Category: 2 Chronicles

Jehoshaphat Defeats Moab and Ammon

1 After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunitescame to wage war against Jehoshaphat.

2 Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom,from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi).

3 Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of theLord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.

4 The people of Judah came together to seek help from theLord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.

5 Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of theLordin the front of the new courtyard

6 and said:

“Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.

7 Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?

8 They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying,

9 ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’

10 “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them.

11 See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance.

12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

13 All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before theLord.

14 Then the Spirit of theLordcame on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.

15 He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what theLordsays to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.

16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel.

17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance theLordwill give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and theLordwill be with you.’ ”

18 Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before theLord.

19 Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised theLord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in theLordyour God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.”

21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to theLordand to praise him for the splendor of hisholiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:

“Give thanks to theLord,

for his love endures forever.”

22 As they began to sing and praise, theLordset ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

23 The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

24 When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped.

25 So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothingand also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it.

26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah, where they praised theLord. This is why it is called the Valley of Berakahto this day.

27 Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for theLordhad given them cause to rejoice over their enemies.

28 They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of theLordwith harps and lyres and trumpets.

29 The fear of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how theLordhad fought against the enemies of Israel.

30 And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.

The End of Jehoshaphat’s Reign

31 So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.

32 He followed the ways of his father Asa and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of theLord.

33 The high places, however, were not removed, and the people still had not set their hearts on the God of their ancestors.

34 The other events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the annals of Jehu son of Hanani, which are recorded in the book of the kings of Israel.

35 Later, Jehoshaphat king of Judah made an alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel, whose ways were wicked.

36 He agreed with him to construct a fleet of trading ships.After these were built at Ezion Geber,

37 Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, theLordwill destroy what you have made.” The ships were wrecked and were not able to set sail to trade.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/2CH/20-5425ad4569053e729422d24bda1d0214.mp3?version_id=111—

1 Then Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. And Jehoram his son succeeded him as king.

2 Jehoram’s brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael and Shephatiah. All these were sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.

3 Their father had given them many gifts of silver and gold and articles of value, as well as fortified cities in Judah, but he had given the kingdom to Jehoram because he was his firstborn son.

Jehoram King of Judah

4 When Jehoram established himself firmly over his father’s kingdom, he put all his brothers to the sword along with some of the officials of Israel.

5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years.

6 He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of theLord.

7 Nevertheless, because of the covenant theLordhad made with David, theLordwas not willing to destroy the house of David. He had promised to maintain a lamp for him and his descendants forever.

8 In the time of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against Judah and set up its own king.

9 So Jehoram went there with his officers and all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he rose up and broke through by night.

10 To this day Edom has been in rebellion against Judah.

Libnah revolted at the same time, because Jehoram had forsaken theLord, the God of his ancestors.

11 He had also built high places on the hills of Judah and had caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and had led Judah astray.

12 Jehoram received a letter from Elijah the prophet, which said:

“This is what theLord, the God of your father David, says: ‘You have not followed the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa king of Judah.

13 But you have followed the ways of the kings of Israel, and you have led Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab did. You have also murdered your own brothers, members of your own family, men who were better than you.

14 So now theLordis about to strike your people, your sons, your wives and everything that is yours, with a heavy blow.

15 You yourself will be very ill with a lingering disease of the bowels, until the disease causes your bowels to come out.’ ”

16 TheLordaroused against Jehoram the hostility of the Philistines and of the Arabs who lived near the Cushites.

17 They attacked Judah, invaded it and carried off all the goods found in the king’s palace, together with his sons and wives. Not a son was left to him except Ahaziah,the youngest.

18 After all this, theLordafflicted Jehoram with an incurable disease of the bowels.

19 In the course of time, at the end of the second year, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great pain. His people made no funeral fire in his honor, as they had for his predecessors.

20 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He passed away, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/2CH/21-392e9ff6ce8407b40c6dc4d1d301af48.mp3?version_id=111—

Ahaziah King of Judah

1 The people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, Jehoram’s youngest son, king in his place, since the raiders, who came with the Arabs into the camp, had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign.

