Abariab slain by Febu.

Chap. xxiii.

6 And he returned to be healed in Jezreel, because of the wounds which were given him at Ramah,when he fought with Hazael king ofSyria. And Azariah the fon of Jehéram king of Judah, went down to fee Jehoram the fon of Ahab at Jezreel, because he was fick.

7 And the deftruction of Ahaziah was of God by coming toJeram: for when he was come, he went out with Jehoram againit Jehu the fon of Nimihi, whom the LORD had anointed to eat off the houfe ofAhab. 8 And it came to pafs that when Jehu was executing judgment upon the houfe of Ahab, and found the princes of Judah, and the fons of the brethren of Abaziah, that minittred to Ahaziah, he flew them.

9 And he fought Ahaziah: and they Caught bim ( for he was hid in Samaria) and brought him to Jehu: and when they had flain him, they buried him, because (faid they) he is the fon of Jehoshaphat, who fought the LORD with all his heart. So the house of Ahazian had no power to keep ftill the kingdom.

10 But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziab faw that her fen was dead, the arole, and deftroyed all the iced reyal of the house of Judah.

But Jehofhabeath the daughter of the king, took joalh the fon of Ahaziah, and ftele him from among the kings ion that were flain, and put him and his nurfe in a bed-chamber. Solchofhabeath the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the prieft (for the was the filer of Abaziah) hid him from Athaliah, fo that the few him not.

12 And he was with them hid in the boufe of God fix years, and Athaliab reigned over the land.

CHAP. XXIII. ■ Jeboiada maketh joaib king. 12 Atbaliab lain. 16 Feboiada reftoreth the morfbip of

God.

A

Nd in feventh year Jehoiadaftrengthened himself,and tookthe captains of hundreds, Azariah the fon of Jeroham, and ifhmael the ion of Jehohanan, and Azariah the fon of Obed, and Maakah the fon of Adaiah, and Elithaphat the fon of Ziebri, into covenant with him.

2 And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the chief of the fathers of Ifrael, and they came to Jerufalem.

3 And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the beufe of God: and be faid unto them, Behold, the kings fon fhall reign, as the LORD hath faid of the fons of David.

A

4 This is the thing that ye fhall do third part of you entring on the labbath of the priests and of the Levites, ball be parters of the doors;

5 And a third part shall be at the kings houfe; and a third part at the gate of the foundation: and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the LORD.,

6 But let none come into the houfe of the LORD, fave the pretts, and they that

To afb made king. minister of the Levites, they shall go in, for they are holy but all the people fhall keep the watch of the LORD.

king round about, every man with his 7 And the Levites thall compafs the weapons in his hand, and whofoever elfe cometh into the houfe, be thall be put to death: but he you with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out.

8 So the Levites and all Judah did ascording to all things that Jehoiada the prieft had commanded, and took every man his men that were to come in on the labbath, with them that were to go out an the fabbath for Jehoiada the priclt difmiffed not the courfes.

9 Moreover, Jehoiada the priest deliver d to the captains of hundreds, ipears, and bucklers, and fhields, that bad been king Davids, which were in the house of God. 10 And he fet all the people (every man having his weapon in his hand) from the right fide of the temple to the left fide of the temple, along by the altar and the temple, by the king round about?

11 Then they brought out the kings fon, and put upon him the crown, and gave bim the teltimeny, and made him king: and Jeboiada and his ions anointed him, and faid, God fave the king.

12 Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and prailing the king, the came to the people into the houfe of the LORD.

13 And the looked, and behold, the king ftood at his pillar, at the entring in, and the princes, and the trumpets, by the king: and all the people at the land rejoiced, and founded with trumpets, alfo the fing ers with instruments of musick; and fuch as taught tofing praife. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and faid, Treafon, treafon.

14 Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds that were fet o

ver the boít, and faid unto them. Have har forth of the ranges: and whofo followeth her, let him be flain with the iword. For the prieft faid, Slay her not in the house of the LORD.

15 So they laid hands on her; and when the was come to the entring of the horsegate, bykings houfe, they flew her there.

16 And Jehoiada made a covenant between him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be the LORDS People.

17Then all the people went to the houfe of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his altars, and his images in pieces, and flew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

18 Alfe Jehoiada appointed the offices of the houfe of the LORD by hand of the pricfts the Levites, whom David had diftri buted in the house of the LORD,to offerthe burnt-offerings of the LORD, as it is written in the law of Mofes, with rejoicingand with finging, as it was ordained by David.

