. ” 4 And because this proposal seemed right to all the people, the whole assembly agreed to it. 5 So David assembled all Israel, from the River Shihor b   in Egypt to Lebo-hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiria th-jearim. 6 David and all Israel went up to Baalah of Judah (that is, Kiriath-jearim) to bring up from there the ark of God the LORD, who is en-throned between the cherubim —the ark that is called by the Name. c   7 So they carried the ark of God from the house of Abinadab on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding the cart. Uzzah Touches the Ark (2 Samuel 6: 5-11) 8 David and all the Israelites were celebrating before God with all their might, with songs and on harps and lyres, with tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets. 9 When they came to the threshing floor of Chidon,d   Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark, because the oxen had stumbled. 10 And the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and He struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God. 11 Then David became angry because t he LORD had burst forth against Uzzah; so he named that place Perez-uzzah, e   as it is called to this day. 12 That day David feared God and asked, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?” 13 So he did not move the ark with him to the City of David; instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 14 Thus the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house for three months, and the LORD blessed his household and everything he owned. David's Family Grow s (2 Samuel 5:1 2-16) Now Hiram king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs, stonemasons, and carpenters, to build a pal-ace for him. 2 And David realized that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had highly exalted his kingdom for the sake of His pe ople Israel. 3 And David took more wives in Jerusalem and became the father of more sons and daugh-ters. 4 These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua,f  Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 5 Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, 6 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 7 Elishama, Beeliada,g and Eliphelet. Two Victories over the Philistines (2 Samuel 5:17-25) 8 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they all went in search of him; but David learned of this and went out to face them. 13 14 510 | 1 Chronicles 13:1 a 3 Or of it   b 5 Hebrew from the Shihor   c 6 Or the ark of God, which is called by the Nam e of the LORD who is en-throned between the cherubim  ; or the ark of God, the LORD, who is enthroned between the cherubim, where His Name is called   d 9 Chidon is a variant of Nacon  ; see 2 Samuel 6:6. e 11 Perez-uzzah means outbreak against Uzzah  . f 4 Shammua is a variant of Shimea  ; see 1 Chronicles 3:5. g 7 Beeliada is a variant of Eliada  ; see 2 Samuel 5:16.

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9 Now the Philistines had come and raided the Valley of Rephaim. 10 So David inquired of God, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?” “Go,” replied the LORD, “for I will deliver them into your hand. ” 11 So David and his men went up to Baal-perazim, where he defeated the Philistines and said, “Like a bursting flood, God has burst out against my enemies by my hand. ” So they called that place Baal-perazim. a   12 There the Philistines abandoned their gods, and David ordered that they be burned in the fire. 13 Once ag ain the Philistines raided the valley. 14 So David again inquired of God, who an-swered him, “Do not march up after them, but circle around them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. b   15 As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move out to battle, because this will mean that God has marched out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines. ” 16 So David did as God had commanded him, and they struck dow n the army of the Philis-tines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer. 17 And David's fame went out into every land, and the LORD caused all nations to fear him. Preparing to Move the Ark (2 Samuel 6:1 2-15) David constructed buildings for him-self in the City of David, and he pre-pared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. 2 Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister before Him forever. ” 3 And David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the LORD to the place he had prepared for it. 4 Then he gathered to-gether the descendants of Aaron and the Le-vites: 5 From the Kohathites, Uriel the chief and 120 of his relatives; 6 from the Merarites, Asaiah the chief and 220 of his relatives; 7 from the Gershomites,c   Joel the chief and 130 of his relatives; 8 from the Elizaphanites, Shemaiah the chief and 200 of his relatives; 9 from the Hebronites, Eliel the chief and 80 of his relatives; 10 and from the Uzzielites, Amminadab the chief and 112 of his relatives. 11 David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. 12 And he said to them, “You are the heads of the Leviti-cal families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves so that you may bring the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. 13 It was because you Levites were not with us the first time that the LORD our God burst forth in anger against us. For we did not consult Him about the proper order. ” The Priests and Levites Carry the Ark 14 So the priests and Levites consecrated themselve s to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel. 15 And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the LORD. 16 David also told the leaders of the Levites to appoint the ir relatives as singers to lift up their voices with joy, accompanied by musical 15 1 Chronicles 15: 16 | 511 a 11 Baal-perazim means The Lord Burst s Ou t . b 14 Or aspen trees or poplar trees  ; also in verse 15 c 7 Gershomites is a variant of Gershonites  ; see 1 Chronicles 23:7.

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instruments —harps, lyres, and cymbals. 17 So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his brothers, Asaph son of Berechiah; from their brothers the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah; 18 and with them their brothers next in rank: Zechariah,a   Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel. b 19 The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals. 20 Zecha-riah, Aziel,c   Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play the harps according to Alamoth. d   21 And Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead the music with lyres ac-cording to Sheminith. e   22 Chenaniah the head Levite was the director of the music because he was highly skilled. 23 Berechiah and Elkanah were to be guardi-ans f  of the ark. 24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer —the priests —were to blow the trum-pets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were also to be guardians of the ark. Moving the Ark to Jerusalem 25 So David, the elders of Israel, and the com-manders of thousands went with rejoicing to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-edom. 26 And because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. 27 Now David was dressed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carry-ing the ark, as well as the singers and Chenaniah, the director of music for the sing-ers. David also wore a linen ephod. 28 So all Is-rael brought up the ark of the covenan t of the LORD with shouting, with the sounding of rams' horns and trumpets, and with cymbals and the music of harps and lyres. Michal's Contemp t for David (2 Samuel 6:16) 29 As the ark of the covenant of the LORD was entering the City of David, Saul's daughter Michal looked down from a window and saw King David dancing and celebrating, and she despised him in her heart. A Tent for the Ark (2 Samuel 6:1 7-19) So they brought the ark of God and placed it inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And they presented burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. 2 When David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. 3 Then he distributed to every man and woman of Israel a loaf of bread, a date cake,g and a raisin cake. 4 David appointed some of the Levites to min-ister before the ark of the LORD, to celebrate, to give thanks, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel. 5 Asaph was the chief, Zechariah was second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, O bed-edom, and Jeiel. They were to play the harps and lyres, while Asaph sounded the cymbals 6 and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel blew the trum-pets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God. 16 512 | 1 Chronicles 15:17 a 18 Several Hebrew manuscripts and most LXX manuscripts (see also verse 20 and 1 Chronicles 16:5); most He-brew manuscripts Zechariah son of or Zechariah, Ben, b 18 Hebrew; some LXX manuscripts Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah or Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Ozias   c 20 Aziel is a variant of Jaaziel  ; see verse 18. d 20 Alamoth is probably a musical or liturgical term; here and in Psalm 46:1. e 21 Sheminith is probably a musical term; here and in Psalm 6:1 and Psalm 12:1. f 23 Literally gatekeepers  ; also in verse 24 g 3 Or a portion of meat a 11 Baal-perazim means The Lord Burst s Ou t. b 14 Or aspen trees or poplar trees ; also in verse 15 c 7 Gershomites is a variant of Gershonites  ; see 1 Chronicles 23:7.

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David's Psalm of Thanks giving (Psalm 105: 1-15) 7 On that day David first committed to Asaph and his brothers this song of thanksgiving to the LORD: 8 “Give thanks to the LORD; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the nations. 9 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wonders. 10 Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. 11 Seek out the LORD and His strength; seek His face always. 12 Remember the wonders He has done, His marvels, and the judgments He has pronounced, 13 O offspring of His servant Israel, O sons of Jacob, His chosen ones. 14 He is the LORD our God; His judgments carry throughout the earth. 15 Remember a   His covenant forever, the word He ordained for a thousand generations — 16 the covenant He made with Abraham, and the oath He swore to Isaac. 17 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant: 18 'I will give you the land of Canaan as the portion of your inheritance. ' 19 When they were few in number, few indeed, and strangers in the land, 20 they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another. 21 He let no man oppress them; He rebuked kings on their behalf: 22 'Do not touch My anointed ones! Do no harm to My prophets!' Sing to the LORD, All the Earth (Psalm 96:1-13) 23 Sing to the LORD, all the earth. Proclaim His salvation day after day. 24 Declare His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all peoples. 25 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. 26 For all the gods of the nations are idols, but it is the LORD who made the heavens. 27 Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and joy fill His dwelling. 28 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 29 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering and come before Him. Worship the LORD in the splendor of His hol iness; 30 tremble before Him, all the earth. The world is firmly established; it ca nnot be moved. 31 Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice. Let them say among the nations, 'The LORD reigns!' 32 Let the sea resound, and all that fills it; let the fields exult, and all that is in them. 33 Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the LORD, for He is coming to judge the earth. 1 Chronicles 16: 33 | 513 a 15 Hebrew; some LXX manuscripts He remembers  ; see Psalm 105:8.

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34 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion a   endures forever. 35 Then cry out: 'Save us, O God of our salvation; gather and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to Your holy nam e, that we may glory in Your praise. ' 36 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. ” Then all the people said, “Amen!” and “Praise the LORD!” Worship befor e th e Ark 37 So David left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to minister there regularly according to the daily requirements, 38 along with Obed-edom and his sixty-eight relatives. Obed-edom son of Jeduthun, and also Hosah, were to be gate-keepers. 39 And David left Zadok the priest and his fel-low priests before the tabernacle of the LORD at the high place in Gibeon 40 to regularly pre-sent burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offerings, morning and evening, according to all that was written in the Law of the LORD, which He had commanded Israel to keep. 41 With them were Heman, Jeduthun, and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the LORD, for “His loving devotion endures forever. ” 42 Heman and Jeduthun had with them trum-pets and cymbals for the music and instru-ments for the songs of God. b   And the sons of Jeduthun were stationed at the gate. 43 Then all the people departed for their homes, and David returned home to bless his household. God's Covenan t with David (2 Samuel 7:1-17) After David had settled into his pal-ace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under a tent. ” 2 And Nathan replied to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you. ” 3 But that night the word of God came to Na-than, saying, 4 “Go and tell My servant David that this is what the LORD says: You are not the one to build Me a house in which to dwell. 5 For I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel up out of Egypt c   until this day, but I have moved from tent to tent and dwelling to dwelling. 6 In all My journeys with all the Israelites, have I ever asked any of the leaders d   I appointed to shepherd My people, 'Why haven't you built Me a house of cedar?' 7 Now then, you are to tell My servant David that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be the ruler over My people I srael. 8 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make for you a name like the great-est in the land. 9 And I will provide a place for My people Is-rael and will plant them so that they may dwell in a place of their own and be disturbed no more. No longer will the sons of wicked-ness oppress them as they did at the beginning 17 514 | 1 Chronicles 16:34 a 34 Forms of the Hebrew chesed are translated here and in most cases throughout the Scriptures as loving devo-tion  ; the range of meaning includes love  , goodness  , kindness  , faithfulness  , and mercy  , as well as loyalty to a covenant  . b 42 Or instruments for the sacred music   c 5 Out of Egypt is implied, but not included in the Hebrew; see 2 Samuel 7:6. d 6 Or judges  ; see verse 10.

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10 and have done since the day I appointed judges over My people Israel. And I will sub-due all your enemies. Moreover, I declare to you that the LORD will build a house for you. 11 And when your days are fulfilled and you go to be with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his king-dom. 12 He will build a house for Me, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 I will be his Father, and he will be My son. And I will never remove My loving devotion from him as I removed it from your predecessor. 14 But I will set him over My house and My kingdom forever, and his throne will be established forever. ” 15 So Nathan relayed to David all the words of this entire vision. David's Prayer of Thanksgiving (2 Samuel 7:1 8-29) 16 Then King David went in, sat before the LORD, and said, “Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far? 17 And as if this was a small thing in Your eyes, O God, You have spoken about the future of the house of Your servant and have regarded me as a man of great distinction,a   O LORD God. 18 What more can David say to You for so honoring Your servant? For You know Your servant, 19 O LORD. b   For the sake of Your servant and according to Your own heart, You have accomplished this great thing and revealed all Your greatness. 20 O LORD, there is none like You, and there is no God but You, according to everything we have heard with our own ears. 21 And who is like Your people Israel —the one nation on earth whom God went out to redeem as a people for Himself? You made a name for You rself through great and awesome wonders by driving out nations from before Your peo-ple, whom You redeemed from Egypt. 22 For You have made Your people Israel Your very own forever, and You, O LORD, have become their God. 23 And now, O LORD, let the word You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house be established forever. Do as You have promised, 24 so that Your name will be estab-lished and magnified forever when it is said, 'The LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, is G od over Israel. ' And may the house of Your ser- vant David be established before You. 25 For You, my God, have revealed to Your servant that You will build a house for him. Therefore Your servant has found the courage to pray before You. 26 And now, O LORD, You are God! And You have promised this goodness to Your servant. 27 So now You have been pleased to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You. For You, O LORD, have blessed it, and it will be blessed forever. ” David's Triumphs (2 Samuel 8:1-14 ; Psalm 60:1-12) Some time later, David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Gath and its villages from the hand of the Philistines. 2 David also defeated the Moabites, and they became subject to David and brought him tribute. 3 As far as Hamath, David also defeated King Hadadezer of Zobah, who had marched out to establish his dominion c   along the Euphrates River. 4 David captured from him a thousand 18 1 Chronicles 18: 4 | 515 a 17 Or and have show n me future generations   b 19 See 2 Samuel 7:20; many translators 18 ... For You know Your servant. 19 O LORD,   c 3 Hebrew his hand  

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chariots, seven thousand charioteers, and twenty thousand foot soldiers, and he ham-strung all the horses except a hundred he kept for the chariots. 5 When the Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand men. 6 Then he placed garrisons a   in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to David and brought him tribute. So the LORD made David victorious  b   wherever he went. 7 And David took the gold shields that be-longed to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 And from Tibhath c   and Cun, cities of Hadadezer, David took a large amount of bronze, with which Solomon made the bronze Sea, the pillars, and various bronze articles. 9 When King Tou d   of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer king of Zobah, 10 he sent his son Hadoram e   to greet King David and bless him for fighting and defeating Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Hadoram brought all kinds of articles of gold and silver and bronze, 11 and King David dedicated these to the LORD, along with the silver and gold he had carried off from all these nations —from Edom and Moab, and from the Ammonites, Philistines, and Amalekites. 12 Moreover, Abishai son of Zeruiah struck down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Val-ley of Salt. 13 He placed garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites were subject to David. So the LORD made David victorious wherever he went. David's Officers (2 Samuel 8:15-18) 14 Thus David reigned over all Israel and ad-ministered justice and righteousness for all his people: 15 Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the re-corder; 16 Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech f son of Abiathar were priests; Shavsha g   was the scribe; 17 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites; and David's sons were chief officials at the king's side. David's Messengers Disgraced (2 Samue l 10: 1-8) Some time later, Nahash king of the Ammonites died and was succeeded by his son. 2 And David said, “I will show kind-ness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me. ” So David sent messengers to console Hanun concerning his father. B ut when David's ser- vants arrived in the land of the Ammonites to console him, 3 the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, “Just because David has sent you comforters, do you really believe he is showing respect for your father? Have not his servants co me to you to explore the land, spy it out, and overthrow it?” 4 So Hanun took David's servants, shaved their beards, cut off their garments at the hips, and sent them away. 19 516 | 1 Chronicles 18:5 a 6 LXX and Vulgate (see also 2 Samuel 8:6 and Syriac); Hebrew does not include garrisons  . b 6 Or the LORD saved David  ; also in verse 13 c 8 Tibhath is a variant of Tebah  ; see 2 Samuel 8:8 LXX. d 9 Tou is a variant of Toi  ; also in verse 10; see 2 Samuel 8:9. e 10 Hadoram is a variant of Joram  ; see 2 Samuel 8:10. f 16 Some He-brew manuscripts, Vulgate, and Syriac (see also 2 Samuel 8:17); most Hebrew manuscripts Abimele ch   g 16 Shavsha is also called Seraiah  , Sheva  , and Shisha  ; see 2 Samuel 8:17, 2 Samuel 20:25, and 1 Kings 4:3.

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5 When someone came and told David about his men, he sent messengers to meet them, since the men had been thoroughly humili-ated. The king told them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return. ” 6 When the Ammonites realized that th ey had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver a   to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim, b   Aram-maacah, and Zobah. 7 So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, as well as the king of Maacah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba while the Ammonites came from their cities and marched out for battle. 8 On hearing this, David sent Joab and the en-tire army of mighty men. 9 The Ammonites marched out and arrayed themselves for bat-tle at the entrance to the city, while the kings who had come stayed by themselves in the open country. David Defeats Ammon and Aram (2 Samue l 10: 9-19) 10 When Joab saw the battle lines before him and behind him, he selected some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Ar-ameans. 11 And he placed the rest of the forces under the command of his brother Abishai, who arrayed them against the Ammon ites. 12 “If the Arameans are too strong for me,” said Joab, “then you will come to my rescue. And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to your rescue. 13 Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and for the cities of our God. May the LORD do what is good in His sight. ” 14 So Joab and his troops advanced to fight the Arameans, who fled before him. 15 When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before Joab's brother Abishai, and they entered the city. So Joab went b ack to Jerusalem. 16 When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers to bring more Arameans from beyond the Eu-phrates, c   with Shophach d   the commander of Hadadezer's army leadi ng them. 17 When this was reported to David, he gath-ered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, advanced toward the Arameans, and arrayed for battle against them. When David lined up to engage them in battle, they fought against him. 18 But the Arameans fled bef ore Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers. He also killed Shophach the commander of their army. 19 When Hadadezer's subjects saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Arameans were unwilling to help the Ammo-nites anymore. The Capture of Rabbah (2 Samue l 12:2 6-31) In the spring, e   at the time when kings march out to war, Joab led out the army and ravaged the land of the Ammonites. He came to Rabbah and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. And Joab attacked Rabbah and demolished it. 20 1 Chronicles 20: 1 | 517 a 6 1,000 talents is approximately 37. 7 tons or 34. 2 metric tons of silver. b 6 That is, Mesopotamia; Aram-naharaim means Aram of the two rivers  , likely the region between the Euphrates and Balih Rivers in northwestern Mesopota-mia. c 16 Hebrew the River   d 16 Shophach is a variant of Shobach  ; also in verse 18; see 2 Samuel 10:16. e 1 Literally At the turn of the year

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2 Then David took the crown from the head of their king. a   It was found to weigh a talent of gold b   and was set with precious stones, and it was placed on David's head. And David took a great amount of plunder from the city. 3 David brought out the people who were there and put them to work c   with saws, iron picks, and axes. And he did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all his troops returned to Jerusalem. Battles against the Philistines (2 Samuel 21:1 5-22) 4 Some time later, war broke out with the Phil-istines at Gezer. At t hat time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai,d   a descendant of the Rephaim,e   and the Philistines were subdued. 5 Once again there was a battle with the Philis-tines, and Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother f  of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. 6 And there was still another battle at Gath, where there was a man of great stature with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—tw enty-four in all. He too was de-scended from Rapha, 7 and when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of David's brother Shimei killed him. 8 So these descendants of Rapha in Gath fell at the hands of David and his servants. David's Military Census (Exodus 30:11-16 ; 2 Samue l 24: 1-9) Then Satan g   rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. 2 So David said to Joab and the com-manders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan and bring me a report, so that I may know their number. ” 3 But Joab replied, “May the LORD multiply His troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all servants of my lord? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?” 4 Nevertheless, the king's word prevailed against Joab. So Joab departed and traveled throughout Israel, and then he returned to Je-rusalem. 5 And Joab reported to David the total number of the troops. In all Israel there were 1,100,000 men who drew the sword, includ-ing 470,000 in Judah. 6 But Joab did not in-clude Levi and Benjamin in the count, because the king's command was detestable to him. Judgment for David's Sin (2 Samuel 24:1 0-14) 7 This command was also evil in the sight of God; so He struck Israel. 8 Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing. Now I beg You to take away the iniquity of Your ser- vant, for I have acted very foolishly. ” 9 And the LORD instructed Gad, David's seer, 10 “Go and tell David that this is what the LORD says: 'I am offering you three options. Choose one of them, and I will carry it out against you. '  ” 11 So Gad went and said to David, “This is what the LORD says: 'You must choose 12 between three years of famine, three months of being swept away h   before your enemies and over-taken by their swords, or three days of the sword of the LORD— days of plague upon the 21 518 | 1 Chronicles 20:2 a 2 Or from the hea d of Milcom  . Milcom, also called Molech, was god of the Ammonites; see Leviticus 18:21 and 1 Kings 11:7. b 2 A talent is approximately 75. 4 pounds or 34. 2 kilograms of gold. c 3 Or cut them d 4 Sippai is a variant of Saph  ; see 2 Samuel 21:18. e 4 Or the giants  ; see also descendants of Rapha in verses 6 and 8. f 5 Or Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother  ; see 2 Samuel 21:19. g 1 That is, the Accuser or the Adversary   h 12 Hebrew; LXX and Vulgate of fleeing  ; see 2 Samuel 24:13.

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land, with the angel of the LORD ravaging every part of Israel. ' Now then, decide how I should reply to Him who sent me. ” 13 David answered Gad, “I am deeply dis-tressed. Please, let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men. ” A Plague on Israel (2 Samuel 24:1 5-17) 14 So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead. 15 Then God sent an angel to destroy Jerusa-lem, but as the angel was doing so, the LORD saw it and relented from the calamity, and He said to the angel who was destroyin g the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand now!” At that time the angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan  a   the Jebusite. 16 When David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem, David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown. 17 And David said to God, “Was it not I w ho gave the order to count the people? I b am the one who has sinned and acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? O LORD my God, please let Your hand fall upon me and my father's house, but do not let this plague remain upon Your people. ” David Builds an Altar (2 Samuel 24:1 8-25) 18 Then the angel of the LORD ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 19 So David went up at the word that Gad had spoken in the name of the LORD. 20 Now Ornan was threshing wheat when he turned and saw the angel; and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. 21 David came to Ornan, and when Ornan looked out and saw David, he left the threshing floor and bowed facedown bef ore David. 22 Then David said to Ornan, “Grant me the site of this threshing floor, that I may build an altar to the LORD. Sell it to me for the full price, so that the plague upon the people may be halted. ” 23 Ornan said to David, “My lord the king may take whatever seems good. Look, I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering —I will give it all. ” 24 “No,” replied King David, “I insist on paying the full price, for I will not tak e for the LORD what belongs to you, nor will I offer burnt of-ferings that cost me nothing. ” 25 So David paid Ornan six hundred shekels of gold c   for the site. 26 And there he built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. He called upon the LORD, who answered him with fire from heaven on the al-tar of burnt offering. 27 Then the LORD spoke to the angel, who put his sword back into its s heath. 28 At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he offered sacrifices there. 29 For the tabernacle of the LORD that Moses had made in the wilderness and the altar of burnt offering were presently at the high place in Gibeon, 30 but David could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD. 1 Chronicles 21: 30 | 519 a 15 Ornan is a variant of Araunah  ; also in verses 1 8-28; see 2 Samuel 24:16. b 17 Or I, the shepherd, see 2 Samuel 24:17 DSS and LXX. c 25 600 shekels is approximately 15. 1 pounds or 6. 8 kilograms of gold.