2 Ahaziah was twenty-twoyears old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri.

3 He too followed the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother encouraged him to act wickedly.

4 He did evil in the eyes of theLord, as the house of Ahab had done, for after his father’s death they became his advisers, to his undoing.

5 He also followed their counsel when he went with Joramson of Ahab king of Israel to wage war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead. The Arameans wounded Joram;

6 so he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds they had inflicted on him at Ramothin his battle with Hazael king of Aram.

Then Ahaziahson of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to see Joram son of Ahab because he had been wounded.

7 Through Ahaziah’s visit to Joram, God brought about Ahaziah’s downfall. When Ahaziah arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi, whom theLordhad anointed to destroy the house of Ahab.

8 While Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he found the officials of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s relatives, who had been attending Ahaziah, and he killed them.

9 He then went in search of Ahaziah, and his men captured him while he was hiding in Samaria. He was brought to Jehu and put to death. They buried him, for they said, “He was a son of Jehoshaphat, who sought theLordwith all his heart.” So there was no one in the house of Ahaziah powerful enough to retain the kingdom.

Athaliah and Joash

10 When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family of the house of Judah.

11 But Jehosheba,the daughter of King Jehoram, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes who were about to be murdered and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Because Jehosheba,the daughter of King Jehoram and wife of the priest Jehoiada, was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid the child from Athaliah so she could not kill him.

12 He remained hidden with them at the temple of God for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/2CH/22-06cba16a9e6166cc4bde2e67cf66169f.mp3?version_id=111—

1 In the seventh year Jehoiada showed his strength. He made a covenant with the commanders of units of a hundred: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zikri.

2 They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites and the heads of Israelite families from all the towns. When they came to Jerusalem,

3 the whole assembly made a covenant with the king at the temple of God.

Jehoiada said to them, “The king’s son shall reign, as theLordpromised concerning the descendants of David.

4 Now this is what you are to do: A third of you priests and Levites who are going on duty on the Sabbath are to keep watch at the doors,

5 a third of you at the royal palace and a third at the Foundation Gate, and all the others are to be in the courtyards of the temple of theLord.

6 No one is to enter the temple of theLordexcept the priests and Levites on duty; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the others are to observe theLord’s command not to enter.

7 The Levites are to station themselves around the king, each with weapon in hand. Anyone who enters the temple is to be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes.”

8 The Levites and all the men of Judah did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each one took his men—those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty—for Jehoiada the priest had not released any of the divisions.

9 Then he gave the commanders of units of a hundred the spears and the large and small shields that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of God.

10 He stationed all the men, each with his weapon in his hand, around the king—near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.

11 Jehoiada and his sons brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; they presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him and shouted, “Long live the king!”

12 When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and cheering the king, she went to them at the temple of theLord.

13 She looked, and there was the king, standing by his pillar at the entrance. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and musicians with their instruments were leading the praises. Then Athaliah tore her robes and shouted, “Treason! Treason!”

14 Jehoiada the priest sent out the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops, and said to them: “Bring her out between the ranksand put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “Do not put her to death at the temple of theLord.”

15 So they seized her as she reached the entrance of the Horse Gate on the palace grounds, and there they put her to death.

16 Jehoiada then made a covenant that he, the people and the kingwould be theLord’s people.

17 All the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.

18 Then Jehoiada placed the oversight of the temple of theLordin the hands of the Levitical priests, to whom David had made assignments in the temple, to present the burnt offerings of theLordas written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and singing, as David had ordered.

19 He also stationed gatekeepers at the gates of theLord’s temple so that no one who was in any way unclean might enter.

20 He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people and all the people of the land and brought the king down from the temple of theLord. They went into the palace through the Upper Gate and seated the king on the royal throne.

21 All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was calm, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/2CH/23-1b49b8af5b5245be4e9aad83c5d7b807.mp3?version_id=111—

Joash Repairs the Temple

1 Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba.

