So Hazael went to meet him and took a gift in his hand of all of the good things of Damascus, a load [on each] of forty camels, and he came and stood before him. Then he said, "Your son Ben-Hadad king of Aram has sent me to you, saying, 'Shall I recover from this illness?'"

All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city rested; [for] Athaliah had been killed with the sword in the palace of the king.

So the {anger of Yahweh was kindled} against Israel, and he gave them into the hand of Hazael king of Aram and into the hand of Ben-Hadad the son of Hazael {repeatedly}.

When Hazael king of Aram died, his son Ben-Hadad became king in his place.

Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz returned and took the cities from the hand of Ben-Hadad the son of Hazael which he had taken from the hand of Jehoahaz his father in the war. Three times Jehoash defeated him and recovered the towns of Israel.

So King Ahaz went to meet Tiglath-Pileser the king of Assyria [in] Damascus, and he saw the altar which [was] in Damascus, so King Ahaz sent to Uriah the priest the builder's plan of the altar and the {exact model of how it had been made}.

At that time, Berodak-Baladan the son of Baladan king of {Babylon} sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he had heard that Hezekiah had been ill.

Then the king went up [to] the temple of Yahweh, and all of the men of Judah and all of the inhabitants of Jerusalem [were] with him, [including] the priests, the prophets, and all of the people from smallest to greatest; and in their {hearing} he read all of the words of the scroll of the covenant that had been found in the temple of Yahweh.

He defiled the Topheth which [is] in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom, {to prevent} anyone causing his sons or his daughters to pass through the fire for Molech.

Then the king commanded all of the people, saying, "Keep the Passover to Yahweh your God, as has been written on the scroll of this covenant.

And the sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron were Ram his firstborn, Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah.

And Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. And his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain."

The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan, and Tolon. The sons of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth.

And Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah,

son of Amzi, son of Bani, son of Shemer,

And Ephraim went in to his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And he called his name Beriah because disaster [had been] upon his house.

And Moza fathered Binea; Raphah [was] his son, Eleasah his son, and Azel his son.

Uthai the son of Ammihud, son of Omri, son of Imri, son of Bani, from the sons of Perez, the son of Judah.

And Mattithiah, one of the Levites, was the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite and {was entrusted} with the work of the pan breads.

and Moza fathered Binea; and Rephaiah [was] his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son.

[And] Benaiah the son of Jehoiada [was] {a strong man} from Kabzeel, [one who did] great deeds. He himself struck down two [sons of] Ariel of Moab. And he himself went down and struck down a lion within a pit on a snowy day.

These things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did and had a name among the three mighty warriors.

Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite,

Ittai the son of Ribai from Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,

When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed as king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard and went out from before them.

and with them their brothers [of] the second [rank], Zechariah the son, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-Edom and Jeiel.

Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah [were to play] on harps according to Alamoth;

And Shebaniah, Jehoshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Elizezer the priests {sounded the trumpets} before the ark of God. And Obed-Edom and Jehiah [were] gatekeepers for the ark.

Asaph [was] chief, and his second [was] Zechariah; Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel [were] on harps and lyres. And Asaph played on the cymbals.

And Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests [blew] on the trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.

for I have not lived in a house from the day that I brought out Israel unto this day. I have been from tent to tent and from tabernacle [to tabernacle].

and I have been with you wherever you went and have cut down your enemies from before you and will make a name for you, like the name of the great ones on the earth.

he sent Hadoram his son to King David to ask him for peace and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Tou {had been at war} with Hadadezer. And [he brought with him] all the objects of gold, silver, and bronze.

And Benaiah son of Jehoiada [was] over the Kerethites and the Pelethites. And the sons of David [were] chief officials under the hand of the king.

Then David said to God, "I have sinned severely [in] that I have done this thing. But now, please forgive the sin of your servant, for I have been very foolish."

The third commander of the army for the third month [was] Benaiah son of Jehoiada the chief priest. And [he was] over his working group [of] twenty-four thousand.

This [was] Benaiah [who was] a mighty warrior of thirty, and over the thirty and his working group [was] Ammizabad his son.

The eleventh, for the eleventh month, [was] Benaiah the Pirathonite from the sons of Ephraim. And [he was] over his working group [of] twenty-four thousand.

And after Ahithophel [came] Jehoiada, the son of Benaiah, and Abiathar. And Joab [was] the commander of the king's army.

Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the elders who had been {serving} before Solomon his father when he was alive, saying, "What word do you advise to answer this people?"

Now Israel [has been] without the true God many days, and without a teaching priest, and without law,

Then Asa brought out silver and gold from the storehouses of the house of Yahweh and the house of the king, and he sent [them] to Ben-Hadad, king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying,

And Ben-Hadad listened to King Asa, and he sent commanders of his troops that [were] with him against the cities of Israel. And they struck Ijon, Dan, Abel-Maim, and all the storage cities of Naphtali.

Then King Asa took all of Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had been building, and he built Geba and Mizpah with them.

For the eyes of Yahweh roam throughout all the earth to strengthen those whose heart is fully devoted to him. You have been foolish in this, for from now on you will have wars."

And they buried him in his burial site, which had been cut out for him in the city of David. And they laid him on the bier which they had filled with all kinds of spices made [by] the perfumers as a fragment ointment. And they made a great fire in his honor.