19And he let the porters at the gates of the houfe of the LORD, that none wbieb was unclean in any thing, fhould enter in. 20 And he took the captains of hundreds

P3

Athaliab slain.x

Joash bis real.

13 So the workmen wrought, and the work was perfected by them, and they fet the house of God in his state, and strengthened it.

II Chronicles. dreds, and the nobles, and the governours of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought down the king from the house of the LORD: and they came through the high gate into the kingshoufe, and fet the king upon the throne of the kingdom.

21 And all the people of the land rejoyeed and the city was quiet, after thatthey had flain Athaliah with the (word.

CHA P. XXIV. Joasb reigneth well all the days of Jeboiada 15 jeboiada being dead, 17 joa b falletb to idolatry. 25 joash is slain.

Oath was feven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerufalem: his mothersname alfo was Zibeah of Beer-fheba.

2 And Joath did that which was right in the fight of the LORD, all the days of Jehoiada the, prielt.

3 And Jehoiada took for him two wives and he begat fons and daughters.

4 And it came to pafs, after this, that Joath was minded to repair the house of the LORD,

5. And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and faid to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Ifrael money to repair the houfe of your God from year to year, and fee that ye hafte the matter: howbeit, the Levites haftened it not.

6 And the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and faid unto him, Why haft thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerufalem, the collection, according to the commandment of Mofes the fervant of the LORD, and of the congregation of Ifrael, for the tabernacle of witnefs?

7 For the fons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God, and alfoallthe dedicate things of thehoufe of theLORD did they beltow uponBaalim. 8 And at the kings commandment they made a cheft, and let it without,at thegate of the house of the LORD..

9 Andthey made a proclamation through Judah and Jerufalem, to bring in to the LORD, the collection that Mofes the fervant of God laid upon Ifrael in the wilder

neis.

to And all the princes, and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and caft into the cheft, until they had made an end.

I Now it came to pass, that at what time the cheft was brought unto the kings office, by the hand of the Levites; and when they faw that there was much money: the kings feribe, and the high priests officer came and emptyed the cheft, and took it, and carried it to his place again, Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.

12 And the king, and Jehoiada gave it, to fuch as did the work of the fervice of the houfe of the LORD, and hired mafons and carpenters to repair the boufe of the LORD, and alfo fuch as wrought Iron and brafs te mend the house of the LORD.

14 And when they had finished it, they brought the reft of the money before the king and Jehoiada, whereof were made veffels for the houfe of the LORD, even veffels to miniiter, and to offer withal, and ipoons, and veffels of gold and filver: and they offered burnt-offerings in the houfe of the LORD continually, all the days of Jehoiada.

15 But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died; an hundred and thirty years old was be when he died.

16 And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, becaufe he had done good in Ifrael, both towards God, and towards his houfe.

17 Now after the death of Jehoiada, came the princes of Judah, and made obeifance to the king: then the king hearkened unto them.

18 And they left the houfe of the LORD God of their fathers, and ferved groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerufalem for this their trefpafs.

19 Yet he fent prophets to them,to bring them again unto LORD, and they teftified against them: butthey would not give ear: 20 And the fpirit of God came uponzechariah the fon of Jehoiada the priest, which flood above the people, & faid unto them, Thus faith God, Why tranfgrefs ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot proper? becaufe ye have forfaken the LORD, he hath alfo forfaken you.

21 And they confpired against him, and ftoned him with ftones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD.

22 Thus Joafh the king remembred not the kindnels whichJehoiada his father had done to him, but flew his fon : and when he died, he said, The LORD look upen it, and require it.

23 And it came to pass at the end of the year, that the holt of Syria came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerufalem, and deftroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and fent all the fpoil of them unto the king of Damafcus.

24 For the army of the Syrians came with a fmall company of men, and the LORD delivered a very great hoft into their hand, becaule they had forfaken the LORD God of their fathers: fo they executed judgment against Joafh.

25 And when they were departed from him (for they left him ingreat difcafes)his own fervants confpired against him, forthe bloodof the fons of Jehoiada the prieft, and flew him on his bed,and he died: andthey buried him in the city of David, but they buried himnot inffepulchres of the kings.

