And upon that he gathered together the priests and the Levites and said to them, "Go out through the cities of Judah and gather of all Israel silver, to strengthen the house of your God, year by year, and see that ye haste the thing." Howbeit, the Levites were slack.

Then the king called Jehoiada that was the chiefest, and said to him, "Why requirest thou not of the Levites to bring in, out of Judah and Jerusalem the sum appointed by Moses the servant of the LORD, and by the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of witness?"

Wherefore at the king's commandment, they made a coffer, and set it at the gate of the house of the LORD:

and made proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem to bring in to the LORD the taxation of Moses the servant of God, which he set upon Israel in the wilderness.

And the spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stepped up above the people and said to them, "Thus sayeth God: 'Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD? Ye shall therefore not prosper, but as ye have forsaken him, so shall he forsake you.'"

And so Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, "The LORD see, and require a reckoning!"

But there came a man of God to him and said, "King, let not the army of Israel go with thee: for the LORD is not with Israel neither with any of the house of Ephraim.

And Amaziah said again to the man of God, "What shall we do then, for the hundred talents which I have given unto the host of Israel?" And the man of God said, "The LORD is able to give thee much more than that."

And it chanced, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, and had brought the gods of the children of Seir, he set them up to be his gods, and bowed himself before them and burned cense unto them.

Wherefore the LORD was wroth with Amaziah and sent to him a prophet, and said to him, "Why seekest thou the gods of the people which were not able to deliver their own people out of thine hands?"

And as the prophet spake to him, he said to the prophet, "Have men made thee of the king's counsel? Cease, lest thou be beaten." And the prophet ceased, and said, "I am sure that God hath taken counsel to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and obeyest not my counsel."

Then Amaziah king of Judah took advice and sent to Joash the son of Jehoahaz the son of Jehu king of Israel and said, "Come, and let us see each other."

And they stepped to Uzziah the king and said to him, "It pertaineth not to thee, Uzziah, to burn cense unto the LORD; but to the priests the children of Aaron that are consecrated for to burn incense. Come out of the sanctuary, for thou hast trespassed, and it shall be no worship to thee before the LORD God."

And when Uzziah was laid to rest with his fathers, they buried him with his fathers in the field of burial of the kings. For they said, "He is a leper." And Jotham his son reigned in his stead.

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 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."

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

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.

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

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,

"The good LORD be merciful to all that set their hearts to seek the God that is the LORD God of their fathers, though they do it not according to the cleanness of the holy place."

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 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 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 he set Captains of war over the people and gathered them together unto the large street of the gate of the city and spake gently to them, saying,

Insomuch that many brought presents unto the LORD to Jerusalem and precious gifts to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was magnified in the sight of all nations from thenceforth.

And the said Hezekiah stopped the upper water springs of Gihon and brought them down to the West side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works.

And he did wickedly in the sight of the LORD, like unto the abominations of the heathen which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

And he built altars in the house of the LORD: of which the LORD hath said, "In Jerusalem shall my name be forever."

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 he put the carved Image of an Idol which he had made, in the house of God - Of which house, God said to David and to Solomon his son, "In this house here in Jerusalem which I have chosen out of all the tribes, I will put my name forever,

and no more bring the seat of Israel from the land which I have ordained for your fathers; if so be, they shall be diligent to do all I have commanded by Moses in all the law ordinances and manners."

After that, he built a wall without the city of David on the west side of Gihon in the brook and so forth to the fish gate and round about Ophel, and brought it up of a very great height, and put captains of war in all the strong cities of Judah.

And his prayer and how he was heard, and all his sin and trespass, and the places where he made hill altars and set up groves and carved Images before he was meekened, are written among the deeds of the seers of visions.

And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD," and gave the book to Shaphan.

and commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and the said Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah, a servant of the king's, saying,

And she said unto them, "Thus sayeth the LORD God of Israel: 'Tell ye the man that sent you to me,

because they have forsaken me and have offered unto other gods to anger me with all manner works of their hands, therefore is my wrath set on fire against this place and shall not be quenched.

And the king stood at his standing and made a covenant before the LORD, to follow the LORD and to keep his commandments, his witnesses and his statutes with all his heart and with all his soul and to fulfill the words of the covenant written in the said book.

And he set the priests in their offices and aided them in the service of the house of the LORD.

And he said to the Levites that taught throughout all Israel and were sanctified unto the LORD, "Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; ye need not to bear it upon your shoulders. Wherefore now serve the LORD your God and his people Israel.

And they dressed the Passover with fire as the manner was. But the other hallowed, dedicated beasts they sod in pots, cauldrons and pans and divided them quickly among all the common people.

And so all the service of the LORD went forward the said day, in offering Passover of burnt offerings upon the altar of the LORD, according to the commandment of king Josiah.

And so the children of Israel that could be found, offered Passover the same time and kept the feast of sweet bread seven days.

the shooters shot against the king Josiah. And the king said to his servants, "Carry me away for I am sore hurt."

And the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to finish the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia that he made a proclamation throughout all this kingdom, and thereto to set it up in writing, saying,

The children of Zattu, nine hundred and five and forty;

The children of Solomon's servants: The children of Sotai, the children of Hassophereth, the children of Peruda;

And these went up also: Telmelah, Telharsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer; but they could not show their father's house, nor their seed, whether they were of Israel.

And Hathirsatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy, till there rose up a priest with the light and perfectness.

And certain of the chief fathers, when they came to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, they offered willingly unto the house of God, that it should be set in his place;

And the altar set they upon his sockets - for there was a fearfulness among them because of the nations and the lands - and offered burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD, in the morning and at evening.

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."

and other of the people, whom the great and noble Osnappar brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and others that are now on this side the water.

And this is the sum of the letter that they sent: "Unto king Artaxerxes: Thy servants, the men that are now on this side the water.

Therefore do we certify the king, that if this city be builded, and the walls thereof made up, thou shalt keep nothing on this side the water by the reason of it."

At the same time came to them Tattenai, which was the captain on this side the water, and Shetharbozenai, and their counselors, and said thus unto them, "Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up the walls thereof?"

This is the copy of the letter that Tattenai the captain on this side the water, and Shetharbozenai, and their counselors of Arphaxad, which were on this side the water, sent unto king Darius;

Nevertheless, we asked the Elders and said unto them, 'Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up the walls thereof?'

But they answered us with these words, and said, 'We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up.

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.'

that they may offer sweet savours unto the God of heaven; and pray for the king's life, and for his children.

This commandment have I given. And what man soever he be that altereth these words, there shall a beam be taken from his house, and set up, and he shall be hanged thereon, and his house shall be made a dunghill for the deed.

and set the priests in their courses, and the Levites in their offices to minister unto God which is at Jerusalem as it is written in the book of Moses.

But thou Ezra - after the wisdom of thy God that is in thy hand - set thou judges and arbiters, to judge all the people that is beyond the Jordan, even all such as know the law of thy God: and them that know it not, those see that ye teach.

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."

and said unto them, "Ye are holy unto the LORD, therefore are these vessels holy also, and so is the silver and the gold that is given of a good will unto the LORD God of your fathers:

And they delivered the king's commission unto the king's officers, and to the captains on this side the water. And they promoted the people and the house of God.

Then all this was performed, the rulers came to me, and said, "The people of Israel, and the priests, and Levites are not separated from the nations in the lands as touching their abominations, namely of the Cananites, Hittites, Perezites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.

For they have taken the daughters of the same, and their sons, and have mixed the holy seed with the nations in the lands: and the hand of the rulers and lords of council hath been principal in this trespass."

When I heard this, I rent my clothes and my raiment, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat mourning.

And there resorted unto me all such as feared the word of the LORD God of Israel, because of the great transgression. And I sat mourning until the evening sacrifice.

and said, "My God, I am ashamed, and dare not lift up mine eyes unto thee my God: for our wickednesses are grown over our head, and our trespasses are waxen great unto the heaven.

For we are bondmen, and our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, and hath inclined mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, that he should give us life, and promote the house of our God, and to set up the desolation thereof, and to give us a hedge in Judah and in Jerusalem.

which thou hast commanded by thy servants the Prophets, and said, 'The land unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land through the filthiness of the people of the lands, in their abominations wherewith they have made it full of uncleanness on every side.

And Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the children of Elam, answered, and said unto Ezra, "We have trespassed against the LORD our God, in that we have taken strange wives of the people of the land. Now there is hope yet in Israel concerning this:

Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem in three days, that is on the twentieth day of the ninth month: and all the people sat in the street before of the house of God, and trembled because of this matter, and for the rain.

And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, "Ye have transgressed, that have taken strange wives, to make the trespass of Israel yet more:

Then answered all the congregation and said with a loud voice, "Let it be done as thou hast said.

And the children of the captivity did even so. And Ezra the priest, and the ancient heads through the house of their fathers, and all that were now rehearsed by name, separated themselves; and sat them down on the first day of the tenth month to examine this matter.

Among the children of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jerimoth, Zabad and Aziza.

And they said unto me, "The remnant of the captivity are there in the land in great misfortune and rebuke. The walls of Jerusalem are broken down, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire."

When I heard these words, I sat me down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,

and said, "O LORD God of heaven, thou great and terrible God, thou that keepest covenant and mercy for them that love thee and observe thy commandments:

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."

Then said the king unto me, "Why lookest thou so sadly? Thou art not sick, that is not the matter, but thou art heavy hearted."

Nevertheless I was sore afraid and said unto the king, "God save the king's life forever, should I not look sadly? The city of my fathers' burial lieth waste and the gates thereof are consumed with fire."

Then said the king unto me, "What, then, is thy request?" Then made I my prayer to the God of heaven,

and said unto the king, "If it please the king, and if thy servant be favoured in thy sight, I beseech thee: send me in to Judah unto the city of my fathers' burial, that I may build it."

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:

Then went I on in the night by the brook side, and considered the wall, and turned back and came home again to the valley port.

And I said unto them, "Ye see the misery that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and how the gates thereof are burnt with fire. Come, let us build up the walls of Jerusalem, that we be no more a rebuke."

And I told them of the good hand of my God which was upon me; and the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, "Then let us get up and build," and strengthened their hands to good.