and, the Philistines, had spread themselves out against the cities of the lowland and of the south, pertaining to Judah, and had captured Beth-shemesh and Aijalon and Gederoth, and Soco with its villages, and Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo, with its villages, - and dwelt there.

For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus who had smitten him, and said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria are helping them, unto them, will I sacrifice, that they may help me. But, they, served to seduce him and all Israel.

And, Hezekiah, began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and, twenty-nine years, reigned he in Jerusalem, - and, the name of his mother, was Abijah, daughter of Zechariah.

And he did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, - according to all that, David his father, had done.

Moreover they have shut up the doors of the porch, and have quenched the lamps, and, incense, have they not burned,-and, ascending-sacrifice, have they not caused to go up in the holy place, unto the God of Israel.

Thus hath it come to pass, that, the wrath of Yahweh, hath been upon Judah and Jerusalem, - and he hath delivered them up as a terror and as an astonishment and as hissing, even as, ye, can see with your own eyes.

Now, is it near my heart, to solemnise a covenant unto Yahweh, God of Israel, - that he may turn from him the glow of his anger.

My sons! now, do not be faulty, - for, of you, hath Yahweh made choice, to stand before him, and to wait upon him, and to be his attendants and burners of incense.

and they gathered together their brethren, who hallowed themselves, and came in according to the command of the king, in the things of Yahweh, - to purify the house of Yahweh.

So the priests entered into the inner part of the house of Yahweh, to make purification, and they brought out every unclean thing which they found in the temple of Yahweh, into the court of the house of Yahweh, - where the Levites received it, to carry it forth to the Kidron ravine outside.

And they began, on the first of the first month, to hallow, - and, on the eighth day of the month, they came to the porch of Yahweh, so they hallowed the house of Yahweh in eight days, - and, on the sixteenth day of the first month, they finished.

So Hezekiah the king rose up early, and gathered together the rulers of the city, - and went up to the house of Yahweh.

And they brought in seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven young sheep, and seven he-goats for bearing sin, for the kingdom and for the sanctuary and for Judah, - and he bade the sons of Aaron, the priests, cause them to ascend upon the altar of Yahweh.

and the priests slaughtered them, and sin-cleansed, with their blood, the altar, to put a propitiatory-covering over all Israel,-because, for all Israel, did the king appoint the ascending-sacrifice and the offering for bearing sin.

And he caused the Levites to stand in the house of Yahweh, with cymbals and with harps and with lyres, by the commandment of David, and of Gad the seer of the king, and of Nathan the prophet, - for, by the hand of Yahweh, came the commandment by the hand of his prophets.

And Hezekiah gave word, to cause the ascending-sacrifice to go up on the altar, - and, when the ascending-sacrifice began, the singing unto Yahweh began, and the trumpets, even under the direction of the instruments of David, king of Israel.

And Hezekiah the king and the rulers gave word to the Levites, to offer praise unto Yahweh, in the words of David, and of Asaph the seer, - so they offered praise right joyfully, and bent their heads and bowed themselves in prostration.

And it came to pass that, the number of ascending-sacrifices which the convocation brought, was - seventy bullocks, and a hundred rams, and two hundred young sheep, - as an ascending-sacrifice unto Yahweh, all these.

Only, the priests, were too few, and were unable to flay all the ascending-sacrifices, - so their brethren the Levites strengthened them, until the work was complete and until the priests had hallowed themselves, for, the Levites, were more upright in heart to hallow themselves, than the priests.

Moreover also, the ascending-sacrifices, were in abundance, with the fat portions of the peace-offerings, and with the drink-offerings to every ascending-sacrifice,-thus was established the service of the house of Yahweh.

Then sent Hezekiah unto all Israel and Judah, moreover also, letters, wrote he unto Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come unto the house of Yahweh, in Jerusalem, - to keep a passover unto Yahweh, God of Israel.

