He was twenty five years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.

And when Jotham was laid to rest with his fathers, they buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.

Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not that pleased the LORD, as did his father David:

but walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made thereto Baals of metal.

And he offered cense in the valley of the children of Hinnom, and burnt his children in fire after the abomination of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

And he offered burnt cense in hill altars and on mountains and under every green tree.

Wherefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of the Syrians: which beat him and carried away a great multitude of his captive into Damascus. And thereto he was delivered into the hand of the king of Israel which slew of his a mighty slaughter.

For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah a hundred and twenty thousand in one day, and all fighting men: and that because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers.

And Zichri a mighty man in mount Ephraim slew Maaseiah the king's son and Azrikam the lord steward of household, and Elkanah that was next to the king.

And the children of Israel took prisoners of their brethren two hundred thousand wives, sons and daughters, and thereto carried away much spoil of them, and brought it to Samaria.

But there was a prophet of the LORD's named Obed which went out to the host which came to Samaria and said to them, "See, because the LORD God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, he delivered them into your hands. And ye have slain them with cruelness that reacheth up to heaven.

And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem and to make them bondmen and bondwomen. What other thing do ye - ye unhappy - than offend the LORD your God?

But now hear me, and deliver the captives again which ye have taken of your brethren: for the great wrath of the LORD is upon you!"

And certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, as Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum and Amasa the son of Hadlai stood up against them that came from war,

and said unto them, "Ye shall not bring in the captives hither. For where we have offended the LORD already, ye intend to add more to our sins and trespass. For our trespass is great already, and there is fierce wrath upon Israel."

And upon that, the men of arms left the captives and the spoil before the lords and all the congregation.

And there arose certain, appointed thereto by name, and took the prisoners and clothed all that were naked among them, of the spoil, and arrayed them and shoed them and gave them to eat and to drink and anointed them, and carried all that were feeble of them upon asses and brought them to Jericho the city of Palm trees fast by their brethren: and then returned to Samaria again.

And at that same time, king Ahaz sent unto the kings of Assyria to have help.

And the Edomites came yet again and slew of Judah and carried away some captives.

And the Philistines invaded the cities in the low country and the south of Judah: and took Bethshemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth and Socoh with the towns longing thereto, and Timnah with the towns of the same, and Gimzo with her towns, and dwelt therein.

For the LORD brought Judah low, because of Ahaz king of Judah which made Judah naked and transgressed against the LORD.

And Tiglathpileser king of Assyria came upon him and besieged him, but prevailed not against him.

For Ahaz took away out of the house of the LORD and out of the king's house and out of the Lord's houses, and gave unto the king of Assyria, though it helped him not.

And thereto in the very time of his tribulation did king Ahaz trespass yet more against the LORD.

For he offered unto the gods of them of Damascus which beat him, and said, "Because the gods of the Syrians help them, therefore will I offer to them, that they may help me also." But they were his destruction and the destruction of all Israel.

And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God and brake them, and shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and made him altars in all corners of Jerusalem.

And in all the cities of Judah, city by city, he made hill altars to burn incense unto other gods, and angered the LORD God of his fathers.

The rest of his acts and all his ways, both first and last, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

And when Ahaz was laid to rest with his fathers, they buried him in the city of Jerusalem: but brought him not unto the sepulchers of the kings of Judah. And Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.

Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty five years old, and reigned twenty nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.

And he did that was right in the sight of the LORD in all points as did David his father.

He opened the doors of the house of the LORD in the first year and first month of his reign, and he repaired them.

And he brought in the priests and the Levites and gathered them together into the east street,

and said unto them, "Hear me ye Levites: purify yourselves and hallow the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and bring out the filthiness out of the holy place.

For our fathers have trespassed and done evil favouredly in the eyes of the LORD our God: and have forsaken him, and turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD and turned to their backs.

And beside that they have shut up the doors of the porch and quenched the lamps and have neither burned cense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel.

