2 Chronicles 35

2 Chronicles 35:1 Josiah observed Yahveh’s Passover and slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the first month.

2 Chronicles 35:2 He appointed the priests to their responsibilities and made them strong to serve in Yahveh’s house.

2 Chronicles 35:3 He said to the Levites who taught all Israel the sacred things of Yahveh, “Put the sacred ark in the house built by Solomon, son of David, king of Israel. Since you do not have to carry it on your shoulders, now work for Yahveh your God and his people Israel.

2 Chronicles 35:4 “Organize your ancestral houses by your divisions according to the written instruction of King David of Israel and that of his son Solomon.

2 Chronicles 35:5 Serve in the sacred place by the groupings of the ancestral houses for your brothers, the lay people, and according to the division of the Levites by house.

2 Chronicles 35:6 Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves, and make preparations for your brothers to carry out the word of Yahveh through Moses.”

2 Chronicles 35:7 Then Josiah donated thirty thousand sheep, lambs, and young goats, plus three thousand cattle from his possessions, for the Passover sacrifices for all the lay people who were present.

2 Chronicles 35:8 His captains also willingly gave spontaneous voluntary gifts to the people, the priests, and the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, chief officials of God’s house, gave twenty-six hundred Passover sacrifices and three hundred cattle for the priests.

2 Chronicles 35:9 Conaniah and his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, and Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, captains of the Levites, donated five thousand Passover sacrifices for the Levites, plus five hundred cattle.

2 Chronicles 35:10 So the service was established; the priests stood at their posts and the Levites in their divisions according to the king’s command.

2 Chronicles 35:11 Then they slaughtered the Passover lambs, and while the Levites were skinning the animals, the priests splattered the blood they had been given.

2 Chronicles 35:12 They removed the ascending offerings so that they might be given to the groupings of the ancestral houses of the lay people to offer to Yahveh, according to what is written in the book of Moses; they did the same with the cattle.

2 Chronicles 35:13 They roasted the Passover lambs with fire according to the judgment. They boiled the sacred sacrifices in pots, kettles, and bowls, and they quickly brought them to the laypeople.

2 Chronicles 35:14 Afterward, they made preparations for themselves and the priests, since the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were busy offering up ascending offerings and fat until night. So the Levites made preparations for themselves and the priests, the descendants of Aaron.

2 Chronicles 35:15 The singers, the descendants of Asaph, were at their stations according to the command of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer. Also, the gatekeepers were at each temple gate. None of them left their tasks because their Levite brothers had prepared for them.

2 Chronicles 35:16 So all the service of Yahveh was established that day for observing the Passover and for offering ascending offerings on the altar of Yahveh, according to the command of King Josiah.

2 Chronicles 35:17 The Israelites who were present in Judah at that time also observed the Passover and the Festival of Matzah for seven days.

2 Chronicles 35:18 No Passover had been observed like it in Israel since the days of the prophet Samuel. None of the kings of Israel ever observed a Passover like the one that Josiah followed with the priests, the Levites, all Judah, the Israelites who were present in Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 35:19 In the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign, this Passover was observed.

2 Chronicles 35:20 After all this that Josiah had prepared for the house, King Neco of Egypt marched up to fight at Carchemish by the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to conface him.

2 Chronicles 35:21 But Neco sent agents to him, saying, “What is the issue between you and me, king of Judah? I have not come against you today, but I am fighting another house. God told me to hurry. Stop opposing God who is with me; don’t make him put an end to you!”

2 Chronicles 35:22 But Josiah did not turn away from him; instead, to fight with him, he disguised himself. He did not listen to Neco’s words from the mouth of God but went to the Valley of Megiddo to fight.

2 Chronicles 35:23 The archers shot King Josiah, and he said to his slaves, “Take me away, for I am severely wounded!”

2 Chronicles 35:24 So his slaves took him out of the war chariot, carried him in his second chariot, and brought him to Jerusalem. Then he died, and they buried him in the tomb of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.

2 Chronicles 35:25 Jeremiah chanted a dirge over Josiah, and all the male and female singers still speak of Josiah in their dirges today. They established them as a prescribed task for Israel, and notice, they are written in the Dirges. 2 Chronicles 35:26 The rest of the events of Josiah’s reign, along with his deeds of covenant faithfulness according to what is written in the instruction of Yahveh,

2 Chronicles 35:27 and notice his words, from beginning to end, are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

links:

an unexpected mouth
keep listening
looking back, looking forward
the feast, the past and the future

The 2 Chronicles shelf in Jeff’s library

2 Chronicles 34

2 Chronicles 34:1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 34:2 He did what was right in Yahveh’s sight and walked in the ways of his ancestor David; he did not turn aside to the right or the left.