Yea, the king and his rulers and all the convocation in Jerusalem, had taken counsel, - to keep the passover in the second month.

For they were unable to keep it at that time, - because, the priests, had not hallowed themselves in sufficient numbers, and, the people, had not gathered themselves unto Jerusalem.

So they established a decree, to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba even unto Dan, that they should come in to keep a passover unto Yahweh the God of Israel, in Jerusalem, - for, not for a long time, had they kept it as written.

The runners, therefore, went with letters from the hand of the king and his rulers, throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, - Ye sons of Israel, return ye unto Yahweh, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and he will return unto the remnant, that which is left to you, out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.

Now, do not stiffen your neck, like your fathers, - stretch forth the hand unto Yahweh, and enter into his sanctuary which he hath hallowed unto times age-abiding, and serve Yahweh your God, that he may turn from you the glow of his anger.

For, by your returning unto Yahweh, your brethren and your children, shall find compassion before their captors, so as to return unto this land. For, gracious and compassionate, is Yahweh your God, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye will return unto him.

So the runners were passing from city to city throughout the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, even unto Zebulun, - -but they were laughing them to scorn, and mocking them.

Howbeit, some, out of Asher and Manasseh and out of Zebulun, humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.

Also, upon Judah, came the hand of God, to give them one heart, - to keep the commandment of the king and the rulers, as the word of Yahweh.

And there gathered themselves unto Jerusalem much people, to keep the festival of unleavened cakes, in the second month, - an exceeding large convocation.

Then slaughtered they the passover, on the fourteenth of the second month, - and, the priests and the Levites, were put to shame, and hallowed themselves, and brought in the ascending-sacrifices of the house of Yahweh.

And they stood in their place, according to their regulation, according to the law of Moses the man of God, - the priests, dashing the blood, which they received at the hand of the Levites.

For there were many in the convocation, who had not hallowed themselves, - but, the Levites, were over the slaughtering of the passover-lambs, for every one who was, not pure, to hallow him unto Yahweh.

every one who hath prepared, his heart, to seek God, even Yahweh, God of his fathers, - though not according to the purification of the sanctuary!

And so the sons of Israel who were found in Jerusalem kept the festival of unleavened cakes seven days, with great rejoicing, - and the Levites and the priests, were offering praise unto Yahweh day by day, with loud instruments, unto Yahweh.

Then all the convocation took counsel, to keep seven days more, - and they kept seven days, with rejoicing.

For, Hezekiah king of Judah, presented to the convocation, a thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep, and, the rulers, presented to the convocation, a thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep,-and, priests in great numbers, hallowed themselves.

Now, when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went forth unto the cities of Judah, and brake in pieces the pillars - and cut down the Sacred Stems - and threw down the high places and the altars, out of all Judah and Benjamin - and throughout Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had made an end, - then all the sons of Israel returned every man to his own possession, unto their own cities.

And Hezekiah appointed the courses of the priests, and the Levites, over their courses, every man according to the requirements of his service, both priests and Levites, for ascending-sacrifice and for peace-offerings, - to be in attendance and to give thanks and to offer praise, in the gates of the camps of Yahweh;

And he bade the people who were dwelling in Jerusalem give the portion of the priests and the Levites, - to the end they might persevere in the law of Yahweh.

And, as soon as the thing spread abroad, the sons of Israel caused to abound the firstfruit of corn, new wine, and oil, and honey, and all the increase of the field,-yea, the tithe of all - in abundance, brought they in.

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.

Then Hezekiah gave word to prepare chambers, in the house of Yahweh, and they prepared them;

And, Kore, son of Imnah the Levite, the door-keeper on the east, was over the freewill offerings of God, - to give the heave-offering of Yahweh, and the most holy things.