Wherefore the wrath of the LORD fell on Judah and Jerusalem: and he scattered them and made them so thin that men hiss at it, even as ye see with your eyes.

For see, our fathers were overthrown with the sword and our sons, our daughters and our wives were carried away captive for the same cause.

Now therefore, my sons, be not negligent: for the LORD had chosen you to stand before him, and for to minister and burn offerings to him."

Then the Levites arose: Mahath the son of Amasai and Joel the son of Azariah being of the children of the Kohathites; and the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi and Azariah the son of Jehallelel; and of the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah and Eden the son of Joah;

and of the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeiel; and of the sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah;

and of the sons of Heman, Jehuel and Shimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel.

And they gathered their brethren and purified themselves, and then went at the commandment of the king by the word of the LORD, for to cleanse the house of the LORD.

And the priests went into the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD, and in the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it and carried it out into the brook Kidron.

They began the first day of the first month to purify, and came the eighth day to the porch of the LORD: so that they had purged the house of the LORD in eight days; in the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end.

And then they went into Hezekiah the king and said, "We have cleansed all the house of the LORD, and the altar of burnt offerings with all his vessels, and the shewbread table with all his apparel;

and thereto all the vessels which king Ahaz did cast aside when he reigned and transgressed, them we have repaired and sanctified; and see, they are before the altar of the LORD."

And Hezekiah the king rose early and gathered the lords of the city and went up to the house of the LORD.

And there were brought seven oxen, seven rams, seven lambs and seven kids to be a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary and for Judah. And he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the altar of the LORD.

And they slew the oxen; and the priests received the blood and sprinkled it on the altar; and they slew the rams and sprinkled the blood upon the altar; and they slew the lambs and sprinkled the blood upon the altar.

And then they brought forth the kids of the sin offering before the king and the congregation which put their hands upon them.

And the priests slew them and offered the blood of them upon the altar, to make satisfaction for all Israel, for the king said that the burnt offering and the sin offering should serve for all Israel.

And they set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, psalteries and harps according to the commandments of David and of Gad the king's seer of visions and of Nathan the prophet. For so was the commandment of the LORD through the hand, of his prophets.

And so the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with trumpets.

And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD began, and the trumpets with the instruments of David king of Israel.

And all the congregation bowed themselves, and the singers sang, and the trumpets blew, and continued until the burnt offering was finished.

And when they had made an end of the burnt offering, the king and all that were with him kneeled down and bowed themselves and gave praise and thanks.

And Hezekiah the king and the lords bade the Levites to praise the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer of visions. And the Levites praised that they rejoiced again, and the other stooped and bowed themselves.

And Hezekiah answered, and said, "Now that ye have filled your hands to the LORD, go to and bring in the sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the LORD." And the congregation brought in the sacrifices and thank offerings, and all that were willing brought burnt offerings.

And the number of the burnt offerings which the congregation brought in was seventy oxen and a hundred rams and two hundred lambs: and all for burnt offerings to the LORD.

And beside that they dedicated six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep.

But the priests were too few, and were not able to slay all the burnt offerings. Wherefore their brethren the Levites helped them till the work was ended, and until the priests were sanctified. For the Levites were purer-hearted to sanctify themselves then the priests.

And thereto the burnt offerings were many with the fat of the peace offerings and the drink offerings that belonged to the burnt offerings. And so the service pertaining to the house of the LORD went forward.

And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had made the folk so ready: for the thing was suddenly done.

And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and thereto wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to offer Passover unto the LORD God of Israel.

And the king held a counsel with his lords and all the congregation at Jerusalem to keep the feast of Passover in the second month.

And the thing pleased the king and all the congregation.

And they decreed that it should be proclaimed throughout all Israel from Beersheba to Dan, that they should come and hold the feast of the Passover unto the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem: for they had not often done it, as it is written how they should.

And the messengers went with letters of the hand of the king and of his lords throughout all Israel and Judah, at the commandment of the king; which said, "Children of Israel, turn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and so will he turn to the remnant of you that are escaped out of the hands of the king of Assyria.