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Preparations for the Temple Then David said, “Here shall be the house of the LORD God, as well as the altar of burnt offering for Israel. ” 2 So David gave orders to gather the foreigners in the land of Israel, from whom he appointed stonecutters to prepare finished stones for building the house of God. 3 David provided a large quantity of iron to make the nails for the doors of the gateways and for the fittings, together with more bronze than could be weighed 4 and more cedar logs than could be counted; for the Sidonians and Tyrians had brought a large quantity of cedar logs to David. 5 And David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the LORD must be exceedingly magnifi-cent —famous and glorious throughout all lands. Therefore I must make preparations for it. ” So David made lavish preparations before his death. Solomon Anointed to Build the Temple 6 Then David called for his son Solomon and instructed him to build a house for the LORD, the God of Israel. 7 “My son,” said David to Solomon, “it was in my heart to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God, 8 but this word of the LORD came to me: 'You have shed much blood and waged great wars. You are not to build a house for My Name because you have shed so much blood on the ground before Me. 9 But a son will be born to you who will be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for his name will be Solomon,a   and I will grant to Israel peace and quiet durin g his reign. 10 He is the one who will build a house for My Name. He will be My son, and I will be his Father. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever. ' 11 Now, my son, may the LORD be with you, and may you succeed in building t he house of the LORD your God, as He said you would. 12 Above all, may the LORD give you insight and understanding when He puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the Law of the LORD your God. 13 Then you will succeed, if you carefully fol low the statutes and ordinances that the LORD com-manded Moses for Israel. Be strong and coura-geous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. 14 Now behold, I have taken great pains to pro-vide for the house of the LORD —100,000 talents of gold,b   1,000,000 talents of silver,c   and bronze and iron too great to be weighed. I have also provided timber and stone, and you may add to them. 15 You also have many workers: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and men skilled in every kind of work — 16 in gold and silver, bronze and iron —craftsmen beyond number. Now begin the work, and may the LORD be with you. ” 17 Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon: 18 “Is not the LORD your God with you, and has He not granted you rest on every side? For He has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land has been subdued before the LORD and His people. 19 Now set your heart and soul to seek the LORD your God. Get started building the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant o f the LORD and the holy articles of God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the LORD. ” 22 a 9 Solomon sounds like and is probably derived from the Hebrew word for peace  . b 14 100,00 0 talents is approxi-mately 3,770 tons or 3,420 metric tons of gold. c 14 1,000,000 talents is approximately 37,700 tons or 34,200 met-ric tons of silver. 520 | 1 Chronicles 22:1

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The Divisions of the Levites When David was old and full of years, he installed his son Solomon as king over Israel. 2 Then he gathered all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites. 3 The Levites thirty years of age or older were counted, and the total number of men was 38,000. 4 “Of these,” said David,a “24,000 are to oversee the work of the house of the LORD, 6,000 are to be officers and judges, 5 4,000 are to be gatekeepers, and 4,000 are to praise the LORD with the instruments I have made for giving praise. ” 6 Then David divided the Levites into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. The Gershonites (Numbers 3:2 1-26 ; Numbers 4:21-28) 7 The Gershonites: Ladan b   and Shimei. 8 The sons of Ladan: Jehiel c   the first, Zetham, and Joel —three in all. 9 The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran —three in all. These were the heads of the families of Ladan. 10 And the sons of Shimei: d   Jahath, Zina,e Jeush, and Beriah. These were the sons of Shimei —four in all. 11 Jahath was the first and Zizah was the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they were counted as one family and received a single assig nment. The Kohathites (Numbers 3:2 7-32 ; Numbers 4:1-20) 12 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Heb-ron, and Uzziel —four in all. 13 The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were set apart forever to consecrate the most holy things, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister before Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name forever. 14 As for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi. 15 The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. 16 The descendants of Gershom: Shebuel was the first. 17 The descendants of Eliezer: Rehabiah was the first. Eliezer did not have any other sons, but the sons of R ehabiah were very numerous. 18 The sons of Izhar: Shelomith was the first. 19 The sons of Hebron: Jeriah was the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. 20 The sons of Uzziel: Micah was the first and Isshiah the second. The Merarites (Numbers 3:33-37 ; Numbers 4:29-33) 21 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish. 22 Eleazar died without having any sons; he had only daughters. Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married them. 23 The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth f —three in all. Levite Duties Revised 24 These were the descendants of Levi by their families —the heads of families, registered 23 1 Chronicles 23: 24 | 521 a 4 Hebrew does not include said Davi d, b 7 Ladan is a variant of Libni  ; also in verses 8 and 9; see 1 Chronicles 6:17. c 8 Jehiel is a variant of Jehieli  ; see 1 Chronicles 26:21. d 10 Shimei was possibly a son or grandson of the Shimei listed in verse 9. e 10 Most Hebrew manuscripts; one Hebrew manuscript, LXX, and Vulgate (see also verse 11) Zizah   f 23 Jeremoth is a variant of Jerimoth  ; see 1 Chronicles 24:30.

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individually by name —those twenty years of age or older who worked in the service of the house of the LORD. 25 For David had said, “T he LORD, the God of Israel, has given rest to His people and has come to dwell in Jerusalem forever. 26 So now the Levites no longer need to carry the taber-nacle or any of the articles for its service. ” 27 For according to the final instructions of Da-vid, the Levites twenty years of age or older were counted, 28 but their duty was to assist the descendants of Aaron with the service of the house of the LORD, being responsible for the courts and chambers, the purification of all the holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God, 29 as well as for the rows of the showbread, the fine flour for the grain offering, the wafers of unleavened bread, the baking, the mixing, and all measurements of quantity and size. 30 They were also to stand every morning to give thanks and praise to the L ORD, and like-wise in the evening. 31 Whenever burnt offer-ings were presented to the LORD on the Sabbaths, New Moons, and appointed feasts, they were to serve regularly before the LORD in the numbers prescribed for them. 32 So the Levites were to carry out the responsibilities for the Tent of Meeting and the Holy Place, and, under their brothers the descendants of Aaron, the service of the house of the LORD. Twenty-Four Divisions of Priests These were the divisions of the de-scendants of Aaron. The sons of Aa-ron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 2 But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did, and they had no sons; so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests. 3 With the help of Eleazar's descendant Zadok and Ithamar's descendant Ahimelech, David divided them according to the offices of their service. 4 Since more leaders were found among Eleazar's descendants than those of Ithamar, they were divided accordingly. There were sixteen heads of families from the descendants of Eleazar and eight from the descendants of Ithamar. 5 Thus they were divided by lot, for there were officers of the sanctuary and officers of God among both Eleazar's and Ithamar's descen- dants. 6 The scribe, Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Le-vite, recorded their names in the presence of the king and of the officers: Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the heads of families of the priests and the Levites— one family being taken from Eleazar, and then one from Ithamar. 7 The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, 8 the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, 9 the fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin, 10 the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah, 11 the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah, 12 the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim, 13 the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab, 14 the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, 24 522 | 1 Chronicles 23:25

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15 the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez, 16 the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezkel, 17 the twenty-first to Jachin, the twenty-second to Gamul, 18 the twenty-third to Delaiah, and the twenty-fourth to Maaziah. 19 This w as their appointed order for service when they entered the house of the LORD, according to the regulations prescribed for them by their forefather Aaron, as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded him. The Rest of the Levites 20 Now these were the rem aining descendants of Levi: From the sons of Amram: Shubael; a   from the sons of Shubael: Jehdeiah. 21 As for Rehabiah, from his sons: The first was Isshiah. b 22 From the Izharites: Shelomoth; c   from the sons of Shelomoth: Jahath. 23 From the sons of Hebron: Jeriah was the first,d   Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. 24 From the sons of Uzziel: Micah; from the sons of Micah: Shamir. 25 The brother of Micah: Isshiah; from the sons of Isshiah: Zechariah. 26 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The son of Jaaziah: Beno. 27 The descendants of Merari from Jaaziah: Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri. 28 From Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons. 29 From Kish: Jerahmeel the son of Kish. 30 And the sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth. e These were the sons of the Levites, according to their families. 31 As their brothers the descendants of Aaron did, they also cast lots in the presence of King David and of Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of the families of the priests and Levites —the family heads and their younger brothers alike. Twenty-Four Divisions of Musicians Additionally, David and the com-manders of the army set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to prophesy with the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. The following is the list of the men who performed this service: 2 From the sons o f Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah. These sons of Asaph were under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the direction of the king. 3 From the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei,f  Hashabiah, and Mattithiah —six in all —under the direc-tion of their father Jeduthun, who proph-esied with the harp, giving thanks and praise to the LORD. 25 a 20 Shubael (twice in this verse) is a variant of Shebuel  ; see 1 Chronicles 23:16 and 1 Chronicles 26:24. b 21 Isshiah is a variant of Jeshaiah  ; see 1 Chronicles 26:25. c 22 Shelomoth (twice in this verse) is a variant of Shelomith  ; see 1 Chronicles 23:18. d 23 Hebrew From the sons: Jeriah  ; see 1 Chronicles 23:19. e 30 Jerimoth is a variant of Jeremoth  ; see 1 Chronicles 23:23. f 3 One Hebrew manuscript and some LXX manu-scripts (see also verse 17); most Hebrew manuscripts do not include Shimei  . 1 Chronicles 25: 3 | 523

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4 From the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel,a   Jerimoth,b Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. 5 All these sons of Heman the king's seer were given him through the promises of God to exalt him, for God had given Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. 6 All these were under the direction of their fa-thers for the music of the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the direction of the king. 7 Together with their relativ es, who were all trained and skillful in the songs of the LORD, they numbered 288. 8 They cast lots for their duties, young and old alike, teacher as well as pupil. 9 The first lot, which was for Asaph, fell to Joseph, his sons, and his brothers —12 in all; c   the second to Gedaliah, his sons, and his brothers —12 in all; 10 the third to Zaccur, his sons, and his brothers —12 in all; 11 the fourth to Izri,d   his sons, and his brothers —12 in all; 12 the fifth to Nethaniah, his sons, and his brothers —12 in all; 13 the sixth to Bukkiah, his sons, and his brothers —12 in all; 14 the seventh to Jesarelah,e   his sons, and his brothers —12 in all; 15 the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons, and his brothers —12 in all; 16 the ninth to Mattaniah, his sons, and his brothers —12 in all; 17 the tenth to Shimei, his sons, and his brothers —12 in all; 18 the eleventh to Azarel,f  his sons, and his brothers —12 in all; 19 the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons, and his brothers —12 in all; 20 the thirteenth to Shubael, his sons, and his brothers —12 in all; 21 the fourteenth to Mattithiah, his sons, and his brothers —12 in all; 22 the fifteenth to J eremoth,g   his sons, and his brothers —12 in all; 23 the sixteenth to Hananiah, his sons, and his brothers —12 in all; 24 the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons, and his brothers— 12 in all; 25 the eighteenth to Hanani, his sons, a nd his brothers —12 in all; 26 the nineteenth to Mallothi, his sons, and his brothers —12 in all; 27 the twentieth to Eliathah, his sons, and his brothers —12 in all; 28 the twenty-first to Hothir, his sons, and his brothers —12 in all; 29 the twenty-second to Giddalti, his sons, and his brothers —12 in all; 30 the twenty-third to Mahazioth, his sons, and his brothers —12 in all; 31 and the twenty-fourth to Romamti-ezer, h is sons, and his brothers—12 in all. 524 | 1 Chronicles 25:4 a 4 Shebuel is a variant of Shubael  ; see verse 20. b 4 Jerimoth is a variant of Jeremoth  ; see verse 22. c 9 See LXX and the total in verse 7; Hebrew does not include hi s son s, and his brothers— 12 in all;   d 11 Izri is a variant of Zeri  ; see verse 3. e 14 Jesarelah is a variant of Asarelah  ; see verse 2. f 18 Azarel is a variant of Uzziel  ; see verse 4. g 22 Jeremoth is a variant of Jerimoth  ; see verse 4.

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The Divisions of the Gatekeepers These were the divisions of the gate-keepers: From the Korahites: Meshelemiah son of Kore, one of the sons of Asaph. 2 Meshelemiah had sons: Zechar iah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth, 3 Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth, and Eliehoenai the seventh. 4 And Obed-edom also had sons: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sachar the four th, Nethanel the fifth, 5 Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, and Peullethai the eighth. For God had blessed Obed-edom. 6 Also to his son Shemaiah were born sons who ruled over their families because they were strong, capable men. 7 Shemaiah's sons were Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad; his brothers were Elihu and Semachiah, also capable men. 8 All these were descendants of Obed-edom; they and their sons and brothers were capable men with strength to do the work —62 in all from Obed-edom. 9 Meshelemiah also had sons and brothers who were capable men —18 in all. 10 Hosah the Merarite also had sons: Shimri the first (although he was not the firstborn, his father had appointed him as the first), 11 Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, and Zechariah the fourth. The sons and brothers of Hosah numbered 13 in all. 12 These divisions of the gatekeepers, through their chief men, had duties for ministering in the house of the LORD, just as their brothers did. 13 They cast lots for each gate, according to their families, young and old alike. 14 The lot for the East Gate f ell to Shele-miah. a   Then lots were cast for his son Zechariah, a wise counselor, and the lot for the North Gate fell to him. 15 The lot for the South Gate fell to Obed-edom, and the lot for the storehouses to his sons. 16 The lots for the West Gate and the Shallecheth Gate on the ascending high-way b   fell to Shuppim and Hosah. There were guards stationed at every watch. 17 Each day there were six Levites on the east, four on the north, four on the south, and two pairs at the storehouse. 18 As for the court c   on the west, there were four at the highway and two at the court. 19 These were the divisions of the gatekeepers who were descendants of Korah and Merari. The Treasurers, Officers, and Judges 20 Now their fellow Levites were d   in charge of the treasuries of the house of God and the treasuries of the dedicated things. 21 From the descendants of Ladan, e   who were Gershonites through Ladan and heads of the families of Ladan the Gershonite, were Jehieli,f  22 the sons of Jehieli, Zetham, and his brother Joel. They were in charge of the treasuries of the house of the LORD. 23 From the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites: 24 Shebuel, a descendant of Gershom son of Moses, was the officer in charge of the treasuries. 25 His relatives through Eliezer included Rehabiah his son, Jeshaiah g   his 26 1 Chronicles 26: 25 | 525 a 14 Shelemiah is a variant of Meshelemiah  ; see verse 2. b 16 Or on the upper road   c 18 Hebrew parbar  ; twice in this verse d 20 LXX; Hebrew As for the Levites, Ahijah was   e 21 Ladan is a variant of Libni  ; see 1 Chronicles 6:17. f 21 Jehieli is a variant of Jehiel  ; also in verse 22; see 1 Chronicles 23:8. g 25 Jeshaiah is a variant of Isshiah  ; see 1 Chronicles 24:21.

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Tw elve Captains for Twelve Months This is the list of the Israelites —the heads of families, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and their officers who served the king in every matter concern-ing the divisions on rotating military duty each month throughout the year. There were 24,000 men in each division: 2 Jashobeam son of Zabdiel was in charge of the first division, which was assigned the first month. There were 24,000 men in his division. 3 He was a descendant of Pe-rez and chief of all the army commanders for the first month. 4 Dodai c   the Ahohite was in charge of the division for the second month, and Mi-kloth was the leader. There were 24,000 men in his division. 5 The third army commander, as chief for the third month, was Benaiah son of Jehoi-ada the priest. There were 24,000 men in his division. 6 This Benaiah was mighty among the Thirty and was over the Thirty, and his son Ammizabad was in charge of his division. 7 The fourth, for the fourth month, was Joab's brother Asahel, and his son Zeba-diah was commander after him. There were 24,000 men in his division. 8 The fifth, for the fifth month, was the commander Shamhuth d   the Izrahite. There were 24,000 men in his division. 9 The sixth, for the sixth month, was Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite. There were 24,000 men in his division. 10 The seventh, for the seventh month, was Helez the Pelonite, an Ephraimite. There were 24,000 men in his division. 11 The eighth, for the eighth month, was Sibbecai the Hushathite, a Zerahite. There were 24,000 men in his division. 27 a 29 Or the duties outsid e (th e temple) or the duties outside (Jerusalem)   b 31 Jerijah is a variant of Jeriah  ; see 1 Chronicles 23:19. c 4 Dodai is a variant of Dodo  ; see 2 Samuel 23:9. d 8 Shamhuth is a variant of Shammoth or Shammah  ; see 1 Chronicles 11:27 and 2 Samuel 23:25. 526 | 1 Chronicles 26:26 son, Joram his son, Zichri his son, and Shelomith his son. 26 This Shelomith and his brothers were in charge of all the treasuries for the things dedicated by King David, by the heads of families who were the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and by the army command-ers. 27 They had dedicated some of the plunder from their battles to the repair of the house of the LORD. 28 Everything that had been dedicated by Samuel the seer, Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah, along with everything else that was dedicated, was under the care of Shelomith and his brothers. 29 From the Izh arites, Chenaniah and his sons had the outside duties a   as officers and judges over Israel. 30 From the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his relatives, 1,700 capable men, had charge of the affairs of Israel west of the Jordan for all the work of the LORD and for th e service of the king. 31 As for the Hebronites, Jerijah b   was the chief of the Hebronites, according to the genealogies of his ancestors. In the fortieth year of David's reign the records were searched, and strong, capable men were found among the Hebronites at Jazer in Gilead. 32 Among Jerijah's relatives there were 2,700 capable men who were heads of families. King David appointed them over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh for every matter pertaining to God and to the affairs of the king.

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12 The ninth, for the ninth month, was Ab-iezer the Anathothite, a Benjamite. There were 24,000 men in his division. 13 The tenth, for the tenth month, was Ma-harai the Netophathite, a Zerahite. There were 24,000 men in his division. 14 The eleventh, for the eleventh month, was Benaiah the Pirathonite, an Ephraim-ite. There were 24,000 men in his division. 15 The twelfth, for the twelfth month, was Heldai a   the Netophathite, from the family of Othniel. There were 24,000 men in his division. The Leaders of the Twelve Tribes 16 These officers were in charge of the tribes of Israel: Over the Reubenites was Eliezer son of Zichri; over the Simeonites was Shephatiah son of Maacah; 17 over Levi was Hashabiah son of Kemuel; over Aaron was Zadok; 18 over Judah was Elihu, one of David's brothers; over Issachar was Omri son of Michael; 19 over Zebulun was Ishmaiah son of Obadiah; over Naphtali was Jerimoth son of Azriel; 20 over the Ephraimites was Hoshea son of Azaziah; over one of the half-tribes of Manasseh was Joel son of Pedaiah; 21 over the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead was Iddo son of Zechariah; over Benjamin was Jaasiel son of Abner; 22 and over Dan was Azarel son of Jeroham. These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel. 23 David did not count the men aged twenty or under, because the LORD had said that He would make Israel as numerous as the stars of the sky. 24 Joab son of Zeruiah began to count the men but did not finish. For because of this census wrath came upon Israel, and the num-ber was not entered in the Book of the Chron-icles of King David. David's Various Overseers 25 Azmaveth son of Adiel was in charge of the royal storehouses. Jonathan son of Uzziah was in charge of the storehouses in the country, in the cit-ies, in the villages, and in the fortresses. 26 Ezri son of Chelub was in charge of the workers in the fields who tilled the soil. 27 Shimei the Ramathite was in charge of the vineyards. Zabdi the Shiphmite was in charge of the produce of the vineyards for the wine vats. 28 Baal-hanan the Gederite was in charge of the olive and sycamore trees in the foothills. b Joash was in charge of the stores of olive oil. 29 Shitrai the Sharonite was in charge of the herds grazing in Sharon. Shaphat son of Adlai was in charge of the herds in the valleys. 30 Obil the Ishmaelite was in charge of the camels. 1 Chronicles 27: 30 | 527 a 15 Heldai is a variant of Heled  ; see 1 Chronicles 11:30 and 2 Samuel 23:29. b 28 Hebrew Shephelah or lowlands  ; that is, the western foothills of Judea

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Jehdeiah the Meronothite was in charge of the donkeys. 31 Jaziz the Hagrite was in charge of the flocks. All these officials were in charge of King David's property. The Counselors 32 David's uncle Jonathan was a counselor; he was a man of insight and a scribe. Jehiel son of Hachmoni attended to the sons of the king. 33 Ahithophel was the king's counselor. Hushai the Archite was the king's friend. 34 Ahithophel was succeeded by Jehoiada son of Benaiah, then by Abiathar. Joab was the commander of the king's army. David Commissions Solomon Now David summoned all the leaders of Israel to Jerusalem: the leaders of the tribes, the leaders of the divisions in the king's service, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and cattle of the king an d his sons, along with the court officials and mighty men —every mighty man of valor. 2 Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. It was in my heart to build a house as a resting place for the ark of the covenant of the LORD and as a footstool for our God. I had made preparations to build it, 3 but God said to me, 'You are not to build a house for My Name, be-cause you are a man of war who has spilled blood. ' 4 Yet the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me out of all my father's house to be king over Israel forever. For He chose Judah as leader, and from the house of Judah He chose my father's household, and from my father's sons He was pleased to make me king over all Israel. 5 And of all my sons —for the LORD has given me many sons —He has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. 6 And He said to me, 'Solo-mon your son is the one who will build My house and My courts, for I hav e chosen him as My son, and I will be his Father. 7 I will estab-lish his kingdom forever, if he resolutely car-ries out My commandments and ordinances, as is being done this day. ' 8 So now in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God, keep and seek out all the commandments of the LORD your God, so that you may possess this good land and leave it as an inheritance to your descendants forever. 9 As for you, Solo-mon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeh eartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intent of every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. 10 Con-sider now that the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong and do it. ” The Plans for the Temple 11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple,a   its buildings, storehouses, upper rooms, inner rooms, and the room for the m ercy seat. b   12 The plans con-tained everything David had in mind c   for the courts of the house of the LORD, for all the sur-rounding rooms, for the treasuries of the house of God and of the dedicated things, 13 for the divisions of the priests and Levites, for all the work of service in the house of the LORD, 28 528 | 1 Chronicles 27:31 a 11 LXX; Hebrew does not include of the temple  . b 11 Or atonement cover   c 12 Or had with him by the Spirit  

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and for all the articles of service in the house of the LORD: 14 the weight of all the gold articles for every kind of service; the weight of all the silver articles for every kind of service; 15 the weight of the gold lampstands and their lamps, including the weight of each lampstand and its lamps; the weight of each silver lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand; 16 the weight of gold for each table of showbread, and of silver for the silver tables; 17 the weight of the pure gold for the forks, sprinkling bowls, and pitchers; the weight of each gold dish; the weight of each silver bowl; 18 the weight of the refined gold for the al-tar of incense; and the plans for the chariot of the gold cherubim that spread their wings and overshadowed the ark of the covenant of the LORD. 19 “All this,” said David, “all the details of this plan, the LORD has made c lear to me in writ-ing by His hand upon me. ” 20 David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do it. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you before all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finis hed. 21 The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the service of the house of God, and every willing man of every skill will be at your disposal for the work. The officials and all the people are fully at your command. ” Offerings for the Temple Then King David said to the whole assembly, “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperi-enced. The task is great because this palace is not for man, but for the LORD God. 2 Now with all my ability I have made provision fo r the house of my God —gold for the gold articles, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron, and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and slabs of marb le—all in abundance. 3 Moreover, because of my delight in the house of my God, I now give for it my personal trea- sures of gold and silver, over and above all that I have provided for this holy temple: 4 three thousand talents of gold a   (the gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver,b   to overlay the walls of the buildings, 5 for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now who will volunteer to consecrate himself to the LORD today?” 6 Then the leaders of the households, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king's work gave willingly. 7 Toward the service of God's house the y gave 5,000 talents c   and 10,000 darics of gold,d   10,000 talents of silver,e   18,000 talents of bronze,f  and 100,000 talents of iron. g291 Chronic les 29: 7 | 529 a 4 3,000 talents is approximately 113 tons or 103 metric tons of gold. b 4 7,000 talents is approximately 264 tons or 239. 5 metric tons of silver. c 7 5,000 talents is approximately 188. 5 tons or 171 metric tons of gold. d 7 Or 10,000 gold drachmas  ; that is, approximately 185. 2 pounds or 84 kilograms of gold coins e 7 10,000 talents is approximately 377 tons or 342 metric tons of silver. f 7 18,000 talents is approximately 678. 6 tons or 615. 6 metric tons of bronze. g 7 100,000 talents is approximately 3,770 tons or 3,420 metric tons of iron.