And, under his direction, were Eden and Miniamin and Jeshua and Shemaiah, Amariah and Shecaniah, in the cities of the priests, in trust to give unto their brethren by courses, as the great so the small;

besides registering them by males, from three years old and upward, unto every one that entered into the house of Yahweh, in the need of a day upon its day, - by their service, in their watches, according to their courses:

even to the registering of all their little ones, their wives and their sons and their daughters, unto all the convocation, - for, in their trust, they hallowed themselves in holiness;

also unto the sons of Aaron the priests in the fields of the pasture land of their cities, in every several city, men who were expressed by name, - to give portions to every male among the priests, and to all registered among the Levites.

And, in all the work which he began in the service of the house of God - and in the law - and in the commandment, to seek unto his God, with all his heart, he wrought, and prospered.

After these things done in faithfulness, came Sennacherib king of Assyria, - and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fortified cities, and thought to break into them for himself.

And, when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, - and that, his face, was - to war, against Jerusalem,

he took counsel with his captains and his heroes, to stop the waters of the fountains, which were outside the city, - -and they helped him.

Be strong and bold, do not fear neither be dismayed, because of the king of Assyria, nor because of all the multitude that is with him, - for, with us, is One greater than with him:

with him, is an arm of flesh, but, with us, is Yahweh our God, to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people leaned upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

Is not, Hezekiah, persuading you, so as to deliver you up to die with hunger and with thirst, saying, - Yahweh our God, will deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

Is it not, the same Hezekiah, who hath removed his high places, and his altars, - and hath given word to Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Before one altar, shall ye bow yourselves down, and, thereupon, shall ye burn incense?

Will ye not take note, what I have done, I and my fathers, to all the peoples of the countries? Have the gods of the nations of the countries been, at all able, to deliver their country, out of my hand?

Who, among all the gods of these nations whom my fathers devoted to destruction, hath ever been able to deliver his people out of my hand, - that your god should be able to deliver you out of my hand?

Now, therefore, do not let Hezekiah beguile you nor persuade you thus, neither do ye believe him. For no, god, of any nation or kingdom hath ever been able to deliver his people out of my hand, or out of the hand of my fathers,-how much less shall, your gods, deliver you, out of my hand?

Letters, also wrote he, to scoff at Yahweh God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, Like the gods of the nations of the countries, who delivered not their people out of my hand, so, shall the god of Hezekiah not deliver his people out of my hand.

Then cried they out, with a loud voice, in the Jews' language, unto the people of Jerusalem who were upon the wall, to affright them, and to terrify them, - to the end they might capture the city.

So Yahweh sent a messenger, who cut off every hero of valour, and chief ruler and captain, in the camp of the king of Assyria, - and he returned with shame of face to his own land, and, when he entered the house of his god, then, the issue of his own body - there, caused him to fall by the sword.

And, many, were bringing in a present unto Yahweh, to Jerusalem, and precious things, unto Hezekiah king of Judah, - so that he was exalted in the eyes of all the nations, from thenceforth.

But, not according to the benefit done unto him, did Hezekiah make return, for uplifted was his heart, - and so there came upon him, wrath, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.

And it came to pass that, Hezekiah, had riches and honour in great abundance, - and, treasuries, made he for himself - for silver and for gold and for costly stones, and for spices and for precious things, and for all utensils to be coveted;

Yet verily, with regard to the ambassadors of the rulers of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire concerning the wonderful token which came to pass in the land, God left him, - to prove him, to take note of all that was in his heart.

Twelve years old, was Manasseh when he began to reign, - and, fifty-five years, reigned he in Jerusalem.

And he did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh,-according to the abominable ways of the nations, whom Yahweh dispossessed from before the sons of Israel.

And he again built the high places, which Hezekiah his father had thrown down, - and set up altars to the Baalim, and made Sacred Stems, and bowed in prostration unto all the army of the heavens, and served them;

and built altars in the house of Yahweh, - as to which Yahweh had said, In Jerusalem, shall be my Name, unto times age-abiding.

Yea he built altars unto all the army of the heavens, - in the two courts of the house of Yahweh.