And be ye not like your fathers and your brethren which trespassed against the LORD of your fathers, which therefore gave them up that they are wasted, as ye see.

Wherefore, be not stiff-necked like unto your fathers, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and come to his holy place which he hath sanctified forever, and serve the LORD your God, that his wrath may turn from you.

For if ye turn unto the LORD, then your brethren and your children shall find compassion in the presence of them that hold them captive, that they may come again unto this land: for the LORD your God is full of mercy and compassion, and will not turn his face from you, if ye turn again to him."

And the posts went from city to city throughout the land of Ephraim and Manasseh and even unto Zebulun. But they laughed them to scorn and mocked them.

Nevertheless, yet divers of Asher, Manasseh and of Zebulun meekened themselves and came to Jerusalem.

And thereto the hand of God was in Judah, to make them of one accord to do the commandment of the king and the captains, which was according to the word of the LORD.

And so there assembled to Jerusalem much people and a mighty great congregation, to hold the feast of sweet bread in the second month.

And they arose and put away the altars that were in Jerusalem. And thereto all the incense they did away and cast them into the brook Kidron.

And they slew Passover the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and Levites sanctified themselves for shame, and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the LORD.

And they stood in their standing after their manner according to the law of Moses, the man of God. And the priests sprinkled the blood, receiving it of the hands of the Levites.

And because there were many in the congregation that were not sanctified: and therefore did the Levites slay Passover for all that were not clean to sanctify them to the LORD.

There was very much people out of Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun that were not clean, and therefore did eat Passover otherwise than writing specifieth. But Hezekiah prayed for them, and said,

And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people.

And so the children of Israel that were found at Jerusalem, held the feast of sweet bread seven days with great gladness, and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day with loud instruments.

And Hezekiah spake heartily unto the Levites that had good understanding of the LORD. And they did eat that feast seven days long and offered peace offerings and thanked the LORD God of their fathers.

And the whole assembly took counsel to keep seven days more: and they held those seven days with gladness.

For Hezekiah king of Judah gave for heave offerings to the congregation a thousand oxen and seven thousand sheep. And the lords gave to the congregation for heave offerings a thousand oxen and ten thousand sheep. And the priests sanctified themselves, that they were enough.

And all the congregation of Judah with the priests and Levites, and all the congregation that came out of Israel and the strangers, both that came out of the land of Israel and that dwelt in Judah, rejoiced:

and there was great joy in Jerusalem. For since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel it happened not so in Jerusalem.

And the priests and the Levites arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer went up unto his holy dwelling place heaven.

And when they had finished all this, then all Israel that were found in cities of Judah went out and brake the Images and cut down the groves, and all to break the hill altars and the other altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had made an end of them. And afterward all the children of Israel returned every man to his possession in their own cities.

And Hezekiah set the priests and the Levites in their order to wait by course, every man according to his office whether priest or Levite, for the burnt offerings and peace offerings, and to minister and to thank and to pray in the gates of the lodge of the LORD.

And the king gave a portion of his substance for burnt offerings at morning and even, and for burnt offerings on the Sabbath days and new moons and other solemn feasts, according as it is written in the law of the LORD.

And he bade the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the part of the priests and Levites, that they might be maintained in the law of the LORD.

And as soon as the word came abroad the children of Israel brought abundance of first fruits of corn, wine, oil and honey, and of all manner of fruits of the field: and the tithes of all manner of things brought they in plenteously.

And the children of Israel and Judah that dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithes of oxen and sheep, and tithes of dedicated things which were dedicated to the LORD their God, and put them on heaps.

In the third month they began to lay the heaps and finished them the seventh.

And when Hezekiah and the lords came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD and his people Israel.

And Hezekiah questioned with 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 heave offerings into the house of the LORD, we have eaten and had enough, and yet left abundance, for the LORD hath blessed his people and thereof is this heap left."

And Hezekiah bade dress up the store houses about the house of the LORD. And so they did,