After this thing, Jeroboam turned not from his wicked way, - but again made, from the whole compass of the people, priests of high places, whomsoever he would, he installed, and he became priest of high places.

And the captains of hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and they took every man his men who were coming in on the sabbath, with them who were going out on the sabbath, - and came unto Jehoiada the priest.

And the priest gave unto the captains of hundreds the spears and the shields which belonged to King David, - which were in the house of Yahweh.

And Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of hundreds - officers of the force, and said unto them - Take her forth into the inside of the ranks, and, he that cometh in after her, ye are to slay with the sword. For the priest said, Let her not be slain, in the house of Yahweh.

And all the people of the land entered the house of Baal, and brake it down, his altars and his images, brake they in pieces, utterly, and, Mattan the priest of Baal, they slew before the altars, - and the priest appointed officers over the house of Yahweh.

And Jehoash did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh all his days, - whereunto, Jehoiada the priest, instructed him:

So King Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and for the other priests, and said unto them - Why are ye not repairing the breaches of the house? Now, therefore, do not take silver from your acquaintances, for, to repair the breaches of the house, ought ye to have given it?

And it came to pass, when they saw that there was much silver in the chest, that the king's scribe and the high priest came up, and brought together and counted the silver that was found in the house of Yahweh;

So then King Ahaz went to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, in Damascus, and saw the altar which was in Damascus, - and King Ahaz, sent unto Urijah the priest, a likeness of the altar, and a model thereof, according to all the workmanship thereof;

and Urijah the priest built an altar, - according to all that King Ahaz sent from Damascus, so, did Urijah the priest make it, by the time King Ahaz came from Damascus.

And King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying - Upon the great altar, make thou perfume with the ascending-sacrifice of the morning, and with the meal-offering of the evening, and with the ascending-sacrifice of the king and with his meal-offering, and with the ascending-sacrifice of all the people of the land, and their meal-offering and their drink-offering, and, all the blood of the ascending-offering, and all the blood of the peace offering, thereupon, shalt thou dash, - but, the altar of bronze, shall be for me to inquire into .

So Urijah the priest did according to all that King Ahaz commanded.

Go up unto Hilkiah, the high priest, that he pour out the silver that hath been brought into the house of Yahweh, - which the keepers of the entrance-hall have gathered from the people,

Then said Hilkiah the high priest, unto Shaphan the scribe - The book of the law, have I found, in the house of Yahweh. So Hilkiah delivered the book unto Shaphan, and he read it.

Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying - A book, hath Hilkiah the priest delivered unto me. And Shaphan read it before the king.

And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam son of Shaphan, and Achbor son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying:

So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas keeper of the vestments, she having her dwelling in Jerusalem, in the new city, - and they spake unto her.

Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the entrance-hall, to bring forth, out of the temple of Yahweh, all the vessels that had been made for Baal and for the Sacred Stem, and for all the army of the heavens, - and he burned them up outside Jerusalem, in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them to Bethel;

Moreover also, them who had familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the household gods, and the manufactured gods, and the abominations which were to be seen in the land of Judah, and in Jerusalem, did Josiah consume, - that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had found in the house of Yahweh.

And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the generals, and all the mighty men of valour, ten thousand becoming captives, and all the artificers and the smiths, - none remained save the poorest of the people of the land.

But, of the poorest of the land, did the chief of the royal executioners, leave, for vine-dressers and for husbandmen.

And the chief of the royal executioners took Seraiah the head priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, - and the three keepers of the entrance hall;

and, Johanan, begat Azariah, - he, it was who ministered as priest, in the house which Solomon built in Jerusalem;

and Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the habitation of Yahweh, - in the high place that was in Gibeon:

And Shemaiah son of Nethanel the scribe from among the Levites, wrote them down, before the king and the rulers and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the ancestral chiefs, pertaining to the priests and to the Levites, - one ancestral house, was taken for Eleazar, and, was equally taken, for Ithamar.

The ruler of the third host, for the third month, was Benaiah, son of Jehoiada the priest - a chief, - and, in his course, were twenty-four thousand.

And so they did eat and drink before Yahweh on that day, with great joy, - and they, the second time, made Solomon son of David king, and anointed him unto Yahweh to be chief ruler, and Zadok to be priest.

and the blossom-work, and the lamps, and the tongs, of gold, - the same, was the purest gold;

Have ye not driven out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, - and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of the countries? Whosoever cometh to install himself with a young bullock, and seven rams, then becometh he a priest unto the, no-gods.

Now, many days, had Israel been, - without the faithful God, and without a teaching priest, and without the law;

And lo! Amariah the chief priest, is over you as to every matter of Yahweh, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael the chief ruler for the house of Judah, as to every matter of the king, and, as officers, the Levites are before you, - Be strong and act, and Yahweh be with the good!

But Jehoshabeath, daughter of the king, took Joash son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the sons of the king who were being slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber, - so Jehoshabeath daughter of King Jehoram - wife of Jehoiada the priest, for, she, was the sister of Ahaziah - hid him from the face of Athaliah so that she slew him not.

