2 Chronicles 30

2 Chronicles 30

2 Chronicles 30:1 Then Hezekiah sent word throughout all Israel and Judah, and he also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh to come to Yahveh’s house in Jerusalem to observe the Passover of Yahveh, the God of Israel.

2 Chronicles 30:2 For the king and his captains and the entire congregation in Jerusalem decided to observe the Passover of Yahveh in the second month,

2 Chronicles 30:3 because they were not able to observe it at the appropriate time. Not enough of the priests had consecrated themselves, and the people hadn’t been gathered in Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 30:4 The proposal pleased the king and the congregation,

2 Chronicles 30:5 so they affirmed the proposal and spread the message throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba to Dan, to come to observe the Passover of Yahveh, the God of Israel, in Jerusalem, for they hadn’t observed it often, as prescribed.

2 Chronicles 30:6 So the couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the hand of the king and his captains, and according to the king’s command, saying, “Israelites, return to Yahveh, 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.

2 Chronicles 30:7 Don’t be like your fathers and your brothers who were unfaithful to Yahveh, the God of their ancestors, so that he made them an object of horror as you yourselves see.

2 Chronicles 30:8 Don’t become obstinate now like your fathers did. Give your allegiance to Yahveh and come to his sanctuary that he has consecrated permanently. Work for Yahveh your God so that he may turn his burning anger away from you,

2 Chronicles 30:9 for when you return to Yahveh, your brothers and your sons will receive mercy in the presence of their captors and will return to this land. For Yahveh your God is gracious and merciful; he will not turn his face away from you if you return to him.”

2 Chronicles 30:10 The couriers traveled from city to city in the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun, but the inhabitants laughed at them and mocked them.

2 Chronicles 30:11 Some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun certainly humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 30:12 Also, the power of God was at work in Judah, giving them one heart to carry out the command of the king and his captains by the word of Yahveh.

2 Chronicles 30:13 a vast congregation of people was gathered in Jerusalem to observe the Festival of Matzah in the second month.

2 Chronicles 30:14 They proceeded to remove the altars in Jerusalem, including the incense altars, and throw them into the Kidron Valley.

2 Chronicles 30:15 They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and Levites were ashamed, and they consecrated themselves and brought ascending offerings to Yahveh’s house.

2 Chronicles 30:16 They stood at their prescribed posts, according to the judgment of the instruction of Moses, the man of God. The priests splattered the blood received from the Levites,

2 Chronicles 30:17 for there were many in the congregation who had not consecrated themselves, and so the Levites were in charge of slaughtering the Passover lambs for every impure person to consecrate the lambs to Yahveh.

2 Chronicles 30:18 A large number of the people- many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun- were ritually unclean, yet they had consumed the Passover contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah had interceded for them, saying, “May the good Lord atone

2 Chronicles 30:19 whoever sets his whole heart on seeking God, Yahveh, the God of his ancestors, even though not according to the purification rules of the sanctuary.”

2 Chronicles 30:20 So Yahveh heard Hezekiah and healed the people.

2 Chronicles 30:21 The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem observed the Festival of Matzah seven days with great joy, and the Levites and the priests praised Yahveh day after day with loud instruments.

2 Chronicles 30:22 Then Hezekiah encouraged the hearts of all the Levites who performed skilfully before Yahveh. They consumed at the appointed festival for seven days, making sacrifices for healthy relationships and giving thanks to Yahveh, the God of their ancestors.

2 Chronicles 30:23 The whole congregation decided to observe seven more days, so they observed seven days with joy,

2 Chronicles 30:24 for King Hezekiah of Judah contributed one thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for the congregation. Also, the captains contributed one thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep for the congregation, and many priests consecrated themselves.

2 Chronicles 30:25 Then the whole congregation of Judah with the priests and Levites, the entire congregation that came from Israel, the foreign guests who came from the land of Israel, and those who were living in Judah, rejoiced.

2 Chronicles 30:26 There was great rejoicing in Jerusalem, for nothing like this was known since the days of Solomon, son of David, the king of Israel.

2 Chronicles 30:27 Then the priests and the Levites stood to empower the people, and God heard them, and their prayer came into his sacred dwelling place in the sky.

links:

God’s mercy and the death-state
grace again
skipping steps

The 2 Chronicles shelf in Jeff’s library

2 Chronicles 29

2 Chronicles 29

2 Chronicles 29:1 Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king and reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah, daughter of Zechariah.