And, he, caused his sons to pass through the fire, in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and practised hidden arts and used divination, and practised sorcery, and appointed a necromancer, and a wizard, - he exceeded in doing the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh, to provoke him to anger;

and he set a resemblance-image which he had made, - in the house of God, as to which God had said unto David, and unto Solomon his son, In this house and in Jerusalem which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my Name, unto times age-abiding.

So will I not again remove the foot of Israel away from the soil which I appointed for their fathers. Only they must observe to do all that I have commanded them, even all the law and the statutes and the regulations, by the hand of Moses.

And so Manasseh led astray Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, - to commit wickedness beyond the nations which Yahweh had destroyed from before the sons of Israel.

So Yahweh brought in upon them, the captains of the army that belonged to the king of Assyria, and they captured Manasseh with hooks, - and bound him captive with a pair of bronze fetters, and took him away to Babylon.

and, when he prayed unto him, then was he entreated of him, and hearkened unto his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem, unto his own kingdom, and so Manasseh came to know, that, Yahweh, is God.

And, after this, he built an outer wall to the city of David on the west of the Gihon in the ravine, even to the entering in through the fish-gate, and went round to Ophel, and carried it up very high, - and put captains of valour in all the fortified cities, throughout Judah.

And he built the altar of Yahweh, and sacrificed thereon peace-offerings, and thanksgiving sacrifices,-and gave word to Judah to serve Yahweh, God of Israel.

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

And his servants conspired against him, and put him to death, in his own house.

Eight years old, was Josiah when he begun to reign, - and, thirty-one years, reigned he in Jerusalem.

And he did that which was right, in the eyes of Yahweh, - and walked in the ways of David his father, and turned not aside, to the right hand or to the left.

And, in the eighth year of his reign, he, being yet a boy, he began to seek unto the God of David his father,-and, in the twelfth year, he began to purify Judah and Jerusalem, from the high places and the Sacred Stems, and the carved images and the molten images.

And they threw down before him, the altars of the Baalim, and, the sun-pillars which were on high above them, he hewed down, - and, the Sacred Stems and the carved images and the molten images, brake he in pieces and ground to dust, and tossed over the face of the graves, of them who had been sacrificing unto them.

And, when he had thrown down the altars and the Sacred Stems, and, the images, he had beaten to powder, and, the sun-pillars, he had hewn down throughout all the land of Israel, then returned he to Jerusalem.

And, in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purified the land and the house, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and Maaseiah the ruler of the city and Joah son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of Yahweh his God.

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.

And the overseers in the house of Yahweh, delivered it into the hand of the doer of the work, - yea they delivered it to the doers of the work, because they were working in the house of Yahweh, in searching and repairing the house:

yea they delivered it to the artificers and to the builders, to buy carved stones and timbers for the joinings, - and to build up the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.

Now, the men, were working faithfully in the work, and over them as overseers, were - Jahath and Obadiah, Levites, of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to preside, - and Levites, all who had understanding in instruments of song;

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 it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.

Go, enquire of Yahweh for me, and for the remnant in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book which hath been found, - for great is the wrath of Yahweh, which hath been poured out upon us, because our fathers, kept not, the word of Yahweh, to do according to all that is written in this book.

Because they have forsaken me, and burned incense unto other gods, so as to provoke me to anger, with all the works of their hands, therefore hath my wrath been poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched.

But, unto the king of Judah, who hath sent you to enquire of Yahweh, thus, shall ye say unto him, - Thus, saith Yahweh God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard:

And the king went up to the house of Yahweh - and all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem - and the priests and the Levites, and all the people, from the great even unto the small, - and he read in their ears, all the words of the book of the covenant, which had been found in the house of Yahweh.

And the king stood in his place, and solemnised the covenant before Yahweh, to walk after Yahweh, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all his heart and with all his soul, - to perform the words of the covenant that are written in this book.

And he caused to take a stand, all that were present in Jerusalem, and Benjamin, - and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.