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8 Whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the LORD, under the care of Jehiel a   the Gershonite. 9 And the people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given to the LORD freely and wholeheartedly. And King David also re-joiced greatly. David's Prayer of Blessing 10 Then David blessed the LORD in the sight of all the assembly an d said: “Ma y You be blessed, O LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to ever-lasting. 11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in heaven and on earth belongs to You. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all. 12 Both riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler over all. In Your hands are power and might to exalt and give strength to all. 13 Now therefore, our God, we give You thanks, and we praise Your glorious name. 14 But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from You, and from Your own hand we have given to You. 15 For w e are foreign-ers and strangers in Your presence, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. 16 O LORD our God, from Your hand comes all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy Name, and all of it belongs to You. 17 I know, my God, that You test the heart and delight in uprightness. All these things I have given w illingly and with an upright heart, and now I have seen Your people who are pre-sent here giving joyfully and willingly to You. 18 O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, keep this desire forever in the intentions of the hearts of Your people, and direct their hearts toward You. 19 And give my son Solomon a whole heart to keep and carry out all Your com-mandments, decrees, and statutes, and to build Your palace for which I have made provision. ” 20 Then David said to the whole assembly, “Blessed b e the LORD your God. ” So the whole assembly blessed the LORD, the God of their fathers. They bowed down and paid homage to the LORD and to the king. Solomon Anointed King (1 Kings 1:32-40) 21 The next day they offered sacrifices and presented burnt offerings to the LORD: a thou-sand bulls, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, along with their drink offerings, and other sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. 22 That day they ate and drank with great joy in the presence of the LORD. Then, for a second time, they designated David's son Solomon as king, anointing him before the LORD as ruler, and Zadok as the priest. 23 So Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king in place of his father Dav id. He pros-pered, and all Israel obeyed him. 24 All the officials and mighty men, as well as all of King David's sons, pledged their allegiance to King Solomon. 530 | 1 Chronicles 29:8 a 8 Jehiel is a variant of Jehieli  ; see 1 Chronicles 26:21.

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25 The LORD highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Isra el and bestowed on him royal majesty such as had not been bestowed on any king in Israel before him. David's Reign and Death (1 Kings 2:1 0-12) 26 David son of Jesse was king over all Israel. 27 The length of David's reign over Israel was forty years —seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 28 He died at a ripe old age, full of years, riches, and honor, and his son Solomon reigned in his place. 29 Now the acts of King David, fr om first to last, are indeed written in the Chronicles of Samuel the Seer, the Chronicles of Nathan the Prophet, and the Chronicles of Gad the Seer, 30 together with all the details of his reign, his might, and the circumstances that came upon him and Is-rael and all the kingdoms of the lands. 1 Chronicles 29: 30 | 531

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Solomon's Prayer for Wisdom (1 Kings 3:1-15 ; Psalm 45:1-17 ; Ps alm 72:1-20) Now Solomon son of David established himself securely over his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him and highly ex-alted him. 2 Then Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the com-manders of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to every leader in all Israel —the heads of the families. 3 And Solomon and the whole assembly went to the high place at Gibeon because it was the location of God's Tent of Meeting, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness. 4 Now David had brought the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place he had prepared for it, because he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem. 5 But the bronze altar made by Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, was in Gib-eon before a   the tabernacle of the LORD. So Solomon and the assembly inquired of Him there. 6 Solomon offered sacrifices there before the LORD on the bronze altar in the Tent of Meeting, where he offered a thousand burnt offerings. 7 That night God appeared to Solomon and said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!” 8 Solomon replied to God: “You have shown much loving devotion b   to my father David, and You have made me king in his place. 9 Now, O LORD God, let Your promise to my father David be fulfilled. For You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 Now grant me wisdom and knowledge, so that I may lead this people. c   For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?” 11 God said to Solomon, “Since this was in your heart instead of requesting riches or wealth or glory for yourself or death for your enemies — and since yo u have not even requested long life but have asked for wisdom and knowledge to govern My people over whom I have made you king — 12 therefore wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And I will also give you riches and wealth and honor unlike anythin g given to the kings before you or after you. ” 13 So Solomon went to Jerusalem from the high place in Gibeon before the Tent of Meet-ing, and he reigned over Israel. Solomon's Riches (1 Kings 10:2 6-29) 14 Solomon accumulated d   1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses,e   which he stationed in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. 15 The king made silver and gold as common 1 2 Chronicles a 5 LXX, Vulgate, and some Hebrew manuscripts was ther e before  ; MT he placed before   b 8 Forms of the Hebrew chesed are translated here and in most cases throughout the Scriptures as loving devotion  ; the range of meaning in-cludes love  , goodness  , kindness  , faithfulness  , and mercy  , as well as loyalty to a covenant  . c 10 Literally so that I may go out before this people and come in   d 14 Literally Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; h e had   e 14 Or horsemen or charioteers  

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in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills. a   16 Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and Kue; b   the royal merchants pur-chased them from Kue. 17 A chariot could be imported from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver,c   and a horse for a hundred and fifty. d   Likewise, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram. Preparations for the Temple (1 Kings 5:1-6) Now Solomon purposed to build a house for the Name of the LORD and a royal palace for himself. 2 So he conscripted 70,000 porters, 80,000 stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 supervisors. 3 Then Solomon sent word to Hiram e   king of Tyre: “Do for me as you did for my father David when you sent him cedars to build himself a house to live in. 4 Behold, I am about to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God to dedicate to Him for burning fragrant incense before Him, for displ ay-ing the showbread continuously, and for making burnt offerings every morning and evening as well as on the Sabbaths, New Moons, and appointed feasts of the LORD our God. This is ordained for Israel forever. 5 The house that I am building will be great, for our God is greater than all gods. 6 But who is able to build a house for Him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain Him? Who then am I, that I should build a house for Him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before Him? 7 Send me, therefore, a craftsman skilled in engraving to work with gold and silver, with bronze and iron, and with purple, crimson, and blue yarn. He will work with my craftsmen in Judah and Jerusalem, whom my father D avid provided. 8 Send me also cedar, cypress,f  and algum g logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants have skill to cut timber there. And indeed, my servants will work with yours 9 to prepare for me timber in abun-dance, because the temple I am building will be great and wonderful. 10 I will pay your servant s, the woodcutters, 20,000 cors of ground wheat,h   20,000 cors of bar-ley,i  20,000 baths of wine,j  and 20,000 baths of olive oil. k  ” Hiram's Reply to Solomon (1 Kings 5:7-12) 11 Then Hiram king of Tyre wrote a letter in reply to Solomon: “Because the LORD loves His people, He has set you over them as king. ” 12 And Hiram added: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who made the heavens and the earth! He has given King David a wise son with in-sight and understanding, who will build a temple for the LORD and a royal palace for himself. 2 2 Chronicles 2:12 | 533 a 15 Hebrew Shephelah or lowlands  ; that is, the western foothills of Judea b 16 Probably an area in Cilicia, a prov-ince in the southeast of Asia Minor c 17 600 shekels is approximately 15. 1 pounds or 6. 8 kilograms of silver. d 17 150 shekels is approximately 3. 8 pounds or 1. 7 kilograms of silver. e 3 Hebrew Huram  , a variant of Hiram  ; also in verses 11 and 12 f 8 Or pine or juniper or fir   g 8 Algum is probably a variant of almug  ; see 1 Kings 10:11. h 10 20,000 cors is approximately 124,800 bushels or 4. 4 million liters (probably about 3,800 tons or 3,400 metric tons of wheat). i 10 20,000 cors is approximately 124,800 bushels or 4. 4 million liters (probably about 2,910 tons or 2,700 metric tons of barley). j 10 20,000 baths is approximately 116,000 gallons or 440,000 liters of wine. k 10 Or 20,000 baths of oil  ; that is, approximately 116,000 gallons or 440,000 liters

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13 So now I am sending you Huram-abi, a skillful man endowed with creativity. a   14 He is the son of a woman from the daughters of Dan, and his father is a man of Tyre. He is skilled in work with gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, purple, blue, and crimson yarn, and fine linen. He is experienced in every kind of engraving a nd can execute any design that is given him. He will work with your craftsmen and with those of my lord, your father David. 15 Now let my lord send to his servants the wheat, barley, olive oil, and wine he prom-ised. 16 We will cut logs from Lebanon, as many as you need, and we will float them to you as rafts by sea down to Joppa. Then you can take them up to Jerusalem. ” 17 Solomon numbered all the foreign men in the land of Israel following the census his father David had conducted, and there were found to be 153,600 in all. 18 Solomon made 70,000 of them porters, 80,000 stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 supervisors. Temple Construction Begins (1 Kings 6:1-4) Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD i n Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared b   to his father David. This was the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan c   the Jebusite. 2 Solomon began construction on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign. 3 The foundation that Solomon laid for the house of God was sixty cubits long and twenty cubits wide, d   according to the old standard. e 4 The portico at the front, extending across the width of the temple, was twenty cubits long f  and twenty cubits high. g   He overlaid the inside with pure gold. The Temple's Interior (1 Kings 6:1 4-22) 5 He paneled the main room with cypress,h which he overlaid with fine gold and deco-rated with palm trees and chains. 6 He adorned the temple with precious stones for beauty, and its gold was from Parvaim. 7 He overlaid its beams, thresholds, walls, and doors with gold, and he carved cherubim on the walls. 8 Then he made the Most Holy Place; i  its length corresponded to the width of the temple — twenty cubits long and twenty cubits wide. And he overlaid the inside with six hundred talents of fine gold. j  9 The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. k   He also overlaid the upper area with gold. The Cherubim (1 Kings 6:2 3-30) 10 In the Most Holy Place he made two cheru-bim of sculptured work, and he overlaid them with gold. 11 The total wingspan of the cherubim was twenty cubits. One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long l  and touched the wall of the temple, and its other wing was five cubits long and touched the wing of the other cherub. 12 The wing of the second 3 534 | 2 Chronicles 2:13 a 13 Or understanding   b 1 See L XX; Hebrew wher e He had appeared   c 1 Ornan is a variant of Araunah  ; see 2 Sam-uel 24:16. d 3 The foundation was approximately 90 feet long and 30 feet wide (27. 4 meters long and 9. 1 meters wide). e 3 The old standard of measurement was a cubit equal to 18 inches or 45. 7 centimeters. Th e new standard, a cubit of approximately 21 inches or 53. 3 centimeters (the long cubit) is the basic unit of length throughout Ezekiel 40 to 48. f 4 20 cubits is approximately 30 feet or 9. 1 meters; also in verses 8, 11, and 13. g 4 Some LXX and Syr-iac manuscripts; Hebrew 120 cubits high (approximately 180 feet or 54. 9 meters) h 5 Or pine or juniper or fir i 8 Or the Holy of Holies  ; also in verse 10 j 8 600 talents is approximately 22. 6 tons or 20. 5 metric tons of gold. k 9 50 shekels is approximately 1. 26 pounds or 569. 8 grams of gold. l 11 5 cubits is approximately 7. 5 feet or 2. 3 meters; also in verse 15.

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cherub also measured five cubits and touched the wall of the temple, while its other wing measured five cubits and touched the wing of the first cherub. 13 So the total wingspan of these cherubim was twenty cubits. They stood on their feet, facing the main room. The Veil and Pillars (1 Kings 7:1 3-22) 14 He made the veil of blue, purple, and crim-son yarn and fine linen, with cherubim woven into it. 15 In front of the temple he made two pillars, which together were thirty-five cubits high,a   each with a capital on top measuring five cubits. 16 He made interwoven chains b   and put them on top of the pillars. He made a hundred pomegranates and fastened them into the chainwork. 17 Then he set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the south and one on the north. The pillar on the south he named Jachin, c   and the pillar on the north he named Boaz. d   The Bronze Altar and Molten Sea (1 Kings 7:2 3-26) He made a bronze altar twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and ten cubits high. e 2 He also made the Sea of cast metal. It was cir-cular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim, five cubits in height, and thirty cubits in circumference. f  3 Below the rim, figures of oxen encircled it, ten per cubit all the way around the Sea, cast in two rows as a part of the Sea. 4 The Sea stood on twelve oxen, thre e facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The Sea rested on them, with all their hindquarters toward the center. 5 It was a handbreadth thick,g   and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup, like a lily blos-som. It could hold three thousand baths. h The Ten Basins, Lampstands, and Tables (1 Kings 7:3 8-39) 6 He also made ten basins for washing and placed five on the south side and five on the north. The parts of the burnt offering were rinsed in them, but the priests used the Sea for washing. 7 He made ten gold lampstands according to their specifications and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. 8 Additionally, he made ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. He also made a hundred gold bowls. The Courts 9 He made the courtyard of the priests and the large court with its doors, and he overlaid the doors with bronze. 10 He put the Sea on the south side, at the southeast corner. Completion of the Bronze Works (1 Kings 7:4 0-47) 11 Additionally, Huram made th e pots, shovels, and sprinkling bowls. 4 2 Chronicles 4:11 | 535 a 15 35 cubits is approximately 52. 5 feet or 16 meters. b 16 Or He made chains in the inner sanctuary c 17 Jachin probably means He establishes  . d 17 Boaz probably means in Him is strength  . e 1 The altar was ap-proximately 30 feet in length and width and 15 feet high (9. 1 meters in length and width and 4. 6 meters high). f 2 The Sea was approximately 15 feet from rim to rim, 7. 5 feet in height, and 45 feet in circumference (4. 6 meters from rim to rim, 2. 3 meters in height, and 13. 7 meters in circumference). g 5 A handbreadth is approximately 2. 9 inches or 7. 4 centimeters. h 5 3,000 baths is approximately 17,400 gallons or 66,000 liters.

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So Huram finished the work that he had un-dertaken for King Solomon in the house of God: 12 the two pillars; the two bowl-shaped capitals atop the pil-lars; the two sets of network covering both bowls of the capitals atop the pillars; 13 the four hundred pomegranates for the two sets of network (two rows of pome-granates for each network covering both the bowl-shaped capitals atop the pillars); 14 the stands; the basins on the stands; 15 the Sea; the twelve oxen underneath the Sea; 16 and the pots, shovels, meat forks, and all the other articles. All these objects that Huram-abi made for King Solomon for the house of the LORD were of polished bronze. 17 The king had them cast in clay molds in the plain of the Jordan between Succoth and Zeredah. a   18 Solomon made all these art icles in such great abun-dance that the weight of the bronze could not be determined. Completion of the Gold Furnishings (1 Kings 7:4 8-51) 19 Solomon also made all the furnishings for the house of God: the golden altar; the tables on which was placed the Bread of the Presence; 20 the lampstands of pure gold and their lamps, to burn in front of the inner sanc-tuary as prescribed; 21 the flowers, lamps, and tongs of gold — of purest gold; 22 the wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, ladles, and censers of purest gold; and the gold doors of the temple: the inner doors to the Most Holy Place b   as well as the doors of the main hall. The Ark Enters the Temple (1 Kings 8: 1-11) So all the work that Solomon had per-formed for the house of the LORD was completed. Then Solomon brought in the items his father David had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and all the furnishings —and he placed them in the treasuries of the house of God. 2 At that time Solomon assembled in Jerusa-lem the elders of Israel —all the tribal heads and family leaders of the Israelites— to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Zion, the City of David. 3 So all the men of Israel came together to the king at the feast in the seventh month. c   4 When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the Levites took up the ark, 5 and they brought up the ark and the Tent of Meeting with all its sa-cred furnishings. The Levitical priests carried them up. 6 There, before the ark, King Solomon and the whole congregation of Israel who had assembled with him sacrificed so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. 7 Then the priests brought the ark of the cove-nant of the LORD to its place in the inner sanc-tuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place,d   beneath the wings of the cherubim. 8 For the cherubim spread their wings over the place 5 536 | 2 Chronicles 4:12 a 17 Zeredah is a variant of Zarethan  ; see 1 Kings 7:46. b 22 Or the Holy of Holies   c 3 That is, the Feast of Taber-nacles (or Booths or Shelters); see Leviticus 23:3 3-36. d 7 Or the Holy of Holies  

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of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its poles. 9 The poles of the ark extended far enough that their ends were visible from in front of the in-ner sanctuary,a   but not from outside the Holy Place; b   and they are there to this day. 10 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb,c   where the LORD had made a covenant with the Israelites after they had come out of Egypt. 11 Now all the priests who were present had consecrated themselves regardless of their divisions. And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, 12 all the Leviti cal singers — Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and relatives —stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps, and lyres, accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. 13 The trumpeters and singers joined together t o praise and thank the LORD with one voice. They lifted up their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the LORD: “For He is good; His loving devotion endures forever. ” And the temple, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud 14 so that the priests could not stand there to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God. Solomon Blesses the LORD (1 Kings 8:12-21) Then Solomon declared: “The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud; 2 and I have built You an exalted house, a place for You to dwell forever. ” 3 And as the whole assembly of Israel stood there, the king turned around and blessed them all 4 and said: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has fulfilled with His own hand what He spoke with His mouth to my father Da-vid, saying, 5 'Since the day I brought My people out of the land of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house so that My Name would be there, nor have I chosen anyone to be ruler over My people Israel. 6 But now I have chosen Jerusalem for My Name to be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel. ' 7 Now it was in the heart of my f ather Da-vid to build a house for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. 8 But the LORD said to my father David, 'Since it was in your heart to build a house for My Name, you have done well to have this in your heart. 9 Nevertheless, you are not the one to build it; but your son, your own off-spring, will build the house for My Name. ' 10 Now the LORD has fulfilled the word that He spoke. I have succeeded my father David, and I sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised. I have built the house for th e Name of the LORD, the God of Is-rael. 11 And there I have provided a place for the ark, which contains the covenant of the LORD that He made with the chil-dren of Israel. ” Solomon's Prayer of Dedication (1 Kings 8:2 2-53) 12 Then Solomon stood before the a ltar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. 13 Now Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long, five 6 a 9 Some Hebrew manuscripts and LXX The poles extended far enough that their ends were visibl e from the Holy Plac e in front of the inner sanctuary  ; see 1 Kings 8:8. b 9 Literally not from outside   c 10 That is, Mount Sinai, or possibly a mountain in the range containing Mount Sinai 2 Chronicles 6:13 | 537

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cubits wide, and three cubits high,a   and had placed it in the middle of the courtyard. He stood on it, knelt down before the whole as-sembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven, 14 and said: “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven or on earth, keeping Your covenant of loving devotion with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts. 15 You have kept Your promise to Your servant, my father David. What You spoke with Your mouth You have fulfilled with Your hand this day. 16 Therefore now, O LORD, God of Israel, keep for Your servant, my father David, what You promised when You said: 'You will never fail to have a man to sit before Me on the throne of Israel, if only your de-scendants guard their way to walk in My law as y ou have walked before Me. ' 17 And now, O LORD, God of Israel, please con-firm what You promised to Your servant David. 18 But will God indeed dwell with man upon the earth? Even heaven, the highest heaven, cannot contain You, much less this temple I have b uilt. 19 Yet regard the prayer and plea of Your servant, O LORD my God, so that You may hear the cry and the prayer that Your servant is praying before You. 20 May Your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your Name, so that You may hear the prayer that Your servant prays toward this place. 21 Hear the plea of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place. May You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place. May You hear and forgive. 22 When a man sins against his neighbor and is required to take an oath, and he comes to take an oath before Your altar in this temple, 23 then may You hear from heaven and act. May You judge Your ser- vants, condemning the wicked man by bringing down on his own head what he has done, and justifying the righteous man by rewarding him according to his righteousness. 24 When Your people Israel are defeated befo re an enemy because they have sinned against You, and they return to You and confess Your name, praying and pleading before You in this temple, 25 then may You hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel. May You restore them to the land You gave to them and their fathers. 26 When the skies are shut and there is no rain because Your people have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and they turn from their sins because You have afflicted them, 27 then ma y You hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your ser- vants, Your people Israel, so that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk. May You send rain on the land that You gave Your people as an inheritance. 28 When famine or plague comes upon the land, or blight or mildew or locusts or grasshoppers, or when their enemies be-siege them in their cities, whatever plague or sickness may come, 29 then may what-ever prayer or petition Your people Israel 538 | 2 Chronicles 6:14 a 13 The platform was approximately 7. 5 feet in length and width, and 4. 5 feet high (2. 3 meters in length and width, and 1. 4 meters high).

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make —each knowing his own afflictions and spreading out his hands toward this temple— 30 be heard by You from heaven, Your dwelling place. And may You forgive and repay each man according to all his ways, since You know his heart —for You alone know the hearts of men — 31 so that they may fear You and walk in Your ways all the days they live in the land that You gave to our fathers. 32 And as for the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of Your great name and Your mighty hand and outstretched arm —when he comes and prays toward this temple, 33 then m ay You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and do ac-cording to all for which the foreigner calls to You. Then all the peoples of the earth will know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and they will know that this house I have built is cal led by Your Name. 34 When Your people go to war against their enemies, wherever You send them, and when they pray to You in the direc-tion of the city You have chosen and the house I have built for Your Name, 35 then may You hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and may You uphold their cause. 36 When they sin against You —for there is no one who does not sin —and You be-come angry with them and deliver them to an enemy who takes them as captives to a land far or near, 37 and when they come to their s enses in the land to which they were taken, and they repent and plead with You in the land of their captors, saying, 'We have sinned and done wrong; we have acted wickedly,' 38 and when they return to You with all their heart and soul in the land of the en emies who took them captive, and when they pray in the direc-tion of the land that You gave to their fa-thers, the city You have chosen, and the house I have built for Your Name, 39 then may You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, their prayer and petitio n, and may You uphold their cause. May You forgive Your people who sinned against You. 40 Now, my God, may Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place. 41 Now therefore, arise, O LORD God, and enter Your resting place, You and the ark of Your might. May Your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and may Your godly ones rejoice in goodness. 42 O LORD God, do not reject Your anointed one. Remem ber Your loving devotion to Your servant David. ” Fire from Heaven (Psalm 136: 1-26) When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. 2 The priests were unable to enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled it. 3 When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they wor-shiped and gave thanks to the LORD: “For He is good; His loving devotion en dures forever. ” 7 2 Chronicles 7:3 | 539

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Sacrifices of Dedication (1 Kings 8:62-66) 4 Then the king and all the people offered sac-rifices before the LORD. 5 And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. 6 The priests stood at their posts, as did the Levites with the musical instruments of the LORD, which King David had made f or giving thanks to the LORD and with which David had offered praise, saying, “For His loving devo-tion endures forever. ” Across from the Levites, the priests sounded trumpets, and all the Isra-elites were standing. 7 Then Solomon consecrated the middle of the courtyard in front of the house of the LORD, and there he offered the burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, since the bronze altar he had made could not contain all these offerings. 8 So at that time Solomon and all Israel with him —a ver y great assembly of people from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt —kept the feast a   for seven days. 9 On the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, for the dedication of the altar had lasted seven days, and the feast seven days more. 10 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month, Solomon sent the people away to their homes, joyful and glad of heart for the good things that the LORD had done for David, for Solomon, and for His people Israel. The LORD's Response to Solomon (1 Kings 9:1-9) 11 When Solomon had finished the house of the LORD and the royal palace, successfully carrying out all that was in his heart to do for the house of the LORD and for his own palace, 12 the LORD appeared to him at night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have cho-sen this place for Myself as a house of sac-rifice. 13 If I close the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send a plague among My people, 14 and if My people who are called by My name humble themselv es and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. 15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. 16 For I have now chosen and con-secrated this temple so that My Name may be there forever. My eyes and My heart will be there for all time. 17 And as for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, doing all I have commanded you, and if you keep My stat-utes and ordinances, 18 then I will estab-lish your royal throne, as I covenanted with your father David when I said, 'You will never fail to have a man to rule over Israel. ' 19 But if you turn away and forsake the statutes and commandments I have set before you, and if you go off to serve and worship other gods, 20 then I will uproot Israel from the soil I have given them, and I will banish from My presence this tem-ple I have sanctified for My Name. I will make it an object of scorn and ridicule among all the peoples. 21 And when this temple has become a heap of rubble,b   all who pass by it will be 540 | 2 Chronicles 7:4 a 8 That is, the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths or Shelters); see Leviticus 23:3 3-36. b 21 Some LXX manuscripts, Syriac, and Arabic; Hebrew And though this temple is now exalted  ; see also 1 Kings 9:8.