2 Chronicles 29:2 He did what was right in Yahveh’s sight just as his ancestor David had done.

2 Chronicles 29:3 In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of Yahveh’s house and strengthened them.

2 Chronicles 29:4 Then he brought in the priests and Levites and gathered them in the eastern public square.

2 Chronicles 29:5 He said to them, “Hear me, Levites. Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the house of Yahveh, the God of your ancestors. Remove everything impure from the sacred place.

2 Chronicles 29:6 For our fathers were unfaithful and did what is evil in the sight of Yahveh our God. They abandoned him, turned their faces away from Yahveh’s dwelling place, and turned their backs on him.

2 Chronicles 29:7 They also closed the doors of the portico, extinguished the lamps, did not burn incense, and did not offer ascending offerings in the sacred place of the God of Israel.

2 Chronicles 29:8 Therefore, the wrath of Yahveh was on Judah and Jerusalem, and he made them an object of terror, horror, and mockery, as you see with your own eyes.

2 Chronicles 29:9 Notice, our fathers fell by the sword, and our sons, our daughters, and our wives are in captivity because of this.

2 Chronicles 29:10 It is in my heart now to establish a covenant with Yahveh, the God of Israel, so that his burning anger may turn away from us.

2 Chronicles 29:11 My sons, don’t be negligent now, for Yahveh has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him, and to be his ministers and burners of incense.”

2 Chronicles 29:12 Then the Levites stood up: 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;

2 Chronicles 29:13 Shimri and Jeuel from the Elizaphanites; Zechariah and Mattaniah from the Asaphites;

2 Chronicles 29:14 Jehiel and Shimei from the Hemanites; Shemaiah and Uzziel from the Jeduthunites.

2 Chronicles 29:15 They gathered their brothers together, consecrated themselves, and went according to the king’s command, following Yahveh’s words, to cleanse Yahveh’s house.

2 Chronicles 29:16 The priests went to the entrance of Yahveh’s house to cleanse it. They took all the unclean things they found in Yahveh’s sanctuary to the courtyard of Yahveh’s house. Then the Levites received them and brought them outside to the Kidron Valley.

2 Chronicles 29:17 They began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month, they came to the portico of Yahveh’s house. They consecrated Yahveh’s house for eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the first month, they finished.

2 Chronicles 29:18 Then they went inside to King Hezekiah and said, “We have cleansed the whole house of Yahveh, the altar of ascending offering and all its utensils, and the table for the rows of the Bread of the Presence and all its utensils.

2 Chronicles 29:19 We have set up and consecrated all the utensils that King Ahaz rejected during his reign when he became unfaithful. Notice, they are in the face of the altar of Yahveh.”

2 Chronicles 29:20 King Hezekiah got up early, gathered the city captains, and went to Yahveh’s house.

2 Chronicles 29:21 They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats as sin offerings for the kingdom, the sanctuary, and Judah. Then he told the descendants of Aaron, the priests, to offer them on the altar of Yahveh.

2 Chronicles 29:22 So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests received the blood and splattered it on the altar. They killed the rams and splattered the blood on the altar. They slaughtered the lambs and splattered the blood on the altar.

2 Chronicles 29:23 Then they brought the goats for the sin offering right into the presence of the king and the congregation, who laid their hands on them.

2 Chronicles 29:24 The priests slaughtered the goats and put their blood on the altar for a failure offering, to atone[1] for all Israel, for the king said that the ascending offering and the failure offering were for all Israel.

2 Chronicles 29:25 Hezekiah stationed the Levites in Yahveh’s house with cymbals, harps, and lyres according to the command of David, Gad the king’s seer, and the prophet Nathan. For the command was from Yahveh through his prophets.

2 Chronicles 29:26 The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.

2 Chronicles 29:27 Then Hezekiah ordered that the ascending offering be offered on the altar. When the ascending offerings began, the song of Yahveh and the trumpets began, accompanied by the instruments of King David of Israel.

2 Chronicles 29:28 The whole congregation worshiped, sang the song, and blew the trumpets—all this continued until the ascending offering was completed.

2 Chronicles 29:29 When the burnt offerings were completed, the king and all those present with him bowed down and worshiped.

2 Chronicles 29:30 Then King Hezekiah and the captains told the Levites to praise Yahveh in the words of David and the seer Asaph. So, they sang praises with rejoicing, knelt low, and worshiped.

2 Chronicles 29:31 Hezekiah concluded, “Now you are consecrated to Yahveh. Come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to Yahveh’s house.” So, the congregation brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all those with willing hearts brought ascending offerings.

