64 Bible Verses about Reformation

And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return to LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts to LORD, and serve him only. And he will deli

Then Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him, Put away the foreign gods that are among you, and purify yourselves, and change your garments.

Now therefore fear LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth. And put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve ye LORD. And if it seems evil to you to serve LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell. But as for me and my hou And the people answered and said, Far be it from us that we should forsake LORD, to serve other gods.read more.
For LORD our God, he it is who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way in which we went, and among all the peopl And LORD drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who dwelt in the land. Therefore we also will serve LORD, for he is our God. And Joshua said to the people, Ye cannot serve LORD, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your transgression nor your sins. If ye forsake LORD, and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you evil, and consume you, after he has done you good. And the people said to Joshua, No, but we will serve LORD. And Joshua said to the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen for you, LORD, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses. Now therefore, [he said], put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to LORD, the God of Israel. And the people said to Joshua, we will serve LORD our God, and we will hearken to his voice.

And it came to pass the same night, that LORD said to him, Take thy father's bullock, even the second bullock seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father has, and cut down the Asherah that is by it. And build an altar to LORD thy God upon the top of this stronghold, in the orderly manner, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt-offering with the wood of the Asherah which thou shall cut down. Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as LORD had spoken to him. And it came to pass, because he feared his father's household and the men of the city, so that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.

And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said to them, Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much. Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshippers, and all his priests. Let none be lacking, for I have a great sacrifice [to do] to Baal. Whoever shall be lacking, he shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtlet And Jehu said, Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.read more.
And Jehu sent through all Israel. And all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. And they came into the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled from one end to another. And he said to him who was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought forth for them vestments. And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal. And he said to the worshippers of Baal, Search, and look that there be here with you none of the servants of LORD, but the worshippers of Baal only. And they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt-offerings. Now Jehu had appointed for him eighty men outside, and said, If any of the men whom I bring into your hands escape, [he who lets him go], his life shall be for the life of h And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt-offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, and kill them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword. And the And they brought forth the pillars that were in the house of Baal, and burned them. And they broke down the pillar of Baal, and broke down the house of Baal, and made it an out-house to this day.

And Jehoiada made a covenant between LORD and the king and the people, that they should be LORD's people; between the king also and the people. And all the people of the land went to the house of Baal, and broke it down. They broke in pieces his altars and his images thoroughly, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over

And Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, and all the people, and the king, that they should be LORD's people. And all the people went to the house of Baal, and broke it down, and broke his altars and his images in pieces, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou have put away the Asheroth out of the land, and have set thy heart to seek God.

And he took away the foreign gods, and the idol out of the house of LORD, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of LORD, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city.

Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

Little children, guard yourselves from the idols. Truly.

And he put away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. And also he removed Maacah his grandmother from being queen because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah. And Asa cut down her image, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.

And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominations out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from the hill-country of Ephra

And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those who sojourned with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon, for they came to him out of Israel in abundance when they saw that LORD his God was with him. So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. And they sacrificed to LORD in that day of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.read more.
And they entered into the covenant to seek LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul. And that whoever would not seek LORD, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. And they swore to LORD with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets. And all Judah rejoiced at the oath. For they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire, and he was found by them. And LORD gave them rest round about.

He removed the high places, and broke the pillars, and cut down the Asherah, and he broke in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made. For to those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it, and he called it Nehushtan.

Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and broke in pieces the pillars, and hewed down the Asherim, and broke down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin,

In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of LORD, and repaired them. And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the broad place on the east, and said to them, Hear me, ye Levites. Now sanctify yourselves, and sanctify the house of LORD, the God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.read more.
For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the sight of LORD our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of LORD, and turned their backs. Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt-offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel.

Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with LORD, the God of Israel, that his fierce anger may turn away from us. My sons, be not now negligent. For LORD has chosen you to stand before him, to minister to him, and that ye should be his ministers, and burn incense.

