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

2 Chronicles 32

2 Chronicles 32:1 After these reliable deeds, King Sennacherib of Assyria came and entered Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities and intended to break into them.

2 Chronicles 32:2 Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he planned war on Jerusalem,

2 Chronicles 32:3 so he consulted with his captains and his warriors about stopping up the water of the springs that were outside the city, and they helped him.

2 Chronicles 32:4 Many people gathered and stopped up all the springs and the stream that flowed through the land; they said, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find abundant water?”

2 Chronicles 32:5 Then Hezekiah strengthened his position by rebuilding the entire broken-down wall and heightening the towers and the other outside wall. He strengthened the supporting terraces of the city of David and made an abundance of weapons and shields.

2 Chronicles 32:6 He set military captains over the people and gathered the people in the square of the city gate. Then he encouraged them, saying,

2 Chronicles 32:7 “Be strong and tough! Don’t be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria or before the large army that is with him, for there are more with us than with him.

2 Chronicles 32:8 He has only human strength, but we have Yahveh our God to help us and to fight our battles.” So, the people relied on the words of King Hezekiah of Judah.

2 Chronicles 32:9 After this, while King Sennacherib of Assyria with all his armed forces besieged Lachish, he sent his slaves to Jerusalem against King Hezekiah of Judah and against all those of Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying,

2 Chronicles 32:10 “This is what King Sennacherib of Assyria says: ‘What are you relying on that you remain in Jerusalem under siege?

2 Chronicles 32:11 Isn’t Hezekiah misleading you to give you over to death by famine and thirst when he says, “Yahveh our God will strip us from the grasp of the king of Assyria”?

2 Chronicles 32:12 Didn’t Hezekiah himself remove his high places and his altars and say to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before one altar, and you must burn incense on it”?

2 Chronicles 32:13 ” ‘Don’t you know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Have any of the national gods of the lands been able to strip their land from my power?

2 Chronicles 32:14 Who among all the gods of these nations that my predecessors set apart for destruction was able to rescue his people from my power, that your God should be able to deliver you from my power?

2 Chronicles 32:15 So now, don’t let Hezekiah deceive you, and don’t let him mislead you like this. Don’t believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to strip his people from my power or the power of my fathers. How much less will your God rescue you from my power! ‘”

2 Chronicles 32:16 His slaves said more against Yahveh God and his slave Hezekiah.

2 Chronicles 32:17 He also wrote letters to mock Yahveh, the God of Israel, saying against him: Just like the national gods of the lands that did not strip their people from my power, so Hezekiah’s God will not rescue his people from my power.

2 Chronicles 32:18 Then they cried out loudly in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem, who were on the wall, to frighten and discourage them in order that he might capture the city.

2 Chronicles 32:19 They spoke against the God of Jerusalem like they had spoken against the gods of the peoples of the land, which were made by human hands.

2 Chronicles 32:20 King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, prayed about this and cried out to the sky,

2 Chronicles 32:21 and Yahveh sent an agent who made every valiant warrior, leader, and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria disappear.[1] So the king of Assyria returned in disgrace to his land. He went to the house of his god, and there some of his children struck him down with the sword.

2 Chronicles 32:22 So Yahveh rescued Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the power of King Sennacherib of Assyria and the power of all others. He gave them rest on every side.

2 Chronicles 32:23 Many were bringing a tribute offering to Yahveh to Jerusalem and valuable gifts to King Hezekiah of Judah, and he was exalted in the eyes of all the nations after that.

2 Chronicles 32:24 In those days, Hezekiah became sick to the point of death, so he prayed to Yahveh, who spoke to him and gave him a miraculous sign.

2 Chronicles 32:25 However, because his heart was proud, Hezekiah didn’t respond according to the benefit that had come to him. So, there was wrath on him, Judah, and Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 32:26 Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart – he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem – so Yahveh’s wrath didn’t come on them during Hezekiah’s lifetime.

2 Chronicles 32:27 Hezekiah had abundant riches and reward, and he made himself treasuries for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and every desirable item.

2 Chronicles 32:28 He made warehouses for the harvest of grain, new wine, and fresh oil, and stalls for all kinds of animals,[2] and pens for flocks.

2 Chronicles 32:29 He made cities for himself, and he acquired vast numbers of flocks and herds, for God gave him abundant possessions.

2 Chronicles 32:30 This same Hezekiah blocked the outlet of the water of the Upper Gihon and channelled it smoothly downward and westward to the city of David. Hezekiah succeeded in everything he did.

2 Chronicles 32:31 When the ambassadors of Babylon’s captains were sent to him to inquire about the miraculous sign that happened in the land, God left him to test him and discover what was in his heart.

2 Chronicles 32:32 Notice, the rest of Hezekiah’s reign and his deeds of covenant faithfulness are written in the Visions of the Prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, and the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

2 Chronicles 32:33 Hezekiah lied down with his fathers and was buried on the ascent to the tombs of David’s descendants. At his death, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him. His son, Manasseh, became king in his place.

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[1] כָּחַד = to conceal, make disappear. 2 Chronicles 32:21.

[2] בְּהֵמָה = animal. 2 Chronicles 32:2.

links:

God left him to himself
kachad
only one
what’s in your heart?

The 2 Chronicles shelf in Jeff’s library