2 Chronicles 34:3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still a boy, Josiah began to seek the God of his ancestor David. In the twelfth year, he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherah poles, the carved images, and the cast images.

2 Chronicles 34:4 Then in his presence the altars of the Baals were torn down, and he chopped down the shrines that were above them. He shattered the Asherah poles, the carved images, and the cast images, crushed them to dust, and scattered them over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.

2 Chronicles 34:5 He burned the bones of the priests on their altars. So, he cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 34:6 He did the same in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far as Naphtali and on their surrounding mountain shrines.

2 Chronicles 34:7 He tore down the altars, and he crushed the Asherah poles and the carved images to powder. He chopped down all the shrines throughout the land of Israel and returned to Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 34:8 In the eighteenth year of his reign, in order to cleanse the land and the house, Josiah sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, along with Maaseiah the captain of the city and the court historian Joah son of Joahaz, to strengthen the house of Yahveh his God.

2 Chronicles 34:9 So they went to the high priest, Hilkiah, and gave him the silver brought into God’s house. The Levites and the doorkeepers had gathered it from Manasseh, Ephraim, the entire remnant of Israel, all Judah, Benjamin, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 34:10 They gave it to those doing the work- those who oversaw Yahveh’s house. They gave it to the workers who were working in Yahveh’s house, to repair and strengthen the house;

2 Chronicles 34:11 they gave it to the carpenters and builders and also used it to buy quarried stone and timbers– for joining and making beams– for the houses that Judah’s kings had put an end to.

2 Chronicles 34:12 The men were doing the work with integrity. Their overseers were Jahath and Obadiah, Levites from the Merarites, and Zechariah and Meshullam from the Kohathites as supervisors. The Levites were all skilled with musical instruments.

2 Chronicles 34:13 They also oversaw the porters and supervised all those doing the work task by task. Some of the Levites were secretaries, officers, and gatekeepers.

2 Chronicles 34:14 When they brought out the silver that had been deposited in Yahveh’s house, the priest Hilkiah found the book of Yahveh’s instruction written by Moses.

2 Chronicles 34:15 Hilkiah, answering, told the court secretary Shaphan, “I have found the book of the instruction in Yahveh’s house,” and he gave the book to Shaphan.

2 Chronicles 34:16 Shaphan took the book to the king, and continually reported, “Your slaves are doing all that was placed in their hands.

2 Chronicles 34:17 They have emptied the silver that was found in Yahveh’s house and have given it to the overseers and those doing the work.”

2 Chronicles 34:18 Then the court secretary Shaphan told the king, “The priest Hilkiah gave me a book,” and Shaphan read from it in the king’s presence.

2 Chronicles 34:19 When the king heard the words of the instruction, he tore his clothes.

2 Chronicles 34:20 Then he commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, the court secretary Shaphan, and the king’s slave Asaiah,

2 Chronicles 34:21 “Go and inquire of Yahveh for me and for those remaining in Israel and Judah, concerning the words of the book that was found. For great is Yahveh’s wrath that is poured out on us because our ancestors have not regarded the word of Yahveh in order to do everything written in this book.”

2 Chronicles 34:22 So Hilkiah and those the king had designated went to the prophetess Huldah, the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, son of Hasrah, guard of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem in the Second District. They spoke with her about this.

2 Chronicles 34:23 She said to them, “This is what Yahveh God of Israel says: Say to the man who sent you to me,

2 Chronicles 34:24 ‘This is what Yahveh says: Notice, I am about to bring disaster on this place and its inhabitants, fulfilling all the oaths written in the book that they read in the presence of the king of Judah,

2 Chronicles 34:25 because they have abandoned me and burned incense to other gods so as to anger me with all the works of their hands. My wrath will be poured out on this place, and it will not be quenched.’

2 Chronicles 34:26 says this to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of Yahveh: ‘This is what Yahveh, God of Israel, says: As for the words that you heard,

2 Chronicles 34:27 because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants, and because you humbled yourself before me, and you tore your clothes and wept before me, I have heard- this is Yahveh’s declaration.

2 Chronicles 34:28 ‘Notice, I will indeed gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster that I am bringing on this place and on its inhabitants.'” Then they reported to the king.

2 Chronicles 34:29 So the king sent messengers and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 34:30 The king went up to Yahveh’s house with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as well as the priests and the Levites– all the people from the oldest to the youngest. He read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in Yahveh’s house.