And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to LORD, the God of Israel. For the king had taken counsel, and his rulers, and all the assembly in Jerusalem, to keep the Passover in the second month. For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.read more.
And the thing was right in the eyes of the king and of all the assembly. So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover to LORD, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem. For they had not kept it in great numbers in So the posts went with the letters from the king and his rulers throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye sons of Israel, turn again to LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, th And be ye not like your fathers, and like your brothers, who trespassed against LORD, the God of their fathers, so that he gave them up to desolation, as ye see. Now be ye not stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he has sanctified forever, and serve LORD your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you. For if ye turn again to LORD, your brothers and your sons shall find compassion before those who led them captive, and shall come again into this land. For LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face fro So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, even to Zebulun. But they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them. Nevertheless certain men of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem. Also the hand of God came upon Judah to give them one heart, to do the commandment of the king and of the rulers by the word of LORD. And many people assembled at Jerusalem to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great assembly. And they arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense they took away, and cast them into the brook Kidron. Then they killed the Passover on the fourteenth [day] of the second month. And the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought burnt-offerings into the house of LORD. And they stood in their place after their order, according to the law of Moses the man of God; the priests sprinkled the blood [which they received] from the hand of the Levites. For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves. Therefore the Levites had charge of killing the Passovers for everyone who was not clean, to sanctify them to LORD. For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than it is written. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pa who sets his heart to seek God, LORD, the God of his fathers, though [he be] not according to the purification of the sanctuary. And LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people. And the sons of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness. And the Levites and the priests praised LORD day by day, with loud instruments to LORD. And Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who had good understanding [in the service] of LORD. So they ate throughout the feast for the seven days, offering sacrifices of peace-offerings, and making confession to LORD, th And the whole assembly took counsel to keep another seven days. And they kept [those] seven days with gladness. For Hezekiah king of Judah gave to the assembly for offerings a thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep. And the rulers gave to the assembly a thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep. And a great number of priests sanctified th And all the assembly of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the assembly that came out of Israel, and the sojourners who came out of the land of Israel, and who dwelt in Judah, rejoiced. So there was great joy in Jerusalem. For since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not the like in Jerusalem. Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people. And their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy habitation, even to heaven.

And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites after their divisions, every man according to his service, both the priests and the Levites, for burnt-offerings and for peace-offerings, to minister, and to give Also [he appointed] the king's portion of his substance for the burnt-offerings, [namely], for the morning and evening burnt-offerings, and the burnt-offerings for the Sabbaths, and for the new moons, and for the set feasts, as it Moreover he commanded the people who dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might give themselves to the law of LORD.read more.
And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the sons of Israel gave in abundance the first-fruits of grain, new wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field. And they brought in the tithe of all things abundantly. And the sons of Israel and Judah, who dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of dedicated things which were consecrated to LORD their God, and laid them by heaps. In the third month they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month. And when Hezekiah and the rulers came and saw the heaps, they blessed LORD, and his people Israel. Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. And Azariah the chief priest, of the house of Zadok, answered him and said, Since they began to bring the oblations into the house of LORD, we have eaten and had enough, and have plenty left. For LORD has blessed his people, and th Then Hezekiah commanded to prepare chambers in the house of LORD, and they prepared them. And they brought in the oblations and the tithes and the dedicated things faithfully. And Conaniah the Levite was ruler over them, and Shimei his brother was second. And Jehiel, and Azaziah, and Nahath, and Asahel, and Jerimoth, and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Ismachiah, and Mahath, and Benaiah, were overseers under the hand of Conaniah and Shimei his brother, by the appointment of Hezekiah the kin And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the porter at the east [gate], was over the freewill-offerings of God, to distribute the oblations of LORD, and the most holy things. And under him were Eden, and Miniamin, and Jeshua, and Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, in the cities of the priests, in their office of trust, to give to their brothers by divisions, as well to the great as to the small, besides those who were reckoned by genealogy of males, from three years old and upward, even everyone that entered into the house of LORD, as the duty of every day required, for their service in their offices according to their div and those who were reckoned by genealogy of the priests by their fathers' houses, and the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their offices by their divisions, and those who were reckoned by genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, through all the congregation. For in their office of trust they sanctified themselves in holiness. Also for the sons of Aaron the priests, who were in the fields of the suburbs of their cities, in every city, there were men who were mentioned by name, to give portions to all the males among the priests, and to all who were recko