So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and they took every man his men, who were coming in on the sabbath, with them who were going out on the sabbath, - for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses.

And Jehoiada the priest gave unto the captains of hundreds, the spears and the bucklers and the shields, which belonged to King David, - which were in the house of God.

Then Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of hundreds, officers of the force, and said unto them, Take her forth within the ranks, and he that cometh in after her let him be slain with the sword, - for, said the priest, Ye must not slay her in the house of Yahweh!

Then all the people entered into the house of Baal and brake it down, and, his altars and his images, brake they in pieces, - and, Mattan the priest of Baal, they slew, before the altars.

And Joash did that which was right, in the eyes of Yahweh,-all the days of Jehoiada the priest.

And it came to pass, what time the chest was brought into the office of the king by the hand of the Levites, and when they had seen that abundant was the silver, that the scribe of the king came in, and the officer of the chief priest, and they emptied the chest, and bare it, and put it back in its place, - thus, they did, day by day, and collected silver, in abundance;

And, the spirit of God, clothed Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, and he took his stand above the people, - and said unto them, Thus, saith God, Wherefore are, ye, transgressing the commandments of Yahweh, so that ye cannot prosper, because ye have forsaken Yahweh, therefore hath he forsaken you.

And, when they had departed from him, for they left him with sore diseases, his own servants conspired against him, for the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him upon his bed, and he died, - and, though they buried him in the city of David, yet did they not bury him in the sepulchres of the kings.

Then entered after him, Azariah the priest, - and with him eighty priests of Yahweh, sons of valour;

When Azariah the chief priest and all the priests turned towards him, lo! he, was leprous, in his forehead, so they hastened him from thence, - yea, even he himself, hurried to go out, because Yahweh had smitten him.

And Azariah, the chief priest of the house of Zadok, spake unto him, - and said - From the time of beginning to bring in, the heave-offering, into the house of Yahweh - to eat and to be full, there hath still been left, even to this abundance. For, Yahweh, hath blessed his people, and, that which is left, is this great plenty.

So they went in unto Hilkiah the high priest, and delivered the silver that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites who kept the entrance-hall had collected from the hand of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin, - and returned to Jerusalem.

Now, as they were taking out the silver which had been brought into the house of Yahweh, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of Yahweh, by the hand of Moses.

Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, A book, hath Hilkiah the priest given to me. And Shaphan, read therein, before the king.

and the governor told them, that they must not eat of the most holy things, - until there should stand up a priest, with Lights and Perfections.

son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eliazar, son of Aaron the first priest; -

Now, this, is a copy of the letter which King Artaxerxes gave, to Ezra the priest the scribe, - the scribe of the words of the commandments of Yahweh, and of his statutes, for Israel: -

Artaxerxes, king of kings, Unto Ezra the priest, scribe of the law of the God of the heavens - To despatch and so forth.

And, from me myself, Artaxerxes the king, issueth an edict, to all the treasurers who are Beyond the River, - that, whatsoever Ezra the priest the scribe of the law of the God of the heavens shall ask of you, with diligence, shall it be done:

And, on the fourth day, was weighed - the silver and the gold and the utensils, in the house of our God, unto the hand of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest, and, with him, was Eleazar son of Phinehas, - and, with them, were Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui, Levites:

Then arose Ezra the priest, and said unto them, Ye, have acted unfaithfully, and have married foreign women, - to add unto the guilt of Israel.

But the Sons of the Exile, did thus, and Ezra the priest separated to himself certain men - ancestral heads by their ancestral houses, and all of them by name, - and they took their seats on the first day of the tenth month to search into the matter;

Then arose Eliashib the high priest and his brethren the priests, and built the sheep-gate, they, hallowed it, and set up the doors thereof, - even unto the tower of Hammeah, hallowed they it, unto the tower of Hananel;

after him, zealously repaired Baruch son of Zabbai, a second length, - from the corner, unto the opening of the house of Eliashib, the high priest;

and the governor told them, they must not eat of the most holy things, - until there should stand up a priest, with Lights and Perfections.

So then Ezra the priest brought the law, before the convocation of both men and women, and all that had understanding to hearken, - on the first day of the seventh month;

Then Nehemiah - he, was the governor - and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites who were causing the people to understand, said unto all the people, To-day, is, holy, unto Yahweh your God, do not mourn, nor weep, - for, weeping, were all the people, when they heard the words of the law.

And the priest the son of Aaron should be with the Levites, when the Levites should take the tithes, - and the Levites, should bring up the tithe of the tithe, unto the house of our God, into the chambers pertaining unto the treasure-house.

These, were in the days of Joiakim, son of Jeshua, son of Jozadak, - and in the days of Nehemiah the pasha, and Ezra the priest the scribe.

Now, before this, Eliashib the priest, who was set over a chamber of the house of God, was allied unto Tobiah;

and I made treasurers over the treasuries - Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah from among the Levites, and, next unto them, Hanan son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, - for faithful were they accounted, and it was laid upon them to distribute unto their brethren.

And, one of the sons of Joiada, son of Eliashib the high priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite, - therefore I chased him from me.

