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 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.

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.

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 in all the works that he began in the service of the house of God, to seek his God after the law and commandment, that did he with all his heart, and prospered.

And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem,

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.

And he went to lustily and built up the wall where it was broken, and made towers above upon, and yet another wall without, and repaired Millo the city of David, and made many darts and shields.

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,

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,

And thereto he wrote a letter to rail on the LORD God of Israel and spake therein, saying, "As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, no more shall the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand."

And the LORD sent an angel and destroyed all the men of war and the lords and captains of the host of the king of Assyria, that he turned his face, with shame, towards his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, he was there overthrown with the sword - even by them that issued out of his bowels.

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.

Notwithstanding, Hezekiah meekened himself for the arising of his heart, both he and the inhabiters of Jerusalem. Wherefore the wrath of the LORD fell not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.

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.

Manasseh was twelve years old when he was made king, and reigned fifty five years in Jerusalem.

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.

For he went to and built again the hill altars which Hezekiah his father had broken down. And he reared up altars unto Baals and made groves and bowed himself unto all the host of heaven and served them.

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 made altars unto all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.

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 when he was in tribulation he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself exceedingly before the God of his fathers,

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.

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 he took away the strange gods and the Idol out of the house of God, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of God and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city.

And he made an altar unto the LORD and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and charged Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel.

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.

Amon was twenty two years old, when he began to reign, and reigned two years in Jerusalem.

And he did that displeased the LORD like unto Manasseh his father, for Amon sacrificed to all the carved Images which Manasseh his father made, and served them,

Josiah was made king when he was eight years old, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty one years.

And he did that pleased the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, bowing neither to the righthand nor to the left.

Insomuch that the eighth year of his reign, when he was yet a lad, he began to seek after the God of David his father. And in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of hill altars, groves, carved Images, and Images of metal:

so that they brake down the altars of Baals even in his presence, and the Idols that were upon them he caused to be destroyed. And the groves, carved Images, and Images of metal he brake and made dust of them, and strawed it upon the graves of them that had offered to them.

And he burnt the bones of the priests upon the altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.

And even so did he in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon and of Naphtali thereto.

And in the wildernesses of them round about he plucked asunder the altars and the groves and did beat them and stamp them to powder, and beat down the idols throughout all the land of Israel: and then returned to Jerusalem again.

And in the eighteenth year of his reign when he had purged the land and the temple, 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 the LORD his God.

And when they came to Hilkiah the high priest, men delivered them the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites that kept the entries had gathered of the hands of Manasseh and Ephraim and of all that yet remained in Israel and of all Judah and Benjamin and of the inhabiters of Jerusalem.

And then Shaphan the scribe showed the king, saying, "Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book." And he read it before the king.

And when the king had heard the words of the law, he tare his clothes,

And he made to come forth all that were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin, and the inhabiters of Jerusalem promised to keep the covenant of the God which was the God of their fathers.

And Josiah put away all manner of abominations out of all lands that pertained to the children of Israel, and brought all that were found in Israel, to serve the LORD their God. And they turned not aside from after the LORD God of their fathers as long as he lived.

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 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 Jehoahaz was twenty three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.

And Jehoiakim was twenty five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that displeased the LORD his God.

Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and did that displeased the LORD.

And Zedekiah was twenty one years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.

And he did that displeased the LORD his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet at the mouth of the LORD.

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.

Thereto, all the rulers of the priests with the people trespassed apace after all manner of abominations of the heathen, and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.

And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, sending them betimes: for he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.

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 all the vessels of the house of God both great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king and his lords he carried to Babylon, every whit.

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;

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,

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he caused it to be proclaimed throughout all his empire, yea and by writing also, saying,

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.'"

And they sang together, giving praise and thanks unto the LORD; because he is gracious, and because his mercy endureth forever upon Israel. And all the people shouted loud in praising the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.

and I have commanded to make search: and it is found, that this city, of old, hath made insurrection against kings; and how the uproar and rebellion hath been committed therein.

But after our forefathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them over into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, which brake down this house, and carried the people away unto Babylon.

for the vessels of gold and silver in the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple at Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple at Babylon: those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and delivered them unto Sheshbazzar by name, whom he made captain,

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 offered at the dedication of the house of God, a hundred calves, two hundred lambs, four hundred goats: and for the sin offering for all Israel, twelve he-goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel,

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.

and hath inclined his mercy unto me in the presence of the king, and his counselors, and before all the king's high estates. And I was comforted, according to the hand of the LORD my God over me, and so gathered I the heads of Israel together, that they might go up with me.

So we fasted, and besought our God for this; and he heard us.

But now is there a little and sudden graciousness come from the LORD our God, so that some of us are escaped: that he may give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may light our eyes, and give us a little life in our bondage.

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.

And Ezra stood up before the house of God, and went in to the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib. And when he came thither, he ate no bread, nor drank water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been in captivity.

and Hanani, one of my brethren, came with certain men of Judah, and I asked them how the Jews did that were delivered and escaped from the captivity, and how it went at Jerusalem.

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 letters unto Asaph the lord of the king's wood, that he may give me wood for beams to the gates of the palace, which are hard on the house and hard on the walls of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into." And the king gave me according to the good hand of God upon me.

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.

Then answered I them, and said, "The God of heaven, he it is that causeth us to prosper: and we be his servants. Let us get up and build. As for you: ye have no portion, nor right, nor remembrance in Jerusalem."

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 them builded Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Jadon the Meronothite, men of Gibeon and of Mizphah; where he that was captain on this side the water had a mansion.

But the Dung port builded Malchijah the son of Rechab, the ruler of the fourth part of the vineyards: he builded it, and set on the doors, locks and bars thereof.

But the Well gate builded Shallum the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of the fourth part of Mizphah; He builded it, covered it, and set on the doors, locks, and bars thereof, and the wall unto the pool of Siloam by the king's garden, unto the steps that go down from the city of David.

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 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.

But when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth and took great indignation and mocked the Jews

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

Hear, O thou our God, how we are despised! Turn their shame upon their own head, that thou mayest give them over into despising in the land of their captivity.

And I shook my lap, and said, "God shake out every man after the same manner from his house and labour, that maintaineth not this word: even thus be he shaken out, and void." And all the congregation said, "Amen," and praised the LORD. And the people did so.

and hast ordained the Prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, and to say, 'He is king of Judah.' Now shall this come to the king's ears: come now therefore, and let us take our counsel together."

And I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabel, and he had shut himself within, and said, "Let us come together in to the house of God, even unto the midst of the temple, and shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee, yea even in the night will they come to put thee to death."

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

Therefore took he the money, that through fear I should do so, and sin: that they might have an evil report of me, to blaspheme me.

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 I commanded my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace at Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God more than did many others,