2 Joash did what was right in the eyes of theLordall the years of Jehoiada the priest.

3 Jehoiada chose two wives for him, and he had sons and daughters.

4 Some time later Joash decided to restore the temple of theLord.

5 He called together the priests and Levites and said to them, “Go to the towns of Judah and collect the money due annually from all Israel, to repair the temple of your God. Do it now.” But the Levites did not act at once.

6 Therefore the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest and said to him, “Why haven’t you required the Levites to bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax imposed by Moses the servant of theLordand by the assembly of Israel for the tent of the covenant law?”

7 Now the sons of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into the temple of God and had used even its sacred objects for the Baals.

8 At the king’s command, a chest was made and placed outside, at the gate of the temple of theLord.

9 A proclamation was then issued in Judah and Jerusalem that they should bring to theLordthe tax that Moses the servant of God had required of Israel in the wilderness.

10 All the officials and all the people brought their contributions gladly, dropping them into the chest until it was full.

11 Whenever the chest was brought in by the Levites to the king’s officials and they saw that there was a large amount of money, the royal secretary and the officer of the chief priest would come and empty the chest and carry it back to its place. They did this regularly and collected a great amount of money.

12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who carried out the work required for the temple of theLord. They hired masons and carpenters to restore theLord’s temple, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the temple.

13 The men in charge of the work were diligent, and the repairs progressed under them. They rebuilt the temple of God according to its original design and reinforced it.

14 When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made articles for theLord’s temple: articles for the service and for the burnt offerings, and also dishes and other objects of gold and silver. As long as Jehoiada lived, burnt offerings were presented continually in the temple of theLord.

15 Now Jehoiada was old and full of years, and he died at the age of a hundred and thirty.

16 He was buried with the kings in the City of David, because of the good he had done in Israel for God and his temple.

The Wickedness of Joash

17 After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them.

18 They abandoned the temple of theLord, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God’s anger came on Judah and Jerusalem.

19 Although theLordsent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen.

20 Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you disobey theLord’s commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken theLord, he has forsaken you.’ ”

21 But they plotted against him, and by order of the king they stoned him to death in the courtyard of theLord’s temple.

22 King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, “May theLordsee this and call you to account.”

23 At the turn of the year,the army of Aram marched against Joash; it invaded Judah and Jerusalem and killed all the leaders of the people. They sent all the plunder to their king in Damascus.

24 Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, theLorddelivered into their hands a much larger army. Because Judah had forsaken theLord, the God of their ancestors, judgment was executed on Joash.

25 When the Arameans withdrew, they left Joash severely wounded. His officials conspired against him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him in 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 him were Zabad,son of Shimeath an Ammonite woman, and Jehozabad, son of Shimritha Moabite woman.

27 The account of his sons, the many prophecies about him, and the record of the restoration of the temple of God are written in the annotations on the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son succeeded him as king.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/2CH/24-677d6f6312728995a6556a4603eff6d0.mp3?version_id=111—

Amaziah King of Judah

1 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 Jerusalem.

2 He did what was right in the eyes of theLord, but not wholeheartedly.

3 After the kingdom was firmly in his control, he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king.

4 Yet he did not put their children to death, but acted in accordance with what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where theLordcommanded: “Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor children be put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.”

5 Amaziah called the people of Judah together and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He then mustered those twenty years old or more and found that there were three hundred thousand men fit for military service, able to handle the spear and shield.

6 He also hired a hundred thousand fighting men from Israel for a hundred talentsof silver.

7 But a man of God came to him and said, “Your Majesty, these troops from Israel must not march with you, for theLordis not with Israel—not with any of the people of Ephraim.

8 Even if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has the power to help or to overthrow.”

9 Amaziah asked the man of God, “But what about the hundred talents I paid for these Israelite troops?”

The man of God replied, “TheLordcan give you much more than that.”