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appalled and say, 'Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this tem-ple?' 22 And others will answer, 'Because they have forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, wors hiping and serving them — because of this, He has brought all this disaster upon them. '  ” Solomon's Addition al Achievements (1 Kings 9:10-28) Now at the end of the twenty years dur-ing which Solomon had built the house of the LORD and his own palace, 2 Solomon rebuilt the cities Hiram a   had given him and settled Israelites there. 3 Then Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and captured it. 4 He built Tadmor in the wilder-ness, in addition to all the store cities that he had built in Hamath. 5 He rebuilt Upper and Lower Beth-horon as fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars, 6 as well as B aalath, all the store cities that belonged to Solomon, and all the cities for his chariots and horses b  — whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and throughout the land of his dominion. 7 As for all the people who remain ed of the Hit-tites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebu-sites (the people who were not Israelites) — 8 their descendants who remained in the land, those whom the Israelites were unable to destroy —Solomon conscripted these people to be forced laborers, as they are to this day. 9 But Solomon did not consign any of the Isra-elites to slave labor, because they were his men of war, his officers and captains, and the commanders of his chariots and cavalry. 10 They were also the chief officers for King Solomon: 250 supervisors. 11 Solomon brought the daughter of Pharaoh up from the City of David to the palace he had built for her. For he said, “My wife must not live in the house of David king of Israel, be-cause the places the ark of the LORD has entered are holy. ” 12 At that time Solomon offered burnt offer-ings to the LORD on the altar of the LORD he had built in front of the portico. 13 He ob-served the daily requirement for offerings according to the commandment of Moses for Sabbaths, New Moons, and the three annual appointed fe asts —the Feast of Unleavened Bread,c   the Feast of Weeks,d   and the Feast of Tabernacles. e 14 In keeping with the ordinances of his father David, Solomon appointed the divisions of the priests over their service, and the Levites for their duties to offer praise and to minister be-fore the priests according to the daily require-ment. He also appointed gatekeepers by their divisions at each gate, for this had been the command of David, the man of God. 15 They did not turn aside from the king's command regarding the priests or the Levites or any matter concerning the treasuries. 16 Thus all the work of Solomon was carried out, from the day the foundation was laid for the house of the LORD until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was completed. 17 Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Eloth f  on the coast of Edom. g   18 So Hiram sent 82 Chronicles 8:18 | 541 a 2 Hebrew Huram  , a variant of Hiram  ; also in verse 18 b 6 Or horsemen or charioteers   c 13 That is, the seven-day period after the Passover during which no leaven may be eaten; see Exodus 12:1 4-20. d 13 That is, Shavuot, the late spring feast of pilgrimage to Jerusalem; it is also known as the Feast of Harvest (see Exodus 23:16) or the Feast of Pentecost (see Acts 2:1). e 13 That is, Sukkot, the autumn feast of pilgrimage to Jerusalem; also translated as the Feast of Booths or the Feast of Shelters and originally called th e Feast of Ingathering (see Exodus 23:16 and Exodus 34:22). f 17 Eloth is a variant of Elath  ; see LXX, 2 Kings 14:22, and 2 Kings 16:6. g 17 That is, along the shore of the Red Sea in the land of Edom

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him ships captained by his servants, along with crews of experienced sailors. They went with Solomon's servants to Ophir and ac-quired from there 450 talents of gold,a   which they delivered to King Solomon. The Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10:1-13) Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon, she came to test him with difficult questions. She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large car avan— with camels bearing spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. So she came to Solomon and spoke with him about all that was on her mind. 2 And Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for him to explain. 3 When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built, 4 the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the service and attire of his atten dants and cup-bearers, and the burnt offerings he presented  b at the house of the LORD, it took her breath away. 5 She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your words c   and wis-dom is true. 6 But I did not believe the reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. In-deed, not half of the greatness of your wisdom was told to me. You have far exceeded the report I heard. 7 How blessed are your men! How blessed are these servants of yours who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! 8 Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you to set you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God. Because your God loved Israel enough to establish them forever, He has made you king over th em to carry out justice and righteousness. ” 9 Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold,d   a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. 10 (The servants of Hiram and of Solomon who brought gold from Ophir also brought algum e wood and precious stones. 11 The king made the algum wood into steps f  for the house of the LORD and for the king's palace, and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had anything like them been seen in the land of Judah. ) 12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired —whatever she asked —far more than s he had brought the king. Then she left and returned to her own country, along with her servants. Solomon's Wealth and Splendor (1 Kings 10:1 4-29) 13 The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was 666 talents,g   14 not including the revenue from the merchants and traders. And all the Arabian kings and governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold h   went into each shield. 16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three hundred shekels of gold  i  went into each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. 9 542 | 2 Chronicles 9:1 a 18 450 talents is approximately 17 tons or 15. 4 metric tons of gold. b 4 LXX and Syriac (see also 1 Kings 10:5); He-brew and his stairway by which he went up   c 5 Or your achievements   d 9 120 talents is approximately 4. 52 tons or 4. 1 metric tons of gold. e 10 Algum is probably a variant of almug  ; also in verse 11; see 1 Kings 10:11. f 11 Or gate-ways   g 13 666 talents is approximately 25. 1 tons or 22. 8 metric tons of gold. h 15 600 shekels is approximately 15. 1 pounds or 6. 8 kilograms of gold. i 16 300 shekels is approximately 7. 5 pounds or 3. 4 kilograms of gold.

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17 Additionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. 18 The throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to it. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with a lion standing beside each armrest. 19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ev er been made for any kingdom. 20 All King Solomon's drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver, because it was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon. 21 For the king had t he ships of Tarshish a   that went with Hiram's b servants, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. c   22 So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. 23 All the kings of the earth s ought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart. 24 Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules. 25 Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses an d chariots, and 12,000 horses,d   which he sta-tioned in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. 26 He reigned over all the kings from the Euphrates e   to the land of the Philis-tines, as far as the borde r of Egypt. 27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills. f  28 Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and from all the lands. The Death of Solomon (1 Kings 11:4 1-43) 29 As for the rest of the acts of Solomon, from beginning to end, are they not written in the Records of Nathan the Prophet, in the Proph-ecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the Visions of Iddo the Seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat? 30 Solomon reigned in J erusalem over all Israel forty years. 31 And Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David. And his son Rehoboam reigned in his place. Rebellion against Rehoboam (1 Kings 12: 1-15) Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about this, he returned from Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon. 3 So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and all Israel came to Reho-boam and said, 4 “Your father put a heavy yok e on us. But now you should lighten the burden of your father's service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you. ” 5 Rehoboam answered, “Come back to me in three days. ” So the people departed. 6 Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How do you advise me to respond to these people?” he asked. 7 They replied, “If you will be kind to these people and please them by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever. ” 8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders; instead, he consulted the young men who had grown up with him and served him. 9 He asked them, “What message do you advise that we send back to these people who have spoken to me, saying, 'Light en the yoke your father put on us'?” 10 2 Chronicles 10: 9 | 543 a 21 Or a fleet of trading ships  ; twice in this verse b 21 Hebrew Huram's  , a variant of Hiram's   c 21 Or baboons   d 25 Or horsemen or charioteers   e 26 Hebrew the River   f 27 Hebrew Shephelah or lowlands  ; that is, the western foothills of Judea

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10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, “This is how you should answer these people who said to you, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you should make it lighter. ' This is what you should tell them: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist! 11 Whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions. '  ” 12 After thr ee days, Jeroboam and all the peo-ple returned to Rehoboam, since the king had said, “Come back to me on the third day. ” 13 And the king answered them harshly. King Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders 14 and spoke to them as the young men had ad-vised, saying, “Whereas my father made your yoke heavy,a   I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions. ” 15 So the king did not listen to the people, and indeed this turn of events was from God, in or-der that the LORD might fulfill the word that He had sp oken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat. The Kingdom Divided (1 Kings 12:1 6-19) 16 When all Israel saw that the king had re-fused to listen to them, they answered b   the king: “What portion do we have in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, O David!” So all the Israelites went home, 17 but Reho-boam still reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah. 18 Then King Rehoboam sent out Hadoram,c   who was in charge of the forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. And King Reho-boam mounted his char iot in haste and es-caped to Jerusalem. 19 So to this day Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David. Shemaiah's Prophecy (1 Kings 12:2 0-24) When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusa-lem, he mobilized the house of Judah and Benjamin —180,000 chosen warriors —to fight against Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. 2 But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God: 3 “Tell Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and all the Isra-elites in Judah and Benjamin 4 that this is what the LORD says: 'You are not to go up and fight against your brothers. Each of you must re-turn home, for this word is from Me. '  ” So they listened to the words of the LORD and turned back from going against Jeroboam. Rehoboam Fortifies Judah 5 Rehoboam continued to live in Jerusalem, and he built up cities for defense in Judah. 6 He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, the fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. 11 He strengthened their fortresses and put officers in them, with supplies of food, oil, and wine. 12 He also put shields and spears in all the cities and strengthened them greatly. So Judah and Benjamin belonged to him. Jeroboam Forsakes the Priests and Levites 13 Moreover, the priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel stood with Rehoboam. 14 For the Levites left their pasturelands and their possessions and went 11 544 | 2 Chronicles 10:10 a 14 LXX and many Hebrew manuscripts (see also 1 Kings 12:14); MT Whereas I made your yoke heavy   b 16 Syriac, Vulgate, and many Hebrew manuscripts; MT And all Israel, sinc e the king had refused to listen to them, answered  . c 18 Hadoram is a variant of Adoram and Adoniram  ; see 2 Samuel 20:24 and 1 Kings 4:6.

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to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the LORD. 15 And Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat de-mons and calf idols he had made. 16 Those from every tribe of Israel who had set their hearts to seek the LORD their God fol-lowed the Levites to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their fathers. 17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and sup-ported Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years, because they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon. Rehoboam's Family 18 And Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of David's son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse's son Eliab. 19 She bore sons to him: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. 20 After her, he married Maacah daughter of Absalom, and she bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 21 Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and con cubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he was the fa-ther of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. 22 Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as chief prince among his brothers, intending to make him king. 23 Rehoboam also acted wisely by dispersing some of his sons throughout the districts of Judah and Benja-min, and to all the fortified cities. He gave them abundant provisions and sought many wives for them. Shish ak Raids Jerusalem (1 Kings 14:2 5-28) After Rehoboam had established his sovereignty and royal power, he and all Israel  a   with him forsook the Law of the LORD. 2 In the fifth year of Rehoboam's reign, because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, Shishak king of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem 3 with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horse-men,b   and countless troops who came with him out of Egypt —Li byans, Sukkites, and Cushites. c   4 He captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. 5 Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Reho-boam and the leaders of Judah who had gath-ered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the LORD says: 'You have forsaken Me; therefore, I have forsaken you into the hand of Shishak. '  ” 6 So the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The LORD is righteous. ” 7 When the LORD saw that they had humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled them-selves; I will not destroy them, but will soon grant them deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak. 8 Nevertheless, they will become his servants, so that they may learn the difference between serving Me and serving the kings of other lands. ” 9 So King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem and seized the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the royal palace. He took every-thing, including the gold shields that Solomon had made. 10 Then King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place and committed them to the care of the captains of the guard on duty at the en-trance to the royal palace. 11 And whenever the king entered the house of the LORD, the guards would go with him, bearing the shields, and later they would return them to the guardroom. 12 2 Chronicles 12: 11 | 545 a 1 That is, Judah ; in 2 Chronicles, Judah is occasionally called Israel, as representative of the true Israel. b 3 Or charioteers   c 3 That is, people from the upper Nile region

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12 Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the anger of the LORD turned away from him, and He did not destroy him completely. Indeed, conditions were good in Judah. Rehoboam's Reign and Death (1 Kings 14:2 1-24) 13 Thus King Rehoboam established himself in Jerusalem. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had cho-sen from all the tribes of Israel in which to put His Name. His mother's name was Naamah the Ammonite. 14 And Rehoboam did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD. 15 Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the records of Shemaiah the Prophet and of Iddo the Seer concerning the genealogies? There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam through-out their days. 16 And Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. And his son Abijah  a   reigned in his place. Abijah Reigns in Judah (1 Kings 15:1-8) In the eighteenth year of Jeroboam's reign, Abijah b   became king of Judah, 2 and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother's name was Micaiah c   daughter d   of Uriel; she was from Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jero-boam. 3 Abijah went into battle with an army of 400,000 chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up in formation against him with 800,000 cho-sen and mighty men of valor. Civil War against Jeroboam 4 Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim in the hill country of Ephraim and said, “Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel! 5 Do you not know that the LORD, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his de-scendants forever by a covenant of salt e  ? 6 Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled ag ainst his master. 7 Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young, inexperi-enced, and unable to resist them. 8 And now you think you can resist the king-dom of the LORD, which is in the hands of Da-vid's descendants. You are indeed a vast army, and you have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods. 9 But did you not drive out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites? And did you not make priests for yourselves as do the peoples of ot her lands? Now whoever comes to conse-crate himself with a young bull and seven rams can become a priest of things that are not gods. 10 But as for us, the LORD is our God. We have not forsaken Him; the priests who minister to the LORD are sons of Aaron, a nd the Levites attend to their duties. 11 Every morning and every evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD. They set out the rows of showbread on the ceremonially clean table, and every evening they light the lamps of the gold lampstand. We are carrying out the requirements of the LORD our God, while you have forsaken Him. 12 Now behold, God Himself is with us as our head, and His priests with their trumpets sound the battle call against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed. ” 13 546 | 2 Chronicles 12:12 a 16 Abijah is a variant of Abijam  ; see 1 Kings 14:31. b 1 Abijah is a variant of Abijam  ; see 1 Kings 14:31. c 2 Hebrew; most LXX manuscripts and Syriac Maacah  ; see 2 Chronicles 11:20 and 1 Kings 15:2. d 2 Or granddaughter   e 5 That is, a perpetual covenant

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13 Now Jeroboam had sent troops around to ambush from the rear, so that while he was in front of Judah, the ambush was behind them. 14 When Judah turned and discovered that the battle was both before and behind them, they cried out to the LORD. Then the priests blew the trumpets, 15 and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. And when they raised the cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16 So the Israelites fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hands. 17 Then Abi-jah and his people struck them with a mighty blow, and 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain. 18 Thus the Israelites were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed be-cause they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers. 19 Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured some cities from him: Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, along with their villages. 20 Jeroboam did not again recover his power during the days of Abijah, and the LORD struck him down and he died. 21 But Abijah grew strong, married fourteen wives, and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. 22 Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, along with his ways and his words, are written in the Treatise a   of the Prophet Iddo. Asa Reigns in Judah (1 Kings 15:9-15) Then Abijah rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. And his son Asa reigned in his place, and in his days the land was at peace for ten years. 2 And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God. 3 He removed the foreign altars and high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and chopped down the Asherah poles. 4 He commanded the people of Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandments. 5 He also removed t he high places and incense al-tars from all the cities of Judah, and under him the kingdom was at peace. 6 Because the land was at peace, Asa built for-tified cities in Judah. In those days no one made war with him, because the LORD had given him rest. 7 So he said to the people of Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, with doors and bars. The land is still ours because we have sought the LORD our God. We have sought Him and He has given us rest on every side. ” So they b uilt and prospered. 8 Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 men from Benjamin bearing small shields and drawing the bow. All these were mighty men of valor. 9 Then Zerah the Cushite came against them with an army of 1,000,000 men b   and 300 chariots, and they advanced as far as Mareshah. 10 So Asa marched out against him and lined up in battle formation in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah. c   11 Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God: “O LORD, there is no one besides You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this multi-tude. O LORD, You are our God. Do not let a mere mortal prevail against You. ” 12 So the LORD struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah, and the Cushites fled. 13 Then Asa and his army pursued them as far 14 2 Chronicles 14: 13 | 547 a 22 Or Exposition or Study   b 9 Or an army of thousands and thousands  ; Hebrew an army of a thousand thousands c 10 Or the valley north of Mareshah

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as Gerar. The Cushites fell and could not re-cover, for they were crushed before the LORD and His army. So the people of Judah carried off a great amount of plunder 14 and attacked all the cities around Gerar, because the terror of the LORD had fallen upon them. They plun-dered all the cities, since there was much plunder there. 15 They also attacked the tents of the herdsmen and carried off many sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem. The Prophec y of Azariah Now the Spirit of God came upon Az a-riah son of Oded. 2 So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. 3 For many ye ars Is-rael has been without the true God, without a priest to instruct them, and without the law. 4 But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought Him, and He was found by them. 5 In those days there was no safety for traveler s, because the residents of the lands had many conflicts. 6 Nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God af-flicted them with all kinds of adversity. 7 But as for you, be strong; do not be discouraged, for your work will be rewarded. ” Asa's Refo rms (1 Kings 15: 9-15) 8 When Asa heard these words and the proph-ecy of Azariah son of Oded a   the prophet, he took courage and removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benja-min and from the cities he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then restored the altar of the LORD that was in front of the por-tico of the LORD 's temple. 9 And he assembled all Judah and Benjamin, along with those from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who had settled among them, for great num-bers had come over to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him. 10 So they gathered together in Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa's reign. 11 At that time they sacrificed to the LORD seven hundred oxen and seven thou-sand sheep from all the plunder they had brought back. 12 Then they entered into a cov-enant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul. 13 And whoever would not seek the LORD, the God of Israel, would be put to death, whether young or old, man or woman. 14 They took an oath to the LORD with a loud voice, with shouting, trumpets, and rams' horns. 15 And all Judah re-joiced over the oath, for they had sworn it with all their heart. They had sought Him earnestly, and He was found by them. So the LORD gave them rest on every side. 16 King Asa also removed his gran dmother b Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made a detestable Asherah pole. Asa chopped down the pole, crushed it, and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 17 The high places were not removed from Israel, but Asa's heart was fully devoted all his days. 18 And he brought into the house of God the silver and gold articles that he and his father had dedicated. 19 And there was no war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa's reign. War between Asa and Baasha (1 Kings 15:1 6-22) In the thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah. 2 So Asa withdrew the silver and 15 16 a 8 Vulgate and Syriac (see also verse 1 and LXX); Hebrew does not include Azariah son of  . b 16 Hebrew his mother 548 | 2 Chronicles 14:14

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gold from the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the royal palace, and he sent it with this message to Ben-hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus: 3 “Let there be a treaty a   between me and you, between my fa-ther and your father. See, I have sent you silver and gold. Now go and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me. ” 4 And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, conquering Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim,b   and all the store cities of Naphtali. 5 When Baasha learned of this, he stopped fortifying Ramah and abandoned his work. 6 Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah, and they carried away the ston es of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had used for building. And with these materials he built up Geba and Mizpah. Hanani's Message to Asa 7 At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa of Judah and told him, “Because you have re-lied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. 8 Were not the Cush-ites c   and Libyans a vast army with many char-iots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your h and. 9 For the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro over all the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart s are fully devoted to Him. You have acted foolishly in this matter. From now on, therefore, you will be at war. ” 10 Asa was angry with the seer and became so enraged over this matter that he put the man in prison. And at the same time Asa oppressed some of the people. The Death and Burial of Asa 11 Now the rest of the acts of Asa, from begin-ning to end, are indeed writ ten in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his malady became increasingly severe. Yet even in his illness he did not seek the LORD, but only the physicians. 13 So in the forty-first year of his reign, Asa died and rested with his fathers. 14 And he was buried in the tomb that he had cut out for him-self in the City of David. They laid him on a bier that was full of spices and various blended perfumes; then they made a great fire in his honor. Jehoshaph at Reigns in Judah (1 Kings 15:2 3-24) Asa's son Jehoshaphat reigned in his place, and he strengthened himself against Israel. 2 He stationed troops in every fortified city of Judah and put garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured. 3 Now the LORD was with Jehoshaphat be-cause he walked in the earlier ways d   of his fa-ther David. He did not seek out the Baals, 4 but he sought the God of his father and walked by His commandments rather than the practices of Israel. 5 So the LORD established the king-dom in his hand, and all Judah brought him tribute, so that he had an abundance of riches and honor. 6 And his heart took delight e   in the ways of the LORD; furthermore, he removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah. 7 In the third year of his reign, Jehoshaphat sent his officials Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah to teach in the cities of 17 2 Chronicles 17: 7 | 549 a 3 Forms of the Hebrew berit are translated in most passages as covenant  ; twice in this verse. b 4 Abel-maim was also known as Abel-beth-maacah  ; see 1 Kings 15:20. c 8 That is, people from the upper Nile region d 3 Or in his early years he walked in the ways   e 6 Or was exalted or was courageous  