2 Chronicles 29:32 The number of ascending offerings the congregation brought was seventy bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs; all these were for an ascending offering to Yahveh.

2 Chronicles 29:33 Six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep and goats were consecrated.

2 Chronicles 29:34 However, since there were not enough priests, they weren’t able to skin all the ascending offerings, so their Levite brothers strengthened them until the work was finished and until the priests consecrated themselves. The Levites were more conscientious about consecrating themselves than the priests.

2 Chronicles 29:35 Furthermore, the ascending offerings were abundant, along with the fat of the sacrifices for healthy relationships and with the drink offerings for the ascending offerings. So the service of Yahveh’s house was established.

2 Chronicles 29:36 Then Hezekiah and all the people enjoyed how God had prepared the people, for it had come about suddenly.

[1] כָּפַר = atone, absolve. 2 Chronicles 29:24; 30:18.

links:

a change in worship
where reform begins

The 2 Chronicles shelf in Jeff’s library

2 Chronicles 22

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2 Chronicles 22

2 Chronicles 22:1 Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his place because the troops that had come with the Arabs to the camp had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah, son of Jehoram, became king of Judah.

2 Chronicles 22:2 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah, granddaughter of Omri.

2 Chronicles 22:3 He walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, because his mother gave him evil advice.

2 Chronicles 22:4 So he did what was evil in Yahveh’s sight like the house of Ahab, for they were his advisers after the death of his father, to his destruction.

2 Chronicles 22:5 He also followed their advice and went with Joram, son of Israel’s King Ahab, to strike against King Hazael of Aram, in Ramoth-gilead. The Arameans wounded Joram,

2 Chronicles 22:6 so he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds they inflicted on him in Ramoth-gilead when he struck against King Hazael of Aram. Then Judah’s King Ahaziah, son of Jehoram, went down to Jezreel to visit Joram, son of Ahab, since Joram was ill.

2 Chronicles 22:7 Ahaziah’s downfall came from God when he went to Joram. When Ahaziah arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi, whom Yahveh had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

2 Chronicles 22:8 So when Jehu executed judgment on the house of Ahab, he found the captains of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers who were ministering to Ahaziah, and he killed them.

2 Chronicles 22:9 Then Jehu looked for Ahaziah, and Jehu’s soldiers captured him (he was hiding in Samaria). So, they brought Ahaziah to Jehu, and they killed him. The soldiers buried him, for they said, “He is the grandson of Jehoshaphat who sought Yahveh with all his heart.” So, no one from the house of Ahaziah had the strength to rule the kingdom.

2 Chronicles 22:10 When Athaliah, Ahaziah’s mother, saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy[1] all the royal seed of the house of Judah.

2 Chronicles 22:11 Jehoshabeath, the king’s daughter, rescued Joash son of Ahaziah from the king’s sons who were being killed and put him and the one who nursed him in a bedroom. Now Jehoshabeath was the daughter of King Jehoram and the wife of the priest Jehoiada. Since she was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid Joash from Athaliah so that she did not kill him.

2 Chronicles 22:12 While Athaliah reigned over the land, he hid with them in God’s house for six years.

[1] אָבַד = destroy, be destroyed. 2 Chronicles 22:10.

links:

bad choices, future consequences
choices that destroy

The 2 Chronicles shelf in Jeff’s library

2 Chronicles 21

2 Chronicles 21

2 Chronicles 21:1 Jehoshaphat lied down with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. His son Jehoram became king in his place.

2 Chronicles 21:2 He had brothers, sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of King Jehoshaphat of Judah.

2 Chronicles 21:3 Their father had given them many gifts of silver, gold, and valuable things, along with fortified cities in Judah. Still, he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.

2 Chronicles 21:4 When Jehoram had established himself over his father’s kingdom, he strengthened his position by killing with the sword all his brothers as well as some of the captains of Israel.

2 Chronicles 21:5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 21:6 He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, because Ahab’s daughter was his wife. He did what was evil in Yahveh’s sight,

2 Chronicles 21:7 But for the sake of the covenant Yahveh had established with David, he was unwilling to put an end to the house of David since Yahveh had promised to give a lamp to David and his sons forever.

2 Chronicles 21:8 During Jehoram’s reign, Edom rebelled against Judah’s control and appointed their own king.

2 Chronicles 21:9 So Jehoram crossed into Edom with his captains and all his chariots. Then, at night, he set out to attack the Edomites who had surrounded him and the chariot captains.