10 So Amaziah dismissed the troops who had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home. They were furious with Judah and left for home in a great rage.

11 Amaziah then marshaled his strength and led his army to the Valley of Salt, where he killed ten thousand men of Seir.

12 The army of Judah also captured ten thousand men alive, 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 sent back and had not allowed to take part in the war raided towns belonging to Judah from Samaria to Beth Horon. They killed three thousand people and carried off great quantities of plunder.

14 When Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them.

15 The anger of theLordburned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, “Why do you consult this people’s gods, which could not save their own people from your hand?”

16 While he was still speaking, the king said to him, “Have we appointed you an adviser to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?”

So the prophet stopped but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”

17 After Amaziah king of Judah consulted his advisers, he sent this challenge to Jehoashson of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel: “Come, let us face each other in battle.”

18 But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot.

19 You say to yourself that you have defeated Edom, and now you are arrogant and proud. But stay at home! Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also?”

20 Amaziah, however, would not listen, for God so worked that he might deliver them into the hands of Jehoash, because they sought the gods of Edom.

21 So Jehoash king of Israel attacked. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth Shemesh in Judah.

22 Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled to his home.

23 Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah,at Beth Shemesh. Then Jehoash brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate—a section about four hundred cubitslong.

24 He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the temple of God that had been in the care of Obed-Edom, together with the palace treasures and the hostages, and returned to Samaria.

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 other events of Amaziah’s reign, 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 away from following theLord, they conspired against him in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish, but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there.

28 He was brought back by horse and was buried with his ancestors in the City of Judah.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/2CH/25-4fa8573a885c3ec6c9c63f078bd78b04.mp3?version_id=111—

Uzziah King of Judah

1 Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah,who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.

2 He was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his ancestors.

3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jekoliah; she was from Jerusalem.

4 He did what was right in the eyes of theLord, just as his father Amaziah had done.

5 He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fearof God. As long as he sought theLord, God gave him success.

6 He went to war against the Philistines and broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh and Ashdod. He then rebuilt towns near Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines.

7 God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabs who lived in Gur Baal and against the Meunites.

8 The Ammonites brought tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread as far as the border of Egypt, because he had become very powerful.

9 Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate and at the angle of the wall, and he fortified them.

10 He also built towers in the wilderness and dug many cisterns, because he had much livestock in the foothills and in the plain. He had people working his fields and vineyards in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil.

11 Uzziah had a well-trained army, ready to go out by divisions according to their numbers as mustered by Jeiel the secretary and Maaseiah the officer under the direction of Hananiah, one of the royal officials.

12 The total number of family leaders over the fighting men was 2,600.

13 Under their command was an army of 307,500 men trained for war, a powerful force to support the king against his enemies.

14 Uzziah provided shields, spears, helmets, coats of armor, bows and slingstones for the entire army.

15 In Jerusalem he made devices invented for use on the towers and on the corner defenses so that soldiers could shoot arrows and hurl large stones from the walls. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.

16 But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to theLordhis God, and entered the temple of theLordto burn incense on the altar of incense.

17 Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous priests of theLordfollowed him in.

18 They confronted King Uzziah and said, “It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to theLord. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by theLordGod.”

19 Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in theLord’s temple, leprosybroke out on his forehead.

20 When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because theLordhad afflicted him.

21 King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house—leprous, and banned from the temple of theLord. Jotham his son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land.

22 The other events of Uzziah’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.

23 Uzziah rested with his ancestors and was buried near them in a cemetery that belonged to the kings, for people said, “He had leprosy.” And Jotham his son succeeded him as king.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/2CH/26-ea56bdde8c5512d48c547d17edb14405.mp3?version_id=111—

Jotham King of Judah

1 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok.

2 He did what was right in the eyes of theLord, just as his father Uzziah had done, but unlike him he did not enter the temple of theLord. The people, however, continued their corrupt practices.

3 Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of theLordand did extensive work on the wall at the hill of Ophel.