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Judah, 8 accompanied by certain Levites — Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah —along with the priests Elishama and Jehoram. 9 They taught through-out Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the LOR D. They went throughout the towns of Judah and taught the people. 10 And the dread of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that surrounded Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehosh-aphat. 11 Some Philistines also brought gifts and silver as tribute to Jehoshaphat, and the Arabs brought him 7,700 rams and 7,700 goats from their flocks. 12 Jehoshaphat grew stronger and stronger, and he built fortresses and store cities in Ju-dah 13 and kept vast supplies in the cities of Judah. He also had warriors in Jerusalem who were mighty men of valor. 14 These are their numbers according to the houses of their fathers: From Judah, the commanders of thou-sands: Adnah the commander, and with him 300,000 mighty men of valor; 15 next to him, Jehohan an the com-mander, and with him 280,000; 16 and next to him, Amasiah son of Zichri, the volunteer for the LORD, and with him 200,000 mighty men of valor. 17 From Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty man of valor, and with him 200,000 armed with bows and shields; 18 and next to him, Jehozabad, and with him 180,000 armed for battle. 19 These were the men who served the king, besides those he stationed in the fortified cit-ies throughout Judah. Jehoshaphat Allies with Ahab (1 Kings 22: 1-12) Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage. 2 And some years later he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria, where Ahab sacrificed many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him, and urged him to mar ch up to Ramoth-gilead. 3 Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth-gilead?” And Jehoshaphat replied, “I am like you, and my people are your people; we will join you in the war. ” 4 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Is-rael, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD. ” 5 So the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and asked them, “Should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?” “Go up,” they replied, “and God will deliver it into the hand of the king. ” 6 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here of whom we can inquire?” 7 The king of Israel answered, “There is still one man who can ask the LORD, but I hate him because he never pr ophesies anything good for me, but only bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah. ” “The king should not say that!” Jehoshaphat replied. 8 So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once. ” 9 Dressed in royal attire, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the 18 550 | 2 Chronicles 17:8

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entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them. 10 Now Zedekiah son of Chenaanah had made for himself iron horns and declared, “This is what the LORD says: 'With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are finished off. '  ” 11 And all the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king. ” Micaiah Prophesies against Ahab (1 Kings 22:1 3-28) 12 Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah instructed him, “Behold, with one ac-cord the words of the prophets are favorable to the king. So please let your words be like theirs, and speak favorably. ” 13 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will speak whatever my God tells me. ” 14 When Micaiah arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?” “Go up and triumph,” Micaiah replied, “for they will be given into your hand. ” 15 But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of the LORD?” 16 So Micaiah declared: “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, 'These people have no master; let each one return home in peace. '  ” 17 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he never prophesies good for me, but on ly bad?” 18 Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left. 19 And the LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one suggested this, and another that. 20 Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, 'I will entice him. ' 'By what means?' asked the LORD. 21 And he replied, 'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of a ll his prophets. ' 'You will surely entice him and prevail,' said the LORD. 'Go and do it. ' 22 So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you. ” 23 Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah went up, struck Micaiah in the face, and demanded, “Which way did the Spirit of the LORD go when He departed from me to speak with you?” 24 Micaiah replied, “You will soon see, on that day when you go and hide in an inner ro om. ” 25 And the king of Israel declared, “Take Mi-caiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son, 26 and tell them that this is what the king says: 'Put this man in prison and feed him only bread and water until I return safely. '  ” 27 But Micaiah replied, “If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me. ” Then he added, “Take heed, all you people!” 2 Chronicles 18: 27 | 551

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Ahab's Defe at and Death (1 Kings 22:2 9-40) 28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. 29 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your royal robes. ” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. 30 Now the king of Aram had ordered his char-iot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel. ” 31 When the chariot commanders saw Jehosh-aphat, they said, “This is the king of Israel!” So they turned to fight a gainst him, but Jehosha-phat cried out, and the LORD helped him. God drew them away from him. 32 And when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. 33 However, a certain man drew his bow with-out taki ng special aim, and he struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So the king said to his charioteer, “Turn around a   and take me out of the battle, for I am badly wounded!” 34 The battle raged throughout that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. And at sunset he died. Jehoshaphat Reproved by Jehu When Jehoshaphat king of Judah had returned safely to his home in Jerusa-lem, 2 Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to confront him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Beca use of this, the wrath of the LORD is upon you. 3 However, some good is found in you, for you have removed the Asherah poles from the land and have set your heart on seeking God. ” Jehoshaphat's Reforms 4 Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, and once again he went out among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and turned them back to the LORD, the God of their fathers. 5 He appointed judges in the land, in each of the fortified cities of Juda h. 6 Then he said to the judges, “Consider carefully what you do, for you are not judging for man, but for the LORD, who is with you when you render judgment. 7 And now, may the fear of the LORD be upon you. Be careful what you do, for with the LORD our Go d there is no injustice or partiality or bribery. ” 8 Moreover, Jehoshaphat appointed in Jerusa-lem some of the Levites, priests, and heads of the Israelite families to judge on behalf of the LORD and to settle disputes. And they lived in Jerusalem. 9 He co mmanded them, saying, “You must serve faithfully and wholeheart-edly in the fear of the LORD. 10 For every dispute that comes before you from your brothers who dwell in their cities—whether it regards bloodshed or some other violation of law, commandments, statutes, or ordi-nances —you are to warn them, so that they will not incur guilt before the LORD and wrath will not come upon you and your brothers. Do this, and you will not incur guilt. 11 Note that Amariah, the chief priest, will be over you in all th at pertains to the LORD, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all that pertains to the king. And the Levites will serve as officers before you. Act resolutely; may the LORD be with the upright!” 19 552 | 2 Chronicles 18:28 a 33 Literally Turn your hand  

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War agains t Jehoshaphat After this, the Moabites and Ammo-nites, together with some of the Meu-nites,a   came to make war against Jehoshaphat. 2 Then some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, b   from beyond the Sea; c   they are al-ready in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, En-gedi). 3 Jehoshaphat was alarmed and set his face to seek the LORD. And he proclaimed a fast throughout Judah. 4 So the people of Judah gathered to seek the LORD, and indeed, they came from all the cities of Judah to seek Him. Jehoshaphat's Prayer 5 Then Jehoshaph at stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the LORD in front of the new courtyard 6 and said, “O LORD, God of our fathers, are You not the God who is in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand, and no one can stand against You. 7 Our God, did You not drive out the inhabit-ants of this land before Your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham Your friend? 8 They have lived in the land and have built in it a sanctuary for Your Name, say-ing, 9 'If disaster comes upon us —whether sword or judgment,d   plague or famine— we will stand before this temple and before You, for Your Name is in this temple. We will cry out to You in our distress, and You will hear us and save us. ' 10 And now, here are the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, whom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt; but Israel turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11 See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of th e possession that You gave us as an inheritance. 12 Our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this vast army that comes against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You. ” 13 Meanwhile all the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, were stand-ing before the LORD. The Prophec y of Jahaziel 14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite from Asaph's descendants, as he stood in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army, for the battle does not belong to you, but to God. 16 Tomorrow you are to march down against them. You will see them coming up the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley facing the Wilder-ness of Jeruel. 17 You need not fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand f irm, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discour-aged. Go out and face them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you. '  ” 18 Then Jehoshaphat bowed facedown, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell d own before the LORD to worship Him. 19 And the Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, shouting in a very loud voice. 20 2 Chronicles 20: 19 | 553 a 1 Some LXX manuscripts (see also 2 Chronicles 26:7); Hebrew together with som e other Ammonites or together with som e besides the Ammonites   b 2 One Hebrew manuscript; most Hebrew manuscripts, LXX, and Vulgate Aram c 2 That is, the Dead Sea d 9 Or the sword of judgment

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The Enemies Destro y Themselves 20 Early in the mornin g they got up and left for the Wilderness of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, “Hear me, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be upheld; believe in His prophets, and you will succeed. ” 21 Then Jehoshaphat consulted with the peo-ple and appointed those who would sing to the LORD and praise the splendor of His holiness. As they went out before the army, they were singing: “Give thanks to the LORD, for His loving devotion endures forever. ” 22 The moment they began their shouts and praises, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were defeated. 23 The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction. a   And when they had made an end to the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. 24 When the men of Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked for the vast army, but there were o nly corpses lying on the ground; no one had escaped. 25 Then Jehoshaphat and his people went to carry off the plunder, and they found on the bodies an abundance of goods and valuables  b —more than they could carry away. They were gathering the plunder for three days because there was so much. The Joyful Return 26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Val-ley of Beracah,c   where they blessed the LORD. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Beracah to this day. 27 Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat at their head, returned joy-fully to Jerusalem, for the LORD had made them rejoice over their enemi es. 28 So they en-tered Jerusalem and went into the house of the LORD with harps, lyres, and trumpets. 29 And the fear of God came upon all the king-doms of the lands when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 Then Jehoshapha t's kingdom was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side. Summary of Jehoshaphat's Reign (1 Kings 22:4 1-50) 31 So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother's name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. 32 And Jehoshaphat walked in the way of his father Asa and did not turn away from it; he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. 33 The high places, however, were not re-moved; the people had not yet set their hearts on the God of their fathers. 34 As for the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, from beginning to end, they are indeed writ-ten in the Chronicles of Jehu son of Hanani, which are recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel. Jehoshaphat's Flee t Is Wrecked 35 Later, Jehoshaphat king of Judah made an alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted wickedly. d   36 They agreed to make ships to go to Tarshish,e   and these were built in Ezion-geber. 554 | 2 Chronicles 20:20 a 23 Forms of the Hebrew cherem refer to the giving over of things or persons to the LORD, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering. b 25 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate they found among them an abundance of goods and clothing and valuables   c 26 Beracah means blessing  . d 35 Or who made him act wickedly or by which he acted wickedly   e 36 Or a fleet of trading ships  

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37 Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Be-cause you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works. ” So the ships were wrecked and were unable to sail to Tarshish. a   Jehoram Reigns in Judah (2 Ki ngs 8:16-19) And Jehoshaphat rested with his fa-thers and was buried with them in the City of David. And his son Jehoram reigned in his place. 2 Jehoram's brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azari ah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Mi-chael, and Shephatiah; these were all sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. b   3 Their father had given them many gifts of silver and gold and precious things, as well as the fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn. 4 When Jehoram had established himself over his father's kingdom, he strengthened himself by putting to the sword all his brothers along with some of the princes of Israel. 5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. 6 And Jehoram walked in the ways of the kings of Israe l, just as the house of Ahab had done. For he married a daughter of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD. 7 Yet the LORD was unwilling to destroy the house of David, be-cause of the covenant He had made with Da-vid, and since He had promised to maintai n a lamp for David and his descendants forever. Edom and Libnah Rebel (2 Kings 8:20-24) 8 In the days of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against the hand of Judah and appointed their own king. 9 So Jehoram crossed into Edom with his officers and all his chariots. When the Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, he rose up and attacked  c   by night. 10 So to this day Edom has been in rebellion against the hand of Judah. Likewise, Libnah rebelled against his rule at the same time, be-cause Jehoram had forsaken the LORD, the God of his fathers. 11 Jehoram had also built high places on the hills of Judah; he had caused the people of Je-rusalem to prostitute themselves and had led Judah astray. Elijah's Letter to Jehoram 12 Then a letter came to Jehoram from Elijah the prophet, which stated: “This is what the LORD, the God of your fa-ther David, says: 'You have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa king of Judah, 13 but you have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and have caused Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab prostituted itself. You have also killed your brothers, your father's family, who were better than you. 14 So behold, the LORD is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions with a serious blow. 15 And day after day you yourself will suffer from a severe illness, a disease of your bowels, until it causes your bowels to come out. '  ” Jehoram's Disease and Death 16 Then the LORD stirred against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and Arabs who lived 21 2 Chronicles 21: 16 | 555 a 37 Or set sail to trade   b 2 That is, Judah ; in 2 Chronicles, Judah is occasionally called Israel, as representative of the true Israel. c 9 Or he went out and escaped  

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near the Cushites. 17 So they went to war against Judah, invaded it, and carried off all the possessions found in the king's palace, along with his sons and wives; not a son was left to him except Jehoahaz, a   his youngest. 18 After all this, the LORD afflicted Jehoram with an incurable disease of the bowels. 19 This continued day after day until two full years had passed. Finally, his intestines came out because of his disease, and he died in se-vere pain. And his people did not make a fire in his honor as they had done for his fathers. 20 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He died, to no one's regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kin gs. Ahaziah Reigns in Judah (2 Kings 8:25-29) Then the people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, the youngest son of Je-horam, king in his place, since the raiders who had come into the camp with the Arabs  b   had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah. 2 Ahaziah was twenty-two c   years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother's name was Athaliah, the granddaugh-ter of Omr i. 3 Ahaziah also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor in wickedness. 4 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done, for to his destruction they were his counselors after the death of his father. 5 Ahaziah also followed their counsel and went with Joram son of Ahab king of Israel to fight against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead. But the Arameans d   wounded Joram; e   6 so he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds they had inflicted on him at Ramah f when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Then Ahaziah g   son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab, because Joram had been wounded. 7 Ahaziah's downfall came from God when he went to visit Joram. When Ahaziah arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son h   of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to de-stroy the house of Ahab. Jehu Kills the Princes of Judah (2 Kings 9:1 4-29) 8 So while Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he found the rulers of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah's brothers who were serving Ahaziah, and he killed them. 9 Then Jehu looked for Ahaziah, and Jehu's soldiers captured him while he was hiding in Samaria. So Ahaziah was brought to Jehu and put to death. They buried him, for they said, “He is the grandson of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart. ” So no one was left from the house of Ahaziah with the strength to rule the kingdom. Athaliah and Joash (2 Kings 11:1-3) 10 When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to anni-hilate all the royal heirs of the house of Judah. 22 556 | 2 Chronicles 21:17 a 17 Jehoahaz is a variant of Ahaziah  ; see 2 Chronicles 22:1. b 1 Or since the marauding bands of Arabs c 2 Some LXX manuscripts and Syriac (see also 2 Kings 8:26); Hebrew forty-two   d 5 Some LXX manuscripts the archers e 5 Hebrew Jehoram  , a variant of Joram  ; also in verses 6 and 7 f 6 Ramah is a variant of Ramoth  ; see verse 5. g 6 Some Hebrew manuscripts, LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac (see also 2 Kings 8:29); most Hebrew manuscripts Azariah   h 7 Or grandson  ; see 2 Kings 9:14.

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11 But Jehoshabeath a   daughter of King Je-horam took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the sons of the king who were being murdered, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Because Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram and the wife of Jehoiada the priest, was Ahaziah's sister, she hid Joash from Athaliah so that she could not kill him. 12 And Joash remained hidden with them in the house of God for six years while Athaliah ruled the land. Joash Anointed King of Judah (2 Kings 11:4-12) Then in the se venth year, Jehoiada strengthened himself and made a covenant with the commanders of hun-dreds —with Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri. 2 So they went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah and the heads of the families of Israel. And when they came to Jerusalem, 3 the whole assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. “Behold, the king's son!” said Jehoiada. “He must reign, just as the LORD promised con-cerning the descendants of David. 4 This is what you are to do: A third of you priests and Levites who come on duty on the Sabbath shall keep watch at the doors, 5 a thir d shall be at the royal palace, and a third at the Founda-tion Gate, while all the others are in the court-yards of the house of the LORD. 6 No one is to enter the house of the LORD except the priests and those Levites who serve; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the peo-ple are to obey the requirement of the LORD. 7 The Levites must surround the king with weapons in hand, and anyone who enters the temple must be put to death. You must stay close to the king wherever he goes. ” 8 So the Levites and all Judah did everything that Jehoiada the priest had ordered. Each of them took his men —those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty —for Jehoiada the priest had not released any of the divisions. 9 Then Jehoiada the priest gave to the commanders of hundreds the spears and the large and small shields of King David that were in the house of God. 10 He stationed all the troops, with their weapons in hand, sur-rounding the king by the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple. 11 Then Jehoiada and his sons brought out the king's son, put the crown on him, presented him with the Testimony, and proclaimed him king. They anointed him and shouted, “Long live the king!” The Dea th of Athaliah (2 Kings 11:1 3-16) 12 When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and cheering the king, she went out to them in the house of the LORD. 13 And she looked out and saw the king standing by his pillar at the entrance. The officers and trum-peters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, while the singers with musical in-struments were leading the praises. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason, treason!” 14 And Jehoiada the priest sent out the com-manders of hundreds in charge of the army, saying, “Bring her out between the ranks,b   and put to the sword anyone who follows her. ” For the priest had said, “She must not be put to death in the house of the LO RD. ” 23 2 Chronicles 23: 14 | 557 a 11 Jehoshabeath is a variant of Jehosheba  ; twice in this verse; see 2 Kings 11:2. b 14 Or out from the precincts  

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15 So they seized Athaliah as she reached the entrance of the Horse Gate to the palace grounds, and there they put her to death. Jehoiad a Restores the Worship of the LORD (2 Kings 11:1 7-21) 16 Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and the king and t he people that they would be the LORD's people. 17 So all the peo-ple went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. 18 Moreover, Jehoiada put the oversi ght of the house of the LORD into the hands of the Levit-ical priests, whom David had appointed over the house of the LORD, to offer burnt offerings to the LORD as is written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and song, as ordained by David. 19 He statione d gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the LORD, so that nothing unclean could enter for any reason. 20 He also took with him the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king d own from the house of the LORD and entered the royal palace through the Upper Gate. They seated King Joash on the royal throne, 21 and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been put to the sword. Joash Repair s the Temple (2 Kings 12:1-16) J oash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jeru-24 558 | 2 Chronicles 23:15 salem forty years. His mother's name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba. 2 And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 3 Jehoiada took for hi m two wives, and he had sons and daughters. 4 Some time later, Joash set his heart on repair-ing the house of the LORD. 5 So he gathered the priests and Levites and said, “Go out to the cit-ies of Judah and collect the money due annu-ally from all Israel, to repair the house of your God. Do it quickly. ” The Levites, however, did not make haste. 6 So the king called Jehoiada the high priest and said, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring from Judah and Jerusalem the tax im-posed by Moses the serv ant of the LORD and by the assembly of Israel for the Tent of the Testimony?” 7 For the sons of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into the house of God and had even used the sacred objects of the house of the LORD for the Baals. 8 At the king's comma nd a chest was made and placed outside, at the gate of the house of the LORD. 9 And a proclamation was issued in Ju-dah and Jerusalem that they were to bring to the LORD the tax imposed by Moses the ser- vant of God on Israel in the wilderness. 10 All the o fficers and all the people rejoiced and brought their contributions, and they dropped them in the chest until it was full. 11 Whenever the chest was brought by the Le-vites to the king's overseers and they saw that there was a large amount of money, the ro yal scribe and the officer of the high priest would come and empty the chest and carry it back to its place. They did this daily and gathered the money in abundance. 12 Then the king and Jehoiada would give the money to those who supervised the labor on the house of the LORD to hire stonecutters and carpenters to restore the house of the LORD, as well as workers in

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iron and bronze to repair the house of the LORD. 13 So the workmen labored, and in their hands the repair work progressed. They restored the house of God according to its specifications, and they reinforced it. 14 When they were fin-ished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada to make with it the arti-cles for the house of the LORD —utensils for the service and for the burnt offerings, dishes, and other objects of gold and silver. Throughout the days of Jehoiada, burnt offer-ings were presented regularly in the house of the LORD. Jehoiada's Death and Burial 15 When Jehoiada was old and full of years, he died at the age of 130. 16 And Jehoiada was buried with the kings in the City of David, because he had done what was good in Israel for God and His temple. The Wickedness of Joash 17 After the death of Jehoiada, however, the of-ficials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. 18 They aban-doned the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Asher ah poles and idols. So wrath came upon Judah and Jerusa-lem for this guilt of theirs. 19 Nevertheless, the LORD sent prophets to bring the people back to Him and to testify against them; but they would not listen. 20 Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood up be-fore the people and said to them, “This is what God says: 'Why do you transgress the com-mandments of the LORD so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has forsaken you. '  ” 21 But they conspired against Zechariah, and by order of the king, they stoned him in the courtyard of the house of the LORD. 22 Thus King Joash failed to remember the kindness that Zechariah's father Jehoiada had extended to him. Instead, Joash killed Jehoiada's son. As he lay dying, Zechariah said, “May the LORD see this and call you to account. ” The Death of Joash (2 Kings 12:1 7-21) 23 In the spring,a   the army of Aram went to war against Joash. They entered Judah and Je-rusalem and destroyed all the leaders of the people, and they sent all the plunder to their king in Damascus. 24 Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the LORD delivere d into their hand a very great army. Because Judah had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, judgment was executed on Joash. 25 And when the Arameans had withdrawn, they left Joash severely wounded. His own servants conspired against him for sheddi ng the blood of the son b   of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him on his bed. So he died and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. 26 Those who conspired against Joash were Zabad c   son of Shimeath the Ammonitess and Jehozabad son of Shimrith d   the Moabitess. 27 The accounts of the sons of Joash, as well as the many pronouncements about him and about the restoration e   of the house of God, are indeed written in the Treatise f  of the Book of the Kings. And his son Amaziah reigned in his place. 2 Chronicles 24: 27 | 559 a 23 Literally At the turn of the year   b 25 LXX and Vulgate; Hebrew of the sons   c 26 Zabad is a variant of Jozabad  ; see 2 Kings 12:21. d 26 Shimrith is a variant of Shomer  ; see 2 Kings 12:21. e 27 Or founding   f 27 Or Exposition or Study

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Amaziah Reign s in Judah (2 Kings 14:1-7) Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother's name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusa-lem. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not wholeheartedly. 3 As soon as the ki ngdom was firmly in his grasp, Amaziah executed the servants who had murdered his father the king. 4 Yet he did not put their sons to death, but acted accord-ing to what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where the LORD commanded: “Fa-thers must not be put to death for their chil-dren, and children must not be put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin. ”  a   Amaziah's Victories 5 Then Amaziah gathered the people of Judah and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and of hundreds. And he numbered those twenty years of age or older throughout Judah and Benjamin and found 300,000 chosen men able to serve in the army, bearing the spear and shield. 6 He also hired 100,000 mighty warriors from Israel for a hundred talents of silver. b   7 But a man of God came to him and said, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the LORD is not with Israel —not with any of the Ephraimites. 8 Even if you go and fight bravely in battle, God will make you stumble before the enemy, for God has power to help and power to overthrow. ” 9 Amaziah asked the man of God, “What should I do about the hundred talents I have given to the army of Israel?” And the man of God replied, “The LORD is able to give you much more than this. ” 10 So Amaziah dismissed the troops who had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home. And they were furious with Judah and returned home in great anger. 11 Amaziah, however, summoned his strength and led his troops to the Valley of Salt, where he struck down 10,000 men of Seir, 12 and the army of Judah also captured 10,000 men alive. They took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down so that all were dashed to pieces. 13 Meanwhile the troops that Amaziah had dis-missed from battle raided the cities of Judah, from Samaria to Beth-horon. They struck down 3,000 people and carried off a great deal of plunder. Amaziah Rebuked for Idolatry 14 When Amaziah returned from the s laughter of the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the Seirites, set them up as his own gods, bowed before them, and burned sacrifices to them. 15 Therefore the anger of the LORD burned against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet, who said, “Why have you sought this people's gods, which could not deliver them from your hand?” 16 While he was still speaking, the king asked, “Have we made you the counselor to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?” So the prophet stopped, but he said, “I know that God has de termined to destroy you, be-cause you have done this and have not heeded my advice. ” Jehoash Defeat s Amaziah (2 Kings 14:8-14) 17 Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent word to the king of Israel Jehoash c   son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu. “Come, let us meet face to face,” he said. 25 560 | 2 Chronicles 25:1 a 4 Deuteronomy 24:16 b 6 100 talents is approximately 3. 77 tons or 3. 42 metric tons of silver; also in verse 9. c 17 Jehoash is a variant of Joash  ; also in verses 18, 21, 23, and 25.