2 Chronicles 34:31 Then the king stood at his post and established a covenant in Yahveh’s presence to follow Yahveh and to guard his commands, reminders, and prescribed tasks with all his heart and with all his throat to carry out the words of the covenant written in this book.

2 Chronicles 34:32 He had all those present in Jerusalem and Benjamin agree to it. So all the inhabitants of Jerusalem carried out the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors.

2 Chronicles 34:33 So Josiah removed everything repulsive from all the lands belonging to the Israelites, and he required all who were present in Israel to work for Yahveh their God. Throughout his reign, they did not turn aside from following Yahveh, the God of their ancestors.

links:

blaspheming heaven – Revelation 13-6
new mission
second mission

The 2 Chronicles shelf in Jeff’s library

2 Chronicles 33

2 Chronicles 33:1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 33:2 He did what was evil in Yahveh’s sight, imitating the repulsive practices of the nations that Yahveh had dispossessed before the Israelites.

2 Chronicles 33:3 He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had torn down and reestablished the altars for the Baals. He made Asherah poles, bowed in worship to all the stars in the sky, and slaved for them.

2 Chronicles 33:4 He built altars in Yahveh’s house, where Yahveh had said, “Jerusalem is where my name will remain permanently.”

2 Chronicles 33:5 He built altars to all the army in the sky in both courtyards of Yahveh’s house.

2 Chronicles 33:6 He passed his sons through the fire in Ben Hinnom Valley. He practiced witchcraft, divination, and sorcery and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did a great deal of evil in Yahveh’s sight, angering him.

2 Chronicles 33:7 Manasseh placed a carved image of the idol he had made in God’s house, which God had spoken about to David and his son Solomon: “I will establish my name permanently in this house and Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.

2 Chronicles 33:8 I will not remove the feet of the Israelites from the land where I stationed your ancestors again, if only they will be careful to do all I have commanded them through Moses — all the instruction, prescribed tasks, and judgments.”

2 Chronicles 33:9 Manasseh caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to stray, and they did worse evil than the nations Yahveh had exterminated before the Israelites.

2 Chronicles 33:10 Yahveh spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they didn’t listen.

2 Chronicles 33:11 So he brought against them the army captains of the king of Assyria. They captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon.

2 Chronicles 33:12 When he was in distress, he sought the favor of Yahveh his God and earnestly humbled himself before the God of his ancestors.

2 Chronicles 33:13 He prayed to Yahveh, who was receptive to his prayer. He granted his request and brought him back to Jerusalem, to his kingdom. So, Manasseh came to know that Yahveh was his God.

2 Chronicles 33:14 After this, he built the outer wall of the city of David from west of Gihon in the valley to the entrance of the Fish Gate, bringing it around the Ophel and enhancing it considerably. He also placed powerful captains in all the fortified cities of Judah.

2 Chronicles 33:15 He removed the foreign gods and the idol from Yahveh’s house, along with all the altars that he had built on the mountain of Yahveh’s house and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside the city.

2 Chronicles 33:16 He built the altar of Yahveh and offered sacrifices for healthy relationships and thank offerings on it. Then he told Judah to work for Yahveh, the God of Israel.

2 Chronicles 33:17 But the people still sacrificed at the high places, yet only to Yahveh their God.

2 Chronicles 33:18 Notice, the rest of Manasseh’s reign, along with his prayer to his God and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of Yahveh, the God of Israel, are written in the Events of Israel’s Kings.

2 Chronicles 33:19 Notice, his prayer and how God was receptive to it, all his sin and unfaithfulness, and the sites where he built high places, set up Asherah poles, and carved images before he humbled himself are written in the Events of Hozai.

2 Chronicles 33:20 Manasseh lied down with his fathers, and he was buried in his own house. His son Amon became king in his place.

2 Chronicles 33:21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 33:22 He did what was evil in Yahveh’s sight, just as his father Manasseh had done. Amon sacrificed to all the carved images that his father Manasseh had made, and he slaved for them.

2 Chronicles 33:23 But he did not humble himself before Yahveh like his father Manasseh humbled himself; instead, Amon increased his need for reparation.

2 Chronicles 33:24 So his slaves conspired against him and put him to death in his own house.

2 Chronicles 33:25 The familiar people struck down all who had conspired against King Amon, and they made his son Josiah king in his place.

links:

breaking point
Manasseh’s breaking point

The 2 Chronicles shelf in Jeff’s library