And it came to pass, in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of LORD, saying, Go up to Hilkiah the high priest that he may sum the money which is brought into the house of LORD, which the keepers of the threshold have gathered of the people. And let them deliver it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of LORD. And let them give it to the workmen who are in the house of LORD, to repair the broken parts of the house,read more.
to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons, and for buying timber and hewn stone to repair the house. However there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, for they dealt faithfully.

Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of LORD his And they came to Hilkiah the high priest, and delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites, the keepers of the threshold, had gathered by the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and by all the remnant of And they delivered it into the hand of the workmen who had the oversight of the house of LORD. And the workmen who labored in the house of LORD gave it to mend and repair the house.read more.
Even to the carpenters and to the builders they gave it, to buy hewn stone, and timber for couplings, and to make beams for the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed. And the men did the work faithfully. And the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward, and [others of] the Levites, Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and set forward all who did the work in every manner of service. And of the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and porters.

And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the threshold, to bring forth out of the temple of LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the Asherah, and for a And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; those also who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, and And he brought out the Asherah from the house of LORD, outside Jerusalem, to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and beat it to dust, and cast the dust of it upon the graves of the common people.read more.
And he broke down the houses of the sodomites that were in the house of LORD where the women wove hangings for the Asherah. And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba. And he broke down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the ga Nevertheless the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of LORD in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brothers. And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the sons of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech. And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entrance of the house of LORD, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs. And he burned the chariots of the sun with f And the altars that were on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of LORD, the king broke down, and beat [them] down from the And the king defiled the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh th And he broke in pieces the pillars, and cut down the Asherim, and filled their places with the bones of men. Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, even that altar and the high place he broke down. And he burned the high place and beat it to dust, and bu And as Josiah turned himself, he noticed the sepulchers that were there in the mount. And he sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchers, and burned them upon the altar, and defiled it, according to the word of LORD which the ma Then he said, What monument is that which I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulcher of the man of God who came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou have done against the altar of Bethel. And he said, Let him be; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet who came out of Samaria. And Josiah also took away all the houses of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke [LORD] to anger. And he did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Bethel. And he killed all the priests of the high places that were there, upon the altars, and burned men's bones upon them. And he returned to Jerusalem. And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the Passover to LORD your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant. Surely such a Passover was not kept from the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah. But in the eighteenth year of king Josiah this Passover was kept to LORD in Jerusalem. Moreover Josiah put away the psychics, and the wizards, and the teraphim, and the idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might perform the words of the law which were written i

For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father. And in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the Asherim, and the graven im And they broke down the altars of the Baalim in his presence, and the sun-images that were on high above them he hewed down, and the Asherim, and the graven images, and the molten images, he broke in pieces, and made dust of them, And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and purged Judah and Jerusalem.read more.
And [so also] in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even to Naphtali, in their ruins round about. And he broke down the altars, and beat the Asherim and the graven images into powder, and hewed down all the sun-images throughout all the land of Israel, and returned to Jerusalem.

And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the sons of Israel, and made all who were found in Israel to serve, even to serve LORD their God. All his days they did not depart from following

And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he tore his clothes. And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying, Go ye, inquire of LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found, for great is the wrath of LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened to the words oread more.
So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the second quart And she said to them, Thus says LORD, the God of Israel: Tell ye the man who sent you to me, Thus says LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of it, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read. Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and it shall not be quenched. But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of LORD, thus shall ye say to him, Thus says LORD, the God of Israel: As concerning the words which thou have heard, because thy heart was tender, and thou humbled thyself before LORD when thou heard what I spoke against this place, and against the inhabitants of it, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and have torn thy clothes, and Therefore, behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shall be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.