4 He built towns in the hill country of Judah and forts and towers in the wooded areas.

5 Jotham waged war against the king of the Ammonites and conquered them. That year the Ammonites paid him a hundred talentsof silver, ten thousand corsof wheat and ten thousand corsof barley. The Ammonites brought him the same amount also in the second and third years.

6 Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before theLordhis God.

7 The other events in Jotham’s reign, including all his wars and the other things he did, are 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 Jotham rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. And Ahaz his son succeeded him as king.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/2CH/27-5739f4c9e75dc611970756bb7c636180.mp3?version_id=111—

Ahaz King of Judah

1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of theLord.

2 He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and also made idols for worshiping the Baals.

3 He burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and sacrificed his children in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations theLordhad driven out before the Israelites.

4 He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.

5 Therefore theLordhis God delivered him into the hands of the king of Aram. The Arameans defeated him and took many of his people as prisoners and brought them to Damascus.

He was also given into the hands of the king of Israel, who inflicted heavy casualties on him.

6 In one day Pekah son of Remaliah killed a hundred and twenty thousand soldiers in Judah—because Judah had forsaken theLord, the God of their ancestors.

7 Zikri, an Ephraimite warrior, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, Azrikam the officer in charge of the palace, and Elkanah, second to the king.

8 The men of Israel took captive from their fellow Israelites who were from Judah two hundred thousand wives, sons and daughters. They also took a great deal of plunder, which they carried back to Samaria.

9 But a prophet of theLordnamed Oded was there, and he went out to meet the army when it returned to Samaria. He said to them, “Because theLord, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah, he gave them into your hand. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches to heaven.

10 And now you intend to make the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem your slaves. But aren’t you also guilty of sins against theLordyour God?

11 Now listen to me! Send back your fellow Israelites you have taken as prisoners, for theLord’s fierce anger rests on you.”

12 Then some of the leaders in Ephraim—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—confronted those who were arriving from the war.

13 “You must not bring those prisoners here,” they said, “or we will be guilty before theLord. Do you intend to add to our sin and guilt? For our guilt is already great, and his fierce anger rests on Israel.”

14 So the soldiers gave up the prisoners and plunder in the presence of the officials and all the assembly.

15 The men designated by name took the prisoners, and from the plunder they clothed all who were naked. They provided them with clothes and sandals, food and drink, and healing balm. All those who were weak they put on donkeys. So they took them back to their fellow Israelites at Jericho, the City of Palms, and returned to Samaria.

16 At that time King Ahaz sent to the kingsof Assyria for help.

17 The Edomites had again come and attacked Judah and carried away prisoners,

18 while the Philistines had raided towns in the foothills and in the Negev of Judah. They captured and occupied Beth Shemesh, Aijalon and Gederoth, as well as Soko, Timnah and Gimzo, with their surrounding villages.

19 TheLordhad humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel,for he had promoted wickedness in Judah and had been most unfaithful to theLord.

20 Tiglath-Pileserking of Assyria came to him, but he gave him trouble instead of help.

21 Ahaz took some of the things from the temple of theLordand from the royal palace and from the officials and presented them to the king of Assyria, but that did not help him.

22 In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to theLord.

23 He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.” But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel.

24 Ahaz gathered together the furnishings from the temple of God and cut them in pieces. He shut the doors of theLord’s temple and set up altars at every street corner in Jerusalem.

25 In every town in Judah he built high places to burn sacrifices to other gods and aroused the anger of theLord, the God of his ancestors.

26 The other events of his reign and all his ways, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

27 Ahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of Jerusalem, but he was not placed in the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/2CH/28-b33b3c663ce5bda13fa62c612b46cffa.mp3?version_id=111—

Hezekiah Purifies the Temple

1 Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah.

2 He did what was right in the eyes of theLord, just as his father David had done.

3 In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the temple of theLordand repaired them.

4 He brought in the priests and the Levites, assembled them in the square on the east side

5 and said: “Listen to me, Levites! Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of theLord, the God of your ancestors. Remove all defilement from the sanctuary.