In the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah;

Nevertheless some good things have been found in regard to you, for you burned the Asherahs out of the land and set your heart to seek God."

Then the Spirit of Yahweh came upon Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite from the descendants of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.

So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet [after] Athaliah had been killed with the sword.

And he himself burned incense in the valley of Ben-Hinnom and burned his sons in the fire, according to the detestable [practices] of the nations whom Yahweh drove out before the Israelites.

but they were not able to make it at that time, for the priests had not consecrated themselves {in sufficient numbers}, and the people had not been assembled in Jerusalem--

And Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok answered him, saying, "Since the offerings began to be brought to the house of Yahweh, [we have] eaten and been satisfied, and have much to spare, for Yahweh has blessed his people. Now [see] this abundant remainder!"

And Jehiel, Azaziah, Nathan, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah [were] chief officers under the hand of Conaniah and Shimei, his brother, by appointment of King Hezekiah. And Azaraiah [was] leader of the house of God.

So now, do not let Hezekiah deceive you. Do not let him urge you according to this. Do not put trust in him, for no god of any nation and kingdom has been able to save his people from my hand and from the hand of my ancestors. Surely then your God will not save you from my hand!'"

And thus [in the matter of] the envoys of the commanders of Babylon who had been sent to him to seek the sign that had happened in the land, God forsook him, to test him [and] to know all [that was] in his heart.

And he himself burned his sons in the fire in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom. And he practiced sorcery and divination, and he engaged in witchcraft and dealt with mediums and spiritists. And he did much evil in the eyes of Yahweh, to provoke him to anger.

And when they brought out the money that had been brought [to] the house of Yahweh, Hilkiah the priest found a scroll of the law of Yahweh by the hand of Moses.

And when the work had been completed, the priests stood at their positions and the Levites in their working groups according to the command of the king.

They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:

the descendants of Bani, six hundred and forty-two;

And they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the {families}, and they said to them, "Let us build with you. Like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing [to him] from the days of Esarhaddon the king of Assyria who brought us up here.

the letter that you sent to us has been translated [and] read before me.

And {I issued} a decree, and they searched and found that this city from ancient days revolted against kings, and rebellion and sedition has been made in it.

Mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem, [governing] all [the province] Beyond the River, to whom tribute, duty, and tax has been given.

From the descendants of [Bani]: Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and with him one hundred and sixty males.

On the fourth day, the silver, gold, and vessels were weighed in the house of our God into the hand of priest Meremoth, the son of Uriah, and with him Eleazar son of Phinehas. With them were the Levites, Jehozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui.

From the days of our ancestors until this day we have been in great guilt, and because of our sins we ourselves, our kings, and our priests have been handed into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to utter shame, as it is this day.

But now for a brief moment mercy has been shown by Yahweh our God, who left behind for us a remnant, and given us security in his holy place--for our God to brighten our eyes and to give us brief relief in our bondage.

Yahweh, God of Israel, you are righteous, for we have been left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this."

And from Israel, the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malkijah, and Benaiah.

From the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth.

From the sons of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.

From the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,

Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi,

Bani, Binnui, Shimei,

From the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Iddo, Joel, and Benaiah.

They replied to me, "The survivors in the province who have survived the captivity are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned in the fire."

It happened in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I carried the wine and gave it to the king. And I had never been sad before the king.

I went out during the night at the gate of the valley by the Dragon spring and to the Dung Gate. And I examined the walls in Jerusalem and its gates that had been destroyed by the fire.

{Next to them} Meremoth son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz, repaired. {Next to them} Meshullam son of Berekiah, son of Meshezabel, repaired. {Next to them} Zadok son of Baana repaired.

After him the Levites repaired; Rehum son of Bani, and next to him Hashabiah, commander of half of the district of Keilah, repaired his district.

After him Binnui son of Henadad repaired a second section of a wall from the house of Azariah up to the angle up to the corner.

Please restore to them this day their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, their houses, and the interest on the money, the grain, the grape juice, and the olive oil that you have been taking from them."

In it was written, "It has been reported among the nations, and Gashmu also is saying it, that you and the Jews are considering rebellion. Therefore, truly you are building the wall and you are becoming their king, according to these words.

When our enemies heard of this, all of the nations surrounding us were afraid and {lost their confidence}. They knew that this work had been done with [the help of] our God.

Now when the wall had been built and I had erected the doors and appointed the gatekeepers, singers, and the Levites,

These came with Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:

The descendants of Binnui, six hundred and forty-eight.

Then Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden podium that had been made for the occasion. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right. On his left [was] Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

And Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites were teaching the people from the law while the people were in their places.

Then Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Kenani stood on the platform of the Levites and cried out with a loud voice to Yahweh their God.

Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said, "Stand up, bless Yahweh your God from everlasting until everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name that is being exalted above all blessing and praise!

And the Levites: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui from the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel;

Hodiah, Bani, Beninu.

The heads of the people: Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,

Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

Malluch, Harim, Baanah.

Now from the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, son of Bunni;

The chief officer of the Levites in Jerusalem [was] Uzzi son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Mica, from the descendants of Asaph, the singers over the work of the house of God.