And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he tore his clothes. And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying, Go ye, inquire of LORD for me, and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found. For great is the wrath of LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the wordread more.
So Hilkiah, and those whom the king [had commanded], went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the second quarter), and they spok And she said to them, Thus says LORD, the God of Israel: Tell ye the man who sent you to me, Thus says LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of it, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah. Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore my wrath is poured out upon this place, and it shall not be quenched. But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of LORD, thus ye shall say to him, Thus says LORD, the God of Israel: As concerning the words which thou have heard, because thy heart was tender, and thou humbled thyself before God when thou heard his words against this place, and against the inhabitants of it, and have humbled thyself before me, and have torn thy clothes, and wept before me, I Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shall be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of it. And they brought back word to

And the king sent, and they gathered to him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. And the king went up to the house of LORD, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great. And he read in their ears all the words And the king stood by the pillar, and made a covenant before LORD to walk after LORD, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all [his] heart, and all [his] soul, to confirm the words of this coven

Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. And the king went up to the house of LORD, and all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, both great and small. And he read in their ears all the words of the book o And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before LORD, to walk after LORD, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenread more.
And he caused all who were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand [to it]. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

And the king stood by the pillar, and made a covenant before LORD to walk after LORD, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all [his] heart, and all [his] soul, to confirm the words of this coven

And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before LORD, to walk after LORD, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the coven And he caused all who were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand [to it]. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the Passover to LORD your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant. Surely such a Passover was not kept from the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah. But in the eighteenth year of king Josiah this Passover was kept to LORD in Jerusalem.

And Josiah kept a Passover to LORD in Jerusalem. And they killed the Passover on the fourteenth [day] of the first month. And he set the priests in their offices, and encouraged them to the service of the house of LORD. And he said to the Levites who taught all Israel, who were holy to LORD, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel built. There shall no more be a burden upon your shoulders. Now serve LORD your Goread more.
And prepare yourselves after your fathers' houses by your divisions, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son. And stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the fathers' houses of your brothers the sons of the people, and the portion of a fathers' house of the Levites. And kill the Passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare for your brothers, to do according to the word of LORD by Moses. And Josiah gave to the sons of the people, of the flock, lambs and kids, all of them for the Passover offerings, to all who were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and [also] three thousand bullocks; these were of the king' And his rulers gave for a freewill-offering to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, the rulers of the house of God, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings two thousand and six hu Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brothers, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, the chiefs of the Levites, gave to the Levites for the Passover offerings five thousand [small cattle], and five hundred oxen. So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites by their divisions, according to the king's commandment. And they killed the Passover, and the priests sprinkled [the blood] by their hand, and the Levites skinned them. And they removed the burnt-offerings that they might give them according to the divisions of the fathers' houses of the sons of the people, to offer to LORD as it is written in the book of Moses. And so they did with the oxen. And they roasted the Passover with fire according to the ordinance. And the holy offerings they boiled in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and carried them quickly to all the sons of the people. And afterward they prepared for themselves, and for the priests, because the priests the sons of Aaron [were busy] in offering the burnt-offerings and the fat until night. Therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the And the singers the sons of Asaph were in their place according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king's seer. And the porters were at every gate. They did not need to depart from their service, fo So all the service of LORD was prepared the same day, to keep the Passover, and to offer burnt-offerings upon the altar of LORD, according to the commandment of king Josiah. And the sons of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days. And there was no Passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet. Neither did any of the kings of Israel keep such a Passover as Josiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah this Passover was kept.

And Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said to Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have married foreign women of the peoples of the land. Yet now there is hope for Israel concerning this th Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to

Now when these things were done, the rulers drew near to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, [doing] according to their abominations, even For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the peoples of the lands. Yea, the hand of the heads and rulers has been chief in this trespass. And when I heard this thing, I tore my garment and my robe, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down confounded.read more.
Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel were assembled to me, because of the trespass of those of the captivity, and I sat confounded until the evening oblation. And at the evening oblation I arose up from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn, and I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands to LORD my God, and I said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God, for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our guiltiness has grown up to the heavens. Since the days of our fathers we have been exceedingly guilty to this day. And for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to plund And now for a little moment grace has been shown from LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage. For we are bondmen, yet our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has extended loving kindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the ruins of it, a And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken thy commandments, which thou have commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, to which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land through the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, through their abominations, which have filled it from o Now therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters to your sons, nor seek their peace or their prosperity forever, that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritan And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great guilt, seeing that thou our God have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such a remnant, shall we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the peoples who do these abominations? Would thou not be angry with us till thou had consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape? O LORD, the God of Israel, thou are righteous, for we are left a remnant that is escaped, as it is this day. Behold, we are before thee in our guiltiness, for none can stand before thee because of this.

Then Ezra arose, and made the chiefs of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they would do according to this word. So they swore. Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. And [when] he came there, he ate no bread, nor drank water, for he mourned because of the trespass of those of the captivit And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the sons of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together to Jerusalem.read more.
And that whoever did not come within three days, according to the counsel of the rulers and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the assembly of the captivity. Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together to Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth [day] of the month, and all the people sat in the broad place before the house of God, And Ezra the priest stood up, and said to them, Ye have trespassed, and have married foreign women to increase the guilt of Israel. Now therefore make confession to LORD, the God of your fathers, and do his pleasure, and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the foreign women. Then all the assembly answered and said with a loud voice, As thou have said concerning us, so must we do. But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand outside. Neither is this a work of one day or two, for we have greatly transgressed in this matter. Let now our rulers be appointed for all the assembly, and let all those who are in our cities who have married foreign women come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah stood up against this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them. And the sons of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, [with] certain heads of fathers, after their fathers' houses, and all of them by their names, were set apart. And they sat down in the first day of the tenth month to exami And they made an end with all the men who had married foreign women by the first day of the first month.

In those days also I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, of Ammon, [and] of Moab. And their sons spoke half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people. And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, [saying], Ye shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons, or forread more.
Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet there was no king like him among many nations, and he was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless foreign women caused even him to sin. Shall we then hearken to you to do all this great evil, to trespass against our God in marrying foreign women?

Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being allied to Tobiah, had prepared for him a great chamber, where formerly they laid the meal-offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, and the s But in all this [time] I was not at Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. And after certain days I asked leave of the king,read more.
and I came to Jerusalem, and understood the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. And it grieved me greatly. Therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber. Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers. And there I brought again the vessels of the house of God, with the meal-offerings and the frankincense. And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each one to his field. Then I contended with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place. Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the treasuries. And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah, and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah. For they were counted faithful, and their busin

In those days I saw in Judah some men treading wine-presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys [therewith], as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on t

There dwelt men of Tyre also in it who brought in fish, and all manner of wares, and sold on the Sabbath to the sons of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the ranking men of Judah, and said to them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath day? Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? Yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath.read more.
And it came to pass that, when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut, and commanded that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath. And I set some of my servant So the merchants and sellers of all kind of wares lodged without Jerusalem once or twice. Then I testified against them, and said to them, Why do ye lodge around the wall? If ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth they came no more on the Sabbath. And I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember to me, O my God, this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy loving k

Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel. However from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin, Jehu did not depart from after them, [namely], the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan.

But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect with LORD all his days.

But the high places were not taken away out of Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.

And he did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, but not like his father and like his mother, for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless he clung to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart therefrom.

And Joash did that which was right in the eyes of LORD all his days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him. However the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

Thus says LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.

if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes. Cease to do evil. Learn to do good. Seek justice, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

Seek ye LORD while he may be found. Call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked man forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. And let him return to LORD, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus says LORD: Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you. Return ye now everyone from his evil way, and amend your ways

Now therefore amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of LORD your God, and LORD will relent of the evil that he has pronounced against you.