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18 But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Ama-ziah king of Judah: “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son in marriage. ' Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and tram-pled the thistle. 19 You have said, 'Look, I have defeated Edom,' and your heart has become proud and boastful. Now stay at home. Why should you stir up trouble so that you fall— you and Judah with you?” 20 But Amaziah would not listen, for this had come from God in order to deliver them into the hand of Jehoash, because they had sought the gods of Edom. 21 So Jehoash king of Israel advanced, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth-shemesh in Judah. 22 And Judah was routed before Israel, and every man fled to his own home. 23 There at Beth-shemesh, Jehoash king of Is-rael captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz. a   Then Jehoash brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate —a section of four hundred cubits. b   24 He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the house of God with Obed-edom and in the treasuries of the royal palace, as well as some hostages. Then he returned to Samaria. The Death of Amaziah (2 Kings 14:1 7-20) 25 Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. 26 As for the rest of the acts of Amaziah, from beginning to end, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel? 27 From the time that Amaziah turned from following the LORD, a conspiracy was formed against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But men were sent after him to Lachish, and they killed him there. 28 They car-ried him back on horses and buried him wit h his fathers in the City of Judah. c   Uzziah Reigns in Judah (2 Kings 14:2 1-22 ; 2 Kings 15:1-7) All the people of Judah took Uzziah,d   who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. 2 Uz-ziah was the one who rebuilt Eloth e   and re-stored it to Judah after King Amaziah f  rested with his fathers. 3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he be-came king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother's name was Jecoliah; she was from Jerusalem. 4 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done. 5 He sought God throughout the d ays of Zechariah, who in-structed him in the fear g   of God. And as long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success. 6 Uzziah went out to wage war against the Philistines, and he tore down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. Then he built cities near Ashdod and among the Philistines. 7 God helped him against the Philistines, against the Arabs living in Gur-baal, and against the Meunites. 8 The Ammonites brought tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread as far as the bor-der of Egypt, for he had become exceedingly powerful. 9 Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Cor-ner Gate, the Valley Gate, and the angle in the 26 2 Chronicles 26: 9 | 561 a 23 Jehoahaz is a variant of Ahaziah  . b 23 400 cubits is approximately 600 feet or 182. 9 meters. c 28 Most He-brew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts, LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac City of David  ; see 2 Kings 14:20. d 1 Uzziah is also called Azariah  ; throughout this chapter; see 2 Kings 14:21. e 2 Eloth is a variant of Elath  ; see LXX, 2 Kings 14:22, and 2 Kings 16:6. f 2 Literally after the king   g 5 Many Hebrew manuscripts, LXX, and Syriac; other Hebrew manuscripts through the vision

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wall, and he fortified them. 10 Since he had much livestock in the foothills a   and in the plain, he built towers in the desert and dug many cisterns. And since he was a lover of the soil, he had farmers and vinedressers in the hill country and in the fertile fields. 11 Uzziah had an army ready for battle that went out to war by as signed divisions, as re- corded by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer under the direction of Hananiah, one of the royal officers. 12 The total number of fam-ily leaders of the mighty men of valor was 2,600. 13 Under their authority was an army of 307,500 trained for war, a powerful force to support the king against his enemies. 14 Uzziah supplied the entire army with shields, spears, helmets, armor, bows, and slingstones. 15 And in Jerusalem he made skill-fully designed devices to shoot b   arrows and catapult large stones from the towers and cor-ners. So his fame spread far and wide, for he was helped tremendously so that he became powerful. 16 But when Uzziah grew powerful, his arro-gance led to his own destruction. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17 Then Azariah the priest, along with eighty brave priests of the LORD, went in after him. 18 They took their stand against King Uzziah and said, “Uzziah, you have no right to offer incense to the LORD. Only the priests, the de-scendants of Aaron, are consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have acted unfaithfully; you will not receive honor from the LORD God. ” 19 Uzziah, with a censer in his hand to offer in-cense, was enraged. But while he raged against the priests in their presence in the house of the LORD before the altar of incense, leprosy  c   broke out on his forehead. 20 When Azariah the chief priest and all the priests turned to him and saw his leprous forehead, they rushed him out. Indeed, he himself hur-ried to get out, because the LORD had afflicted him. 21 So King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He live d in isolation, leprous and cut off from the house of the LORD, while his son Jotham had charge of the royal palace to gov-ern the people of the land. 22 As for the rest of the acts of Uzziah, from be-ginning to end, they are recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. 23 And Uzziah rested with his fathers and was buried near them  d   in a field of burial that belonged to the kings; for the people said, “He was a leper. ” And his son Jotham reigned in his place. Jotham Reigns in Judah (2 Kings 15:3 2-38) Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother's name was Jerushah  e   daughter of Zadok. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah  f  had done. In addition, he did not enter the temple of the LORD. But the peo-ple still behaved corruptly. 3 Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the house of the LORD, and he worked extensively on the wall at the hill of Ophel. 4 He also built cities in the hill country of Judah and fortresses and towers in the forests. 27 562 | 2 Chronicles 26:10 a 10 Hebrew Shephelah or lowlands  ; that is, the western foothills of Judea b 15 Or to protect those who shoot c 19 Leprosy was a term used for various skin diseases; see Leviticus 13. d 23 Literally with his fathers   e 1 Jerushah is a variant of Jerusha  ; see 2 Kings 15:33. f 2 Uzziah is also called Azariah  ; see 2 Kings 14:21.

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5 Jotham waged war against the king of the Ammonites and defeated them, and that year they gave him a hundred talents of silver,a   ten thousand cors of wheat,b   and ten thousand cors of barley. c   They paid him the same in the second and third years. 6 So Jotham grew pow-erful because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God. 7 As for the rest of the acts of Jotham, along with all his wars and his ways, they are indeed written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. 8 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. 9 And Jotham rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. And his son Ahaz reigned in his place. Ahaz Reigns in Judah (2 Kings 16: 1-9) Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jeru-salem sixteen years. And unlike David his fa-ther, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD. 2 Instead, he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and even made cast im-ages o f the Baals. 3 Moreover, Ahaz burned incense in the Valley of Hinnom and sacrificed his sons in the fire,d   according to the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Isra-elites. 4 And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree. Aram Defeats Judah (Isaiah 1: 1-9) 5 So the LORD his God delivered Ahaz into the hand of the king of Aram, who attacked him and took many captives to Damascus. Ahaz was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with great force. 6 For in one day Pekah son of Remaliah killed 120,000 valiant men in Judah. This happened because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers. 7 Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the son of the king, Azrikam the governor of the palace, and Elkanah the second to the king. 8 Then the Israelites took 200,000 captives from their kinsmen —women, sons, and daughters. They also carried off a great deal of plunder and brought it to Samaria. 9 But a prophet of the LORD named Oded was there, and he went out to meet the army that returned to Samaria. “Look,” he said to them, “because of His wrath against Judah, the LORD, the God of your fathers, has deliv-ered them into your hand. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches up to heaven. 10 And now you intend to reduce to slavery the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem. But are you not also guilty before the LORD your God? 11 Now therefore, listen to me and return the captives you took from your kinsmen, for the fierce anger of the LORD is upon you. ” 12 Then some of the leaders of the Ephraim-ites e  —Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth,f  Jehizkiah son of Shal-lum, and Amasa son of Hadlai —stood in opposition to those arriving from the war. 13 “You must not bring the captives here,” they said, “for you are proposing to bring guilt upon us from the LORD and to add to ou r sins and our guilt. For our guilt is great, and fierce anger is upon Israel. ” 28 2 Chronicles 28: 13 | 563 a 5 100 talents is approximately 3. 77 tons or 3. 42 metric tons of silver. b 5 10,00 0 cors is approximately 62,400 bushels or 2. 2 million liters (probably about 1,920 tons or 1,740 metric tons of wheat). c 5 10,000 cors is approxi-mately 62,400 bushels or 2. 2 milli on liters (probably about 1,450 tons or 1,315 metric tons of barley). d 3 Literally passed his sons through the fire   e 12 That is, the leaders of the northern kingdom of Israel f 12 Meshillemoth is a variant of Meshillemith  ; see 1 Chronicles 9:12.

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14 So the armed men left the captives and the plunder before the leaders and all the assem-bly. 15 Then the men who were designated by name arose, took charge of the captives, and provided from the plunder clothing for the na-ked. They clothed them, gave them sandals and food and drink, anointed their wounds, and put all the feeble on donkeys. So they brought them to Jericho, the City of Palms, t o their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria. The Idolatry of Ahaz (2 Kings 16:1 0-20) 16 At that time King Ahaz sent for help from the king a   of Assyria. 17 The Edomites had again come and attacked Judah and carried away captives. 18 The Philistines had also raided the cities of the foothills b   and the Negev of Judah, capturing and occupying Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, and Gederoth, as well as Soco, Timnah, and Gimzo with their vil-lages. 19 For the LORD humbled Judah because Ahaz king of Israel c   had thrown off restraint in Judah and had been most unfaithful to the LORD. 20 Then Tiglath-pileser d   king of Assyria came to Ahaz but afflicted him rather than strength-ening him. 21 Although Ahaz had taken a por-tion from the house of the LORD, from the royal pal ace, and from the princes and had presented it to the king of Assyria, it did not help him. 22 In the time of his distress, King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD. 23 Since Damascus had defeated him, he sacri-ficed to their gods and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me. ” But these gods were the downfall of Ahaz and of all Israel. 24 Then Ahaz gathered up the articles of the house of God, cut them into pieces, shut the doors of the house of the LORD, and set up al-tars of his own on every street corner in Jeru-salem. 25 In every city of Judah he built high places to offer incense to other gods, and so he provoked the LORD, the God of his fathers. 26 As for the rest of the acts of Ahaz and all his ways, from beginning to end, they are indeed written in the Book of the Ki ngs of Judah and Israel. 27 And Ahaz rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of Jerusalem, but he was not placed in the tombs of the kings of Israel. And his son Hezekiah reigned in his place. Hezekiah Cleanses the Temple (2 Kings 18: 1-12) Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother's name was Abijah,e   the daughter of Zechariah. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. 3 In the first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah opened and repaired the doors of the house of the LORD. 4 Then he brought in the priests and Levites and gathered them in the square on the east side. 5 “Listen to me, O Levites,” he said. “Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers. Remove from the Holy Place every impurity. 6 For our fathers were unfaithful and d id evil in the sight of the LORD our God. They aban-doned Him, turned their faces away from the 29 564 | 2 Chronicles 28:14 a 16 LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate (see also 2 Kings 16:7); Hebrew kings   b 18 Hebrew Shephelah or lowlands  ; that is, the western foothills of Judea c 19 That is, Judah ; in 2 Chronicles, Judah is occasionally called Israel, as representative of the true Israel. d 20 Hebrew Tilgath-pilneser  , a variant spelling of Tiglath-pileser   e 1 Abijah is a variant of Abi  ; see 2 Kings 18:2.

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dwelling place of the LORD, and turned their backs on Him. 7 They also shut the doors of the portico and extinguished the lamps. They did not burn incense or present burnt offerings in the Holy Place of the God of Israel. 8 Therefore, the wrath of the LORD has fallen upon Judah and Jerusalem, and He has made them an object of terror, horror, and mockery, as you can see with your own eyes. 9 For be-hold, this is why our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and daughters and wives are in captivity. 10 Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, so that His fierce anger will turn away from us. 11 Now, my sons, do not be negligent, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve H im, to minister before Him, and to burn incense. ” 12 Then the Levites set to work: Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah from the Kohathites; Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel from the Merarites; Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah from the Gershonites; 13 Shimri and Jeuel from the Elizapha-nites; Zechariah and Mattaniah from the Asaph-ites; 14 Jehiel and Shimei from the Hemanites; and Shemaiah and Uzziel from the Jedu-thunites. 15 When they had assembled their brothers and consecrated themselves, they went in to cleanse the house of the LORD, according to the command of the king by the words of the LORD. 16 So the priests went inside the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and they brought out to the courtyard all the unclean things that they found in the temple of the LORD. Then the Le-vites took these things and carried them out to the Kidron Valley. 17 They began the consecra-tion on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they reached the portico of the LORD. For eight more days they consecrated the house of the LORD itself, fin-ishing on the sixteenth day of the first month. 18 Then they went in to King Hezekiah and re-ported, “We have cleansed the entire house of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the table of the showbread with all its utensils. 19 Moreover, we have pre-pared and consecrated all the articles that King Ahaz in his unfaithfulness cast aside dur-ing his reign. The y are now in front of the altar of the LORD. ” Hezekiah Restores Templ e Worship 20 Early the next morning King Hezekiah gath-ered the city officials and went up to the house of the LORD. 21 They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And the king com-manded the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the LORD. 22 So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. They slaughtered the rams and sprin-kled the blood on the altar. And they slaugh-tered the lambs and sprinkled the blood on the altar. 23 Then they brought the goats for the sin of-fering before the king and the assembly, who laid their hand s on them. 24 And the priests slaughtered the goats and put their blood on the altar for a sin offering, to make atonement 2 Chronicles 29: 24 | 565

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for all Israel, because the king had ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Is-rael. 25 Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres ac-cording to the command of David, of Gad the king's seer, and o f Nathan the prophet. For the command had come from the LORD through His prophets. 26 The Levites stood with the in-struments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. 27 And Hezekiah ordered that the burnt offer-ing be sacrificed on the altar. When the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD and the trumpets began as well, accompanied by the instruments of David king of Israel. 28 The whole assembly was worshiping, the singers were singing, and the trumpeters were play-ing. All this continued until the burnt offering was completed. 29 When the offerings were completed, the king and all those present with him bowed down and worshiped. 30 Then King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to sing praises to the LORD in the words of David and of As aph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and wor-shiped. 31 Then Hezekiah said, “Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD,a   come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the LORD. ” So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all whose hearts were willing brought burnt offerings. 32 The number of burnt offerings the assembly brought was sev-enty bulls, a hundred rams, and two hundred lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to the LORD. 33 And the consecrated offerings were six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep. 34 However, since there were not enough priests to skin all the burnt offerings, their Le-vite brothers helped them until the work was finished and until the priests had been conse-crated. For the Levites had been more diligent in consecrating themselves than the priests had been. 35 Furthermore, the burnt offerings were abundant, along with the fat of the peace offer-ings and the drink offerings for the burnt offerings. So the service of the house of the LORD was established. 36 Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced a t what God had pre-pared for the people, because everything had been accomplished so quickly. Hezekiah Proclaims a Passover Then Hezekiah sent word throughout all Israel and Judah, and he also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh inviting them to come to the house of the LORD in Je-rusalem to keep the Passover of the LORD, the God of Israel. 2 For the king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem had decided to keep the Passover in the second month,b   3 since they had been unable to observe it at the regular time, because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not been gathered in Jerusalem. 4 This proposal pleased the king and the whole assembly. 5 So they established a decree to cir-culate a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that the people should come to keep the Passover of the LORD, the God of Israel, in Jerusalem. For they had not observed it as a nation as prescribed. 30 566 | 2 Chronicles 29:25 a 31 Or filled your hand for the LORD   b 2 See Numbers 9: 9-12.

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6 So the couriers went throug hout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his offi-cials, which read: “Children of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that He may return to those of you who remain, who have escaped the grasp of the kings of Assyria. 7 Do not be like your fathers and brothers who were unfaithful to the LORD, the God of their fathers, so that He made them an object of horror, as you can see. 8 Now do not stiffen your necks as your fa-thers did. Submit to the LORD and come to His sanctuary, which He has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God, so that His fierce anger will turn away from you. 9 For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and sons will receive mercy in the presence of their captors and will re-turn to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful; He will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him. ” 10 And the couriers traveled from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun; but the people scorned and mocked them. 11 Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled them-selves and came to Jerusalem. 12 Moreover, the power of God was on the people in Judah to give them one heart to obey the command of the king and his officials according to the word of the LORD. Hezekiah Celebrates the Passover 13 In the second month, a very great assembly gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. a   14 They proceeded to remove the altars in Jerusalem and to take away the incense altars and throw them into the Kidron Valley. 15 And on the fourteenth day of the second month they slaughtered the Passover lamb. The priests and Levites were ashamed, and they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the house of the LORD. 16 They stood at their prescribed posts, ac-cording to the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood, which they received from the hand of the Levites. 17 Since there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves, the Levites were in charge of slaughtering the Passover lambs for every unclean person to consecrate the lambs to the LORD. 18 A large number of the people—many from Ephraim, Manasseh, I ssachar, and Zebulun — had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah interceded for them, saying, “May the LORD, who is good, provide atonement for everyone 19 who sets his heart on seeking God —the LORD, t he God of his fathers —even if he is not cleansed according to the purifica-tion rules of the sanctuary. ” 20 And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people. 21 The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleav-ened Bread for seven days with great joy, and the Levites and priests praised the LORD day after day, accompanied by loud instruments of praise to the LORD. b   22 And Hezekiah encour-aged all the Levites who performed skillfully before the LORD. For seven days they ate their assigned portion, sacrificing fellowship offer-ings and giving thanks to the LORD, the God of their fathers. 2 Chronicles 30: 22 | 567 a 13 That is, the seven-day period after the Passover during which no leaven may be eaten; see Exodus 12:1 4-20. b 21 Or day after day, with all their strength to the LORD. Literally day after day, with loud instruments to the LORD.

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23 The whole assembly agreed to observe seven more days, so they observed seven days with joy. 24 For Hezekiah king of Judah con-tributed a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for the assembly, and the officials con-tributed a thousand bulls and ten thousan d sheep for the assembly, and a great number of priests consecrated themselves. 25 Then the whole assembly of Judah rejoiced along with the priests and Levites and the whole assembly that had come from Israel, including the foreigners who had come from Israel and those who lived in Judah. 26 So there was great rejoicing in Jerusalem, for nothing like this had happened there since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel. 27 Then the priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard their voice, and their prayer came into His holy dwelling place in heaven. The Destruction of Idols When all this had ended, the Israel-ites in attendance went out to the cit-ies of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own property. 2 Hezekiah reestablished the divisions of the priests and Levites— each of them according to their duties as priests or Levites —for the burnt offerings and peace offerings, for minis-try, for giving thanks, and for singing praises at the gates of the LORD's dw elling. Contributions for Worship 3 The king contributed from his own posses-sions for the regular morning and evening burnt offerings and for the burnt offerings on the Sabbaths, New Moons, and appointed feasts, as written in the Law of the LORD. 4 Moreov er, he commanded the people living in Jerusalem to make a contribution for the priests and Levites so that they could devote themselves to the Law of the LORD. 5 As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously provided the firstfruits of the grai n, new wine, oil, and honey, and of all the produce of the field, and they brought in an abundance —a tithe of everything. 6 And the Israelites and Judahites who lived in the cities of Judah also brought a tithe of their herds and flocks and a tithe of the holy things conse-crated to the LORD their God, and they laid them in large heaps. 7 In the third month they began building up the heaps, and they finished in the seventh month. 8 When Hezekiah and his officials came and viewed the heaps, they blessed the LORD and His people Israel. 9 Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and Levites about the heaps, 10 and Azariah, the chief priest of the household of Zadok, an-swered him, “Since the people began to bring their contributions into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat and there is plenty left over, because the LORD has blessed His people; this great abundance is what is left over. ” Hezekiah Organizes the Priests 11 Then Hezekiah commanded them to pre-pare storerooms in the house of the LORD, and they did so. 12 And they faithfully brought in the contributions, tithes, and dedicated gifts. Conania h the Levite was the officer in charge of them, and his brother Shimei was second. 13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers under the authority 31 568 | 2 Chronicles 30:23

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of Conaniah and his brother Shimei, by ap-pointment of King Hezekiah and of Azariah the chief official of the house of God. 14 Kore son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the East Gate, was in charge of the freewill of-ferings given to God, distributing the contribu-tions to the LORD and the consecrated gifts. 15 Under his authority, Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah faithfully distributed portions to their fellow priests in their cities, according to their divi-sions, old and young alike. a   16 In addition, they distributed portions to the males registered by genealogy who were three years of age or older —to all who would enter the house of the LORD for their daily du-ties for service in the responsibilities of their divisions — 17 and to the priests enrolled according to their families in the genealogy, as well as to the Levites twenty years of age or older, according to their duties and divisions. 18 The genealogy included all the little ones, wives, sons, and daughters in the whole as-sembly. For they had faithfully consecrated themselves as holy. 19 As for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who lived on the farmlands around each of their cities or in any other city, men were des-ignated by name to distribute a portion to every male among the priests and to every Levite listed by the genealogies. 20 So this is what Hezekiah did throughout Ju-dah. He did what was good and upright and true before the LORD his God. 21 He was dili-gent in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law and the commandments, in order to seek his God. And so he prospered. Sennacherib Invades Judah (2 Kings 18:1 3-16 ; Psalm 46:1-11) After all these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the forti-fied cities, intending to conquer them for him-self. 2 When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come to make war against Jerusalem, 3 he con-sulted with his leaders and commanders about stopping up the waters of the springs outside the city, and they helped him carry it out. 4 Many people assembled and stopped up all the springs and the stream that flowed through the land. “Why should the kings b   of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” they said. 5 Then Hezekiah worked resolutely to rebuild all the broken sections of the wall and to raise up towers on it. He also built an outer wall and reinforced the supporting terraces  c   of the City of David, and he produced an abundance of weapons and shields. 6 Hezekiah appointed military commanders over the people and gathered the people in the square of the city gate. Then he encouraged them, saying, 7 “Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria and the vast army with h im, for there is a greater One with us than with him. 8 With him is only the arm of flesh,d   but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our bat-tles. ” So the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem (2 Kings 18:1 7-37 ; Isaiah 36:1-22) 9 Later, as Sennacherib king of Assyria and all his forces besieged Lachish, he sent his 32 2 Chronicles 32: 9 | 569 a 15 Or whethe r large or small   b 4 Hebrew; LXX and Syriac king   c 5 Hebrew the Millo   d 8 Or He has only the strength of his own flesh

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servants to Jerusalem with a message for King Hezekiah of Judah and all the people of Judah who were in Jerusalem: 10 “This is what Sen-nacherib king of Assyria says: What is the basis of your confidence, that you remain in Jerusalem under siege? 11 Is no t Hezekiah misleading you to give you over to death by famine and thirst when he says, 'The LORD our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria?' 12 Did not Hezekiah himself remove His high places and His altars and say to Judah and Jerusale m, 'You must worship before one altar, and on it you shall burn sacrifices'? 13 Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Have the gods of these nations ever been able to deliver their land from my hand? 14 Who among all the gods of these nations that my fathers devoted to destruction a   has been able to deliver his people from my hand? How then can your God deliver you from my hand? 15 So now, do not let Hezekiah deceive you, and do not let him mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or king-dom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand!” 16 And the servants of Sennacherib spoke fur-ther against the LORD God and against His servant Hezekiah. 17 He also wrote letters mock ing the LORD, the God of Israel, and say-ing against Him: “Just as the gods of the nations did not deliver their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver His people from my hand. ” 18 Then the Assyrians called out loudly in He-brew b   to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them in order to capture the city. 19 They spoke against the God of Jerusalem as they had spoken against the gods of the peoples of the earth —the work of human hands. Jerusalem Deli vered from the Assyrians (2 Kings 19:3 5-37 ; Isaiah 37:3 6-38) 20 In response, King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out to heaven in prayer, 21 and the LORD sent an angel who an-nihilated every mighty man of valor and every leader and commander in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he entered the temple of his god, some of his own sons struck him down with the sword. 22 So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hands of King Sennach-erib of Assyria and all the others, and He gave them rest on every side. 23 Many brought offerings to Jerusalem for the LORD and valu-able gifts fo r Hezekiah king of Judah, and from then on he was exalted in the eyes of all nations. Hezekiah's Illness and Recovery (2 Kings 20:1-11 ; Isaiah 38:1-8) 24 In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. So he prayed to the LORD, who spoke to him and gave him a sign. 25 But because his heart was proud, Hezekiah did not repay the favor shown to him. Therefore wrath came upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem. 26 Then Hezekiah humbled the pride of his heart —he and the people of Jerusalem —so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them during the days of Hezekiah. 27 Hezekiah had very great riches and honor, and he made treasuries for his silver, gold, 570 | 2 Chronicles 32:10 a 14 Forms of the Hebrew cherem refer to the giving over of things or persons to the LORD, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering. b 18 Or in the dialect of Judah