2 Chronicles 21:10 Edom is still in rebellion against Judah’s control today. Libnah also rebelled against his control at that time because he had abandoned Yahveh, the God of his ancestors.

2 Chronicles 21:11 Jehoram also built high places in the hills of Judah, caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to prostitute[1] themselves, and led Judah astray.

2 Chronicles 21:12 Then a letter came to Jehoram from the prophet Elijah, saying: This is what Yahveh, the God of your ancestor David, says: “Because you have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or the ways of King Asa of Judah

2 Chronicles 21:13 but have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves like the house of Ahab prostituted itself, and also have killed your brothers, your father’s house, who were better than you,

2 Chronicles 21:14 Notice, Yahveh is now about to strike your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions with a horrible affliction.

2 Chronicles 21:15 You will be struck with many illnesses, including a disease of the intestines, until your intestines come out day after day because of the disease.”

2 Chronicles 21:16 Yahveh roused the breath of the Philistines and the Arabs who lived near the Cushites to attack Jehoram.

2 Chronicles 21:17 So they went to war against Judah and invaded it. They carried off all the possessions found in the king’s house and his sons and wives; not a son was left to him except Jehoahaz, his youngest son.

2 Chronicles 21:18 After all these things, Yahveh afflicted him in his intestines with an incurable disease.

2 Chronicles 21:19 This continued day after day until two full years passed. Then his intestines came out because of his disease, and he died from severe illnesses. But his people did not hold a fire in his honor like the fire in honor of his fathers.

2 Chronicles 21:20 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king; he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. He died to no one’s regret and was buried in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

[1] זָנָה = be a prostitute. 2 Chronicles 21:11, 13.

links:

to no one’s regret
with no one’s regret

The 2 Chronicles shelf in Jeff’s library

2 Chronicles 17

2 Chronicles 17

2 Chronicles 17:1 His son Jehoshaphat became king in his place and strengthened himself against Israel.

2 Chronicles 17:2 He stationed powerful troops in every fortified city of Judah and set garrisons in the land of Judah and the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.

2 Chronicles 17:3 Now Yahveh was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the former ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals

2 Chronicles 17:4 but sought the God of his father and walked by his commands, not according to the practices of Israel.

2 Chronicles 17:5 So Yahveh established the kingdom in his hand. Then all Judah brought him tribute, and he had riches and reward in abundance.

2 Chronicles 17:6 His heart enjoyed Yahveh’s ways, and he again removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah.

2 Chronicles 17:7 In the third year of his reign, Jehoshaphat sent his captains—Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah—to teach in the cities of Judah.

2 Chronicles 17:8 The Levites with them were Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah; the priests, Elishama and Jehoram, were with these Levites.

2 Chronicles 17:9 They taught throughout Judah, having the book of Yahveh’s instruction with them. They went throughout the towns of Judah and taught the people.

2 Chronicles 17:10 The terror of Yahveh was on all the kingdoms of the lands that surrounded Judah, so they didn’t fight against Jehoshaphat.

2 Chronicles 17:11 Some of the Philistines also brought gifts and silver as tribute to Jehoshaphat, and the Arabs brought him flocks: 7,700 rams and 7,700 male goats.

2 Chronicles 17:12 Jehoshaphat grew stronger and stronger. He built fortresses and storage cities in Judah

2 Chronicles 17:13 and carried out great works in the towns of Judah. He had warriors, powerful men, in Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 17:14 These are their numbers according to their ancestral houses. For Judah, the captains of thousands: Adnah the captain and three hundred thousand powerful men with him;

2 Chronicles 17:15 next to him, Jehohanan the captain, and two hundred eighty thousand with him;

2 Chronicles 17:16 next to him, Amasiah son of Zichri, the volunteer[1] of Yahveh, and two hundred thousand powerful warriors with him;

2 Chronicles 17:17 from Benjamin, Eliada, a powerful warrior, and two hundred thousand with him armed with bow and shield;

2 Chronicles 17:18 next to him, Jehozabad and one hundred eighty thousand with him equipped for the army.[2]

2 Chronicles 17:19 These were the ones who ministered to the king, in addition to those he stationed in the fortified cities throughout Judah.

[1] נָדָב = volunteer. 2 Chronicles 17:16.

[2] צָבָא = army. 2 Chronicles 17:18; 18:18; 25:5, 7; 26:11, 14; 28:9, 12; 33:3, 5, 11.

links:

forsaking the new ways
the earlier ways

The 2 Chronicles shelf in Jeff’s library