6 Our parents were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of theLordour God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from theLord’s dwelling place and turned their backs on him.

7 They also shut the doors of the portico and put out the lamps. They did not burn incense or present any burnt offerings at the sanctuary to the God of Israel.

8 Therefore, the anger of theLordhas fallen on Judah and Jerusalem; he has made them an object of dread and horror and scorn, as you can see with your own eyes.

9 This is why our fathers have fallen by the sword and why our sons and daughters and our wives are in captivity.

10 Now I intend to make a covenant with theLord, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us.

11 My sons, do not be negligent now, for theLordhas chosen you to stand before him and serve him, to minister before him and to burn incense.”

12 Then these Levites set to work:

from the Kohathites,

Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah;

from the Merarites,

Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel;

from the Gershonites,

Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah;

13 from the descendants of Elizaphan,

Shimri and Jeiel;

from the descendants of Asaph,

Zechariah and Mattaniah;

14 from the descendants of Heman,

Jehiel and Shimei;

from the descendants of Jeduthun,

Shemaiah and Uzziel.

15 When they had assembled their fellow Levites and consecrated themselves, they went in to purify the temple of theLord, as the king had ordered, following the word of theLord.

16 The priests went into the sanctuary of theLordto purify it. They brought out to the courtyard of theLord’s temple everything unclean that they found in the temple of theLord. The Levites took it and carried it out to the Kidron Valley.

17 They began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and by the eighth day of the month they reached the portico of theLord. For eight more days they consecrated the temple of theLorditself, finishing on the sixteenth day of the first month.

18 Then they went in to King Hezekiah and reported: “We have purified the entire temple of theLord, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the table for setting out the consecrated bread, with all its articles.

19 We have prepared and consecrated all the articles that King Ahaz removed in his unfaithfulness while he was king. They are now in front of theLord’s altar.”

20 Early the next morning King Hezekiah gathered the city officials together and went up to the temple of theLord.

21 They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven male lambs and seven male goats as a sin offeringfor the kingdom, for the sanctuary and for Judah. The king commanded the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer these on the altar of theLord.

22 So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and splashed it against the altar; next they slaughtered the rams and splashed their blood against the altar; then they slaughtered the lambs and splashed their blood against the altar.

23 The goats for the sin offering were brought before the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them.

24 The priests then slaughtered the goats and presented their blood on the altar for a sin offering to atone for all Israel, because the king had ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel.

25 He stationed the Levites in the temple of theLordwith cymbals, harps and lyres in the way prescribed by David and Gad the king’s seer and Nathan the prophet; this was commanded by theLordthrough his prophets.

26 So the Levites stood ready with David’s instruments, and the priests with their trumpets.

27 Hezekiah gave the order to sacrifice the burnt offering on the altar. As the offering began, singing to theLordbegan also, accompanied by trumpets and the instruments of David king of Israel.

28 The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the musicians played and the trumpets sounded. All this continued until the sacrifice of the burnt offering was completed.

29 When the offerings were finished, the king and everyone present with him knelt down and worshiped.

30 King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to praise theLordwith the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed down and worshiped.

31 Then Hezekiah said, “You have now dedicated yourselves to theLord. Come and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the temple of theLord.” 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 seventy bulls, a hundred rams and two hundred male lambs—all of them for burnt offerings to theLord.

33 The animals consecrated as sacrifices amounted to six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep and goats.

34 The priests, however, were too few to skin all the burnt offerings; so their relatives the Levites helped them until the task was finished and until other priests had been consecrated, for the Levites had been more conscientious in consecrating themselves than the priests had been.

35 There were burnt offerings in abundance, together with the fat of the fellowship offerings and the drink offerings that accompanied the burnt offerings.

So the service of the temple of theLordwas reestablished.

36 Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for his people, because it was done so quickly.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/2CH/29-4520bd29b091d6426dd246f4862394b7.mp3?version_id=111—