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precious stones, spices, shields, and all kinds of valuable articles. 28 He also made store-houses for the harvest of grain and new wine and oil, stalls for all kinds of livestock, and pens for the flocks. 29 He made cities for him-self, and he acquired herds of sheep and cattle in abundance, for God gave him very great wealth. 30 It was Hezekiah who blocked the upper out-let of the Spring of Gihon and channeled it down to the west side of the City of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all that he did. 31 And so when ambassadors of the rulers of Babylon were sent to him to inquire about the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone to test him, that He might know all that was in Hezekiah's heart. Hezekiah's Death 32 As f or the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his deeds of loving devotion, they are indeed written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 33 And Hezekiah rested with his fathers and was buried in the upper tombs of David's descendants. All Judah and the people of Jeru-salem paid him honor at his death. And his son Manasseh reigned in his place. Manasseh Reigns in Judah (2 Kings 21:1-9) Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Je-rusalem fifty-five years. 2 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD by following the abomina-tions of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. 3 For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had torn down, and he raised up altars for the Baals and mad e Asherah poles. And he worshiped and served all the host of heaven. 4 Manasseh also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever. ” 5 In both courtyards of the house of the LORD, he built altars to all the host of heaven. 6 He sacrificed his sons in the fire a   in the Valley of Hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witch-craft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, pro-voking Him to anger. 7 Manasseh even took the carved image he had made and set it up in the ho use of God, of which God had said to David and his son Solo-mon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will establish My Name forever. 8 I will never again cause the feet of the Israelites to leave the land that I assigned to your fathers, if only they are careful to do all that I have commanded them through Moses —all the laws, statutes, and judgments. ” 9 So Manasseh led the people of Judah and Je-rusalem astray, so that they did greater evil than the nation s that the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites. Manasseh's Repentance and Restoration (2 Kings 21:1 0-18) 10 And the LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they did not listen. 11 So the LORD brought against them the military command-ers of the kin g of Assyria, who captured Ma-nasseh, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon. 12 And in his distress, Manasseh sought the favor of the LORD his God and earnestly hum-bled himself before the God of his fathers. 13 And when he prayed to Him, the LORD received his plea and heard his petition; so He brought him back to Jerusalem and to his 33 2 Chr onicles 33: 13 | 571 a 6 Literally made his son s pass through the fire  

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kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God. 14 After this, Manasseh rebuilt the outer wall of the City of David from west of Gihon in the valley to the entrance of the Fish Gate, and he brought it around the hill of Ophel and height-ened it considerably. He also stationed mili-tary commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah. 15 He removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the LORD, along with all the altars he had built on the temple mount a   and in Jerusalem, and he dumped them outside the city. 16 Then he restored the altar of the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings and thank offer-ings on it, and he told Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel. 17 Nevertheless, the people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to the LORD their God. 18 As for the rest of the acts of Manasseh, along with his prayer to his God and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, they are indeed writ-ten in the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. b 19 His prayer and how God received his plea, as well as all his sin and unfaithfulness, and the sites where he built high places and set up Asherah poles and idols before he humbled himself, they are indeed written in the Rec-ords of the Seers. c   20 And Manasseh rested with his fathers and was buried at his palace. And his son Amon reigned in his place. Amon Reigns in Judah (2 Kings 21:1 9-26) 21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. 22 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done. Amon served and sacrificed to all the idols that his father Manasseh had made, 23 but he did not humble himself before the LORD as his father Manasseh had done; instead, Amon in-creased his guilt. 24 Then the servants of Amon conspired against him and killed him in his palace. 25 But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against King Amon, and they made his son Josiah king in his place. Josiah Reigns in Judah (2 Kings 22: 1-2) Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jeru-salem thirty-one years. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right or to the left. Josiah Destroys Idolatry (1 Kings 13: 1-10 ; 2 Kings 23:4-20) 3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, Josiah began to seek the God of his father David, and in the twelfth year he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the cast images. 4 Then in his presence the altars of the Baals were torn down, and he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them. He shattered the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the cast images, crushed them to dust, and scattered them over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5 Then he burned the bones of the priests on their altars. So he cleansed Judah and Jerusa-lem. 6 Josiah did the same in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins d   around them. 7 He tore down the 34 572 | 2 Chronicles 33:14 a 15 Literally the mountai n of the house of the LORD   b 18 That is, Judah ; in 2 Chronicles, Judah is occasionally called Israel, as representative of the true Israel. c 19 Or the Records of the Hozai or the Annals of the Prophets   d 6 Or in the regions  

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altars and Asherah poles, crushed the idols to powder, and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he re-turned to Jerusalem. Josiah Repairs the Temple (2 Kings 22:3-7) 8 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, in or-der to cleanse the land and the temple, Josiah sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God. 9 So they went to H ilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites at the doors had collected from the people of Manas-seh and Ephraim, from all the remnant of Israel, Judah, and Benjamin, and from the peo-ple of Jerusalem. 10 They put it into the hands of the supervisors of those doing the work of the house of the LORD, who in turn gave it to the workmen restoring and repairing the house of the LORD. 11 They also gave money to the carpenters and builders to buy dres sed stone, as well as timbers for couplings and beams for the buildings that the kings of Judah had allowed to deteriorate. 12 And the men did the work faithfully. The Levites overseeing them were Jahath and Oba-diah, descendants of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, descendants of Kohath. Other Levites, all skilled with musical instruments, 13 were over the laborers and supervised all who did the work, task by task. So me of the Levites were secretaries, officers, and gatekeepers. Hilkiah Finds the Book of the Law (2 Kings 22: 8-13) 14 While they were bringing out the money that had been taken into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD written by  a   Moses. 15 And Hilkiah said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD!” And he gave it to Shaphan. 16 Then Shaphan brought the book to the king and reported, “Your servant s are doing all that has been placed in their hands. 17 They have paid out the money that was found in the house of the LORD and have put it into the hands of the supervisors and workers. ” 18 Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book. ” And Shaphan read it in the presence of the king. 19 When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes 20 and commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon b   son of Micah,c   Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the servant of the king: 21 “Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for those remaining in Israel and Judah concerning the words in the book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that h as been poured out on us because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD by doing all that is written in this book. ” Huldah's Prophecy (2 Kings 22:1 4-20) 22 So Hilkiah and those the king had desig-nated went and spoke to Huldah d   the proph-etess, the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath,e   the son of Hasrah,f  the keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the Second District. g 2 Chronicles 34: 22 | 573 a 14 Hebrew the Law of the LORD by the hand of   b 20 Abdon is a variant of Achbor  ; see 2 Kings 22:12. c 20 Micah is a variant of Micaiah  ; see 2 Kings 22:12. d 22 One Hebrew manuscript, Vulgate, and Syriac; most Hebrew manu-scripts and those the king had told went to Huldah   e 22 Tokhath is a variant of Tikvah  ; see 2 Kings 22:14. f 22 Hasrah is a variant of Harhas  ; see 2 Kings 22:14. g 22 Or the Second Quarter  , a newer section of Jerusalem; He-brew the Mishneh

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23 And Huldah said to them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Tell the man who sent you 24 that this is what the LORD says: I am about to bring calamity on this place and on its people, according to all the curses written in the book that has been read in the presence of the king of Judah, 25 because they have forsaken Me and burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. My wrath will be poured out upon this place and will not be quenched. ' 26 But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'As for the words that you heard, 27 because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its people, and because you have humbled yourself before Me and you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I have heard you,' declares the LORD. 28 'Now I will indeed gather you to your fa-thers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the calamity that I will bring on this place and on its inhab-itants. '  ” So they brought her answer back to the king. Josiah Renews the Covenant (2 Kings 23:1-3) 29 Then the king summoned all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30 And he went up to the house of the LORD with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, as well as the priests and the Levites —all the people small and great —and in their hearing he read all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD. 31 So the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments, decrees, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, and to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book. 32 Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin take a stand in agreement to it. So all the people of Jerusalem carried out the cove-nant of God, the God of their fathers. 33 And Josiah removed all the abominations from all the lands belonging to the Israel ites, and he required everyone in Israel to serve the LORD their God. Throughout his reign they did not turn aside from following the LORD, the God of their fathers. Josiah Restores the Passover (2 Kings 23:2 1-27) Then Josiah celebrated the Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem, and the Passover lamb was slaughtered on the four-teenth day of the first month. 2 He appointed the priests to their duties and encouraged them in the service of the house of the LORD. 3 To the Levites who taught all Israel and were holy to the LORD, Josiah said: “Put the holy ark in the temple built by Solomon son of David king of Israel. It is not to be carried around on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and His people Israel. 4 Prepare yourselves by families in your divisions, according to the in-structions written by David king of Israel and Solomon his son. 5 Moreover, stand in the Holy Place by the di-visions of the families of your kinsmen the lay people, and by the division s of the families of the Levites. 6 Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves, and make prepara-tions for your fellow countrymen to carry out the word of the LORD given by  a   Moses. ” 35574 | 2 Chronicles 34:23 a 6 Hebrew the word of the LORD by the hand of

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7 From his own flocks and herds Josiah con-tributed 30,000 lambs and goats plus 3,000 bulls for the Passover offerings for all the peo-ple who were present. 8 His officials also contributed willingly to the people and priests and Levites. Hilkiah, Zech-ariah, and Jehiel, the administrators of the house of God, gave the priests 2,600 Passover offerings and 300 bulls. 9 Additionally, Conaniah and his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, as well as Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Joza-bad, officers of the Levites, donated to the Le-vites 5,000 Passover offerings and 500 bulls. 10 So the service was prepared; the priests stood in their places and the Levites in their divisions according to the king's command. 11 And they slaughtered the Passover lambs, while the priests sprinkled t he blood handed to them and the Levites skinned the animals. 12 They set aside the burnt offerings to be given to the divisions of the families of the people to offer to the LORD, as is written in the Book of Moses; and they did the same with the bulls. 13 They roasted the Passover animals on the fire according to the regulation, and they boiled the other holy offerings in pots, kettles, and bowls and quickly brought them to all the people. 14 Afterward, they made preparations for themselves and for the priests, since the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were offer-ing up burnt offerings and fat until nightfall. So the Levites made preparations for themselves and for the priests, the descendants of Aaron. 15 The singers, the descendants of Asaph, were at their stations according to the command of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king's seer. And the gatekeepers at each gate did no t need to leave their position, because their fel-low Levites made preparations for them. 16 So on that day the entire service of the LORD was carried out for celebrating the Pass-over and offering burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD, according to the command of King Josiah. 17 The Israelites who were pre-sent also observed the Passover at that time, as well as the Feast of Unleavened Bread a   for seven days. 18 No such Passover had been observed in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel ever ob-served a Passover like the one that Josiah observed with the priests, the Levites, all Ju-dah, the Israelites who were present, and the people of Jerusalem. 19 In the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign, this Passover was observed. The Death of Josiah (2 Kings 23:2 8-30) 20 After all this, when Josiah had set the temple in order, Neco king of Egypt marched up to fight at Carchemish by the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to confront him. 21 But Neco sent messengers to him, saying, “What is the issue between you and me, O king of Judah? I have not come against you today, but I am fighting another dynasty. God told me to hurry; so stop opposing God, who is with me, or He will destroy you!” 22 Josiah, however, did not turn away from him; instead, in order to engage him in battle, he disguised himself. He did not listen to Neco's words from the mouth of God, but went to fight him on the Plain of Megiddo. 23 There the archers shot King Josiah, who said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am badly wounded!” 24 So his servants took him out of his chariot, put him in his second chariot, and brought him to Jerusalem, where he died. And Josiah was buried in the tomb of his fathers, and all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for him. a 17 That is, the seven-day period after the Passover during which no leaven may be eaten; see Exodus 12:1 4-20. 2 Chronicles 35: 24 | 575

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Lamen ts over Josiah 25 Then Jeremiah lamented over Josiah, and to this day all the choirs of men and women sing laments over Josiah. They established them as a statute for Israel, and indeed they are writ-ten in the Book of Laments. 26 As for the rest of the ac ts of Josiah, along with his deeds of loving devotion according to what is written in the Law of the LORD — 27 his acts from beginning to end —they are indeed written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. Jehoahaz Succeeds Josiah (2 Kings 23:3 1-35) Then the people of the land took Je-hoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his fath er. 2 Jehoahaz a   was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. 3 And the king of Egypt dethroned him in Jerusalem and imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver b   and a talent of gold. c   4 Then Neco king of Egypt made Eliakim brother of Jehoahaz king over Judah and Jeru-salem, and he changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Eliakim's brother Jehoahaz and carr ied him off to Egypt. Jehoiakim Reigns in Judah (2 Kings 23:3 6-37) 5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD his God. 6 Then Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jehoiakim and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon. 7 Neb-uchadnezzar also took to Babylon some of the articles from the house of the LORD, and he put them in his temple d   in Babylon. 8 As for the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, the abominations he committed, and all that was found against him, they are indeed written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. And his son Jehoiachin reigned in his place. Jehoiachi n Reigns in Judah (2 Kings 24: 6-9) 9 Jehoiachin was eighteen e   years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD. 10 In the spring,f  King Nebuchadnezzar sum-moned Jehoiachin and brought him to Baby-lon, along with the articles of value from the house of the LORD. And he made Jehoiachin's relative  g   Zedekiah king over Judah and Jeru-salem. Zedekiah Reigns in Judah (2 Kings 24:1 8-20 ; Jeremiah 52:1-3) 11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. 12 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke for the LORD. 13 He also rebelled agains t King Nebuchadnez-zar, who had made him swear by God. But Zed-ekiah stiffened his neck and hardened h   his heart against turning to the LORD, the God of Israel. 14 Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied t heir un-faithful deeds, following all the abominations 36 576 | 2 Chronicles 35:25 a 2 Hebrew Joahaz  , a variant of Jehoahaz  ; also in verse 4 b 3 100 talents is approximately 3. 77 tons or 3. 42 metric tons of silver. c 3 A talent is approximately 75. 4 pounds or 34. 2 kilograms of gold. d 7 Or palace   e 9 One He-brew manuscript, some LXX manuscripts, and Syriac (see also 2 Kings 24:8); most Hebrew manuscripts eight   f 10 Literally At the turn of the year   g 10 Or brother or uncle   h 13 Or made strong or made courageous  

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of the nations, and they defiled the house of the LORD, which He had consecrated in Jeru-salem. The Fall of Jerusalem (2 Kings 25: 1-7) 15 Again and again a   the LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to His people through His messengers because He had compassion on them and on His dwelling place. 16 But they mocked the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD against His people was stirred up beyond remedy. 17 So He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans,b   who p ut their young men to the sword in the sanctuary, sparing neither young men nor young women, neither elderly nor infirm. God gave them all into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, 18 who carried off every-thing to Babylon —all the articles of the house of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king and his officials. 19 Then the Chaldeans set fire to the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem. They burned down all the palaces and destroyed every article of value. 20 Those who escaped the sword were carried by Nebuchadnezzar into exile in Babylon, and they became servants to him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power. 21 So the land enjoyed its Sabbath rest all the days of the desolation, until seventy years were completed, in fulfillment of the word of the LORD through Jeremiah. c   The Proclamation of Cyrus (Ezra 1: 1-4 ; Isaiah 45:1-25) 22 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation through-out his kingdom and to put it in writing as follows: 23 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: 'The LORD, the God of heaven, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah. Whoever among you belongs to His peo-ple, may the LORD his God be with him, and may he go up. '  ” 2 Chronicles 36: 23 | 577 a 15 Literally Rising up early and sending (it),   b 17 That is, the Babylonians; also clarified in verse 19 c 21 See Jeremiah 25:12 and Jeremiah 29:10.

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The Proclamation of Cyrus (2 Chronicles 36:22-23 ; Isaiah 45:1-25) In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writ-ing as follows: 2 “This is what Cyru s king of Persia says: 'The LORD, the God of heaven, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah. 3 Whoever among you belongs to His peo-ple, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jer usalem in Judah and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 And let every survivor, wherever he lives, be assisted by the men of that region with silver, gold, goods, and livestock, along with a freewill offering for the house of God in Jerusalem. '  ” 5 So the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites —everyone whose spirit God had stirred—prepared to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD in Jerusalem. 6 And all their neighbors supported them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and live-stock, and with valuables, in addition to all their freewill offerings. Cyrus Restores the Holy Vessels 7 King Cyrus also brought out the articles belonging to th e house of the LORD that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jeru-salem and placed in the temple of his gods. 8 Cyrus king of Persia had them brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. a   9 This was the inventory: 30 gold dishes,b 1,000 silver dishes, 29 silver utensils, 10 30 gold bowls, 410 matching silver bowls, and 1,000 other articles. 11 In all, there were 5,400 gold and silver articles. Sheshbazzar brought all these along when the exiles went up from Babylon to Jerusalem. The List of Returning Exiles (Nehemiah 7: 4-69) Now these are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the ex-iles carried away to Babylon by Nebuchadnez-zar its king. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, 2 accompanied by Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. c   1 2Ezra a 8 That is, the leader of the exiles returning to Judah b 9 Or basins  ; twice in this verse c 2 Parallel text at Nehe-miah 7:7 accompanied by Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah

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This is the count of the men of Israel: 3 the descendants of Parosh, 2,172; 4 the descendants of Shephatiah, 372; 5 the descendants of Arah, 775; 6 the descendants of Pahath-moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab), 2,812; 7 the descendants of Elam, 1,254; 8 the descendants of Zattu, 945; 9 the descendants of Zaccai, 760; 10 the descendants of Bani,a   642; 11 the descendants of Bebai, 623; 12 the descendants of Azgad, 1,222; 13 the descendants of Adonikam, 666; 14 the descendants of Bigvai, 2,056; 15 the descendants of Adin, 454; 16 the descendants of Ater (through Hezekiah), 98; 17 the descendants of Bezai, 323; 18 the descendants of Jorah,b   112; 19 the descendants of Hashum, 223; 20 the descendants of Gibbar,c   95; 21 the men d   of Bethlehem, 123; 22 the men of Netophah, 56; 23 the men of Anathoth, 128; 24 the descendants of Azmaveth,e   42; 25 the men of Kiriath-jearim,f  Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743; 26 the men of Ramah and Geba, 621; 27 the men of Michmash, 122; 28 the men of Bethel and Ai, 223; 29 the descendants of Nebo, 52; 30 the descendants of Magbish, 156; 31 the descendants of the other Elam,g 1,254; 32 the descendants of Harim, 320; 33 the men of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 725; 34 the men of Jericho, 345; 35 and the descendants of Senaah, 3,630. 36 The priests: The descendants of Jedaiah (through the house of Jeshua), 973; 37 the descendants of Immer, 1,052; 38 the descendants of Pashhur, 1,247; 39 and the descendants of Harim, 1,017. 40 The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel (through the line of Hodaviah h  ), 74. 41 The singers: the descendants of Asaph, 128. 42 The gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, the descendants of Ater, the descendants of Talmon, the descendants of Akkub, the descendants of Hatita, and the descendants of Shobai, 139 in all. Ezra 2:42 | 579 a 10 Bani is a variant of Binnui  ; see Nehemiah 7:15. b 18 Jorah is a variant of Hariph  ; see Nehemiah 7:24. c 20 Gibbar is a variant of Gibeon  ; see Nehemiah 7:25. d 21 Literally the sons  ; here and in verses 25, 26, 33, and 34 e 24 Azmaveth is a variant of Beth-azmaveth  ; see Nehemiah 7:28. f 25 LXX (see also Nehemiah 7:29); Hebrew Kiriath-arim   g 31 Or of West Elam   h 40 Hodaviah is a variant of Hodevah  ; see Nehemiah 7:43.

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43 The temple servants: a   the descendants of Ziha, the descendants of Hasupha, the descendants of Tabbaoth, 44 the descendants of Keros, the descendants of Siaha,b the descendants of Padon, 45 the descendants of Lebanah, the descendants of Hagabah, the descendants of Akkub, 46 the descendants of Hagab, the descendants of Shalmai,c   the descendants of Hanan, 47 the descendants of Giddel, the descendants of Gahar, the descendants of Reaiah, 48 the descendants of Rezin, the descendants of Nekoda, the descendants of Gazzam, 49 the descendants of Uzza, the descendants of Paseah, the descendants of Besai, 50 the descendants of Asnah, the descendants of Meunim, the descendants of Nephusim,d   51 the descendants of Bakbuk, the descendants of Hakupha, the descendants of Harhur, 52 the descendants of Bazluth,e the descendants of Mehida, the descendants of Harsha, 53 the descendants of Barkos, the descendants of Sisera, the descendants of Temah, 54 the descendants of Neziah, and the descendants of Hatipha. 55 The descendants of the servants of Solo-mon: the descendants of Sotai, the descendants of Sophereth, the descendants of Peruda,f  56 the descendants of Jaala, the descendants of Darkon, the descendants of Giddel, 57 the descendants of Shephatiah, the descendants of Hattil, the descendants of Pochereth-hazzebaim, and the descendants of Ami. g 58 The temple servants and descendants of the servants of Solomon numbe red 392 in all. 59 The following came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan,h   and Immer, but could not prove that their families were de-scended from Israel: 60 the descendants of Delaiah, the descendants of Tobiah, and the descendants of Nekoda, 652 in all. 580 | Ezr a 2:43 a 43 Hebrew The Nethinim  ; also in verses 58 and 70 b 44 Siaha is a variant of Sia  ; see Nehemiah 7:47. c 46 Alternate MT reading (see also Nehemiah 7:48); the other alternate reads Shamlai   d 50 Nephusim is a variant of Nephushesim  ; see Nehemiah 7:52. e 52 Bazluth is a variant of Bazlith  ; see Nehemiah 7:54. f 55 Peruda is a vari-ant of Perida  ; see Nehemiah 7:57. g 57 Ami is a variant of Amon  ; see Nehemiah 7:59. h 59 Addan is a variant of Addon  ; see Nehemiah 7:61.