26 And there are they that confpired against him; Zabad the fon of Shemeath an Ammonitefs, and Jehozabad the fon of Shimrith a Moabitels.

27 A Now

Chap. xxv. 127 Now concerning his fons, and the greatnels of the burdens laid upon him, and the repairing of the houfe of God, behold, they are written in the ftory of the book of the kings. And Amaziah his fon reigned in his itead.

CHAP. XXVI. Vaxiab fucceedetb. 16 Invading the priests office, be is fmitten with leprosy. 22 He dietb, and Jetbam fucceedetb. Tall, the people of Judah, teld, Uzziah, who was fixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah.

2 He built Eloth and rest ored it to Judah, after that the king flept with his fathers. 3 Sixteen years old was Uzziah, when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerufalem: his mothers mame alfo wa Jecoliah of Jerufalem.

4 And he did that which was right in the fight of the LORD, according to all that bis father Amaziah did.

5 And he fought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the vifions of God and as long as he fought the LORD,Ged made him to profper.

5 And he went forth and warred againft the Philiftines, and brake down the wall of Gath, and the wall of jabneh, and the wall of Afhdod, and built cities about Afh dod, and among the Philiftines.

7 And God helped him against the Philittines, and againft the Arabians thatdwelt in Gur-baal, and the Mehunims.

8 And the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah, and his name fpread abroad, even to the entring in of Egypt, for he ftrengthened bimfelf exceedingly.

9 Moreover, Uzziah buift towers in Jerufalem, at the corner-gate, and at the valley-gate, and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them.

His leprofy

17 And Azariah the prieft went in after him, and with him fourfcore priefts of the LORD, that were valiant men:

18 And they withstood Uzziah the king, and, a Uzziah, im, le appertained not unte thee, Uzziah, to burn incenfe unto the LORD, but to the priests the tons of Aaron, that are confecrated to burn incenfe: go out of the fanctuary, for thou haft trefpaffed, neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORD God.

19 Then Uzziah was wreth, and bad a center in his hand to burn incenfe: and while he was wroth with the prielts, the leprofy even rose up in his forehead, before the priests in the boufe of the LORD, from befide the incenfe-altar.

20 And Azarian the chief pr.eft, and all the pricfts looked upon him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thruft him out from thence, yea, himself hafted alfo to go out, because the LORD had fmitten him.

21 And Uzziah the king was a leper un to the day of his death, and dwelt in a feveral houfe being a leper, for he was eut off from the house of the LORD and Jotham his fon was over the kings houfe, judging the people of the land,

12 Now the reft of the acts of Uzziah, firft and laft, did Ifaiah the prophet the fon of Amez write.

23 So Uzziah lept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings; for they faid, He is a leper; and Jotham his fon reigned in his fead. С НА Р. ХХУП.

to Alfo he built towers in the defart, and, digged many wella, for he had muchcattle 1 both in the low country,and in the plains: Eusbandmen alfo, and vine-dreffers in the mountains, and in Carmel: for he loved husbandry.

Moreover, Uzziah had an hottoffighting men, that went out to war by bands, according to the number of their account, by the hand of jeiel the feribe, and Maakah the ruler,under the hand ofHananiah, one of the kings captains.

12 The whole number of the chief of the fathers of the mighty men of valour, were two thoufand and fix hundred.

13 And under their hand was an army, three hundred thousand and feven thoufand and five hundred, that made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy.

14 And Uzziah prepared for them shroughout all the hoft, fhields,and fpears, and helmets, and habergions, and bows, and flings to caft kones.

15 And he made in jerufalem engines, Javented by cunning men, to be on the towers, and upon the bulwarks,to fhoot arrows and great ftones withal: and his name fpread far abroad, for he was marvelonfly helped till he was frong.

16 But when he was ftrong, his heart was lifted up to his deftruction: for he tranfgreffed again the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD, to burn incenfe upon the altar of incenie.

Fotbam reigneth well, profperetb:5 He fubdueth the Ammonites.

Otham was twenty and five years old whenhe began to reign, and he reigned fixteen years inJerufalem: his mothers name alio was Jerufha the daughter of Zadek.

And he did that which was right in the fight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah did howbeit he entred not into the temple of theLORD. And the people did yet corruptly.

