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 as soon as the word came abroad the children of Israel brought abundance of first fruits of corn, wine, oil and honey, and of all manner of fruits of the field: and the tithes of all manner of things brought they in plenteously.

And the children of Israel and Judah that dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithes of oxen and sheep, and tithes of dedicated things which were dedicated to the LORD their God, and put them on heaps.

In the third month they began to lay the heaps and finished them the seventh.

And when Hezekiah and the lords came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD and his people Israel.

and carried in the heave offerings and the tithes and the dedicated gifts; even of fidelity. Over which Conaniah the Levite had the rule with Shimei his brother next to him.

And under him were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shecaniah, in the cities of the priests of their fidelity, to give to their brethren their portions, as well to the small as to the great.

And to the priests that were reckoned in the households of their fathers from twenty years and above, to wait when their courses came.

For to the fidelity of them did men commit their sanctified gifts. And thereto among the children of Aaron the priests were men named by name in the fields of the suburbs of all their cities, city by city, for to give portions to all the males of the priests and to all that were reckoned among the Levites.

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,

And so there gathered much people together and stopped all the wells, and the brook that ran through the midst of the land; intending that the kings of Assyria should not find much water when they came.

"Pluck up your hearts and be strong: Be not afraid or in any wise discouraged for dread of the king of Assyria, and of the great multitude that is with him: for there is one greater with us than with him.

With him is an arm of flesh: But with us is the LORD our God for to help us and to fight our battles!" And the people were well couraged with the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

"Thus sayeth Sennacherib king of Assyria: Wherein do ye trust, O ye that are besieged in Jerusalem?

Is it not that Hezekiah that put down his hill altars and his other altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, 'Before one altar ye shall bow yourselves and upon that offer also?'

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 they cried with a loud voice in the Jewish language, unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the walls, to fear them and to dismay them, that they might have taken the city.

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.

And so the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabiters at Jerusalem out of the hands of Sennacherib king of Assyria and of all others, and maintained them on all sides -

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.

In those days Hezekiah was sick unto the death and besought the LORD; which answered him and showed him a wonderful miracle.

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 made store houses for the fruits of corn, wine and oil; and stables for all manner of beasts, and folds for sheep.

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.

But when the ambassadors of the lords of Babylon were sent to him to enquire of the wonder that chanced in the land, God left him: to tempt him, that all that was in his heart might be known.

The rest of the deeds of Hezekiah and his goodness are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

And then Hezekiah laid him to rest with his fathers, and they buried him in the highest sepulchre of the sons of David: and Judah and the inhabiters of Jerusalem did him worship at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.

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.

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 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."

And when the LORD spake to Manasseh and to his people, they attended not to him.

Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the Captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh in a hold and bound him with chains and carried him to Babylon.

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

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.

Nevertheless, the people did offer still in the hill altars; howbeit unto the LORD their God only.

The rest of the acts of Manasseh and his prayer unto his God, and the words of the seers of visions that spake to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel, are written among the deeds of the Kings of Israel.

And when Manasseh was laid to rest with his fathers, they buried him in his own house: and Amon his son reigned in his room.

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

Wherefore his own servants conspired against him and slew him in his own house.

And the people of the land slew all that had conspired against king Amon. And thereto the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his room.

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 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 they put it in the hands of the workmen that had the oversight of the house of the LORD. which gave it to the laborers that wrought on the house of the LORD, to repair and mend it,

And the men wrought in the work of fidelity. And the overseers of them, to courage them forward, were Jahath and Obadiah, Levites of the children of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam of the children of the Kohathites; and as many other of the Levites as could skill of instruments of Music.

And over the bearers of burdens and over all that wrought, in whatsoever workmanship it were, went there scribes, officers and porters of the Levites.

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 they have poured out the money that was found in the house of the LORD and have delivered into the hands of the overseers of the workmen."

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

"Go and enquire of the LORD for me and for them that are left in Israel and Judah concerning the words of the book that is found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that is fallen upon us, because our fathers kept not the word of the LORD, to do after all that is written in this book."

And Hilkiah, with them that pertained to the king, went to Huldah, a prophetess, wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe - which prophetess dwelt in Jerusalem in the second ward - and they communed so with her.

even thus sayeth the LORD: See, I will bring evil upon this place and upon the inhabiters thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah,

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.

Because thine heart did melt and thou didst meek thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place and against the inhabiters thereof, and humblest thyself before me, and tarest thy clothes and weepest before me, that have I heard also, sayeth the LORD.

Behold, I will take thee to thy fathers and thou shalt be put in thy grave in peace, and thine eyes shall not see all the mischief that I will bring upon this place and upon the inhabiters of the same.'" And they brought the king word again.

And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah and the inhabiters of Jerusalem and the Priests and Levites and all the people great and small: and read all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD.

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 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 Josiah held the feast of Passover unto the LORD in Jerusalem, and they slew Passover in the fourteenth day of the first month.

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 stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the ancient households of your brethren the children of the people, and after the division of the ancient households of the Levites,

And Josiah gave to the common people in lambs and kids, for Passover offerings only, unto all that were present thirty thousand by tally, and three thousand oxen; even of the king's substance.

And so the service went forward: and the priests stood in their places, and the Levites in their companies at the king's commandment.

And they fetched away the burnt offerings, to give them unto the common people as they were divided by ancient houses, for to offer unto the LORD; like as it is written in the book of Moses. And so did they with the oxen too.

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 afterward they made ready for themselves and for the priests and for the children of Aaron, which were busied in offering of burnt offerings and the fat until night. And therefore the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests the sons of Aaron.

And the singers the children of Asaph stood in their standing according to the commandment of David and Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun the king's seer of visions: and the porters waited at every gate, and might not depart from their service. But their brethren the Levites prepared for them.

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 there was no Passover like to that kept in Israel, from the time of Samuel the prophet: neither did any of the kings of Israel hold such a Passover feast as did Josiah and the priests and Levites and all Judah, and as much of Israel as could be had, and the inhabiters of Jerusalem.

And this Passover was holden in the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah.

After all this, when Josiah had finished the temple, Neco king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish upon Euphrates, and Josiah went out against him.

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 Jeremiah lamented Josiah, and all singing men and singing women speak of Josiah to this day, and made it an ordinance in Israel: and they be written in lamentations.

The rest of the acts of Josiah, and his goodness in following the writing of the law,

and his deeds, first and last, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and made him king for his father in Jerusalem.

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

For the king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem and merced the land in a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

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.

Against him came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and bound him in fetters to carry him to Babylon.

Thereto the king Nebuchadnezzar carried off the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon and put them in his temple at Babylon.

The rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his Abominations, and that was laid to his charge, are written in the book of the kings of Israel: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.

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 when the year was out, king Nebuchadnezzar sent and fetched him to Babylon with the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.

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