Men tear, from the breast, the fatherless, and, over the poor, they take a pledge;

The topaz of Ethiopia cannot compare with it, Against purest gold, can it not be weighed.

Lo! my bosom, is like wine not opened, Like new wine-skins, it will burst.

Once, have I spoken, but I will not proceed, yea twice, but I will not add.

Lo! the river becometh insolent - he is not alarmed! He is confident, though a Jordan burst forth to his mouth:

Yahweh, hath sworn - and will not repent, Thou, shalt be a priest unto times age-abiding, after the manner of Melchizedek.

By his knowledge, the resounding deeps were burst open, and, the skies, drop down dew.

For, every thing, there is a season, - and a time for every pursuit, under the heavens: -

Said, I, in my heart, Both the righteous and the lawless, will God judge, - for there will be a time for every pursuit, and concerning every work - there.

For, to every pursuit, there is a time and a manner, - when, the vexation of man, is great concerning it.

HETo the garden of nuts, I went down, to look at the fresh shoots of the ravine, - to see whether: had burst forth the vine, had blossomed the pomegranate: -

Let us get up early to the vineyards, Let us see whether the vine, hath burst forth, the blossom, hath opened, the pomegranates, have bloomed, - There, will I give my caresses to thee.

That I may take in attestation, faithful witnesses, - even Uriah the priest, and Zechariah son of Jeberechiah.

Quiet, at rest, the whole earth, - Men have burst into shouting!

And it shall be - As the people, so, the priest, As the servant, so his lord, As the maid, so, her mistress, - As the buyer, so, the seller, As the lender, so, the borrower, As the debtor, so! his creditor.

But as for these, With wine, do they reel, and With strong drink, do they stagger, - Priest and prophet, reel with strong drink They are swallowed up through wine They stagger through strong drink, They reel in prophetic vision, They totter in pronouncing judgment.

Then will Yahweh cause to be heard - the resounding of his voice And the bringing down of his arm, shall be seen, In a rage of anger, And with the flame of a devouring fire, - A burst and a downpour, and a hailstone!

For, from the least of them, even unto the greatest of them, Every one, graspeth with greed, - And from the prophet even unto the priest, Every one, dealeth, falsely;

Therefore, will I give - Their wives to others, Their fields to such as shall take possession of them, For from the least, even unto the greatest, Every one, is, wholly given to extortion: From the prophet even unto the priest, Every one, dealeth, falsely.

If I have gone out into the field, Then lo! the slain of the sword! And if have entered the city, Then lo! the diseases of famine! For, both prophet and priest, have trafficked against the land unnoticed.

Then said they, - Come ye and let us devise against Jeremiah devices, For the law shall not perish from the priest, Nor, counsel, from the wise, Nor, the word from the prophet: Come and let as smite him with the tongue, And let us not give ear to any of his words!

And when Pashhur son of Immer, the priest, who also was deputy-overseer in the house of Yahweh, heard that Jeremiah had prophesied these things,

The word which came unto Jeremiah from Yahweh, - when King Zedekiah sent unto him Pashhur, son of Malchiah, and Zephaniah, son of Maaseiah, the priest, saying:

For both prophet and priest, are profane, - Even in my house, have I found their wickedness, Declareth Yahweh.

But when this people or a prophet or a priest shall ask thee saying What is the oracle of Yahweh? Then shalt thou say unto them Ye, yourselves, are the oracle, Therefore will I reject you Declareth Yahweh;

But the prophet, or the priest or the people who shall say - the oracle of Yahweh, I will bring punishment upon that man and upon his house.

Thus, speaketh Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, saying, - Because, thou, hast sent in, thine own name, letters, unto all the people who are in Jerusalem, and unto Zephaniah son, of Maaseiah the priest, and unto all the priests saying:

Yahweh, hath made thee priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be deputies in the house of Yahweh, to any man who is raving and prophesying, so shalt thou put him into the stocks and into the pillory:

And Zephaniah the priest hath read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet,

So shall there proceed from them thanksgiving, and The sound of them who make merry, - And I will multiply them, and they shall not become few, And will make them honourable, and they shall not be despised:

And, his illustrious one, shall spring, from himself, And his ruler, from his own midst, shall proceed, And I will bring him near and he shall approach unto me, - For who is there that hath pledged his own heart to approach unto me? Demandeth Yahweh:

And King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest unto Jeremiah the prophet saying, - Pray thou I beseech thee in our behalf, unto Yahweh, our God.

And the chief of the royal executioners, took away, Seraiah the first priest, and Zephaniah, the second priest, - and the three keepers of the entrance-hall;

Thus hath he destroyed, like a garden, his pavilion, hath laid waste his place of assembly, - Yahweh, hath caused to be forgotten, in Zion, the appointed assembly and the sabbath, and hath spurned, in the indignation of his anger, the king and the priest.

See, O Yahweh, and do consider, to whom thou hast acted thus severely, - Will women, devour, their own fruit - the children they have dandled? Shall priest and prophet, be slain in the sanctuary of My Lord?

Out of the mouth of the Most High, Proceed there not misfortunes and blessing?