3 He built the high gate of the houfe of the LORD, and on the wall of Ophel he built much.

4 Moreover, he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the ferrefts he built cafties and towers.

5 He fought alfo with the king of the Ammonites, and prevailed against them. And the children of Ammon gave him the fame year, an hundred talents of filver, and ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. So much did the children of Ammon pay unto him, both the fecond year, and the third.

So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.

7. Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars, and his ways, lo, they are written in the beek of the kings of Ifrael and Judah.

&He

Fotbams reign.

Chap. SHe was five and twenty years old when He began to reign, and reigned fixteen years in Jerufalem.

9. And Jotham fept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his fon reigned in his ftead.

CHAP. XXVIII. 1-Abaz reigning wickedly, is afflicted by the Syrians: 22 He groweth more Idolatrous: 20 He dietb.

13 And faid unto them, Ye fhall not bring, in the captives hither: for whereas we have offended against the LORD already, ye intend to add more to our fins, and to our trefpafs: for our trafpafs is great, and there is fierce wrath againit Ifrael.

14 So the armed men left the captives and the fpoil, before the princes and all the congregation.

15 Ard the men which were expressed by

A Haz was twenty years old when he be- name role up, and took the captives, and gan to reign, and he reigned fixteen years in Jerufalem: but he did not that abich was right in the fight of the LORD, like David his father.

2 For he walked in the waysof the kings of irael, and made alfo molten images for Baalim.

3 Moreover, he burnt incenfe in the valley of the ion of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire,after the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had caft out before the children of lirael.

4 He facrificed alfo, and burnt incenfe in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

5 Wherefore the LORDhis God delivered him into the hand of the king ofSyria, and they fmote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damafcus: and he was alfo delivered into the hand of the king of Ifrael, who fmote him with a great flaughter.

6 For Pekah the fen of Remaliah flew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day, wbteb were all valiant men; because they had torfaken the LORD God of their fathers.

7 And Ziehri a mighty man ofEphraim, few Maafciah the kingsfon, andAzrikam the governour of the house, and Elkanah that was next to the king.

And the children of Ifrael carried away eaptive of their brethren, two hundred thousand women, fons an daughters, and took alfo away much fpeil from them, and brought the fpoil to Samaria.

9 But a prophet of the LORD was there, whole name was Oded: and he went out before the hoft that came to Samaria, and faid unto them, Behold, because the LORD God of your fathers was wroth withJudah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have flain them in a rage that reacheth up unto heaven.

10 And now ye parpole to keep under the children of Judah and Jerufalem for bond-men, and bond-women unto you: but are there not with you, even with you, fins against the LORD your God?

Now hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again, which ye have taken captive of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the LORD is upon you.

12 Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the fon of Johanan, Berechiah the fon of Mefhillemoth, and Jehizkiah the fon of Shallum, and Amaza the fon of Madlai, ttood up a Baunt them that came from the war,"

with thefpoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arayed them, and thod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carmed all the teeble of them upon affes, and brought them to Jericho, the cty of palm-trees, to their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.

15 At that time did king Ahız fend unto the kings ofAffyria to help him.

17 For again the Edomites bad come and fmitten Judah, and carried away captives. 18 The Philiktines aifo had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the fouth of Judah, and had taken Beth-ihemesh, and Ajalon, ard Gederoth, and Sho. he with the villages thereot,and Timnabwith the villages thereof, Gimzo alio, and the villages thereof: and they dwelt there.

19 For the LORD brought Judah low, b caufe of Abaz king of Ifrael; for he made Judah naked, and tranfgreffed fore against the LORD.

20 And Tilgath-pilnefer king of Affyria came unto him, and diftreffed him, but ftrengthened him not.

21 For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the LORD, and out of the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Affyria: but he helped him not.

22 And in the time of his diftrefs did he trefpafs yet more against the LORD: this is that king Ahaz.

23 For he facrificed unto the gods of Damafeus, which fmote him: and he faid, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I facrifice to them, that they may help me but they were the rain of him and of all Ifrael.

24 And Abaz gathered together the vellels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the veffels of the houle of God, and but up the doors of the houfe of the LORD, and he made him altars in every corner of Jerufalem.

25 And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and prevoked to anger the LORD God of his fathers.

26 Now the rest of his acts, and of all his ways, firit and laft, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judak and Ifrael.

27 And Aha lept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerafalem: but they brought him not into the fepulchres of the kings of Ifrael: and Hezekiah his fon reigned in his (tead.