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61 And from among the priests: the de-scendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai (who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gilead-ite and was called by their name). 62 These men searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. 63 The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim. a   64 The whole assembly numbered 42,360, 65 in addition to their 7,337 menservants and maidservants, as well as their 200 male and female singers. 66 They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 67 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys. Offerings by the Exiles (Exodus 38:2 1-31 ; Nehemiah 7:70-73) 68 When they arrived at the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings to rebuild the house of God on its original site. 69 According to their ability, they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 darics of gol d,b   5,000 minas of silver,c   and 100 priestly garments. 70 So the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants, along with some of the people, settled in their own towns; and the rest of the Israelites  d   settled in their towns. Sacrifices Restored By the seventh month, the Israelites had settled in their towns, and the people as-sembled as one man in Jerusalem. 2 Then Jeshua son of Jozadak e   and his fellow priests, along with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates, began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. 3 They set up the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the LORD —both the morning and evening burnt offerings —even though they feared the peo-ple of the land. 4 They also celebrated the Feast of Tabernac-les f  in accordance with what is written, and they offered burnt offerings daily based on the number prescribed for each day. 5 After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings and those for New Moons and for all the appointed sacred feasts of the LORD, as well as all the freewill offering s brought to the LORD. 6 On the first day of the seventh month, the Is-raelites began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD, although the foundation of the temple of the LORD had not been laid. 7 They gave money to the masons and carpenters, and food and dr ink and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre to bring cedar logs from Lebanon to Joppa by sea, as authorized by Cyrus king of Persia. Temple Restoration Begins 8 In the second month of the second year after they had arrived at the house of God in Jerusa-lem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jozadak, and the rest of their associates in-cluding the priests, the Levites, and all who had returned to Jerusalem from the captivity, began the work. They appointed Levites twenty years of age or older to supe rvise the 3Ezra 3:8 | 581 a 63 Literally Lights and Perfections   b 69 Or 61,00 0 gold drachmas  ; that is, approximately 1,129. 7 pounds or 512. 4 kilograms of gold coins c 69 5,000 minas is approximately 3. 14 tons or 2. 85 metric tons of silver. d 70 Or all Is-rael   e 2 Jozadak is a variant of Jehozadak  ; also in verse 8; see 1 Chronicles 6:14. f 4 That is, Sukkot, the autumn feast of pilgrimage to Jerusalem; also translated as the Feast of Booths or the Feast of Shelters and originally called the Feast of Ingathering (see Exodus 23:16 and Exodus 34:22).

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construction of the house of the LORD. 9 So Jeshua and his sons and brothers, Kadmiel and his sons (descendants of Yehudah),a   and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers —all Levites —joined together to su-pervise those working on the house of God. 10 When the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Lev ites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their posi-tions to praise the LORD, as David king of Israel had prescribed. 11 And they sang re-sponsively with praise and thanksgiving to the LORD: “For He is good; for His loving devotion b   to Israel endures forever. ” Then all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD had been laid. 12 But many of the older priests, Levites, and family heads who had seen the first temple wept loudly when they saw the foundation of this temple. Still, many others shouted joy-fully. 13 The people could not distinguish the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, be-cause the people were making so much noise. And the sound was heard from afar. Adversaries Hinde r the Work When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a tem-ple for the LORD, the God of Israel, 2 they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the families, saying, “Let us build with you be-cause, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to Him since the time of King Esar-haddon of Assyria, who brought us here. ” 3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other heads of the families of Israel replied, “You have no part with us in building a house for our God, since we alone must build it for the LORD, the God of Israel, as Cyrus king of Persia has com-manded us. ” 4 Then the people of the land set out to di s-courage the people of Judah and make them afraid to build. 5 They hired counselors against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia. Opposition under Xerxes and Artaxerxes 6 At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes,c   an accusation was lodged against the people of Judah and Jerusalem. 7 And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his associates wrote a lette r to Artaxerxes. It was written in Aramaic and then translated. d   8 Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote the letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows: 9 From Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associ-ates—the judges and officials over Tripo-lis, Persia, Erech and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa, 10 and the rest of the peoples whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal e   deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and elsewhere west of the Euphrates. f 4 582 | Ezr a 3:9 a 9 Hebrew sons of Judah  ; that is, most likely, sons of Yehudah  , another name for Hodevah or Hodaviah  ; see Ezra 2:40 and Nehemiah 7:43. b 11 Forms of the Hebrew chesed are translated here and in most cases throughout the Scrip-tures as loving devotion  ; the range of meaning includes love  , goodness  , kindness  , faithfulness  , and mercy  , as well as loyalty to a covenant  . c 6 Hebrew Ahasuerus   d 7 The original text of Ezra 4:8 through Ezra 6:18 is in Aramaic. e 10 Aramaic Osnappar  , another name for Ashurbanipal   f 10 Aramaic beyond the River  ; also in verses 11, 16, 17, and 20

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11 (This is the text of the letter they sent to him. ) To King Artaxerxes, From your servants, the men west of the Euphrat es: 12 Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came from you to us have returned to Jerusalem. And they are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city, restoring its walls, and repairing its foundations. 13 Let it now be known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, they will not pay tribute, duty, or toll, and the royal treasury will suffer. 14 Now because we are in the service of the palace a   and it is not fitting for us to allow the king to be dishonored, we have sent to inform the king 15 that a search should be made of the record books of your fathers. In these books you will dis-cover and verify that the city is a re bel-lious city, harmful to kings and provinces, inciting sedition from ancient times. That is why this city was destroyed. 16 We advise the king that if this city is re-built and its walls are restored, you will have no dominion west of the Euphrates. The Decre e of Artaxerxes 17 Then the king sent this reply: To Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of your associates liv-ing in Samaria and elsewhere in the re-gion west of the Euphrates: Greetings. 18 The letter you sent us has been trans-lated and read in my presence. 19 I issued a decree, and a search was conducted. It was discovered that this city has revolted against kings from ancient times, engag-ing in rebellion and sedition. 20 And mighty kings ha ve ruled over Jerusalem and exercised authority over the whole region west of the Euphrates; and tribute, duty, and toll were paid to them. 21 Now, therefore, issue an order for these men to stop, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order. 22 See that you do not neglect this matter. Why allow this threat to increase and the royal interests to suffer? 23 When the text of the letter from King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their associates, they went imme-diately to the Jews in Jerusalem and forcibly stopped them. 24 Thus the construction of the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, and it remained at a stand-still until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. Templ e Rebuildin g Resumes (Haggai 1:1-11) Later, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews in Ju-dah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak b rose up and began to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, helping them. 3 At that time Tattenai the governor of the re-gion west of the Euphrates,c   Shethar-bozenai, and their associates went to the Jews and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?” 5 Ezra 5:3 | 583 a 14 Literally becaus e the salt of the palac e is the salt we eat   b 2 Jozadak is a variant of Jehozadak  ; see 1 Chronicles 6:14. c 3 Aramaic the governor beyond the River  ; also in verse 6

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4 They also asked,a   “What are the names of the men who are constructing this building?” 5 But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, so that they were not stopped until a report was sent to Darius and written instruc-tions about this matter were returned. Tatte nai's Letter to Darius 6 This is the text of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates, the offi-cials in the region, sent to King Darius. 7 The report they sent him read as follows: To King Darius: All peace. 8 Let it be known to the king that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. The people are rebuilding it with large stones, and placing timbers in the walls. This work is being carried out diligently and is prospering in their hands. 9 So we questioned the elders and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this tem-ple and restore this structure?” 10 We also asked for their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders b   for your information. 11 And this is the answer they returned: “We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and completed. 12 But since our fathers angered the God of heaven, He delivered them into the hand of Nebuch adnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean who destroyed this temple and carried away the people to Babylon. 13 In his first year, however, Cyrus king of Babylon issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. 14 He also removed from the temple c   of Babylon the gold and silver articles belonging to the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken and carried there from the temple in Jerusa-lem. King Cyrus gave these articles to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he ap-pointed governor 15 and ins tructed, 'Take these articles, put them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its original site. ' 16 So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of the house of God in Jerusa-lem, and from that time until now it has been under construction, but it has not yet been completed. ” 17 Now, therefore, if it pleases the king, let a search be made of the roya l archives in Babylon to see if King Cyrus did indeed is-sue a decree to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter. The Decree of Darius Thus King Darius ordered a search of the archives stored in the tr easury of Baby-lon. 2 And a scroll was found in the fortress of Ecbatana, in the province of Media, with the following written on it: Memorandum: 3 In the first year of King Cyrus, he issued a decree concerning the house of God in Jerusalem: Let the house be rebuilt as a place for of-fering sacrifices, and let its foundations be firmly laid. It is to be sixty cubits high and sixty cubits wide,d   4 with three layers of 6 584 | Ezr a 5:4 a 4 LXX and Syriac; Aramaic Then we told them,   b 10 Aramaic the names of the men at their heads   c 14 Or palace   d 3 The house was to be approximately 90 feet or 27. 4 meters in height and width; Syriac (see also 1 Kings 6:2) It is to be sixty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high  .

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cut stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid from the royal treasury. 5 Furthermore, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnez-zar took from the temple in Jerusalem and carried to Babylon, must also be returned to the temple in Jerusalem and deposited in the house of God. 6 Therefore Darius decreed: To Tattenai governor of the region west of the Euphrates,a   Shethar-bozenai, and your associates and officials in the region: You must stay away from that place! 7 Leave this work on the house of God alone. Let the governor and elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its orig-inal site. 8 I hereby decree what you must do for these elders of the Jews who are rebuild-ing this house of God: The cost is to be paid in full to these men from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces west of the Euphrates, so that the work will not be hindered. 9 Whatever is needed —young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, as well as wheat, salt, wine, and oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusa-lem—must be given to them daily without fail. 10 Then they will be able to offer sacrific es of a sweet aroma to the God of heaven and to pray for the lives of the king and his sons. 11 I also decree that if any man interferes with this directive, a beam is to be torn from his house and raised up, and he is to be impaled on it. And his own house shall be made a pile of rubble for this offense. b 12 May God, who has caused His Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to alter this decree or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued the decree. Let it be carried out with diligence. The Templ e Completed 13 In response, Tattenai the governor of the re-gion west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates diligently carried out what King Darius had decreed. 14 So the Jew-ish elders built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zech-ariah son of Iddo. They finished building according to the com-mand of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. 15 And this temple was completed on the third day of the month of Adar,c   in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. Dedication of the Temple 16 Then the people of Israel —the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles— celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy. 17 For the dedication of the house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and a sin offering for all Israel of twelve male goats, one for each tribe of Israel. 18 They also appointed the priests by their di-visions and the Levites by their groups to the service of God in Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses. The Returned Exiles Keep the Passover 19 On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles kept the Passover. 20 All the priests and Ezra 6:20 | 585 a 6 Aramaic governor beyond the River  ; similarly in verses 8 and 13 b 11 Literally shall be made a dunghill because of this   c 15 Adar is the twelfth month of the Hebrew lunar calendar, usually occurring within the months of Febru-ary and March.

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Levites had purified themselves and were cer-emonially clean. And the Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their priestly broth-ers, and for themselves. 21 The Israelites who had returned from exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the peoples a   of the land to seek the LORD, the God of Israel. 22 For seven days they kept the Feast of Un-leavened Bread b   with joy, because the LORD had made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to strengthen their hands in the work on the house of the God of Israel. Ezra Arrives in Jerusalem Many years later,c   during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, 2 the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, 3 the son of Amariah, the son of Aza-riah, the son of Meraioth, 4 the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, 5 the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest — 6 this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted Ezra all his requests, for the hand of the LORD his God was upon him. 7 So in the seventh year of King Artaxerx es, he went up to Jerusalem with some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants. d   8 Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. 9 He had begun the journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was upon him. 10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, to practi ce it, and to teach its statutes and ordi-nances in Israel. Artaxerxes' Lette r for Ezra 11 This is the text of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest and scribe, an ex-pert in the commandments and statutes of the LORD to Israel: e 12 Artaxerxes, king of kings. To Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven: Greetings. f 13 I hereby decree that any volunteers among the Israelites in my kingdom, in-cluding the priests and Levites, may go up with you to Jerusalem. 14 You are sent by the king and his seven counselors to eval-uate Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your Go d, which is in your hand. 15 Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his coun-selors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16 together with all the silver and gold you may find in all th e province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests to the house of their God in Je-rusalem. 17 With this money, therefore, you are to buy as many bulls, rams, and lambs as needed, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and offer them on the altar at the house of your God in Jerusalem. 18 You and your brothers may do whatever seems best with the rest 7 586 | Ezr a 6:21 a 21 Or nations   b 22 That is, the seven-day period after the Passover during which no leaven may be eaten; see Exodus 12:14-20. c 1 Literally After these things   d 7 Hebrew Nethinim  ; also in verse 24 e 11 The original text of Ezra 7:1 2-26 is in Aramaic. f 12 Aramaic Perfect now (probably a greeting)

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of the silver and gold, according to the will of your God. 19 You must deliver to the God of Jerusa-lem all the articles given to you for the service of the house of your God. 20 And if anything else is needed fo r the house of your God that you may have occasion to supply, you may pay for it from the royal treasury. 21 I, King Artaxerxes, decree to all the treasurers west of the Euphrates: a   What-ever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require of you, it must be provided promptly, 22 up to a hundred talents of silver,b   a hundred cors of wheat,c   a hundred baths of wine,d   a hundred baths of olive oil,e   and salt with-out limit. 23 Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven must be done diligently for His house. For why should wrath fall on the realm of the king and his sons? 24 And be advised that you have no au-thority to impose tribute, duty, or toll on any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God. 25 And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which you possess, are to ap-point magistrates and judges to judge all the people west of the Euphrates —all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach these laws to anyone who does not know them. 26 If anyone does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, let a strict judgment be executed against him, whether death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprison-ment. Ezra Blesses God 27 Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put into the heart of the king to so honor the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, 28 and who has shown me favor before the king, his counselors, and all his powerful offi-cials. And because the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, I took courage and gathered the leaders of Israel to return with me. The Exiles Who Returned with Ezra These are the family heads and genealog-ical records of those who returned with me from Babylon during the reign of King Arta xerxes: 2 from the descendants of Phinehas, Gershom; from the descendants of Ithamar, Daniel; from the descendants of David, Hattush 3 of the descendants of Shecaniah; from the descendants of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him were registered 150 men; 4 from the descendants of Pahath-Moab, Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men; 5 from the descendants of Zattu, Shecaniah son of Jahaziel,f  and with him 300 men; 6 from the descendants of Adin, Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men; 7 from the descendants of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men; 8 Ezra 8:7 | 587 a 21 Aramaic beyond the River  ; also in verse 25 b 22 100 talents is approximately 3. 77 tons or 3. 42 metric tons of silver. c 22 100 cors is approximately 624 bushels or 22,000 liters (probably about 19. 2 tons or 17. 4 metric tons of wheat). d 22 100 baths is approximately 580 gallons or 2,200 liters of w ine. e 22 Or 100 baths of oil  ; that is, approximately 580 gallons or 2,200 liters f 5 Some LXX manuscripts (see also 1 Esdras 8:32); Hebrew from the descendants of Shecaniah, the son of Jahaziel

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8 from the descendants of Shephatiah, Zebadiah son of Michael, and with him 80 men; 9 from the descendants of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men; 10 from the descendants of Bani, Shelomith son of Josiphiah,a   and with him 160 men; 11 from the descendants of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him 28 men; 12 from the descendants of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men; 13 from the later b   descendants of Adonikam, these were their names: Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men; 14 and from the descendants of Bigvai, both Uthai and Zaccur,c   and with them 70 men. Ezra Sends for the Levites 15 Now I assembled these exiles at the canal that flows to Ahava, and we camped there three days. And when I searched among the people and priests, I found no Levites there. 16 Then I summoned the leaders: Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan,d   Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, as well as the teachers Joiarib and Elnathan. 17 And I sent them to Iddo, the leader at Casiphia, with a message for him and his kinsmen, the temple servants  e   at Casiphia, that the y should bring to us ministers for the house of our God. 18 And since the gracious hand of our God was upon us, they brought us Sherebiah —a man of insight from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel —along with his sons and brothers, 18 me n; 19 also Hashabiah, to-gether with Jeshaiah, from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and their sons, 20 men. 20 They also brought 220 of the temple servants, all designated by name. David and the officials had appointed them to assist the Levites. Fasting for Protection 21 And there by the Ahava Canal I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves be-fore our God and ask Him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. 22 For I was ashamed to ask the king for an es-cort of soldiers and horsemen to protect us from our enemies on the road, since we had told him, “The hand of our God is gracious to all who seek Him, but His great anger is against all who forsake Him. ” 23 So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and He granted our request. Priests to Guard the Offerings 24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, together with Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers, 25 and I weighed out to them the contribution of silver and gold and the articles that the king, his counselors, his leaders, and all the Israelites there had offered for the house of our God. 26 I weighed out into their hands 650 talents of silver,f  articles of sil ver weighing 100 talents,g 100 talents of gold,h   27 20 gold bowls valued at 588 | Ezr a 8:8 a 10 Some LXX manuscripts (see also 1 Esdras 8:36); Hebrew from the descendants of Shelomith, the son of Josiphiah b 13 Or the last   c 14 LXX, Syriac, and an alternate MT reading; the other alternate reads Zabbud  . d 16 Elnathan appears three times in verse, either as a repetition for emphasis or as a record of multiple men with this name. e 17 Hebrew the Nethinim  ; also in verse 20 f 26 650 talents is approximately 24. 5 tons or 22. 2 metric tons of silver. g 26 100 talents is approximately 3. 77 tons or 3. 42 metric tons of silver articles. h 26 100 talents is approximately 3. 77 tons or 3. 42 metric tons of gold.

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1,000 darics,a   and two articles of fine polished bronze, as precious as gold. 28 Then I told them, “You are holy to the LORD, and these articles are holy. The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the LORD, the God of your fathers. 29 Guard them carefully until yo u weigh them out in the chambers of the house of the LORD in Jerusalem before the leading priests, Levites, and heads of the Israelite fam-ilies. ” 30 So the priests and Levites took charge of the silver and gold and sacred articles that had been weighed ou t to be taken to the house of our God in Jerusalem. 31 On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem, and the hand of our God was upon us to pro-tect us from the hands of the enemies and ban-dits along the way. Arrival in Jerusalem 32 So we arrived at Jerusalem and rested there for three days. 33 On the fourth day, in the house of our God, we weighed out the silver and gold and sacred articles into the hand of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest. Eleazar son of Phin ehas was with him, along with the Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui. 34 Every-thing was verified by number and weight, and the total weight was recorded at that time. 35 Then the exiles who had returned from cap-tivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel: 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, and a sin offering of 12 male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the LORD. 36 They also delivered the king's edicts to the royal satraps b   and governors of the region west of the Euphrates,c   who proceeded to as-sist the people and the house of God. Intermarriage with Neighboring Peoples (Nehemiah 13:2 3-31) After these things had been accom-plished, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the surrounding peoples whose abominations are like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Mo-abites, Egyptians, and Amorites. 2 Indeed, the Israelites have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed has been mixed with the people of the land. And the leaders and officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness!” 3 When I heard this report, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled out some hair from my head and beard, and sat down in horror. 4 Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles, while I sat there in horror until the evening offering. Ezra's Prayer of Confession 5 At the evening offering, I got up from my hu-miliation with my tunic and cloak torn, and I fell on my knees, spread out my hands to the LORD my God, 6 and said: “O my God, I am ashamed and embar-rassed to lift up my face to You, my God, because our iniquities are higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached the heav-ens. 7 From the days of our fathers to this day, our guilt has been great. Because of our iniquities, we and our kings and priests have been delivered into the hands of the kings of the earth and put to the 9 Ezra 9:7 | 589 a 27 Or worth 1,000 drachmas  ; that is, approximately 18. 5 pounds or 8. 4 kilograms of gold b 36 A satrap was a Per-sian official. c 36 Hebrew governors beyond the River

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sword and captivity, to pillage and humil-iation, as we are this day. 8 But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from the LORD our God to preserve for us a remnant and to give us a stake a   in His holy place. Even in our bondage, our God has given us new life and light to our eyes. 9 Though we are slav es, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but He has extended to us grace in the sight of the kings of Persia, giving us new life to re-build the house of our God and repair its ruins, and giving us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem. 10 And now, our God, what can we say af-ter this? For we have forsaken the com-mandments 11 that You gave through Your servants the prophets, saying: 'The land that you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the impurity of its peoples and the abominations with which they have filled it from end to end. 12 Now, therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Never seek their peace or prosper-ity, so that you may be strong and may eat the good things of t he land, leaving it as an inheritance to your sons forever. ' 13 After all that has come upon us because of our evil deeds and our great guilt (though You, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve and have given us such a remnant as this), 14 shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with t he peoples who commit these abominations? Would You not be-come so angry with us as to wipe us out, leaving no remnant or survivor? 15 O LORD, God of Israel, You are righteous! For we remain this day as a remnant. Here we are before You in our guilt, though because of it no one can stand before You. ” Shecaniah's Encouragement While Ezra prayed and made this confession, weeping and falling facedown before the house of God, a very large assembly of Israelites— men, women, and children —gathered around him, and the peo-ple wept bitterly as well. 2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, an Elamite, said to Ezra: “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from th e people of the land, yet in spite of this, there is hope for Israel. 3 So now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all the foreign wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the com-mand of our G od. Let it be done according to the Law. 4 Get up, for this matter is your responsibility, and we will support you. Be strong and take action!” 5 So Ezra got up and made the leading priests, Levites, and all Israel take an oath to do what had been said. And they took the oath. The People's Confession of Sin 6 Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and walked to the chamber of Jeho-hanan son of Eliashib. And while he stayed b there, he ate no food and drank no water, because he was mourning over the unfaithful-ness of the exiles. 7 And a proclamation was issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles should gather at Jerusalem. 8 Whoever failed to ap-pear within three days would forfeit all his property, according to the counsel of the lead-ers and elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles. 10 590 | Ezr a 9:8 a 8 Or nail or foothold   b 6 Or went

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9 So within the three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled in Jerusalem, and on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people sat in the square at the house of God, trembling regarding this matter and because of the heavy rain. 10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful by m arrying foreign women, adding to the guilt of Israel. 11 Now, therefore, make a confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do His will. Separate yourselves from the people of the land and from your foreign wives. ” 12 And the whole assembly respo nded in a loud voice: “Truly we must do as you say! 13 But there are many people here, and it is the rainy season. We are not able to stay out in the open. Nor is this the work of one or two days, for we have transgressed greatly in this mat-ter. 14 Let our leaders represent the whole assembly. Then let everyo ne in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at an appointed time, together with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God in this matter is turned away from us. ” 15 (Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikv ah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this plan. ) 16 So the exiles did as proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family heads, each of them identified by name, to represent their families. On the first day of the tenth month they launched the investigation, 17 and by the first day of the first month they had dealt with all the men who had married for-eign women. Those Guilty of Intermarriage 18 Among the descendants of the priests who had married foreign women were found these descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak a   and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. 19 They pledged to send their wives away, and for their guilt they presented a ram from the flock as a guilt offering. 20 From the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah. 21 From the descendants of Harim: Maas eiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah. 22 From the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah. 23 Among the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. 24 From the s ingers: Eliashib. From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri. 25 And among the other Israelites, from the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah,b   and Benaiah. 26 From the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah. 27 From the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza. Ezra 10: 27 | 591 a 18 Jozadak is a variant of Jehozadak  ; see 1 Chronicles 6:14. b 25 Hebrew; LXX Hashabiah

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28 From the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. 29 From the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth. 30 From the descendants of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh. 31 From the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. 33 From the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. 34 From the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, 35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu. 38 From the descendants of Binnui: Shimei,a   39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. 43 And from the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. 44 All these men had married foreign women, and some of them had children by these wives. b a 38 See LXX; Hebrew And Bani, and Binnui, (and) Shimei,   b 44 Or and they sent them away with their children 592 | Ezr a 10:28

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