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 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.

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.

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."

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.

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 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 carried in the heave offerings and the tithes and the dedicated gifts; even of fidelity. Over which Conaniah the Levite had the rule with Shimei his brother next to him.

And under him were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shecaniah, in the cities of the priests of their fidelity, to give to their brethren their portions, as well to the small as to the great.

After these deeds and truth, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered into Judah, and pitched against the strong cities, and thought to draw them to him.

he took counsel with his captains and men of might, to stop the water of the fountains that were without the city - and they were content to help him.

"Pluck up your hearts and be strong: Be not afraid or in any wise discouraged for dread of the king of Assyria, and of the great multitude that is with him: for there is one greater with us than with him.

With him is an arm of flesh: But with us is the LORD our God for to help us and to fight our battles!" And the people were well couraged with the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

After that Sennacherib king of Assyria sent of his servants to Jerusalem - he himself lying before Lachish, and all his kingdom with him - unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that were at Jerusalem, saying,

Wherefore now let not Hezekiah deceive you, either persuade you of this fashion, nor yet believe him. For as no god among so many nations and kingdoms, was able to rid his people out of mine hand and the hands of my fathers: even so much less shall your God keep you out of mine hand!"

In those days Hezekiah was sick unto the death and besought the LORD; which answered him and showed him a wonderful miracle.

But Hezekiah did not according to the courtesy showed him, for his heart arose: and therefore came there wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem.

And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches and honour. And he gathered him treasure of silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields and of all manner pleasant Jewels;

And he made him towns because he had cattle of sheep and oxen great abundance. For God had given him substance exceeding much.

But when the ambassadors of the lords of Babylon were sent to him to enquire of the wonder that chanced in the land, God left him: to tempt him, that all that was in his heart might be known.

And then Hezekiah laid him to rest with his fathers, and they buried him in the highest sepulchre of the sons of David: and Judah and the inhabiters of Jerusalem did him worship at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.

And he burnt his children in fire in the valley of the sons of Hinnom. And he observed dismal days and occupied witchcraft and sorcery, and maintained workers with spirits and seers of fortunes: and wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to anger him withal.

And when the LORD spake to Manasseh and to his people, they attended not to him.

Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the Captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh in a hold and bound him with chains and carried him to Babylon.

and made intercession to him: and he was entreated of him and heard his prayer and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. And then Manasseh knew how that the LORD was very God.

The rest of the acts of Manasseh and his prayer unto his God, and the words of the seers of visions that spake to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel, are written among the deeds of the Kings of Israel.

And when Manasseh was laid to rest with his fathers, they buried him in his own house: and Amon his son reigned in his room.

Wherefore his own servants conspired against him and slew him in his own house.

And as for the king of Judah, which sent you to enquire of the LORD, so shall ye say unto him: Thus sayeth the LORD God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard:

After all this, when Josiah had finished the temple, Neco king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish upon Euphrates, and Josiah went out against him.

And the other sent messengers to him, saying, "What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I came not against thee now at this time, but against a house with whom I have war, and God bade me haste. Leave off therefore and meddle not with God, which is with me, lest he destroy thee."

Nevertheless, Josiah turned not his face from him, but made him ready to fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Neco out of the mouth of God. And when he was come to fight in the valley of Megiddo,

And his servants had him out of the chariot and put him in another, and brought him to Jerusalem where he died and was buried in the sepulchre of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.

And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and made him king for his father in Jerusalem.

For the king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem and merced the land in a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king upon Judah and Jerusalem, and turned his name unto Jehoiakim; but Jehoahaz his brother, Neco took and carried him to Egypt.

Against him came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and bound him in fetters to carry him to Babylon.

And when the year was out, king Nebuchadnezzar sent and fetched him to Babylon with the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.

And thereto he rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar which had received an oath of him by God, and was too stiff necked and too hard hearted to turn unto the LORD God of Israel.

And so he brought upon them the king of Chaldeans and slew their young men with the sword in their holy temple, and neither spared young man nor maiden, neither old man, neither so much as him that stooped for age: But gave all into his hand.

And he carried away them that had escaped the sword to Babylon, where they were servants to him and his children, until the kingdom of Persia began to rule;

"Thus sayeth Cyrus king of Persia: 'All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me, which hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem that is in the land of Judah. Wherefore, whosoever is among you of all his people, the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.'"

"Thus sayeth Cyrus the king of Persia: 'The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the land and hath commanded me to build him a house at Jerusalem in Judah.

Whosoever now among you is of his people, the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel. He is the God that is at Jerusalem.

And whosoever remaineth yet in any manner of place, where he is a stranger, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with good and cattle, beside that which they willingly offer, for the house of God at Jerusalem.'"

they came to Zerubbabel and to the principal fathers, and said unto them, "We will build with you: for we seek the Lord your God like as ye do. And we have done sacrifice unto him, since the time that Esarhaddon the king of Assyria brought us up hither."

But when Ahasuerus was king, even in the beginning of his reign, they wrote unto him a complaint against the inhabiters of Judah and Jerusalem.

And this is the intent of the words that they sent unto him: "Unto Darius the king, all peace.

and said unto him, 'Take these vessels, go thy way, and bring them unto the temple at Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded in his place.'