I have also sent to you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the

Therefore say thou to them, Thus says LORD of hosts: Return to me, says LORD of hosts, and I will return to you, says LORD of hosts.

Repent ye therefore, and be converted in order to wipe away your sins, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. And he may send Christ Jesus who has been pre-ordained for you, whom heaven must indeed receive until the times of restoration of all things, of which God spoke through the mouth of all his holy prophets from the age.read more.
For Moses indeed said to the fathers, Lord our God will raise up a prophet for you, from your brothers, like me. Ye shall hear him in all things, as many as he might speak to you. And every soul, whichever it will be, if it will not hear that prophet will be utterly destroyed from the people. And also all the prophets from Samuel and those in succession, as many as spoke, also proclaimed these days. Ye are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant that God made for our fathers, saying to Abraham, And in thy seed all the patriarchies of the earth will be blessed. To you first, having raised up his Boy Jesus, God sent him blessing you, in turning away each man from your evils.

Become thou watchful, and strengthen the remaining things that thou were going to throw away, for I have not found thy works made complete before my God. Remember therefore how thou have received and heard, and be on guard, and repent. If therefore thou will not watch, I will come upon thee as a thief, and thou will, no, not know what hour I will come upon thee.

Fornication is actually heard among you, and such fornication that is not even named among the Gentiles, for some man to have his father's wife. And ye are puffed up and did not rather mourn, so that he who committed this deed might be taken away from the midst of you. For I truly, as being absent in the body but present in the spirit, I have already, as though present, judged the man who committed this thing this way.read more.
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such a man to Satan for destruction of the flesh, so that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your boasting is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Purge out the old leaven, so that ye may be a new lump, since ye are unleavened. For also Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us. Therefore we should feast, not by old leaven, nor by leaven of evil and wickedness, but by non-leaven of sincerity and truth. I wrote to you in the letter not to associate with fornicators, and not at all with the fornicators of this world, or with greedy men, or with predators, or with idolaters, since then ye would need to go out of the world. But now I write to you not to associate if any man who is called a brother is a fornicator, or a greedy man, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or a predator, not even to eat with such kind. For what is in me to also judge those outside? Do ye not judge those inside? But God judges those outside. And ye yourselves shall drive out the evil man from you.

Remember therefore from where thou have fallen, and repent and do the first works. And if not, I come to thee quickly, and will move thy lampstand out of its place, if thou do not repent.

I know thy works, that thou are neither cold nor hot. O that thou were cold or hot. So because thou are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou say, I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing, and do not know that thou are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.read more.
I counsel thee to buy from me gold refined from fire, so that thou may become wealthy, and white garments, so that thou may clothe thyself, and the shame of thy nakedness may not be made known, and eye-salve, so that thou may anoin As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me.

Therefore having put off all filthiness and profusion of evil, receive with mildness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

And be not conformed to this age, but be ye transformed by the renewal of your mind, for ye to approve what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

for you to put off the old man according to your former conduct, the man who is corrupt according to the desires of deceitfulness, and to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and to put on the new man according to God, the man who was created in righteousness and piety of the truth.

Put to death therefore your body-parts on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. Because of which the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience, in which ye also once walked when ye lived in them.read more.
But now ye also, put off all these things: anger, wrath, wickedness, reviling, filthy speaking out of your mouth. Do not lie to each other, having stripped off the old man with his practices, and having put on the new man, being renewed in knowledge according to an image of him who created him,

But become ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if any man is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this resembles a man observing his natural face in a mirror. For he observes himself, and goes away, and straightaway forgets what kind of man he was.read more.
But he who stooped to look into the perfect law, the one of liberty, and who remained, this man, who did not become a forgetful hearer but a doer of work, this man will be blessed in his doing.

Be subordinate therefore to God, but resist the devil and he will flee from you. Approach God and he will approach you. Cleanse the hands, ye sinners, and purify the hearts, ye double-minded. Be ye sorrowful, and mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into a downcast look.read more.
Be ye made lower in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up.