This Ezra was a perfect scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel did give. And the king gave him all that he required, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.

For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon: and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of God upon him.

of the children of Shecaniah, of the children of Parosh; Zechariah, and with him were numbered a hundred and fifty men.

Of the children of Pahathmoab, Elihoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred men.

Of the children of Shecaniah; the son of Jahaziel, and with him three hundred men.

Of the children also of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty men.

Of the children of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him seventy men.

Of the children of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him fourscore men.

Of the children of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen men.

Of the children of Shelomith; the son of Josiphiah, and with him a hundred and three men.

Of the children of Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai, and with him eight and twenty men.

Of the children of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and with him a hundred and ten men.

And Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the children of Merari, with his brethren and their sons, twenty;

And even there at the water beside Ahava, I proclaimed a fast, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and our children and all our substance.

For I was ashamed to require of the king, soldiers and horsemen, to help us against the enemy in the way. For we had said unto the king, "The hand of our God is upon all them that seek him in goodness, and his violence and wrath is upon all them that forsake him."

But on the fourth day was the silver and gold and vessels weighed in the house of our God under the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest, and with him Eleazar the son of Phinehas, and with them Jozabad the son of Jeshua, and Noadiah the son of Binnui, the Levites,

And when Ezra prayed after this manner, and knowledged, wept, and lay before the house of God, there resorted unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: For the people wept very sore.

O LORD, let thine ears mark the prayer of thy servant, and the prayer of thy servants, whose desire is to fear thy name; and let thy servant prosper this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's butler."

In the month Nisan in the twentieth year of king Artaxerxes, when the wine stood before him, I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king and I was heavy in his presence.

And the king said unto me, the queen his wife sitting by him, "How long shall thy journey continue, and when wilt thou come again?" And it pleased the king to send me, and I set him a time,

and said unto the king, "If it please the king, let him give me letters to the captains beyond the water, that they may convey me over, till I come into Judah:

And Eliashib the high priest gat him up with his brethren the priests, and builded the Sheep-gate. They hallowed it, and set up the doors of it: even unto the tower of Meah hallowed they it, namely unto the tower of Hananel.

Next unto him builded the men of Jericho. And beside him builded Zaccur the son of Imri.

Next unto him builded Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz. Next unto him builded Meshullam the son of Berechiah the son of Meshezabel. Next unto him builded Zadok the son of Baana.

Next unto him builded they of Tekoa. But their great men put not their necks to the service of their lord.

Next unto him builded Uzziel the son of Harhaiah the goldsmith. Next unto him builded Hananiah the Apothecary's son, and they repaired Jerusalem unto the broad wall.

Next unto him builded Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler of the half quarter of Jerusalem.

Next unto him builded Jedaiah the son of Harumaph over against his house. Next unto him builded Hattush the son of Hashabneiah.

Next unto him builded Shallum the son of Hallohesh the ruler of the half quarter of Jerusalem, and his daughters.

After him builded Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of the half quarter of Bethzur, until the other side over against the sepulchers of David, and to the pool that was repaired, and unto the house of the mighty.

After him builded the Levites, Rehum the son of Bani. Next unto him builded Hashabiah the ruler of the half quarter at Keilah in his quarter.

After him builded their brethren, Bavvai the son of Henadad, the ruler of the half quarter of Keilah.

After him Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizphah, builded the other piece hard over against the harness corner.

After him Baruch the son of Zabbai builded the other piece worshipfully and costly, from the corner unto the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.

After him builded Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz the other piece, from the door of the house of Eliashib even as long as the house of Eliashib extended.

And after him builded the priests, the men of the country.

After him builded Benjamin and Hasshub over against their house. After them builded Azariah the son of Maaseiah the son of Ananiah next to his house.

After him builded Binnui the son of Henadad the other piece from the house of Azariah unto the turning, and unto the corner.

After him builded Palal the son of Uzai over against the corner and the high tower, which lieth out over from the king's house, beside the court of the prison. After him, Pedaiah the son of Parosh.

After him builded they of Tekoa the other piece over against the great tower, that lieth outward, and unto the wall of Ophel.

After them builded Zadok the son of Immer over against his house. After him builded Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah the keeper of the east gate.

After him builded Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the son of Zalaph the sixth, that other peice. After him builded Meshullam the son of Barachiah over against his chest.

After him builded Malchijah the goldsmith's son, until the house of the Nethinims, and of the merchants over against the council gate, and to the parlor in the corner.

And Tobiah the Ammonite beside him said, "Let them build on: if a fox go up, he shall break down their stony wall."

Nevertheless, I sent unto him, saying, "There is no such thing done as thou sayest: thou hast feigned it out of thine own heart."

For I perceived that God had not sent him; Yet spake he prophecy upon me. Nevertheless, Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him for money.

For there were many in Judah that were sworn unto him, for he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah, and his son Johanan had the daughter of Meshullam the son of Barachiah.

And they spake good of him before me, and told him my words; and Tobiah sent letters, to put me in fear.

And Ezra the scribe stood upon a high pulpit of wood, which they had made for the preaching, and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Ananiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his righthand: and on his left hand stood Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchiah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

Thou art the LORD, the God that hast chosen Abram, and broughtest him out of Ur in Chaldea, and called him Abraham: