# verses

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Izevel's corpse in the field of Yizre'el will be like dung on the ground, unrecognizable as Izevel.''


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There were seventy descendants of Ach'av in Shomron. Yehu wrote letters and sent them to Shomron to the rulers of Yizre'el, to the leaders, and to the guardians of Ach'av's sons. The letters said,


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'You have with you your master's sons, also chariots and horses, as well as fortified cities and armor. So, as soon as this letter reaches you,


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choose the best and most suitable of your master's sons, set him on his father's throne and fight for your master's dynasty.'


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So the administrator of the palace, the governor of the city, the leaders and the children's guardians sent this message to Yehu: 'We are your servants. We will do everything you ask us to; we won't appoint anyone king. Do as you see fit.'


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He wrote a second letter to them, which said, 'If you are on my side, and if you are ready to obey my orders, then bring the heads of your master's sons to me in Yizre'el by this time tomorrow.' Now the seventy sons of the king were with the prominent men who had raised them.


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When the letter reached them, they seized the king's sons and killed them, all seventy of them, put their heads in baskets and sent them to Yehu in Yizre'el.


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A messenger came and told him, 'They have brought the heads of the king's sons.' He said, 'Leave them in two piles at the entrance of the city gate until morning.'


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When morning came, he went out, stood before the people and said, 'You are not responsible [for the deaths of these men]. Yes, I conspired against my master and killed him. But who killed all these?


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Understand, then, that no part of ADONAI's word which ADONAI spoke concerning the dynasty of Ach'av falls to the ground; because ADONAI has done what he said through his servant Eliyahu.'


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So Yehu killed everyone who remained from the house of Ach'av in Yizre'el, all his leading men, his close friends and his cohanim, until not one of them was left alive.


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where he encountered relatives of Achazyah king of Y'hudah. 'Who are you?' he asked. 'We're relatives of Achazyah,' they answered, 'and we're going down to pay our respects to the families of the king and of the queen mother.'


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'Take them alive,' said Yehu. They took them alive, forty-two men, slaughtered them and threw them into the shearing shed's pit; he spared not one of them.


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On leaving there, he happened upon Y'honadav the son of Rekhav coming toward him. He greeted him and said to him, 'Are you wholeheartedly with me, as I am with you?' 'Yes,' answered Y'honadav. 'If so, give me your hand.' He gave him his hand, and Yehu took him up into the chariot.


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On arriving in Shomron he put to death everyone that Ach'av still had in Shomron, until he had destroyed him, in keeping with the word of ADONAI which he had spoken to Eliyahu.


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Next, Yehu assembled all the people and said to them, 'Ach'av served Ba'al in limited measure, but Yehu will serve him with full zeal.


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Therefore summon all the prophets of Ba'al to me, all his worshippers and all his priests. None of them is to be missing, because I am going to offer a great sacrifice to Ba'al; whoever is missing will not remain alive.' But Yehu was setting a trap, in order to destroy the worshippers of Ba'al.


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Yehu sent throughout all Isra'el, and all the worshippers of Ba'al came, so that there was not one man left that didn't come. They entered the temple of Ba'al, and the temple of Ba'al was filled from one end to the other.


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To the man in charge of the wardrobe he said, 'Bring out robes for all the worshippers of Ba'al'; and he brought them clothes.


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Yehu and Y'honadav the son of Rekhav entered the house of Ba'al and said to the worshippers of Ba'al, 'Search to see that none of the servants of ADONAI is here with you, only worshippers of Ba'al.'


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Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. But Yehu had chosen eighty men to remain outside. He said, 'If any of the men I am about to put in your hands escapes, it will be your life for his.'


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As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, Yehu said to the guards and officers, 'Go in, and kill them; don't let one of them get out.' So they killed them with the sword; then, after the guards and officers had thrown their bodies outside, they went into the temple of Ba'al's inner shrine,


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Finally, they broke down Ba'al's standing-stone and demolished the temple of Ba'al, converting it into a latrine, which it still is today.


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However, Yehu did not turn away from the sins of Yarov'am the son of N'vat, with which he had led Isra'el into sin, the gold calves that were in Beit-El and Dan.


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ADONAI said to Yehu, 'Because you did well in accomplishing what is right from my perspective, and have done to the house of Ach'av everything that was in my heart, your descendants down to the fourth generation will sit on the throne of Isra'el.'


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But Yehu made no effort to live wholeheartedly according to the Torah of ADONAI the God of Isra'el and did not turn away from the sins of Yarov'am, with which he had led Isra'el into sin.


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It was during that period that ADONAI began to dismember Isra'el. Haza'el attacked them throughout the territory of Isra'el


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east of the Yarden - all the land of Gil'ad, the Gadi, Re'uveni and M'nashi, from 'Aro'er by the Arnon River, including Gil'ad and Bashan.


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Other activities of Yehu, all his accomplishments and all his power are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el.


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Yehu slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in Shomron. Then Y'ho'achaz his son became king in his place.


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When 'Atalyah the mother of Achazyah saw that her son was dead, she set about destroying the entire royal family.


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But Y'hosheva the daughter of King Yoram, sister of Achazyah, took Yo'ash the son of Achazyah and stole him away from among the princes who were being slaughtered. She took him and his nurse, sequestered them in a bedroom, and hid them from 'Atalyah, so that he was not killed.


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He remained hidden with his nurse in the house of ADONAI for six years; during this time 'Atalyah ruled the land.


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In the seventh year Y'hoyada summoned the captains of hundred-man platoons, of both the Kari and the guard. He brought them into the house of ADONAI, made an agreement with them and had them swear to it in the house of ADONAI. Then he showed them the king's son


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and gave them this instruction: 'Here is what you are to do: of you who come on duty on Shabbat, a third [normally] guards the royal palace,


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a third is at the Sur Gate and a third is at the gate behind the guards. [The first third] is to continue guarding the palace and serve as a barrier,


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while the other two groups of you who come on duty on Shabbat will guard the house of ADONAI, where the king is.


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You are to surround the king, each man with his weapons in his hand. Anyone who penetrates the ranks is to be killed. Stay with the king whenever he leaves or enters.'


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The captains over hundreds did exactly as Y'hoyada the cohen ordered. Each took his men, those coming on duty on Shabbat and those going off duty on Shabbat, and came to Y'hoyada the cohen.


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The cohen issued to the captains of hundreds the spears and shields that had been King David's and were kept in the house of ADONAI.


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The guards then took positions, each man with his weapons in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, alongside the altar, alongside [the exterior of] the house and around the king.


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Then he brought out the king's son, crowned him, gave him [a copy of] the testimony and thus made him king; they anointed him, clapped their hands and shouted, 'Long live the king!'


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When 'Atalyah heard the shouting of the guard and the people, she entered the house of ADONAI where the people were,


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looked and saw the king standing there on the platform, in keeping with the rule, with the leaders and trumpeters next to the king. All the people of the land were celebrating and blowing the trumpets. At this 'Atalyah tore her clothes and cried, 'Treason! Treason!'


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Y'hoyada the cohen ordered the captains of hundreds, the army officers, 'Escort her out past the ranks [of guards]; but anyone who follows her, kill with the sword.' For the cohen had said, 'She must not be put to death in the house of ADONAI.'


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So they took her by force and led her through the horses' entry to the royal palace, and there she was put to death.


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Y'hoyada made a covenant between ADONAI, the king and the people, that they would be ADONAI's people, and [a covenant] between the king and the people.


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Then all the people of the land went to the house of Ba'al and broke it down; they completely smashed its altars and images and killed Mattan the priest of Ba'al in front of the altars. Next, the cohen appointed officers over the house of ADONAI.


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He took the captains of hundreds, the Kari, the guards and all the people of the land; and they brought the king down from the house of ADONAI, going by way of the gate of the guards to the royal palace. There he sat on the throne of the kings.


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All the people of the land celebrated, and at last the city was quiet. That is how they killed 'Atalyah with the sword at the royal palace.


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It was in the seventh year of Yehu that Y'ho'ash began to rule, and he ruled forty years in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was Tzivyah, from Be'er-Sheva.


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Y'ho'ash did what was right from ADONAI's perspective throughout the lifetime of Y'hoyada the cohen, who instructed him.


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Nevertheless the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and presented offerings on the high places.


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Y'ho'ash said to the cohanim, 'All the funds for sacred purposes which are brought to the house of ADONAI - the half-shekel tax, the taxes on persons in a man's household, and all the offerings anyone voluntarily brings to the house of ADONAI -


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the cohanim are to receive from whoever personally makes contributions to them; and they are to use these funds to repair the damaged parts of the house, wherever damage is found.


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But twenty-three years into the reign of King Y'ho'ash, the cohanim had still not repaired the damaged places in the house.


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So King Y'ho'ash summoned Y'hoyada the cohen and the other cohanim and said to them, 'Why aren't you repairing the damaged places in the house? Therefore, you are no longer to take money from those who contribute it personally to you; you must hand it over to be used for repairing the damage in the house.'


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The cohanim agreed not to receive money from the people, and they would no longer be responsible for repairing the damage to the house.


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Then Y'hoyada the cohen took a chest, drilled a hole in its lid and set it by the altar, on the right, as one enters the house of ADONAI; and the cohanim in charge of the entry put in it all the money brought into the house of ADONAI.


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When they saw that there was a large amount of money in the chest, the king's secretary and the cohen hagadol would come up, count the money found in the house of ADONAI and put it in bags.


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Then they would give the weighed-out money to those supervising the work in the house of ADONAI, who would use it to pay the carpenters and construction-workers doing the work in the house of ADONAI,


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on masons, stoneworkers, timber, worked stone and everything else needed for repairing the damaged places in the house of ADONAI.


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But none of the money brought into the house of ADONAI was used to make silver cups, snuffers, bowls, trumpets or other articles of gold or silver for the house of ADONAI;


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More-work, thus restricting its use to repairing the damage in the house of ADONAI. over, they did not require an accounting from the supervisors given the money to pay the workers, because they dealt honestly.


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Money from guilt offerings and sin offerings, however, was not brought into the house of ADONAI; it went to the cohanim.


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Haza'el king of Aram went up and fought against Gat; and after capturing it, Haza'el made his decision to attack Yerushalayim.


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Y'ho'ash king of Y'hudah took all the consecrated articles that Y'hoshafat, Y'horam and Achazyah, his ancestors, kings of Y'hudah, had dedicated, as well as his own consecrated articles and all the gold found in the treasuries of the house of ADONAI and of the royal palace, and sent them to Haza'el king of Aram, who then withdrew from Yerushalayim.


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Other activities of Yo'ash and all his accomplishments are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y'hudah.


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Then his servants got together, formed a conspiracy and murdered Yo'ash at Beit-Millo on the way down to Sila.


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His servants Yozakhar the son of Shim'at and Y'hozavad the son of Shomer struck him, so that he died. They buried him with his ancestors in the City of David, and Amatzyah his son took his place as king.


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It was in the twenty-third year of Yo'ash the son of Achazyah, king of Y'hudah, that Y'ho'achaz the son of Yehu began his reign over Isra'el in Shomron; he ruled for seventeen years.


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He did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective; he followed the sins of Yarov'am the son of N'vat, who made Isra'el sin; and he never ceased committing those sins.


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ADONAI's anger burned against Isra'el, and he kept handing them over to Haza'el king of Aram and Ben-Hadad the son of Haza'el.


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But Y'ho'achaz pleaded to ADONAI, and ADONAI listened to him, because he saw the oppression the king of Aram was inflicting on Isra'el.


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So ADONAI gave Isra'el a savior who freed them from the grip of Aram, so that the people of Isra'el could live in their tents, as they had before.


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Despite that, instead of turning from the sins of the house of Yarov'am, who made Isra'el sin, they continued to live in this sinful way. Moreover, the asherah continued to stand in Shomron.


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The king of Aram destroyed Y'ho'achaz's army, making them like chaff when grain is threshed, except for fifty horsemen, ten chariots and 10,000 foot soldiers.


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Other activities of Y'ho'achaz, all his accomplishments and his power are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el.


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Y'ho'achaz slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in Shomron. Then Yo'ash his son took his place as king.


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It was in the thirty-seventh year of Yo'ash king of Y'hudah that Yo'ash the son of Y'ho'achaz began his rule over Isra'el in Shomron; he ruled for sixteen years.


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He did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective and did not turn from all the sins of Yarov'am the son of N'vat, who made Isra'el sin; on the contrary, he lived in this sinful way.


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Other activities of Yo'ash, all his accomplishments and his power in fighting Amatzyah king of Y'hudah are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el.


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Yo'ash slept with his ancestors, and Yarov'am occupied his throne. Yo'ash was buried in Shomron with the kings of Isra'el.


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Elisha was now ill with the disease from which he would eventually die. Yo'ash the king of Isra'el came down to visit him and wept over him; he said, 'My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Isra'el!'


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He said to the king of Isra'el, 'Put your hand on the bow'; and he put his hand on it. Then Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands


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and said, 'Open the east window.' He opened it. Elisha said, 'Shoot'; and he shot. He said, 'ADONAI's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory against Aram! You will defeat Aram completely at Afek!'


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He said, 'Take the arrows'; and he took them. He told the king of Isra'el, 'Strike the ground.' He struck three times, then stopped.


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The man of God became angry with him; he said, 'You should have struck five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram completely. As it is, you will defeat Aram only three times.'


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Elisha died, and they placed him in a burial cave. Now the raiding parties of Mo'av used to make yearly incursions into the land at the start of the year.


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Once it happened that just as they were burying a man, they spotted a raiding party; so they threw the man's body into Elisha's burial cave; and the moment the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.


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but ADONAI was gracious, took pity on them and looked on them with favor, because of his covenant with Avraham, Yitz'chak and Ya'akov. He was not willing to destroy them, and to this day he has not banished them from his presence.


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Then Y'ho'ash the son of Y'ho'achaz captured from Ben-Hadad the son of Haza'el the cities which he had captured in war from Y'ho'achaz his father. Three times Yo'ash defeated him, thus recovering the cities of Isra'el.


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It was in the second year of Yo'ash son of Y'ho'achaz king of Isra'el that Amatzyah the son of Yo'ash king of Y'hudah began his reign.


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He was twenty-five years old when he began to rule, and he ruled for twenty-nine years in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was Y'ho'adan, from Yerushalayim.


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He did what was right from ADONAI's perspective, although not like David his ancestor; he lived the same way as his father Yo'ash.


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However, the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and offered on the high places.


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As soon as he had the kingdom firmly under his control, he put to death the servants of his who had murdered the king his father.


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But he did not put the children of the murderers to death, because of what is written in the scroll of the Torah of Moshe, as ADONAI ordered when he said, 'Fathers are not to be executed for the children, nor are children to be executed for the fathers; every person will be executed for his own sin.'


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He slaughtered 10,000 men of Edom in the Salt Valley and captured Sela in the war, renaming it Yokte'el, as it is today.


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Then Amatzyah sent messengers to Y'ho'ash the son of Y'ho'achaz, son of Yehu, king of Isra'el, with this challenge: 'Come on, let's have it out face-to-face.'


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Y'ho'ash the king of Isra'el sent this reply to Amatzyah king of Y'hudah: 'Once, in the L'vanon, the thistle sent a message to the cedar: 'Give your daughter to my son in marriage.' But a wild animal passed by the thistle and squashed it.


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True, you have defeated Edom, and now you're ambitious. So enjoy the glory, but stay home! Why provoke calamity, to your own ruin, yours and Y'hudah's too?'


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But Amatzyah wouldn't listen. So Y'ho'ash king of Isra'el went up; and he and Amatzyah king of Y'hudah had it out face-to-face at Beit-Shemesh, which belongs to Y'hudah.


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Y'ho'ash king of Isra'el took Amatzyah king of Y'hudah, the son of Y'ho'ash the son of Achazyah, prisoner at Beit-Shemesh. Then he went to Yerushalayim and demolished the wall of Yerushalayim between the Gate of Efrayim and the Corner Gate, a section 600 feet long.


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He took all the gold and silver, all the articles he could find in the house of ADONAI and in the treasuries of the royal palace, and hostages; then he returned to Shomron.


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Other activities of Y'ho'ash that he did, his power and how he fought Amatzyah king of Y'hudah are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el.


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Y'ho'ash slept with his ancestors and was buried in Shomron with the kings of Isra'el. Then Yarov'am took his place as king.


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Amatzyah the son of Yo'ash king of Y'hudah lived another fifteen years after the death of Y'ho'ash son of Y'ho'achaz, king of Isra'el.


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Because of a conspiracy formed against him in Yerushalayim, Amatzyah fled to Lakhish; but they followed him to Lakhish and killed him there.


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They brought his body back on horses, and he was buried in Yerushalayim with his ancestors in the City of David.


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Then all the people of Y'hudah took 'Azaryah at the age of sixteen and made him king in place of his father Amatzyah.


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'Azaryah recovered Eilat for Y'hudah and rebuilt it; after that the king [Amatzyahu] slept with his ancestors.


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It was in the fifteenth year of Amatzyah the son of Yo'ash, king of Y'hudah, that Yarov'am the son of Yo'ash, king of Isra'el, began to reign in Shomron; and he ruled for forty-one years.


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He did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective; he did not turn from all the sins of Yarov'am the son of N'vat, who made Isra'el sin.


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He recovered the territory of Isra'el between the entrance of Hamat and the sea of the 'Aravah, in keeping with the word of ADONAI the God of Isra'el, which he spoke through his servant Yonah the son of Amitai, the prophet from Gat-Hefer.


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For ADONAI saw how bitterly Isra'el had suffered, with no one left, either slave or free, and no one coming to Isra'el's aid.


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ADONAI did not threaten to blot out the name of Isra'el from under heaven, but saved them through Yarov'am the son of Yo'ash.


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Other activities of Yarov'am, all his accomplishments, all his power, how he conducted war and how he recovered Dammesek and Hamat for Y'hudah in Isra'el are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el.


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It was in the twenty-seventh year of Yarov'am king of Isra'el that 'Azaryah the son of Amatzyah, king of Y'hudah, began his reign.


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He was sixteen years old when he began to rule, and he ruled for fifty-two years in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was Y'kholyahu, from Yerushalayim.


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He did what was right from ADONAI's perspective, following the example of everything his father Amatzyah had done.


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However, the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and offered on the high places.


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ADONAI struck the king, so that he had tzara'at until his dying day, so that he lived in a separate house, while Yotam the king's son ran the king's household and was regent over the people of the land.


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Other activities of 'Azaryah and all his accomplishments are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y'hudah.


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So 'Azaryah slept with his ancestors the kings of Isra'el, and they buried him with his ancestors in the City of David. Then Yotam his son took his place as king.


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It was in the thirty-eighth year of 'Azaryah king of Y'hudah that Z'kharyah the son of Yarov'am began his reign over Isra'el in Shomron; he ruled for six months.


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He did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective, just as his ancestors had done; he did not turn from all the sins of Yarov'am the son of N'vat, who made Isra'el sin.


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Shalum the son of Yavesh formed a conspiracy against him. He struck him in the presence of the people and killed him; then he took his place as king.


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The word of ADONAI which he had spoken to Yehu was, 'Your descendants down to the fourth generation will sit on the throne of Isra'el'; and that is exactly what happened.


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Shalum the son of Yavesh began his reign in the thirty-ninth year of 'Uziyah king of Y'hudah; he ruled in Shomron for only a month.


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Menachem the son of Gadi went up from Tirtzah, came to Shomron, struck Shalum the son of Yavesh in Shomron and killed him. Then he took his place as king.


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Other activities of Shalum and the conspiracy he formed are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el


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From Tirtzah Menachem attacked Tifsach, all the people in it and its territory, because they had not opened their gates to him. So he sacked the city and ripped apart all its pregnant women.


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It was in the thirty-ninth year of 'Azaryah king of Y'hudah that Menachem the son of Gadi began his reign over Isra'el; he ruled ten years in Shomron.


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He did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective; throughout his life he did not turn from the sins of Yarov'am the son of N'vat, who made Isra'el sin.


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Pul the king of Ashur invaded the land. Menachem gave Pul thirty-three tons of silver, so that he would confirm Menachem's hold on the kingdom.


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He did this by taxing the wealthy men in Isra'el; from each he required one-and-a-quarter pounds of silver to give to the king of Ashur. Then the king of Ashur turned around and left the land.


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Other activities of Menachem and all his accomplishments are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el.


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It was in the fiftieth year of 'Azaryah king of Y'hudah that P'kachyah the son of Menachem began his reign over Isra'el in Shomron; he ruled for two years.


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He did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective; he did not turn from the sins of Yarov'am the son of N'vat, who made Isra'el sin.


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Pekach the son of Remalyahu, one of his commanders, conspired against him. With Argov, Aryeh and fifty men from Gil'ad, he assassinated him in the palace stronghold in Shomron. After killing him, he took his place as king.


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Other activities of P'kachyah and all his accomplishments are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el.


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It was in the fifty-second year of 'Azaryah king of Y'hudah that Pekach the son of Remalyah began to reign over Isra'el in Shomron; his reign lasted twenty years.


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During the time of Pekach king of Isra'el, Tiglat-Pil'eser king of Ashur came and conquered 'Iyon, Avel-Beit-Ma'akhah, Yanoach, Kedesh, Hatzor, Gil'ad, and the Galil - all the land of Naftali - and took them captive to Ashur.


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Hoshea the son of Elah conspired against Pekach the son of Remalyah, struck him, killed him and took his place as king in the twentieth year of Yotam the son of 'Uziyah.


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Other activities of Pekach and all his accomplishments are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el.


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It was in the second year of Pekach the son of Remalyah, king of Isra'el, that Yotam the son of 'Uziyah king of Y'hudah began his reign.


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He was twenty-five years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for sixteen years in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was Yerusha the daughter of Tzadok.


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He did what was right from ADONAI's perspective, following the example of everything his father 'Uziyah had done.


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However, the high places were not taken away; and the people still sacrificed and offered on the high places. He built the Upper Gate of the house of ADONAI.


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Other activities of Yotam and all his accomplishments are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y'hudah.


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It was during this period that ADONAI began sending against Y'hudah Retzin the king of Aram and Pekach the son of Remalyah.


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Yotam slept with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David his ancestor. Then Achaz his son took his place as king.


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It was in the seventeenth year of Pekach the son of Remalyah that Achaz the son of Yotam king of Y'hudah began his reign.


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Achaz was twenty years old when he began to rule, and he reigned sixteen years in Yerushalayim. But he did not do what was right from the perspective of ADONAI his God, as David his ancestor had done.


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Rather, he lived in the manner of the kings of Isra'el; he even made his son pass through fire [as a sacrifice], in keeping with the abominable practices of the pagans, whom ADONAI had thrown out ahead of the people of Isra'el.


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Then Retzin king of Aram and Pekach son of Remalyah, king of Isra'el, came up to fight against Yerushalayim. They put Achaz under siege, but they could not overcome him.


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It was at that time that Retzin king of Aram recovered Eilat for Aram and drove the Judeans from Eilat; whereupon people from Edom came to Eilat to live, as they do to this day.


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Then Achaz sent messengers to Tiglat-Pil'eser king of Ashur with this message: 'I am your servant and your son. Come up, and save me from the king of Aram and the king of Isra'el, who are attacking me.'


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Achaz took the silver and gold that was in the house of ADONAI and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent it as a present to the king of Ashur.


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The king of Ashur heeded him- the king of Ashur attacked Dammesek and captured it; then he carried its people captive to Kir and killed Retzin.


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When King Achaz went to Dammesek to meet Tiglat-Pil'eser king of Ashur and saw the altar that was in Dammesek, he sent a drawing and model of the altar to Uriyah the cohen, with details of its construction and decoration.


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Then Uriyah the cohen built an altar exactly according to the design King Achaz had sent from Dammesek; Uriyah the cohen had it ready by the time King Achaz returned from Dammesek.


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When the king arrived from Dammesek he saw the altar, and the king approached the altar and offered on it.


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He offered his burnt offering and his grain offering, poured out his drink offering and splashed the blood of his peace offerings on the altar.


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The bronze altar, which was before ADONAI, he brought from in front of the house, from between his own altar and the house of ADONAI, and put it on the north side of his own altar.


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Then King Achaz instructed Uriyah the cohen as follows: 'Henceforth, it is on the large altar that you are to offer the morning burnt offering, the evening grain offering, the king's burnt offering and his grain offering, together with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, their grain offering and their drink offerings; and you are to splash all the blood of the burnt offering against it and all the blood of the sacrifice. As for the bronze altar, I will take care of that.'


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King Achaz removed the panels of the trolleys and took the basins off them; he took the Sea off the bronze oxen supporting it and set it on the stone pavement;


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and, because of the king of Ashur, he removed from the house of ADONAI the colonnade used on Shabbat that had been built for it and the king's entranceway outside it.


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Other activities of Achaz and all his accomplishments are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y'hudah.


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Achaz slept with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then Hizkiyahu his son took his place as king.


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It was in the twelfth year of Achaz king of Y'hudah that Hoshea the son of Elah began his reign over Isra'el in Shomron; he ruled for nine years.


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He did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective, although he wasn't as bad as the kings of Isra'el who had preceded him.


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Shalman'eser king of Ashur advanced against Hoshea, and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute.


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But the king of Ashur found that Hoshea was conspiring [against him] - he had sent messengers to So the king of Egypt and not paid his tribute to the king of Ashur, as he had previously done every year. For this the king of Ashur imprisoned him, putting him in chains.


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Then the king of Ashur invaded all the land, advanced on Shomron and put it under siege for three years.


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In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Ashur captured Shomron. He carried Isra'el away captive to Ashur, resettling them in Halach, in Havor on the Gozan River and in the cities of the Medes.


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This came about because the people of Isra'el had sinned against ADONAI their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, out from under the domination of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They feared other gods


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and lived by the customs of the nations that ADONAI had expelled ahead of the people of Isra'el and by those of the kings of Isra'el.


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The people of Isra'el secretly did things that were not right, according to ADONAI their God. They built high places for themselves wherever they lived, from the watchtower to the fortified city.


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They set up standing-stones and sacred poles for themselves on any high hill and under any green tree.


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Then they would make offerings on all the high places, like the nations ADONAI had expelled ahead of them, and would do wicked things to provoke the anger of ADONAI;


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ADONAI had warned Isra'el and Y'hudah in advance through every prophet and seer, 'Turn from your evil ways; and obey my mitzvot and regulations, in accordance with the entire Torah which I ordered your ancestors to keep and which I sent to you through my servants the prophets.'


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Nevertheless, they refused to listen but made themselves as stubborn as their ancestors, who did not put their trust in ADONAI their God.


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Thus they rejected his laws; his covenant, which he had made with their ancestors; and the solemn warnings he had given them. Instead they pursued worthless things and became worthless themselves, imitating the nations around them, whom ADONAI had ordered them not to emulate.


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They abandoned all the mitzvot of ADONAI their God. They made cast metal images for themselves, two calves. They made an asherah. They worshipped the whole army of heaven. They served Ba'al.


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They had their sons and daughters pass through fire [as a sacrifice]. They used divination and magic spells. And they gave themselves over to do what was evil from ADONAI's perspective, thereby provoking him;


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so that ADONAI, by now very angry with Isra'el, removed them from his sight. None was left except the tribe of Y'hudah alone.


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(However, neither did Y'hudah obey the mitzvot of ADONAI their God; rather they lived according to the customs of Isra'el.)


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Yes, ADONAI came to despise all the descendants of Isra'el. He caused them trouble and handed them over to plunderers, until finally he threw them out of his sight.


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He tore Isra'el away from the house of David. They made Yarov'am the son of N'vat king; and Yarov'am drew Isra'el away from following ADONAI and made them commit a great sin.


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The people of Isra'el followed the example of all the sins that Yarov'am had committed and did not turn away from them,


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until ADONAI removed Isra'el out of his sight, as he had said he would through all his servants the prophets. Thus Isra'el was carried away captive from their own land to Ashur, and it remains so to this day.


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The king of Ashur brought people from Bavel, Kutah, 'Ava, Hamat and S'farvayim and settled them in the cities of Shomron in place of the people of Isra'el; they took possession of Shomron and lived in its cities.


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When they first came to live there, they did not fear ADONAI. Therefore ADONAI sent lions among them, which killed some of them.


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So they said to the king of Ashur, 'The nations you carried away and settled in the cities of Shomron are not familiar with the rules for worshipping the God of the land. Therefore he has sent lions among them; and they are there, killing them; because they're not familiar with the rules for worshipping the God of the land.'


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In response, the king of Ashur gave this order: 'Take back one of the cohanim you brought from there. Have him go and live there, and have him teach them the rules for worshipping the God of the land.'


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So one of the cohanim they had carried away captive from Shomron came and lived in Beit-El, and he taught them how they should fear ADONAI.


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Nevertheless, every nation made gods of their own and put them in the temples on the high places which the Shomronim had made, every nation in the cities where they lived.


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Thus the people from Bavel made Sukkot-B'not, those from Kutah made Nergal, those from Hamat made Ashima,


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the 'Avim made Nivchaz and Tartak, and the S'farvim burned up their children in the fire as sacrifices to Adramelekh and 'Anamelekh the gods of S'farvayim.


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So they feared ADONAI, while at the same time they appointed for themselves priests from among themselves to preside at the high places, and they would sacrifice for them in the temples on the high places.


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They both feared ADONAI and served their own gods in the manner customary among the nations from which they had been taken away.


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To this day they continue to follow their former [pagan] customs. They do not fear ADONAI. They do not follow the regulations, rulings, Torah or mitzvah which ADONAI ordered the descendants of Ya'akov, to whom he gave the name Isra'el,


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with whom ADONAI had made a covenant and charged them, 'Do not fear other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them.


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On the contrary, you are to fear ADONAI, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm. Worship him, and sacrifice to him.


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You are to observe forever the laws, rulings, Torah and mitzvah which he wrote for you. You are not to fear other gods,


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So these nations mixed fearing ADONAI with serving their carved idols; likewise their children; and to this day, their descendants do the same as their ancestors did.


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It was in the third year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Isra'el, that Hizkiyahu the son of Achaz, king of Y'hudah, began his reign.


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He was twenty-five years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for twenty-nine years in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was Avi the daughter of Z'kharyah.


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He did what was right from ADONAI's perspective, following the example of everything David his ancestor had done.


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He removed the high places, smashed the standing-stones, cut down the asherah and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moshe had made; because in those days the people of Isra'el were making offerings to it, calling it N'chushtan.


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He put his trust in ADONAI the God of Isra'el; after him there was no one like him among all the kings of Y'hudah, nor had there been among those before him.


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For he clung to ADONAI and did not leave off following him, but obeyed his mitzvot, which ADONAI had given Moshe.


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So ADONAI was with him. Wherever he went out to battle, he did well. He rebelled against the king of Ashur and refused to be his vassal.


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He drove the P'lishtim back to 'Azah and laid waste to their territory from the watchtower to the fortified city.


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It was in the fourth year of King Hizkiyahu, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Isra'el, that Shalman'eser king of Ashur advanced against Shomron and laid siege to it.


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At the end of three years they captured it - that is, Shomron was captured in the sixth year of Hizkiyahu, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Isra'el.


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The king of Ashur carried Isra'el away captive to Ashur and settled them in Halach, in Havor on the Gozan River and in the cities of the Medes.


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This happened because they did not heed the voice of ADONAI their God, but violated his covenant, everything that Moshe the servant of ADONAI had ordered them to do, and would neither hear it nor do it.


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In the fourteenth year of King Hizkiyahu, Sancheriv king of Ashur advanced against all the fortified cities of Y'hudah and captured them.


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Hizkiyahu king of Y'hudah sent this message to the king of Ashur at Lakhish: 'I have done wrong. If you will go away from me, I will pay whatever penalty you impose on me.' The king of Ashur imposed on Hizkiyahu a penalty of ten tons of silver and a ton of gold.


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Hizkiyahu gave him all the silver that could be found in the house of ADONAI and in the treasuries of the royal palace.


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It was at that time that Hizkiyahu stripped the gold from the doors of the sanctuary of ADONAI and from the doorposts which Hizkiyahu king of Y'hudah himself had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Ashur.


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From Lakhish the king of Ashur sent Tartan, Rav-Saris and Rav-Shakeh to King Hizkiyahu in Yerushalayim with a large army. They advanced and came to Yerushalayim. Upon arrival, they came and positioned themselves by the aqueduct from the Upper Pool, which is by the road to the Launderers' Field.


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They summoned the king, but those answering the call were Elyakim the son of Hilkiyahu, who was in charge of the household, Shevnah the general secretary and Yo'ach the son of Asaf the foreign minister.


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Rav-Shakeh addressed them: 'Tell Hizkiyahu: 'Here is what the great king, the king of Ashur, says: 'What makes you so confident?


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Do you think that mere spoken words constitute strategy and strength for battle? In whom, then, are you trusting when you rebel against me like this?


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Now look! Relying on Egypt is like using a broken stick as a staff - when you lean on it, it Hebrew nachash means 'serpent,' and n'choshet means 'bronze.' punctures your hand. That's what Pharaoh king of Egypt is like for anyone who puts his trust in him.


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But if you tell me, 'We trust in ADONAI our God,' then isn't he the one whose high places and altars Hizkiyahu has removed, telling Y'hudah and Yerushalayim, 'You must worship before this altar in Yerushalayim'?


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All right, then, make a wager with my lord the king of Ashur: I will give you two thousand horses if you can find enough riders for them.


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How then can you repulse even one of my master's lowest-ranked army officers? Yet you are relying on Egypt for chariots and riders!


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Do you think I have come up to this place to destroy it without ADONAI's approval? ADONAI said to me, 'Attack this land, and destroy it'!'''


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Elyakim the son of Hilkiyahu, Shevnah and Yo'ach said to Rav-Shakeh, 'Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it; don't speak with us in Hebrew while the people on the wall are listening.'


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But Rav-Shakeh answered them, 'Did my master send me to deliver my message just to your master and yourselves? Didn't he send me to address the men sitting on the wall, who, like you, are going to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?'


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Then Rav-Shakeh stood up and, speaking loudly in Hebrew, said: 'Hear what the great king, the king of Ashur, says!


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This is what the king says: 'Don't let Hizkiyahu deceive you, because he won't be able to save you from the power of the king of Ashur.


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And don't let Hizkiyahu make you trust in ADONAI by saying, 'ADONAI will surely save us; this city will not be given over to the king of Ashur.'


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Don't listen to Hizkiyahu.' For this is what the king of Ashur says: 'Make peace with me, surrender to me. Then every one of you can eat from his vine and fig tree and drink the water in his own cistern;


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until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land with grain and wine, a land with bread and vineyards, a land with olive trees and honey; so that you can live and not die. So don't listen to Hizkiyahu; he is only deluding you when he says, 'ADONAI will save us.'


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Where are the gods of Hamat and Arpad? Where are the gods of S'farvayim, Hena and 'Ivah? Did they save Shomron from my power?


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Where is the god of any country that has saved its country from my power, so that ADONAI might be able to save Yerushalayim from my power?''


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But the people kept still and didn't answer him so much as a word; for the king's order was, 'Don't answer him.'


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Then Elyakim the son of Hilkiyah, who was in charge of the household, Shevnah the general secretary and Yo'ach the son of Asaf the foreign minister went to Hizkiyahu with their clothes torn and reported to him what Rav-Shakeh had said.


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On hearing it, King Hizkiyahu tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth and entered the house of ADONAI.


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He sent Elyakim, who was in charge of the household, Shevnah the general secretary and the leading cohanim, covered with sackcloth, to Yesha'yahu the prophet, the son of Amotz.


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They said to him, 'This is what Hizkiyahu says: 'Today is a day of trouble, rebuke and disgrace. Children are ready to be born, but there is no strength to bring them to birth.


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Maybe ADONAI your God will hear all the words of Rav-Shakeh, whom his master the king of Ashur has sent to taunt the living God, and will rebuke the message which ADONAI your God has heard. So pray for the remnant that is left.'


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he said to them, 'Tell your master that this is what ADONAI says: 'Don't be afraid of the words you heard the servants of the king of Ashur use to insult me.


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I will put a spirit in him that will make him hear a rumor and return to his own land; then I will cause him to die by the sword in his own land.''


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Rav-Shakeh returned and, having heard that the king of Ashur had left Lakhish, found him making war with Livnah.


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Then, on hearing it said that Tirhakah king of Ethiopia was on his way to fight him, the king of Ashur sent messengers to Hizkiyahu, telling them,


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'This is what you are to say to Hizkiyahu king of Y'hudah: 'Don't let your God in whom you trust deceive you by saying, 'Yerushalayim will not be handed over to the power of the king of Ashur.'


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You have heard what the kings of Ashur have done to all lands - they have completely destroyed them. So how will you be delivered?


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Have the gods of the nations delivered them? No, my ancestors destroyed them - Gozan, Haran, Retzef and the people of 'Eden who were in Tel'asar.


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Where is the king of Hamat? the king of Arpad? the king of the city of S'farvayim, of Hena and 'Ivah?''


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Hizkiyahu took the letter from the messengers' hands and read it. Then Hizkiyahu went up to the house of ADONAI and spread it out before ADONAI.


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Hizkiyahu prayed as follows in the presence of ADONAI: 'ADONAI God of Isra'el, who dwells above the k'ruvim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms on earth. You made heaven and earth.


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Turn your ear, ADONAI, and hear! Open your eyes, ADONAI, and see! Hear the words that Sancheriv sent to taunt the living God.


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and have thrown their gods into the fire. For those were non-gods, merely the product of people's hands, wood and stone; this is why they could destroy them.


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Now therefore, ADONAI our God, please save us from his power - so that all the kingdoms on earth will know that you are ADONAI, God - you only.'


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Then Yesha'yahu the son of Amotz sent this message to Hizkiyahu: 'ADONAI the God of Isra'el says: 'You prayed to me against Sancheriv king of Ashur, and I have heard you.'


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Here is ADONAI's answer concerning him: 'The virgin daughter of Tziyon despises you; she laughs you to scorn. The daughter of Yerushalayim shakes her head at you.


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Whom have you taunted and insulted? Against whom have you raised your voice and haughtily lifted your eyes? The Holy One of Isra'el!


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''Through your messengers you taunted Adonai. You said, 'With my many chariots I have ascended the mountain heights even in the far reaches of the L'vanon. I cut down its tall cedars and its best cypresses. I reached its remotest corners and its best forests.


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I dug [wells] in foreign lands, and I drank the water. The soles of my [soldiers'] feet dried up all the rivers of Egypt.'


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''Haven't you heard? Long ago I made it; in antiquity I produced it; and now I am making it happen: you are turning fortified cities into heaps of ruins;


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while their inhabitants, shorn of power, are disheartened and ashamed, weak as grass, frail as plants, like grass on the rooftops or grain scorched by the east wind.


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And because of your rage against me, because of your pride that has reached my ears, I am putting my hook in your nose and my bridle on your lips; and I will make you return by the way on which you came.


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''This will be the sign for you: this year, you will eat the grain that grows of itself; the second year, you will eat what grows from that; but in the third year, you will sow, reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit.


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''Meanwhile, the remnant of the house of Y'hudah that has escaped will again take root downward and bear fruit upward;


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for a remnant will go out from Yerushalayim, those escaping will go out from Mount Tziyon. The zeal of ADONAI-Tzva'ot will accomplish this.'


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'Therefore this is what ADONAI says concerning the king of Ashur: 'He will not come to this city or even shoot an arrow there; he will not confront it with a shield or erect earthworks against it.


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That night the angel of ADONAI went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of Ashur. Early the next morning, there they were, all of them, corpses - dead.


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One day, as he was worshipping in the temple of Nisrokh his god, [his sons] Adramelekh and Shar'etzer struck him with the sword and escaped into the land of Ararat. So his son Esar-Hadon took his place as king.


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Around this time, Hizkiyahu became ill to the point of death. Yesha'yahu the prophet, the son of Amotz, came and said to him, 'Here is what ADONAI says: 'Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not live.''


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'I plead with you, ADONAI, remember now how I have lived before you truly and wholeheartedly, and how I have done what you see as good.' And he cried bitter tears.


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'Go back, and tell Hizkiyahu the prince of my people, that this is what ADONAI, the God of David your ancestor, says: 'I have heard your prayer and seen your tears, and I will heal you. On the third day, you are to go up to the house of ADONAI.


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I will add fifteen years to your life. Also I will rescue you and this city from the power of the king of Ashur; I will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant David's sake.''


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Then Yesha'yahu said, 'Prepare a fig-plaster.' They brought it and laid it on the inflammation, so that he would recover.


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Hizkiyahu said to Yesha'yahu, 'What sign will there be that ADONAI will heal me and that I will be able to go up to the house of ADONAI on the third day?'


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Yesha'yahu said, 'Here is the sign for you from ADONAI that ADONAI will do what he said: do you want the shadow [of the sundial] to go forward ten intervals or backward ten intervals?


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Hizkiyahu answered, 'It's easy for the shadow to go down ten intervals. No, let the shadow return backward ten intervals.'


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Yesha'yahu called out to ADONAI, and he brought the shadow on the sundial of Achaz ten intervals backward after it had gone down that far.


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B'rodakh-Bal'adan the son of Bal'adan, king of Bavel, heard that Hizkiyahu had been ill, so he sent a letter and a gift to him.


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Hizkiyahu listened to [the messengers] and showed them the building where he kept his treasures, including the silver, gold, spices and precious oils; also the building where he kept his armor; and everything in his treasury - there was nothing in his palace or in his entire domain that Hizkiyahu did not show them.


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Then Yesha'yahu the prophet came to King Hizkiyahu and asked him, 'What did these men say? Where did they come from?' Hizkiyahu answered, 'They came from a distant country, Bavel.'


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Yesha'yahu asked, 'What have they seen in your palace?' 'They have seen everything in my palace,' said Hizkiyahu. 'There isn't a thing among my treasures that I haven't shown them.'


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'The day will come when everything in your palace, along with everything your ancestors stored up until today, will be carried off to Bavel. Nothing will be left,' says ADONAI.


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'They will carry off some of your descendants, your own offspring; and they will be made eunuchs serving in the palace of the king of Bavel.''


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Hizkiyahu said to Yesha'yahu, 'The word of ADONAI which you have just told me is good.' He thought, 'Isn't it, though, if peace and truth continue at least through my lifetime?'


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Other activities of Hizkiyahu, his power and how he built the pool and aqueduct to bring water into the city are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y'hudah.


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M'nasheh was twelve years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for fifty-five years in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was Heftzibah.


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He did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective, following the disgusting practices of the nations whom ADONAI had expelled ahead of the people of Isra'el.


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For he rebuilt the high places Hizkiyahu his father had destroyed; he erected altars for Ba'al and made an asherah, as had Ach'av king of Isra'el; and he worshipped all the army of heaven and served them.


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He erected altars in the house of ADONAI, about which ADONAI had said, 'In Yerushalayim I will put my name.'


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He made his son pass through the fire [as a sacrifice]. He practiced soothsaying and divination and appointed mediums and persons who used spirit guides. He did much that was evil from ADONAI's perspective, thus provoking him to anger.


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He set the carved image for the asherah he had made in the house concerning which ADONAI had told David and Shlomo his son, 'In this house and in Yerushalayim, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Isra'el, I will put my name forever.


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Also I will not have the feet of Isra'el wander any longer out of the land which I gave their ancestors - if only they will take heed to obey every order I have given them and live in accordance with all the Torah that my servant Moshe ordered them to obey.'


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But they did not take heed; and M'nasheh misled them into doing even worse things than the nations ADONAI had destroyed ahead of the people of Isra'el.


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'Because M'nasheh king of Y'hudah has done these disgusting things; because he has done things more wicked than anything the Emori, who were there before him, did; also because with his idols he made Y'hudah sin;


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therefore here is what ADONAI the God of Isra'el, says: 'I am going to bring such calamity on Yerushalayim and Y'hudah that the ears of all who hear of it will tingle.


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I will measure Yerushalayim with the same measuring cord that I used over Shomron, the same plumbline as for the house of Ach'av. I will scour Yerushalayim clean just as one scours a plate, scouring it and then turning it upside down.


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I will abandon the remnant of my heritage, delivering them into the power of their enemies - they will become prey and plunder for all their enemies;


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because they have done what is evil from my perspective and have provoked me to anger from the day their ancestors came out of Egypt to this very day.''


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Moreover, M'nasheh shed so much innocent blood that he flooded Yerushalayim from one end to the other - this in addition to his sin through which he caused Y'hudah to sin by doing what is evil from ADONAI's perspective.


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Other activities of M'nasheh, all his accomplishments and the sin he committed are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y'hudah.


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Then M'nasheh slept with his ancestors and was buried in the garden of his own house, the Garden of 'Uza; and Amon his son took his place as king.


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Amon was twenty-two years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for two years in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was Meshulemet the daughter of Harutz from Yotvah.


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He followed entirely the manner of life of his father, serving the idols that his father served and worshipping them.


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But the people of the land put to death all those who had been part of the conspiracy against King Amon. Then the people of the land made Yoshiyahu his son king in place of him.


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Yoshiyahu was eight years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for thirty-one years in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was Y'didah the daughter of 'Adayah from Botzkat.


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He did what was right from ADONAI's perspective, living entirely in the manner of David his ancestor and turning away neither to the right nor to the left.


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In the eighteenth year of King Yoshiyahu, the king sent Shafan the son of Atzalyahu, the son of Meshulam, the secretary, to the house of ADONAI after instructing him,


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'Go up to Hilkiyahu the cohen hagadol, and have him total the money that has been brought into the house of ADONAI, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people.


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Then have them give it to the supervisors of the work being done in the house of ADONAI; they in turn are to use it to pay the laborers in the house of ADONAI to repair damaged places in the building -


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the carpenters, construction-workers and stonemasons - and to purchase timber and worked stone for doing the repairs on the building.'


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However, they did not require an accounting from the supervisors given the money to spend, because they dealt honestly.


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Hilkiyahu the cohen hagadol said to Shafan the secretary, 'I have found the scroll of the Torah in the house of ADONAI.' Hilkiyah gave the scroll to Shafan, who read it.


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Then Shafan the secretary went back to the king and gave the king this report: 'Your servants have poured out the money found in the house and handed it over to the people supervising the work in the house of ADONAI.'


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Shafan the secretary also told the king, 'Hilkiyah the cohen hagadol gave me a scroll.' Then Shafan read it aloud before the king.


text:
Then the king issued this order to Hilkiyah the cohen, Achikam the son of Shafan, 'Akhbor the son of Mikhayah, Shafan the secretary and 'Asayah the king's servant:


text:
'Go; and consult ADONAI for me, for the people and for all Y'hudah in regard to what is written in this scroll which has been found. For ADONAI must be furious at us, since our ancestors did not listen to the words written in this scroll and didn't do everything written there that concerns us.'


text:
So Hilkiyahu the cohen, Achikam, Akhbor, Shafan and 'Asayah went to Huldah the prophet, the wife of Shalum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harchas, keeper of the wardrobe - she lived in the Second Quarter of Yerushalayim - and spoke with her.


text:
that ADONAI says this: 'I am going to bring calamity on this place and on its inhabitants, every word in the scroll the king of Y'hudah has read;


text:
because they have abandoned me and offered to other gods, in order to provoke me with everything they do. Therefore my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.'


text:
But you are to tell the king of Y'hudah, who sent you to consult ADONAI, that ADONAI the God of Isra'el also says this: 'In regard to the words you have heard,


text:
because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before ADONAI when you heard what I said against this place and its inhabitants - that they would become an object of astonishment and cursing - and have torn your clothes and cried before me, I have also heard you, says ADONAI.


text:
Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, you will go to your grave in peace, and your eyes will not see all the calamity I am going to bring on this place.'' So they brought word back to the king.


text:
The king went up to the house of ADONAI with all the men of Y'hudah, all those living in Yerushalayim, the cohanim, the prophets and all the people, both small and great; and he read in their hearing everything written in the scroll of the covenant that had been found in the house of ADONAI.


text:
The king stood on the platform and made a covenant in the presence of ADONAI to live following ADONAI, observing his mitzvot, instructions and regulations wholeheartedly and with all his being, so as to confirm the words of the covenant written in this scroll. All the people stood, pledging themselves to keep the covenant.


text:
Then the king ordered Hilkiyahu the cohen hagadol, the cohanim of the second rank and the doorkeepers to remove from the sanctuary of ADONAI all the articles that had been made for Ba'al, for the asherah and for the entire army of heaven; and he burned them up outside Yerushalayim in the fields of Kidron and carried their ashes to Beit-El.


text:
He deposed the idolatrous priests the kings of Y'hudah had ordained to offer on the high places by the cities of Y'hudah and in the places surrounding Yerushalayim; he also deposed those who offered to Ba'al, the sun, the moon, the constellations and the whole army of heaven.


text:
He took the asherah from the house of ADONAI to Vadi Kidron outside Yerushalayim and burned it in Vadi Kidron, stamped the ashes to powder and threw the powder onto the burial-ground for the common people.


text:
He smashed the houses of the cult prostitutes that were in the house of ADONAI, where the women also wove garments for the asherah.


text:
He removed the cohanim from the cities of Y'hudah; then, from Geva to Be'er-Sheva, he desecrated the high places where the cohanim had been making offerings. He also smashed the High Places of the Gates that were at the entrance of the Gate of Y'hoshua the governor of the city, on the left as one enters the city.


text:
But although the cohanim who had been at the high places did not come up to the altar of ADONAI in Yerushalayim, nevertheless they did share matzah with their kinsmen.


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He desecrated the Tofet fire pit in the Ben-Hinnom Valley, so that no one could cause his son or daughter to pass through fire [as a sacrifice] to Molekh.


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He confiscated the horses which the kings of Y'hudah had given to the sun, at the entrance to the house of ADONAI near the room of the officer N'tan-Melekh, in the side-courtyard; and he burned up the chariots of the sun.


text:
The king smashed the altars on the roof of the upper room of Achaz, which the kings of Y'hudah had made, and the altars which M'nasheh had made in the two courtyards of the house of ADONAI. He broke them into pieces and threw the rubble into Vadi Kidron.


text:
The king desecrated the high places facing Yerushalayim south of the Mount of Destruction, which Shlomo the king of Isra'el had built for 'Ashtoret the abomination of the Tzidonim, K'mosh the abomination of Mo'av and Milkom the abomination of the people of 'Amon.


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He smashed the standing-stones, chopped down the sacred poles and covered their remains with human bones.


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He smashed the altar that was at Beit-El and the high place made by Yarov'am the son of N'vat, who caused Isra'el to sin. Yes, he smashed that altar and the high place; he burned the high place, stamped the ashes to powder, and burned up the asherah.


text:
Then, as Yoshiyahu was turning around, he noticed the burial caves that were there on the mountain; so he sent and had the bones taken out of the burial caves and burned them on the altar, thus desecrating it, in keeping with the word of ADONAI which the man of God had proclaimed, foretelling that these things would happen.


text:
Then he asked, 'This monument here that I'm looking at, what is it?' The men of the city told him, 'It marks the burial cave of the man of God who came from Y'hudah and foretold the very things you have done to the altar of Beit-El.'


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He replied, 'Let him be; no one is to move his bones.' So they left his bones undisturbed, along with the bones of the prophet who had come from Shomron.


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Yoshiyahu also removed all the shrines of the high places in the cities of Shomron, which the kings of Isra'el had made in order to provoke [ADONAI] to anger, and treated them the same as in Beit-El.


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He put to death all the priests of those high places on the altars there, then burned human bones on them. Finally he returned to Yerushalayim.


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The king issued this order to all the people: 'Observe Pesach to ADONAI your God, as written in this scroll of the covenant.'


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For Pesach had not been so observed since the days when the judges ruled Isra'el - not during the times of any of the kings of Isra'el or of the kings of Y'hudah.


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Yoshiyahu got rid of the mediums and the people using spirit guides, as well as the household gods, the idols and all the disgusting things spotted anywhere in Y'hudah and Yerushalayim. He did this in order to establish the words of the Torah written in the scroll Hilkiyahu the cohen had found in the house of ADONAI.


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No previous king was like him; because he turned to ADONAI with all his heart, with all his being and with all his power, in accordance with all the Torah of Moshe; nor did any king like him arise afterwards.


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Nevertheless, ADONAI did not turn away from his fiercely raging, furious anger that burned against Y'hudah because of all the things M'nasheh had done to provoke him.


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ADONAI said, 'Just as I removed Isra'el, I will also remove Y'hudah out of my sight; and I will reject this city, which I chose, Yerushalayim, and the house concerning which I said, 'My name will be there.''


text:
Other activities of Yoshiyahu and all his accomplishments are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y'hudah.


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During his time Pharaoh N'khoh king of Egypt went up toward the Euphrates River to attack the king of Ashur. King Yoshiyahu went out to oppose him; but at Megiddo, Pharaoh spotted Yoshiyahu and killed him.


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His servants carried his dead body from Megiddo to Yerushalayim in a chariot and buried him in his own tomb. The people of the land took Y'ho'achaz the son of Yoshiyahu, anointed him, and made him king in his father's place.


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Y'ho'achaz was twenty-three years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for three months in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Yirmeyahu from Livnah.


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He did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective, following the example of everything his ancestors had done.


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Pharaoh N'khoh imprisoned him at Rivlah in the land of Hamat, so that he would not be able to rule in Yerushalayim. He also imposed a penalty on the land of three-and-a-quarter tons of silver and sixty-six pounds of gold.


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Then Pharaoh N'khoh made Elyakim the son of Yoshiyahu king in place of Yoshiyahu his father and changed his name to Y'hoyakim. He also carried Y'ho'achaz off to Egypt, where he died.


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Y'hoyakim remitted the silver and gold to Pharaoh; but in order to pay the money Pharaoh demanded, he had to levy a tax on the land. He taxed the people of the land, each according to his means, to pay the silver and gold to Pharaoh N'khoh.


text:
Y'hoyakim was twenty-five years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for eleven years in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was Z'vudah the daughter of P'dayah, from Rumah.


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He did what was evil from the perspective of ADONAI, following the example of everything his ancestors had done.


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It was in Y'hoyakim's time that N'vukhadnetzar king of Bavel invaded. Y'hoyakim became his vassal for three years, but then he turned against him and rebelled.


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ADONAI sent against him raiding parties from the Kasdim, Aram, Mo'av and the people of 'Amon; he sent them against Y'hudah to destroy it, in keeping with the word of ADONAI which he had spoken through his servants the prophets.


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Yes, it was at ADONAI's order that this happened to Y'hudah, in order to remove them from his sight because of the sins of M'nasheh and all he had done,


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and also because of the innocent blood he had shed - for he had flooded Yerushalayim with innocent blood, and ADONAI was unwilling to forgive.


text:
Other activities of Y'hoyakim and all his accomplishments are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y'hudah.


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The king of Egypt did not leave his own land any more, because the king of Bavel had captured all the territory of the king of Egypt between the Vadi of Egypt and the Euphrates River.


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Y'hoyakhin was eighteen years old when he began his reign, and he ruled in Yerushalayim for three months. His mother's name was N'chushta the daughter of Elnatan, from Yerushalayim.


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He did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective, following the example of everything his father had done.


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It was then that the officers of N'vukhadnetzar king of Bavel marched on Yerushalayim and laid siege to the city.


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and Y'hoyakhin king of Y'hudah went out to meet the king of Bavel - he, his mother, and his servants, princes and officers; and the king of Bavel took him captive in the eighth year of his reign.


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He also carried away from there all the treasures in the house of ADONAI and the treasures in the royal palace. He cut in pieces all the articles of gold which Shlomo king of Isra'el had made in the temple of ADONAI, as ADONAI had said would happen.


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He carried all Yerushalayim away captive - all the princes, all the bravest soldiers- 10,000 captives; also all the craftsmen and metalworkers. No one was left but the poorest people of the land.


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Y'hoyakhin he carried off to Bavel; likewise he carried off the king's mother, the king's wives, his officers and the main leaders of the land from Yerushalayim into captivity in Bavel.


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All the strong men - 7,000 of them, as well as 1,000 craftsmen and metalsmiths, all of them strong and trained for war - the king of Bavel brought captive to Bavel.


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The king of Bavel made Matanyah, Y'hoyakhin's father's brother, king in place of Y'hoyakhin and changed his name to Tzidkiyahu.


text:
Tzidkiyahu was twenty-one years old when he began to rule, and he ruled for eleven years in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Yirmeyahu, from Livnah.


text:
He did what was evil from the perspective of ADONAI, following the example of everything Y'hoyakim had done.


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And it was because of ADONAI's anger that all these things happened to Yerushalayim and Y'hudah, until he had thrown them out of his presence. Tzidkiyahu rebelled against the king of Bavel;


text:
so in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, N'vukhadnetzar king of Bavel marched against Yerushalayim with his entire army. He set up camp against it and built siege towers against it on every side.


text:
On the ninth day of the [fourth] month, when the famine in the city was so severe that there was no food for the people of the land,


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they broke through into the city. All the soldiers [fled] by night through the gate between the two walls, near the king's garden. Because the Kasdim were surrounding the city, the king took the route through the 'Aravah.


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But the army of the Kasdim went in pursuit of the king and overtook him on the plains near Yericho; all his troops deserted him.


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Then they took the king and brought him up to the king of Bavel in Rivlah, where they passed judgment on him.


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They slaughtered his sons before his eyes. Then they put out Tzidkiyahu's eyes, bound him in chains and carried him off to Bavel.


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In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which was also the nineteenth year of King N'vukhadnetzar, king of Bavel, N'vuzar'adan, the commander of the guard and an officer of the king of Bavel, entered Yerushalayim.


text:
He burned down the house of ADONAI, the royal palace and all the houses in Yerushalayim - every notable person's house he burned to the ground.


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The whole army of the Kasdim, who were with the commander of the guard, broke down the walls of Yerushalayim on every side.


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N'vuzar'adan the commander of the guard then deported the remaining population of the city, the deserters who had defected to the king of Bavel and the rest of the common people.


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But the commander of the guard left behind some of the poor people of the land to be vineyard-workers and farmers.


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The Kasdim smashed the bronze columns in the house of ADONAI, also the trolleys and bronze Sea that were in the house of ADONAI, and carried their bronze to Bavel.


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They also took away the pots, shovels, snuffers, pans, and all the bronze articles that had been used for worship.


text:
The commander of the guard took the censers, the sprinkling bowls, everything made of gold and everything made of silver.


text:
The bronze in the two columns, the one Sea and the bases, all of which Shlomo had made for the house of ADONAI, was more than could be weighed.


text:
The height of one column was thirty-one-and-a-half feet; on it was a capital of bronze five-and-a-quarter feet high, with netting and pomegranates all around the capital, all of bronze; the second column was similar, also with netting.


text:
The commander of the guard took [prisoner] S'rayah the chief cohen, Z'kharyah the second-ranking cohen and three doorkeepers.


text:
From the city he took an official in charge of the soldiers, five close associates of the king who had been found in the city, the army commander's secretary in charge of military conscription, and sixty of the common people found in the city.


text:
There in Rivlah, in the land of Hamat, the king of Bavel had them put to death. Thus Y'hudah was carried away captive out of his land.


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N'vukhadnetzar king of Babylon appointed G'dalyahu the son of Achikam, the son of Shafan, governor over the people remaining behind in the land of Y'hudah after he left.


text:
When all the army officers and their men heard that the king of Bavel had made G'dalyahu governor, they came to G'dalyahu in Mitzpah - Yishma'el the son of N'tanyah, Yochanan the son of Kareach, S'rayah the son of Tanchumet the N'tofati and Ya'azanyahu the son of the Ma'akhati - they and their men.


text:
Taking an oath, G'dalyahu said to them, 'Don't be afraid of the servants of the Kasdim. Just live in the land and serve the king of Bavel, and things will go well for you.'


text:
But in the seventh month Yishma'el the son of N'tanyah, the son of Elishama, of royal blood, came with ten men and assassinated G'dalyah and the Judeans and Kasdim who were with him in Mitzpah.


text:
In the wake of this, all kinds of people, great and small, as well as the army officers, set out and went to Egypt; because they were afraid of the Kasdim.


text:
In the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Y'hoyakhin king of Y'hudah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Eveel-M'rodakh began his reign as king of Bavel; and in his first year he commuted the sentence of Y'hoyakhin king of Y'hudah and released him from prison.


text:
He treated him with kindness and gave him a throne higher than those of the other kings there with him in Bavel.


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So Y'hoyakhin no longer had to wear prison clothes; moreover, he was provided with food as long as he lived;


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and he was granted a daily allowance by the king to spend on his other needs for as long as he lived.


text:
and to 'Ever were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg [division], because it was during his lifetime that the earth was divided; and his brother's name was Yoktan.


text:
The sons of K'turah Avraham's concubine: she bore Zimran, Yokshan, Medan, Midyan, Yishbak and Shuach. The sons of Yokshan: Sh'va and D'dan.


text:
The sons of Midyan: 'Eifah, 'Efer, Hanokh, Avida and Elda'ah. These were all descendants of K'turah.


text:
Following are the kings who ruled in the land of Edom before any king ruled over the people of Isra'el: Bela the son of B'or; the name of his city was Dinhavah.


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After Husham died, Hadad the son of B'dad, who attacked Midyan on the plains of Mo'av, took his place as king; the name of his city was 'Avit.


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After Ba'al-Hanan died, Hadad took his place as king; the name of his city was Pa'i; his wife's name was M'heitav'el the daughter of Matred the daughter of Mei-Zahav.


text:
The sons of Y'hudah: 'Er, Onan and Shelah; the mother of these three was Bat-Shua the Kena'anit. 'Er, Y'hudah's firstborn, was wicked from ADONAI's perspective, so he killed him.


text:
The sons of Karmi: 'Akhar [troubler], who troubled Isra'el by violating the rule concerning things set aside to be destroyed.


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and their sisters Tz'ruyah and Avigayil. The sons of Tz'ruyah: Avshai, Yo'av and 'Asah'el, three of them.


text:
Kalev the son of Hetzron fathered sons with 'Azuvah his wife (and with Yeri'ot); these were her sons: Yesher, Shovav and Ardon.


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Afterwards, Hetzron had sexual relations with the daughter of Machir the father of Gil'ad; he married her when he was sixty years old, and she bore him S'guv.


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(But G'shur and Aram took Havot-Ya'ir away from them, along with K'nat and its villages - sixty cities.) All these were descendants of Machir the father of Gil'ad.


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The sons of Kalev the brother of Yerachme'el: Mesha his firstborn, who was the father of Zif; and the sons of Mareshah the father of Hevron.


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[The wife of] Sha'af the father of Madmanah bore Sh'va the father of Machbenah and the father of Giv'a. The daughter of Kalev was 'Akhsah.


text:
These were the descendants of Kalev. The sons of Hur the firstborn of Efratah: Shoval the father of Kiryat-Ye'arim,


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The families of Kiryat-Ye'arim: the Yitri, the Puti, the Shumati and the Mishra'i; from them came the Tzor'ati and the Eshta'uli.


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the families of scribes that lived in Ya'betz, the Tir'atim, the Shim'atim and the Sukhatim. These are the Kinim, who came from Hamat, father of the house of Rekhav.


text:
These were the sons born to David in Hevron: the firstborn was Amnon, whose mother was Achino'am from Yizre'el; the second, Dani'el, whose mother was Avigayil from Karmel;


text:
the third, Avshalom, the son of Ma'akhah the daughter of Talmai king of G'shur; the fourth, Adoniyah the son of Haggit;


text:
the fifth, Sh'fatyah, whose mother was Avital; and the sixth, Yitre'am, whose mother was his wife 'Eglah.


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Six were born to David in Hevron. He ruled there seven years and six months; then he ruled in Yerushalayim thirty-three years.


text:
These were born to him in Yerushalayim: Shim'a, Shovav, Natan, Shlomo, four whose mother was Bat-Shua the daughter of 'Ammi'el;


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The sons of Yoshiyahu: Yochanan the firstborn, Y'hoyakim the second, Tzedekyah the third, and Shalum the fourth.


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The sons of P'dayah: Z'rubavel and Shim'i. The children of Z'rubavel: Meshulam, Hananyah and Shlomit their sister;


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The sons of Hananyah: P'latyah and Yesha'yah. His son was Refayah. His son was Arnan. His son was 'Ovadyah. And his son was Sh'khanyah.


text:
The sons of Sh'khanyah: Sh'ma'yah and the sons of Sh'ma'yah - Hatush, Yig'al, Bariach, Ne'aryah and Shafat - six.


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Re'ayah the son of Shoval fathered Yachat; Yachat fathered Achumai and Lahad. These are the families of the Tzor'ati.


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These are [the sons] of the father of 'Eitam: Yizre'el, Yishma and Yidbash; their sister's name was Hatzlelponi.


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P'nu'el fathered Geder, and 'Ezer fathered Hushah. These are the sons of Hur the firstborn of Efratah, the father of Beit-Lechem.


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Ya'betz was honored more than his brothers; his mother called him Ya'betz, she explained, 'because I bore him in pain [Hebrew: 'otzev].'


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Ya'betz called on the God of Isra'el: 'Please bless me by enlarging my territory. May your hand be with me! Keep me from harm, so that it will not cause me pain [Hebrew: 'atzbi].' God granted his request.


text:
Eshton fathered Beit-Rafa, Paseach and T'chinah the father of 'Ir-Nachash. These are the men of Rekhah.


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M'onotai fathered 'Ofrah, and S'rayah fathered Yo'av the father of Gei-Harashim; for they were craftsmen [Hebrew: harashim].


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The sons of 'Ezrah: Yeter, Mered, 'Efer and Yalon. These are the sons of Bityah the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took as his wife: she conceived Miryam, Shamai and Yishbach the father of Esht'moa; while his Jewish wife bore Yered the father of G'dor, Hever the father of Sokho and Y'kuti'el the father of Zanoach.


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The sons of the wife of Hodiyah the sister of Nacham were the father of Ke'ilah the Garmi and Esht'moa the Ma'akhati.


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The sons of Shelah the son of Y'hudah: 'Er the father of Lekha, La'adah the father of Mareshah and the clans of fine-linen-workers at Beit-Ashbea,


text:
These were potters and inhabitants of N'ta'im and G'derah; they lived there, occupied with the king's work.


text:
Shim'i had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children, so their clans did not increase like those of Y'hudah.


text:
Beit-Markavot, Hatzar-Susim, Beit-Bir'i and Sha'arayim. These were their cities until the reign of David.


text:
along with all the villages surrounding these cities, as far as Ba'al. These are the places where they lived, and they have their official genealogy.


text:
Seeking pasture for their flocks they went to the entrance of Geder, as far as the east side of the valley.


text:
They found rich, good pastures; and the land was spacious, quiet and peaceful. Those who had lived there previously belonged to Ham.


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Those whose names are written above came during the time of Hizkiyahu king of Y'hudah; they attacked their tents and the Me'unim who were found there, destroyed them completely, and have lived there in place of them to this day; because there was pasture there for their flocks.


text:
Some 500 of them who were descendants of Shim'on went to Mount Se'ir under the leadership of P'latyah, Ne'aryah, Refayah and Uzi'el the sons of Yish'i.


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The sons of Re'uven the firstborn of Isra'el - he was the firstborn, but because he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Yosef the son of Isra'el, though not in such a way as for him to be regarded in the genealogy as the firstborn.


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For Y'hudah became greater than his brothers, inasmuch as the ruler came from him; nevertheless, the birthright went to Yosef.


text:
and his son Be'erah. Tilgat-Piln'eser king of Ashur carried him away captive; he was leader of the Re'uveni.


text:
His brothers, by their clans, as listed in their genealogical records were: Ye'i'el the leader, Z'kharyah


text:
and Bela the son of 'Azaz the son of Sh'ma the son of Yo'el. He lived in 'Aro'er, with territory extending to N'vo and Ba'al-M'on;


text:
while to the east he occupied territory that extended to the beginning of the desert as one comes from the Euphrates River; because their cattle multiplied in the land of Gil'ad.


text:
In the time of Sha'ul they went to war with the Hagri'im; after defeating them they occupied their tents throughout all the territory east of Gil'ad.


text:
The houses of their fathers' brothers were: Mikha'el, Meshulam, Sheva, Yorai, Ya'kan, Zia and 'Ever - seven altogether.


text:
These are the sons of Avichayil the son of Huri the son of Yaroach the son of Gil'ad the son of Mikha'el the son of Yeshishai the son of Yachdo the son of Buz;


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They lived in Gil'ad, in Bashan, in its towns and in all the pasture lands of the plain as far as their borders.


text:
All these were listed in genealogies during the times of Yotam king of Y'hudah and Yarov'am king of Isra'el.


text:
The descendants of Re'uven, the Gadi and the half-tribe of M'nasheh included 44,760 brave men who were available for warfare, able to take up shield and sword, shoot with the bow, or make use of other war skills.


text:
They received help against them, so that the Hagri'im and all who were allied with them suffered defeat at their hands; because they cried out to God while they were fighting, and he did as they requested, because they put their trust in him.


text:
From their livestock they carried off 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep and 2,000 donkeys; they also took captive 100,000 persons.


text:
Many were slaughtered, because the war was of God, and they lived in their territory until the captivity.


text:
The descendants of the half-tribe of M'nasheh lived and increased in the territory from Bashan to Ba'al-Hermon, S'nir and Mount Hermon.


text:
The leaders of their fathers' houses were: 'Efer, Yish'i, Eli'el, 'Azri'el, Yirmeyah, Hodavyah and Yachdi'el, strong, brave, famous men, leaders of their fathers' houses.


text:
But they broke faith with the God of their ancestors and prostituted themselves to the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed ahead of them.


text:
So the God of Isra'el stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Ashur and the spirit of Tilgat-Piln'eser king of Ashur; and he carried them away as captives - the Re'uveni, the Gadi and the half-tribe of M'nasheh - and brought them to Halach, Havor, Hara and to the Gozan River, where they are to this day.


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The children of 'Amram: Aharon, Moshe and Miryam. The sons of Aharon: Nadav, Avihu, El'azar and Itamar.


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and Yochanan fathered 'Azaryah. He functioned as cohen in the house that Shlomo built in Yerushalayim.


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and Y'hotzadak went into captivity when ADONAI carried Y'hudah and Yerushalayim away at the hands of N'vukhadnetzar.


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The sons of M'rari: Machli and Mushi. These are the families of the L'vi'im according to father's clans:


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David appointed them to be in charge of the service of song in the house of ADONAI after the ark had found a permanent resting place.


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They served as singers before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, until Shlomo had built the house of ADONAI in Yerushalayim; and they carried out their tasks in a prescribed order.


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Those who carried out these tasks and their descendants were - starting with descendants of the K'hati - Heman the singer, the son of Yo'el the son of Sh'mu'el,


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On the left were their kinsmen the descendants of M'rari: Eitan the son of Kishi, the son of 'Avdi, the son of Malukh,


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Their kinsmen the L'vi'im were put in charge of all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God.


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But Aharon and his sons were the ones who offered on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense for all the service of the Especially Holy Place and to make atonement for Isra'el, in keeping with all that Moshe the servant of God had ordered to be done.


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These were the settlements of the descendants of Aharon according to the territories assigned them: to the descendants of Aharon, of the clans of the K'hati -for the first lot fell to them -


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To the descendants of Aharon they gave the city of refuge Hevron, also Livnah with its surrounding open land, Yatir, Esht'moa with its surrounding open land,


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and out of the tribe of Binyamin: Geva with its surrounding open land, 'Alemet with its surrounding open land and 'Anatot with its surrounding open land. All the cities for all their clans amounted to thirteen cities.


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The rest of the descendants of K'hat were assigned by lot, clan by clan, ten cities from the half-tribe of M'nasheh.


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The descendants of Gershom were assigned, clan by clan, thirteen cities from the tribes of Yissakhar, Asher, Naftali and M'nasheh in Bashan.


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To the descendants of M'rari were assigned by lot, clan by clan, twelve cities from the tribes of Re'uven, Gad and Z'vulun.


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From the tribes of the descendants of Y'hudah, Shim'on and Binyamin they assigned these cities mentioned by name.


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Some of the clans of the descendants of K'hat were given cities in territory from the tribe of Efrayim.


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They gave them the city of refuge Sh'khem in the hills of Efrayim with the surrounding open land, also Gezer with the surrounding open land,


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and out of the half-tribe of M'nasheh: 'Aner with the surrounding open land and Bil'am with the surrounding open land, for the rest of the clans of the descendants of K'hat.


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The descendants of Gershom were given, from the clans of the half-tribe of M'nasheh: Golan in Bashan with the surrounding open land and 'Ashtarot with the surrounding open land;


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and from the tribe of Yissakhar: Kedesh with the surrounding open land, Davrat with the surrounding open land,


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and from the tribe of Asher: Mashal with the surrounding open land, 'Avdon with the surrounding open land,


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and from the tribe of Naftali: Kedesh in the Galil with the surrounding open land, Hamon with the surrounding open land and Kiryatayim with the surrounding open land.


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To the rest [of the L'vi'im], the descendants of M'rari, were given, from the tribe of Z'vulun: Rimmono with the surrounding open land and Tavor with the surrounding open land;


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and beyond the Yarden at Yericho, on the east side of the Yarden, they were given, from the tribe of Re'uven: Betzer in the desert with the surrounding open land, Yahatz with the surrounding open land,


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and from the tribe of Gad: Ramot in Gil'ad with the surrounding open land, Machanayim with the surrounding open land,


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The sons of Tola were: 'Uzi, Refayah, Yeri'el, Yachmai, Yivsam and Sh'mu'el. They were heads of their fathers' clans, descended from Tola; they were strong, brave men in their generations. In the time of David they numbered 22,600.


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The son of 'Uzi was Yizrachyah, and the sons of Yizrachyah were: Mikha'el, 'Ovadyah, Yo'el and Yishiyah - five, all of them leaders.


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With them, by their generations, in their fathers' clans, were army troops organized for war, 36,000 of them, because they had many women and children.


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Their kinsmen among all the clans of Yissakhar, strong, brave men, numbered 87,000, listed in genealogical records.


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The sons of Bela were: Etzbon, 'Uzi, 'Uzi'el, Yerimot and 'Iri - five; they were leaders of fathers' clans, strong, brave men. They numbered 22,034, listed in genealogical records.


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The sons of Bekher were: Z'mirah, Yo'ash, Eli'ezer, Elyo'enai, 'Omri, Yeremot, Aviyah, 'Anatot and 'Alemet; all these were sons of Bekher.


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Listed in genealogical records by generations under leaders of fathers' clans, who were strong, brave men, were 20,200.


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The son of Y'dia'el was Bilhan. The sons of Bilhan were: Ye'ush, Binyamin, Ehud, Kena'anah, Zeitan, Tarshish and Achishachar.


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All these were descendants of Y'dia'el, leaders of their fathers' clans, who were brave, strong men; they numbered 17,200, all fit to fight with the army.


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[More descendants of Binyamin:] Shupim, Hupim, the sons of 'Ir. Hushim, the son of another [of Isra'el's sons, namely, Dan].


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The descendants of M'nasheh: his concubine the woman from Aram bore Makhir the father of Gil'ad; Asri'el [Gil'ad's son] was descended from her.


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Makhir's wife was from the families of Hupim and Shupim, and his sister's name was Ma'akhah. M'nasheh's second son was Tz'lof'chad, and Tz'lof'chad had daughters.


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Ma'akhah the wife of Makhir bore a son whom she named Peresh, the name of his brother was Sheresh, and his sons were Ulam and Rekem.


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The son of Ulam was B'dan. These were the descendants of Gil'ad the son of Makhir the son of M'nasheh.


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The descendants of Efrayim were: Shutelach, his son Bered, his son Tachat, his son El'adah, his son Tachat,


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his son Zavad and his son Shutelach; also 'Ezer and El'ad, whom the men of Gat born in the land killed when they came down to raid their cattle.


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Then he had sexual relations with his wife, and she conceived and bore a son whom he called B'ri'ah [in calamity], because his household had suffered a calamity.


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Their possessions and settlements were Beit-El with its towns; Na'aran to the east; and to the west, Gezer with its towns; also Sh'khem with its towns, as far as 'Ayah and its towns;


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and, near the territory of the descendants of M'nasheh, Beit-Sh'an with its towns, Ta'nakh with its towns, Megiddo with its towns and Dor with its towns. In these places lived the descendants of Yosef the son of Isra'el.


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All these were descendants of Asher, leaders of their fathers'clans, elite, strong, brave men, the most important of the princes. Those fit for battle service, listed in genealogies, numbered 26,000 men.


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These are the sons of Ehud, the heads of fathers' clans among the inhabitants of Geva (they were carried away captive to Manachat;


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Shacharayim fathered children on the plains of Mo'av; after sending away his wives Hushim and Ba'ara,


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and B'ri'ah and Shema - they were heads of fathers' clans among the inhabitants of Ayalon, who drove away the people living in Gat.


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These were leaders of fathers' houses through all their generations, leading men who lived in Yerushalayim.


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Miklot fathered Shim'ah. In contrast with some of their kinsmen, they and their families lived in Yerushalayim.


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Ner fathered Kish; Kish fathered Sha'ul; and Sha'ul fathered Y'honatan, Malkishua, Avinadav and Eshba'al.


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Atzel had six sons, whose names were: 'Azrikam, Bokhru, Yishma'el, Sh'aryah, 'Ovadyah and Hanan; all these were sons of Atzel.


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The sons of Ulam were strong, brave men, archers; they had many children and grandchildren, a hundred and fifty. All these were descendants of Binyamin.


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So all Isra'el was listed by genealogies, and these were recorded in the book of the kings of Isra'el. Then Y'hudah was carried away captive to Bavel because of their unfaithfulness.


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The first people to return to their possessions in the cities were the Isra'elim, the cohanim, the L'vi'im and the temple servants.


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In Yerushalayim lived some descendants of Y'hudah, some descendants of Binyamin and some descendants of Efrayim and of M'nasheh:


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'Utai the son of 'Ammihud, the son of 'Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, from the descendants of Peretz the son of Y'hudah.


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Yivneyah the son of Yerocham, Elah the son of 'Uzi the son of Mikhri, Meshulam the son of Sh'fatyah the son of Re'u'el the son of Yivneyah,


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and their kinsmen, according to their generations - altogether 956. All these men were leaders of fathers' clans.


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'Azaryah the son of Hilkiyah the son of Meshulam the son of Tzadok the son of M'rayot the son of Achituv the ruler of the house of God,


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'Adayah the son of Yerocham the son of Pash'chur the son of Malkiyah, Ma'asai the son of 'Adi'el the son of Yachzerah the son of Meshulam the son of Meshilmit the son of Immer,


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and their kinsmen, leaders of their fathers'clans, 1,760 very competent men available for serving in the house of God.


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Of the L'vi'im: Sh'ma'yah the son of Hashuv the son of 'Azrikam the son of Hashavyah, from the descendants of M'rari;


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'Ovadyah the son of Sh'ma'yah the son of Galal the son of Y'dutun; and Berekhyah the son of Asa the son of Elkanah, who lived in the towns of the N'tofati.


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Previously they had guarded the king's gate to the east; they were gatekeepers for the camp of the descendants of Levi.


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Shalum the son of Kore the son of Evyasaf the son of Korach and his kinsmen from his father's clan the Korchim were in charge of the work of the service, keepers of the gates of the tent. Their ancestors had been in charge of the camp of ADONAI, keepers of the entryway.


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All these chosen to be gatekeepers numbered 212. Their genealogies were recorded in their towns; they had been appointed to their positions by David and Sh'mu'el the seer.


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They and their descendants supervised the gates of the house of ADONAI, that is, the house of the tent, by periods of duty.


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For the four chief gatekeepers were on permanent duty; they were the L'vi'im in charge of accommodations and supplies in the house of God.


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They spent their nights in the vicinity of the house of God, because they were in charge of it; they were responsible for opening it up each morning.


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Some of [the L'vi'im] were in charge of the articles used for the service; they had to keep records of them when bringing them in and out.


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Others were in charge of the equipment, the holy utensils, the fine flour, the wine, the olive oil, the frankincense and the spices.


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Mattityah, one of the L'vi'im, who was the firstborn of Shalum the Korchi, was permanently in charge of baking operations.


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Some of their kinsmen, from the descendants of the K'hati, were in charge of preparing the showbread every Shabbat.


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Also there were the singers, heads of fathers' clans among the L'vi'im. They lived in the accommodations and were free from other kinds of service, for they were employed in their own work day and night.


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These were heads of fathers' clans among the L'vi'im, according to their generations, and they were leaders; they lived in Yerushalayim.


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Miklot fathered Shim'am. In contrast with some of their kinsmen, they and their families lived in Yerushalayim.


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Now the P'lishtim pressed their attack on Isra'el; and the men of Isra'el fled before the P'lishtim, leaving their dead on Mount Gilboa.


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The P'lishtim pursued Sha'ul; overtook him and his sons; and the P'lishtim killed Y'honatan, Avinadav and Malkishua, the sons of Sha'ul.


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Sha'ul said to his armor-bearer, 'Draw your sword and run me through with it. Otherwise, these uncircumcised men will come and make sport of me.' But his armor-bearer refused; he was too frightened. So Sha'ul took his sword and fell on it.


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When all the men of Isra'el who were in the valley saw them fleeing and that Sha'ul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled; then the P'lishtim came and lived in them.


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The following day, when the P'lishtim came to strip the dead, they found Sha'ul and his sons lying dead on Mount Gilboa.


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They stripped him, then took his head and his armor and sent them all over the territory of the P'lishtim to carry the news to their idols and to the people.


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all their warriors set out, took away the body of Sha'ul and the bodies of his sons, brought them to Yavesh, buried their bones under the pistachio tree in Yavesh and fasted seven days.


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So Sha'ul died for the transgression he committed against ADONAI, because of the word of ADONAI that he did not keep and because he sought the counsel of a spirit


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instead of consulting ADONAI. Therefore ADONAI put him to death and turned the rulership over to David the son of Yishai.


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Then all Isra'el gathered themselves to David in Hevron and said, 'Here, we are your own flesh and bone.


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In the past, even when Sha'ul was king, it was you who led Isra'el's military campaigns; and ADONAI your God said to you, 'You will shepherd my people Isra'el, and you will be chief over my people Isra'el.''


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So all the leaders of Isra'el came to the king in Hevron; and David made a covenant with them in Hevron in the presence of ADONAI. Then they anointed David king over Isra'el, as ADONAI had said through Sh'mu'el.


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David and all Isra'el went to Yerushalayim, also known as Y'vus; and the Y'vusi, the inhabitants of that region, were there.


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The inhabitants of Y'vus taunted David by saying, 'You won't get in here!' Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Tziyon, also known now as the City of David.


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David said, 'Whoever attacks the Y'vusi first will be commander-in-chief.' Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah attacked first and was made commander.


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David built up the city around it, starting at the Millo [earth rampart] and going on around; while Yo'av repaired the rest of the city.


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These are David's chief warriors, who, under his rulership, joined forces with him and with all Isra'el to make him king, as ADONAI had said concerning Isra'el;


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here is the list of David's warrior-heroes: Yashov'am son of a Hakhmoni, the chief officer; he is the one who raised his spear against 300 men and killed them in a single encounter.


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He was with David at Pas-Damim, where the P'lishtim had assembled for battle. There was a plot of ground full of barley; and when the people fled from the P'lishtim,


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they stood in the middle of the plot and defended it, killing the P'lishtim; and ADONAI saved them with a great victory.


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Three of the thirty leaders went down to the rock and came to David during harvest season at the cave of 'Adulam when the army of the P'lishtim had set up camp in the Refa'im Valley.


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The three broke through the army of the P'lishtim, drew water from the well by the gate of Beit-Lechem, took it and brought it to David. But David would not drink it; instead, he poured it out to ADONAI


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and said, 'My God forbid that I should do such a thing! Am I to drink the blood of these men who went and put their lives in jeopardy? They risked their lives to bring it!'- and he would not consent to drink it. These are the things the three warrior-heroes did.


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Avishai the brother of Yo'av was chief of these three. He raised his spear against 300 men and killed them; thus he had a reputation even among the three.


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Of the three in the second rank he had the most honor and was therefore made their leader; however, he did not achieve the status of the first three.


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Here is how he killed an Egyptian, a man who was very tall, seven-and-a-half feet: the Egyptian had a spear in his hand the size of a weaver's beam; he went down to him with only a stick, seized the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear.


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There were also these warrior-heroes: 'Asah'el the brother of Yo'av, Elchanan the son of Dodo, from Beit-Lechem,


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Following are the men who joined David at Ziklag while he was still being kept away from Sha'ul the son of Kish; they were among the warriors who helped him fight his battles.


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They were archers who could use either hand to sling stones or shoot arrows from a bow; they were Sha'ul's kinsmen from Binyamin.


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Their leader was Achi'ezer, then Yo'ash, the sons of Sh'ma'ah the Giv'ati, Y'zi'el, Pelet, the sons of 'Azmavet, B'rakhah, Yehu from 'Anatot,


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(4b) Yirmeyah, Yachzi'el, Yochanan, Yozavad from G'derah,5 El'uzai, Yerimot, B'alyah, Sh'maryah, Sh'fatyah the Harufi,


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From the Gadi a number of strong, brave, trained fighting men defected to David at the fortress in the desert. They could handle shield and spear, they were as fierce as lions, and they were as fast as deer on the hills:


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These descendants of Gad were army commanders; the least of them was worth a hundred, and the greatest worth a thousand.


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These are the men who crossed the Yarden during the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks, and drove out all those who lived in the valleys, both to the east and to the west.


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When David went out to meet them, he said, 'If you are coming to me in peace to help me, my heart will be bonded to yours. But if you are coming to betray me to my enemies, then, since I have done nothing wrong, may the God of our fathers see it and judge.'


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Then the Spirit covered 'Amasai the chief commander, and he said: 'We are yours, David; on your side, son of Yishai! Peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers; for your God helps you.' David welcomed them and made them senior officers.


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From M'nasheh some defected to David when he was about to go with the P'lishtim to fight against Sha'ul; but they ended up not helping them; because the rulers of the P'lishtim, after consultation, sent David away, saying, 'He will defect to his master Sha'ul at the cost of our heads.'


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As he was on his way to Ziklag, those who defected to him from M'nasheh included 'Adnach, Yozavad, Y'dia'el, Mikha'el, Yozavad, Elihu and Tziltai, commanders of thousands from M'nasheh.


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They helped David against the raiding band, for they were all strong, brave men who were commanders in the army.


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Indeed, reinforcements to assist David reached him daily, until there was a great army, like the army of God.


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Following are the numbers of those who came armed for war to David in Hevron, in order to transfer to him the kingdom of Sha'ul, according to what ADONAI had said.


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Of the descendants of Binyamin the kinsmen of Sha'ul, there were 3,000; for up until then, the majority of them had remained loyal to the house of Sha'ul.


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Of the descendants of Efrayim, there were 20,800 strong, brave men, well known in their fathers' families.


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Of the descendants of Yissakhar, men who understood the times and knew what Isra'el ought to do, there were 200 leaders, and all their kinsmen were under their command.


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Of Z'vulun, 50,000 men were fit for military service, experienced in war and able to use all kinds of weapons; they were brave, and none was doubleminded.


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On the other side of the Yarden, from the Re'uveni, the Gadi and the half-tribe of M'nasheh, there were 120,000 with all kinds of weapons for battle.


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All these soldiers who were experienced in war came to Hevron wholeheartedly to make David king over all Isra'el, and all the rest from Isra'el were single-hearted in wanting to make David king.


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They remained there with David for three days, eating and drinking, for their kinsmen had prepared for them.


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Moreover, those who were near them - and even those as far as Yissakhar, Z'vulun and Naftali - brought food on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen: baked goods, fig cakes, clusters of raisins, wine, oil, and oxen and sheep in abundance; for there was joy in Isra'el.


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Then David said to the entire assembly of Isra'el, 'If it seems good to you, and if it is the will of ADONAI our God, let's send messengers to the rest of our kinsmen in the land of Isra'el, and also to the cohanim and L'vi'im in their cities with surrounding open land, asking them to join us;


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and let's bring back the ark of our God to ourselves, since we didn't go after it when Sha'ul was king.'


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So David summoned all Isra'el to come together, from Shichor in Egypt all the way to the entrance of Hamat, to bring the ark of God from Kiryat-Ye'arim.


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David went up with all Isra'el to Ba'alah, that is, Kiryat-Ye'arim, which belonged to Y'hudah, to bring up from there the ark of God, ADONAI, who is enthroned above the k'ruvim, bearing the Name.


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They set the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Avinadav, with 'Uza and Achyo, the sons of Avinadav, driving the cart.


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David and all Isra'el celebrated in the presence of God with all their strength, with songs, lyres, lutes, tambourines, cymbals and trumpets.


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When they arrived at Kidon's threshing-floor, the oxen stumbled; and 'Uza put out his hand to steady the ark.


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But ADONAI's anger blazed up against 'Uza, and he struck him down, because he had put out his hand and touched the ark, so that he died there before God.


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It upset David that ADONAI had broken out against 'Uza; that place has been called Peretz-'Uza [breaking-out of 'Uza] ever since.


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So David didn't bring the ark into the City of David; rather, David carried it aside into the house of 'Oved-'Edom the Gitti.


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The ark of God stayed with the family of 'Oved-'Edom the Gitti in his house for three months; and ADONAI blessed the household of 'Oved-'Edom and all he had.


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Huram king of Tzor sent envoys to David with cedar logs, and with them stonemasons and carpenters, to build him a palace.


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David then knew that ADONAI had set him up as king over Isra'el; because, for the sake of his people Isra'el, his royal power had been greatly increased.


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David took more concubines and wives in Yerushalayim, and David became father of more sons and daughters.


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When the P'lishtim heard that David had been anointed king over all Isra'el, all the P'lishtim went up in search of David. On hearing of it, David went to attack them.


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David consulted God, asking, 'Should I attack the P'lishtim? Will you hand them over to me?'ADONAI answered David, 'Attack; I will hand them over to you.'


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So they went up to Ba'al-P'ratzim, and David defeated them there. David said, 'God has broken through my enemies by my power like a river breaking through its banks.'This is why they called the place Ba'al-P'ratzim [Lord of breaking through].


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The P'lishtim had left their gods there, so David gave an order, and they were burned up completely.


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David consulted God again, but God told him, 'Don't attack them! Turn away from them, and engage them opposite the balsam trees.


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When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move out, and attack; because God has gone out ahead of you to defeat the army of the P'lishtim.'


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David did as God had ordered him to do and pursued his attack on the army of the P'lishtim from Giv'on to Gezer.


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David erected buildings for himself in the City of David, prepared a place for the ark of God, and set up a tent for it.


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Then David said, 'No one but the L'vi'im should carry the ark of God, because ADONAI chose them to carry the ark of ADONAI and to serve him forever.'


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David assembled all Isra'el in Yerushalayim to bring the ark of ADONAI up to its place, which he had prepared for it.


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David called for Tzadok and Evyatar the cohanim and for the L'vi'im - Uri'el, 'Asayah, Yo'el, Sh'ma'yah, Eli'el and 'Amminadav -


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and said to them, 'You are the clan leaders of the L'vi'im. Consecrate yourselves, both you and your kinsmen, to bring the ark of ADONAI the God of Isra'el up to the place I have prepared for it.


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It's because you weren't there the first time that ADONAI our God broke out against us. We didn't seek him out according to the rule.'


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and the L'vi'im carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles on it, as Moshe had ordered, according to what ADONAI had said.


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David spoke to the chief of the L'vi'im to appoint their kinsmen to be singers making use of musical instruments - lutes, lyres and cymbals - to play loudly and raise sounds of joy.


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So the L'vi'im appointed Heman the son of Yo'el; of his kinsmen, Asaf the son of Berekhyahu; of the descendants of M'rari their kinsmen, Eitan the son of Kushayahu;


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and with them their second-degree kinsmen Z'kharyahu, Ben, Ya'azi'el, Sh'miramot, Yechi'el, 'Uni, Eli'av, B'nayahu, Ma'aseiyahu, Mattityahu, Elif'lehu, Mikneyahu, with 'Oved-Edom and Ye'i'el the gatekeepers.


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Z'kharyahu, 'Azi'el, Sh'miramot, Yechi'el, 'Uni, Eli'av, Ma'aseiyahu and B'nayahu were to play the lutes for 'alamot [high-pitched music?].


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Mattityahu, Elif'lehu, Mikneyahu, 'Oved-Edom, Ye'i'el and 'Azazyahu were to play lyres to lead the sh'minit [low-pitched music?].


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K'nanyahu, chief of the L'vi'im, was in charge of the singing; he was put in charge of the singing because he was skillful at it.


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Sh'vanyahu, Yoshafat, N'tan'el, 'Amasai, Z'kharyahu, B'nayahu and Eli'ezer the cohanim blew the trumpets in front of the ark of God. 'Oved-Edom and Yechiyah were gatekeepers for the ark.


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So David, the leaders of Isra'el and the commanders over thousands went to bring up the ark for the covenant of ADONAI out from the house of 'Oved-Edom with joy.


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Since God was helping the L'vi'im who were carrying the ark for the covenant of ADONAI, they sacrificed seven young bulls and seven rams.


text:
David, all the L'vi'im bearing the ark, the singers and K'nanyah the music leader for the singers were all wearing linen cloaks; and David was also wearing a linen ritual vest.


text:
So all Isra'el brought up the ark for the covenant of ADONAI with shouting; blowing on shofars and trumpets; and cymbals sounding with lutes and lyres.


text:
As the ark for the covenant of ADONAI entered the City of David, Mikhal the daughter of Sha'ul, watching from the window, saw King David dancing and celebrating; and she was filled with contempt for him.


text:
They brought the ark of God in and put it in the tent that David had set up for it; and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God.


text:
When David had finished offering the burnt offering and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of ADONAI.


text:
Then he distributed to everyone in Isra'el, to everyone there, both men and women, a loaf of bread, a portion of meat and a raisin cake.


text:
He appointed certain L'vi'im to serve in front of the ark of ADONAI, to celebrate, and to thank and praise ADONAI the God of Isra'el:


text:
Asaf, the leader; assisting him, Z'kharyah; then Ye'i'el, Sh'miramot, Yechi'el, Mattityahu, Eli'av, B'nayahu, 'Oved-Edom and Ye'i'el playing lutes and lyres, while Asaf played cymbals.


text:
B'nayah and Yachzi'el the cohanim blew the trumpets continually before the ark for the covenant of God.


text:
It was on that same day that David first ordered that thanks be given to ADONAI through Asaf and his kinsmen:


text:
give ADONAI the glory due to his name; bring an offering, and come into his presence. Worship ADONAI in splendid, holy attire.


text:
Say: 'Save us, God who can save us! Gather and rescue us from the nations; so that we can thank your holy name and glory in praising you.


text:
Blessed be ADONAI, the God of Isra'el, from eternity past to eternity future!' All the people said, 'Amen!' and praised ADONAI.


text:
So, there before the ark for the covenant of ADONAI, David left Asaf and his kinsmen to perform the service regularly before the ark, as each day's work required;


text:
also 'Oved-Edom with their kinsmen, sixty-eight of them -'Oved-Edom the son of Y'dutun and Hosah were gatekeepers.


text:
He left Tzadok the cohen with his kinsmen before the tabernacle of ADONAI at the high place in Giv'on


text:
to offer burnt offerings to ADONAI every morning and evening on the altar for burnt offerings, according to everything written in the Torah of ADONAI, which he gave to Isra'el.


text:
With them were Heman and Y'dutun and the rest who were chosen and assigned by name to give thanks to ADONAI, because his grace continues forever.


text:
With them were Heman and Y'dutun to play trumpets and cymbals, also instruments for the songs about God; while the sons of Y'dutun were assigned to the gate.


text:
After David had been living in his palace awhile, he said to Natan the prophet, 'Here, I'm living in a cedar-wood palace; but the ark for the covenant of ADONAI is kept under a tent!'


text:
'Go, and tell David my servant that this is what ADONAI says: 'You are not to build me a house to live in,


text:
because from the day I brought up Isra'el until today, I never lived in a house; rather, I've gone from tent to tent and from one tabernacle to another.


text:
Everywhere I traveled with all Isra'el, did I ever speak a word to any of the judges of Isra'el, whom I ordered to shepherd my people Isra'el, asking, 'Why haven't you built me a cedar-wood house?''


text:
'Therefore say to my servant David that this is what ADONAI-Tzva'ot says: 'I took you from the sheep-yards, from following the sheep, to make you chief over my people Isra'el.


text:
I have been with you wherever you went, I have destroyed all your enemies ahead of you; and I am making your reputation like the reputations of the greatest people on earth.


text:
I will assign a place to my people Isra'el; I will plant them there, so that they can live in their own place without being disturbed any more. The wicked will no longer devastate them, as they did at the beginning,


text:
and as they did from the time I ordered judges to be over my people Isra'el; instead, I will subdue all your enemies. ''Moreover, I tell you that ADONAI will make you a house.


text:
When your days come to an end and you go to be with your ancestors, I will establish one of your descendants to succeed you, one of your own sons; and I will set up his rulership.


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I will be a father for him, and he will be a son for me; I will not take my grace away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor.


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Rather, I will maintain him in my house and in my kingdom forever; and his throne will be set up forever.''


text:
Then David went in, sat before ADONAI and said, 'Who am I, ADONAI, God, and what is my family, that has caused you to bring me this far?


text:
Yet in your view, God, even this was but a small thing; so you have said that your servant's dynasty will continue on into the distant future. You have regarded me, ADONAI, God, as a man of high rank.


text:
What more can David say to you about the honor you are bestowing on your servant? For you know your servant intimately.


text:
ADONAI, it is for your servant's sake and in accordance with your own heart that you have done all this greatness and revealed all these great things.


text:
ADONAI, there is no one like you, and there is no God besides you - everything we have heard confirms that.


text:
Who can be compared with your people Isra'el? What other nation on earth did God set out to redeem and turn into a people for himself? You made yourself a reputation by doing great and terrifying things, as you drove out the nations from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt.


text:
So now, ADONAI, let the word that you spoke concerning your servant and his house be confirmed forever; do what you have promised.


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May your name be confirmed and magnified forever; so that it will be said, 'ADONAI-Tzva'ot is the God of Isra'el and the God for Isra'el, and the dynasty of David your servant will be set up in your presence.'


text:
For you, my God, have disclosed to your servant that you will build him a house. This is why your servant has the courage to pray to you.


text:
and now it has pleased you to bless the family of your servant and thereby cause it to continue forever in your presence. For you, ADONAI, have blessed, and it is blessed forever.'


text:
Some time afterwards, David attacked the P'lishtim and subdued them; David took Gat and its villages out of the hands of the P'lishtim.


text:
David, on his way to establish his dominion as far as the Euphrates River, also defeated Hadar'ezer king of Tzovah near Hamat.


text:
David captured 1,000 chariots, 7,000 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers. He reserved enough horses for 100 chariots and disabled the rest.


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When the people of Aram from Dammesek came to the aid of Hadar'ezer king of Tzovah, David killed 22,000 men of Aram.


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Then David put [garrisons] among the people of Aram in Dammesek; Aram became subject to David and paid tribute. ADONAI gave victory to David wherever he went.


text:
David took the gold shields which Hadar'ezer's servants were wearing and brought them to Yerushalayim.


text:
From Tivchat and Kun, cities of Hadar'ezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze, which Shlomo used to make the bronze 'Sea,'the columns and various bronze articles.


text:
he sent Hadoram his son to King David to greet and congratulate him on fighting and defeating Hadar'ezer - for Hadar'ezer had been at war with To'u - and [he sent] all kinds of articles made of silver, gold and bronze,


text:
which King David dedicated to ADONAI, along with the silver and gold that he had carried off from all the nations - from Edom, Mo'av, the people of 'Amon, the P'lishtim and 'Amalek.


text:
David stationed garrisons in Edom, and all the people of Edom became subject to him. ADONAI gave victory to David wherever he went.


text:
B'nayahu the son of Y'hoyada was in charge of the K'reti and P'leti [serving as the king's bodyguards], and David's sons were the king's chief personal advisers.


text:
Some time later, when Nachash the king of the people of 'Amon died, his son became king in his place.


text:
David said, 'I will be kind to Hanun the son of Nachash, because his father showed grace to me.' So David sent messengers to comfort him about his father. David's servants entered the territory of the people of 'Amon to go to Hanun and comfort him;


text:
but the leaders of the people of 'Amon said to Hanun, 'Do you really think David is honoring your father by sending people to comfort you? Haven't his servants come to you in order to look the city over, overthrow it and reconnoiter the land?'


text:
So Hanun took David's servants, shaved them, cut off their clothes halfway up, at their hips, and then sent them away.


text:
Some people reported to David how the men had been treated. He sent a delegation to meet them, because the men had been deeply humiliated. The king said, 'Stay in Yericho until your beards have grown back, and then return.'


text:
Aware that they had made themselves utterly abhorrent to David, Hanun and the people of 'Amon sent thirty-three tons of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Aram-Naharayim, Aram-Ma'akhah and Tzovah.


text:
They hired 32,000 chariots, as well as the king of Ma'akhah with his people, who came and pitched their camp in front of Meidva. Then the people of 'Amon assembled themselves from their cities and went out to fight.


text:
The army of 'Amon came out and went into battle formation at the city gate, while the kings who had come were alone in the countryside.


text:
He said, 'If Aram is too strong for me, you help me; but if the army of 'Amon is too strong for you, then I will help you.


text:
When the people of 'Amon saw that Aram had fled, they likewise fled before Avishai his brother and retreated into the city. Then Yo'av went to Yerushalayim.


text:
When Aram saw that Isra'el had gotten the better of them, they sent messengers and brought out the people of Aram who lived beyond the [Euphrates] River, with Shofakh the commander of Hadar'ezer's army at their head.


text:
It was reported to David; so he gathered all Isra'el together and crossed the Yarden to engage them. David deployed his forces for battle against Aram; and after he had done so, fought them.


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But Aram fled before Isra'el; David killed 7,000 chariot-drivers and 40,000 foot soldiers from Aram; and he killed Shofakh the commander of the army.


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When all Hadar'ezer's servants saw that they had been defeated by Isra'el, they made peace with David and became his subjects; and Aram would no longer help the people of 'Amon.


text:
In the spring, at the time when kings go out to war, Yo'av led the army out in force and laid waste to the country of the people of 'Amon; then he came and laid siege to Rabbah. But David stayed in Yerushalayim, while Yo'av attacked Rabbah and destroyed it.


text:
David took the crown off Malkam's head and found it to weigh sixty-six pounds, with its gold and precious stones; and it was placed on David's head. He carried off great quantities of spoil from the city.


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In addition, he brought out the people who were in it and set them to work with saws, iron harrows and axes. This is what he did to all the cities of the people of 'Amon. Then David and all the people returned to Yerushalayim.


text:
A while after this there was war at Gezer with the P'lishtim. Sibkhai the Hushati killed Sipai, one of the giants, and they were defeated.


text:
There was more war with the P'lishtim; and Elchanan the son of Ya'ir killed Lachmi the brother of Golyat the Gitti, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver's beam.


text:
There was again war at Gat, where there was a very tall man whose fingers and toes numbered twenty-four, six [fingers on each hand] and six [toes on each foot]; and he too was a son of the giant.


text:
The Adversary [Hebrew: Satan] now rose up against Isra'el and incited David to take a census of Isra'el.


text:
David said to Yo'av and the leaders of the people, 'Go, take a census of Isra'el from Be'er-Sheva to Dan; then report to me, so that I can know how many of them there are.'


text:
Yo'av said, 'May ADONAI make his people a hundred times as many as they are now! But, my lord the king, aren't they all my lord's servants in any case? Why does my lord the king require this? Why should he bring guilt upon Isra'el?'


text:
Nevertheless, the king's word prevailed against Yo'av. So Yo'av left and went through all Isra'el, after which he came to Yerushalayim.


text:
Yo'av reported the results of the census to David: in Isra'el were 1,100,000 men who could handle a sword, while Y'hudah had 470,000 men who could handle a sword.


text:
David said to God, 'I have greatly sinned by doing this. But now, please! Put aside your servant's sin, for I have done a very foolish thing.'


text:
'Go and tell David that ADONAI says, 'I am offering you a choice of three punishments: choose one of them, and I will execute it against you.''


text:
three years of famine; or three months of being swept away by your enemies, while your enemies' sword overwhelms you; or three days of ADONAI's sword - plague in the land, with the angel of ADONAI destroying everywhere in Isra'el's territory. Now think about what answer I should give to the one who sent me.'


text:
David said to Gad, 'This is very hard for me. Let me fall into the hand of ADONAI, because his mercies are very great, rather than have me fall into the hand of man.'


text:
God also sent an angel to destroy Yerushalayim, but when he was about to carry out the destruction, ADONAI saw it and changed his mind about causing such distress; so he said to the destroying angel, 'Enough! Now withdraw your hand.'The angel of ADONAI was standing at the threshing-floor of Ornan the Y'vusi.


text:
David raised his eyes and saw the angel of ADONAI standing between the earth and the sky, and in his hand was a drawn sword stretched out over Yerushalayim. Then David and the leaders, wearing sackcloth, fell on their faces.


text:
David said to God, 'Wasn't it I who ordered the census of the people? Yes, I am the one who has sinned and done something very wicked. But these sheep, what have they done? Please! Let your hand be against me and my father's family, but not against your people, striking them with this plague!'


text:
Then the angel of ADONAI ordered Gad to tell David to go and set up an altar to ADONAI on the threshing-floor of Ornan the Y'vusi.


text:
Ornan turned back and saw the angel, and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. As Ornan was threshing wheat,


text:
David approached Ornan. When Ornan looked and saw David, he went out from the threshing-floor and prostrated himself before David with his face to the ground.


text:
Then David said to Ornan, 'Let me have the parcel with this threshing-floor, so that I can build on it an altar to ADONAI - I will pay you its full value - so that the plague will be lifted from the people.'


text:
Ornan said to David, 'Take it for yourself, and let my lord the king do what seems good to him. I'm giving you the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing-sledges for firewood and the wheat for the grain offering - I'm giving it all.'


text:
But King David said to Ornan, 'No; I insist on buying it from you at the full price. I refuse to take what is yours for ADONAI or offer a burnt offering that costs me nothing.'


text:
Then David built an altar to ADONAI there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. He called on ADONAI, who answered him from heaven by fire on the altar for burnt offerings.


text:
When David saw that ADONAI had answered him at the threshing-floor of Ornan the Y'vusi, he sacrificed there.


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For at that time the tabernacle of ADONAI, which Moshe had made in the desert, together with the altar for burnt offerings, were in the high place at Giv'on.


text:
But David could not go into its presence to consult God, because the sword of the angel of ADONAI had struck him with terror.


text:
Then David said, 'This is the house of ADONAI, God; and this is the altar Isra'el is to use for burnt offerings.'


text:
David ordered that the foreigners in the land of Isra'el should be assembled, and he appointed stone-workers to shape stones for building the house of God.


text:
David prepared a large store of iron from which to make nails and clamps for the gateway doors and, a quantity of bronze too great to weigh,


text:
and cedar logs beyond numbering - because the Tzidonim and the people from Tzor brought cedar logs in abundance to David.


text:
David said, 'Shlomo my son is young and inexperienced, while the house to be built for ADONAI must be so magnificent and splendid that its fame and glory will be known in every country; so I will make preparations for him.' Therefore David made extensive preparations before his death.


text:
But a message from ADONAI came to me, 'You have shed much blood and fought great wars. You are not to build a house for my name, because you have shed so much blood on the earth in my sight.


text:
But you will have a son who will be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his enemies that surround him; for his name is to be Shlomo, and during his reign I will give peace [Hebrew: shalom] and quiet to Isra'el.


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It is he who will build a house for my name. He will be my son and I will be his father, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Isra'el forever.'


text:
'Now, my son, may ADONAI be with you and give you success as you build the house of ADONAI your God, in keeping with what he said about you.


text:
May ADONAI give you common sense and understanding, and may he give you his orders concerning Isra'el, so that you will observe the Torah of ADONAI your God.


text:
Then you will succeed, if you take care to obey the laws and rulings that ADONAI ordered Moshe concerning Isra'el. Be strong, be bold; don't be afraid or become discouraged!


text:
'Now look: despite my difficulties, I have prepared for the house of ADONAI 3,300 tons of gold, 33,000 tons of silver, and so much bronze and iron that it can't be weighed. I've also prepared timber and stone, and you can add to it.


text:
Moreover, you have plenty of workers - quarrymen, stone-workers, lumbermen, and all kinds of skilled craftsmen to do whatever has to be done with


text:
the gold, silver, bronze and iron-they're beyond number. So get up, and get to work! And may ADONAI be with you.'


text:
'Isn't ADONAI your God with you? Hasn't he given you rest on every side? For he has put the inhabitants of the land under my power - the land has been subdued before ADONAI and his people.


text:
Now set your heart and being on seeking ADONAI your God. Get up, and build the sanctuary for ADONAI, God. Then you can bring the ark for the covenant of ADONAI and the holy articles of God into the house that will be built for the name of ADONAI.'


text:
Of these, 24,000 were to oversee the work on the house of ADONAI, while 6,000 were officials and judges,


text:
4,000 were gatekeepers, and 4,000 sang praise to ADONAI 'with the instruments I made for the purpose of singing praise.'


text:
The sons of Shim'i: Shlomit, Hazi'el and Haran - three. These were the heads of the clans of La'dan.


text:
Yachat was the chief and Zizah the second, then Ye'ush and B'ri'ah, who did not have many descendants and were therefore counted as one clan.


text:
The sons of 'Amram: Aharon and Moshe. Aharon was set apart to be consecrated as especially holy, he and his sons forever; so that they might bring offerings before ADONAI, perform the service for him and bless in his name forever.


text:
The sons of Eli'ezer were: Rechavyah the chief. Eli'ezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rechavyah were very numerous.


text:
The sons of Hevron: Yeriyahu the chief, Amaryah the second, Yachzi'el the third and Y'kam'am the fourth.


text:
El'azar died without having sons, but daughters only; their cousins, the sons of Kish, married them.


text:
These were the descendants of Levi, according to their clans, the heads of clans according to their listing in the register, who did the work for the service of the house of ADONAI, those twenty years old and over.


text:
For David said, 'ADONAI the God of Isra'el has given rest to his people, and he lives in Yerushalayim forever.


text:
The L'vi'im will no longer have to carry the tabernacle and all the equipment that goes with it for its service.'


text:
For, according to David's last instructions, the descendants of Levi twenty years old and over were to be counted.


text:
Their role was to assist the descendants of Aharon with the service of the house of ADONAI in the courtyards and rooms, and with purification of all the holy articles - in other words, with the work needed to minister in the house of God.


text:
They were to assist with the showbread and the finely ground flour needed for grain offerings, no matter whether of matzah, pan-baked bread or mixed with oil, and no matter what shape or size.


text:
They were to be present regularly before ADONAI whenever burnt offerings were offered to ADONAI on Shabbat, at Rosh-Hodesh, and at the other designated times, in the numbers required by the rules for sacrifices.


text:
Finally, for the service in the house of ADONAI they were to perform their duties in relation to the tent of meeting, the Holy Place and their kinsmen the descendants of Aharon.


text:
The divisions of the descendants of Aharon were as follows: The sons of Aharon: Nadav, Avihu, El'azar and Itamar.


text:
But Nadav and Avihu died before their father and had no children; therefore El'azar and Itamar functioned as the cohanim.


text:
David, together with Tzadok from the descendants of El'azar, and Achimelekh from the descendants of Itamar, arranged them in divisions for service.


text:
There were more men who were chiefs found among the descendants of El'azar than among the descendants of Itamar; therefore there were sixteen divisions of the descendants of El'azar, headed by clan leaders, and eight divisions of the descendants of Itamar, according to their clans.


text:
They were assigned [periods of service] by lot, the one group equally with the other, since both the descendants of El'azar and the descendants of Itamar had officers of the sanctuary and officers of God.


text:
Sh'ma'yah the son of N'tan'el the secretary, one of the L'vi'im, recorded them in the presence of the king, the officers, Tzadok the cohen, Achimelekh the son of Evyatar, and the clan leaders of the cohanim and of the L'vi'im - with two clan divisions taken from El'azar for each one from Itamar.


text:
These are the divisions and the sequence in which they served in the house of ADONAI, in accordance with the rule they were given through Aharon their ancestor, as ADONAI the God of Isra'el had ordered him.


text:
The rest of the descendants of Levi: of the descendants of 'Amram, Shuva'el; of the descendants of Shuva'el, Yechd'yah.


text:
And the sons of Mushi: Machli, 'Eder and Yerimot. These were the descendants of the L'vi'im according to their clans.


text:
These likewise cast lots, as had their kinsmen the descendants of Aharon, in the presence of David the king, Tzadok, Achimelekh, and the clan leaders of the cohanim and of the L'vi'im; with the senior and junior clans casting lots equally.


text:
For the service, David and the army commanders selected some of the descendants of Asaf, of Heman and of Y'dutun to prophesy with lyres, lutes and cymbals. The list of those doing this work, according to the type of work performed was:


text:
Of the descendants of Asaf: Zakur, Yosef, N'tanyah and Asar'elah; the sons of Asaf were with Asaf, who prophesied according to the direction of the king.


text:
Of Y'dutun, the descendants of Y'dutun: G'dalyahu, Tzeri, Yesha'yahu, Hashavyahu, Mattityahu - six, with their father Y'dutun, who, accompanied by the lyre, prophesied thanks and praise to ADONAI.


text:
Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukiyahu, Mattanyahu, 'Uzi'el, Sh'vu'el, Yerimot, Hananyah, Hanani, Eli'atah, Gidalti, Romamti-'ezer, Yoshb'kashah, Maloti, Hotir and Machzi'ot;


text:
all these sons of Heman, the king's seer in matters pertaining to God, were there to exalt [God]. God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.


text:
They were all with their fathers Asaf, Y'dutun and Heman to sing with cymbals, lutes and lyres in the house of ADONAI, serving in the house of God under the direction of the king.


text:
Their number, together with their kinsmen who had been instructed in singing to ADONAI, was 288, all well trained.


text:
The first lot for Asaf fell to Yosef, the second to G'dalyah; he, his brothers and his sons numbered twelve;


text:
The divisions of the gatekeepers: Of the Korchim: Meshelemyahu the son of Kore, of the descendants of Asaf.


text:
Meshelemyahu had sons: Z'kharyahu the firstborn, Y'dia'el the second, Z'vadyahu the third, Yatni'el the fourth,


text:
'Oved-Edom had sons: Sh'ma'yah the firstborn, Y'hozavad the second son, Yo'ach the third, Sakhar the fourth, N'tan'el the fifth,


text:
To his son Sh'ma'yah were born sons who ruled over their father's clan, because they were strong, brave men.


text:
The sons of Sh'ma'yah: 'Otni, Refa'el and his brothers 'Oved and Elzavad, valiant men; also Elihu and S'makhyahu.


text:
These were all from the sons of 'Oved-Edom, they and their sons and brothers, men of ability and strength for service, sixty-two from 'Oved-Edom.


text:
Hosah, from the descendants of M'rari, had sons: Shimri the chief, for although he was not the firstborn, nevertheless his father made him the chief;


text:
Hilkiyahu the second, T'valyahu the third and Z'kharyahu the fourth; all the sons and brothers of Hosah were thirteen.


text:
These divisions of the gatekeepers, under their chief men, had duties, just as their kinsmen did, serving in the house of ADONAI.


text:
The lot for the east gate fell to Shelemyahu. Then they cast lots for his son Z'kharyahu, a sensible adviser, and he was allotted the north gate.


text:
Shupim and Hosah were allotted the west gate and the Shallekhet Gate at the highway that goes up, with corresponding guards.


text:
For the east there were six L'vi'im, for the north four a day, for the south four a day, for the Storehouse two and two,


text:
These were the divisions of the gatekeepers, consisting of descendants of the Korchim and descendants of M'rari.


text:
Of the L'vi'im, Achiyah was responsible for the stores in the house of God and the stores of holy articles.


text:
The sons of La'dan, the descendants of the Gershuni belonging to La'dan, the heads of clans belonging to La'dan the Gershuni: Yechi'eli;


text:
His kinsmen: from Eli'ezer: Rechavyahu his son, Yesha'yahu his son, Yoram his son, Zikhri his son and Shlomit his son.


text:
This Shlomit and his kinsmen were in charge of all the stores of the dedicated things that David the king, the clan heads, the captains over thousands and hundreds and the commanders of the army had dedicated.


text:
Also included was all that Sh'mu'el the seer, Sha'ul the son of Kish, Avner the son of Ner and Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah had dedicated. In short, if anyone had dedicated anything, Shlomit and his brothers were in charge of it.


text:
Of the Yitz'hari: K'nanyahu and his sons were assigned to be over Isra'el in regard to outside business as officers and judges.


text:
Of the Hevroni: Hashavyah and his kinsmen, 1,700 valiant men, had the oversight of Isra'el west of the Yarden in regard to all the business of ADONAI and the service of the king.


text:
Yeriyah was chief of the Hevroni according to their generations by clans. In the fortieth year of David's reign the Hevroni were sought out, and there were found among them strong, brave men at Ya'zer in Gil'ad.


text:
King David appointed 2,700 of his kinsmen, valiant men and clan leaders, as overseers over the Re'uveni, the Gadi and the half-tribe of the M'nashi for every matter pertaining to God and for the affairs of the king.


text:
The people of Isra'el, registered according to their clan leaders, were drafted for army duty under captains of thousands and of hundreds, and officers serving the king, in divisions of 24,000 each, for month-long terms of duty covering all the months of the year.


text:
Over the first division, for the first month, was Yashov'am the son of Zavdi'el; there were 24,000 in his division.


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He was from the descendants of Peretz and was in charge of all the army captains during the first month.


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Over the division for the second month was Dodai the Achochi; Miklot was the chief officer of his division; there were 24,000 in his division.


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The third army commander, for the third month, was B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada the chief cohen; there were 24,000 in his division.


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This is the same B'nayah who was one of the thirty heroes and was over the thirty; his son 'Ammizavad was in his division.


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The fourth commander, for the fourth month, was 'Asah'el the brother of Yo'av, with Z'vadyah his son after him; there were 24,000 in his division.


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The fifth commander, for the fifth month, was Shamhut from Yizrach; there were 24,000 in his division.


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The sixth commander, for the sixth month, was 'Ira the son of 'Ikesh from T'koa; there were 24,000 in his division.


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The seventh commander, for the seventh month, was Heletz the P'loni, from the descendants of Efrayim; there were 24,000 in his division.


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The eighth commander, for the eighth month, was Sibkhai the Hushati, from the Zarchi; there were 24,000 in his division.


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The ninth commander, for the ninth month, was Avi'ezer from 'Anatot, from the Ben-Y'mini; there were 24,000 in his division.


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The tenth commander, for the tenth month, was Mahrai, the N'tofati, from the Zarchi; there were 24,000 in his division.


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The eleventh commander, for the eleventh month, was B'nayah from Pir'aton, from the descendants of Efrayim; there were 24,000 in his division.


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The twelfth commander, for the twelfth month, was Heldai the N'tofati, from 'Otni'el; there were 24,000 in his division.


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Over the the tribes of Isra'el: leader of the Re'uveni: Eli'ezer the son of Zikhri; of the Shim'oni: Sh'fatyah the son of Ma'akhah;


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of the descendants of Efrayim: Hoshea the son of 'Azazyahu; of the half-tribe of M'nasheh: Yo'el the son of P'dayah;


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of the half-tribe of M'nasheh in Gil'ad: Yiddo the son of Z'kharyahu; of Binyamin: Ya'asi'el the son of Avner;


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But David did not include in the registration those twenty years old or less, because ADONAI had said he would increase Isra'el's numbers like the stars in the sky.


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Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah began a census of these, but he did not finish, and wrath came upon Isra'el because of this; moreover the number was not entered into the Annals of King David.


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In charge of the king's supplies was 'Azmavet the son of 'Adi'el. In charge of the supplies in the countryside, the cities, the villages and the fortresses was Y'honatan the son of 'Uziyahu.


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In charge of the vineyards was Shim'i the Ramati, while Zavdi the Shifmi was responsible for the produce from the vineyards for the wine-cellars.


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In charge of the olive and sycamore-fig trees in the Sh'felah was Ba'al-Hanan from G'derah, while Yo'ash was put over the storehouses for olive oil.


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In charge of the herds of livestock feeding in the Sharon was Shirtai from the Sharon, while Shafat the son of Adlai was put over herds in the valleys.


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and Yaziz the Hagri over the flocks [of sheep and goats]. All of these were responsible for King David's property.


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Y'honatan David's uncle was an adviser, a man of understanding and a secretary. Yechi'el the son of Hachmoni took care of the king's sons.


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and after Achitofel were Y'hoyada the son of B'nayah and Evyatar. Yo'av was commander of the king's army.


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David assembled in Yerushalayim all the leaders of Isra'el - the leaders of the tribes, the commanders of the divisions serving the king, the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and the supervisors over the property and livestock of the king, along with his sons, the officials, the warrior-heroes, and anyone else who was a leader.


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Then David the king rose to his feet and said: 'My kinsmen and my people! Listen to me! I set my heart on building a house where the ark for the covenant of ADONAI could remain at rest. It would have been God's footstool, and I prepared to build it.


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But God said to me, 'You are not to build a house for my name, because you are a man of war, you have shed blood.'


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However, ADONAI the God of Isra'el chose me out of my father's whole family to be king over Isra'el forever; for he chose Y'hudah to be the leader; and in the house of Y'hudah, in the house of my father, and among the sons of my father, it was his pleasure to make me king over all Isra'el;


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and of all my sons - for ADONAI has given me many sons - he has chosen Shlomo my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of ADONAI over Isra'el.


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'Moreover, he said to me, 'Shlomo your son will build my house and courtyards, for I have chosen him to be a son to me, and I will be a father to him.


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I will establish his kingdom forever, if he uses his strength to obey my mitzvot and abide by my rulings, as [he is doing] currently.'


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Now therefore, in the sight of all Isra'el, the community of ADONAI, and in the hearing of our God, observe and seek out all the mitzvot of ADONAI your God, so that you may continue to possess this good land and leave it as an inheritance to your descendants after you forever.


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'As for you, Shlomo my son, know the God of your father. Serve him wholeheartedly and with desire in your being; for ADONAI searches all hearts and understands all the inclinations of people's thoughts. If you seek him, he will let himself be found by you; but if you abandon him, he will reject you forever.


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Then David gave Shlomo his son the designs for the hall [of the temple], its buildings, its supply areas, its upper rooms, its inside rooms, and the place for the ark-cover;


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also the designs for everything he had been given by the Spirit - for the courtyards of the house of ADONAI, for all the rooms surrounding it, for the storehouses in the house of God, for the storehouses for the holy articles,


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and for the areas set aside for the cohanim and the L'vi'im; [arrangements] for the work involved in the service of the house of ADONAI and for all the articles needed for the service of the house of ADONAI;


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[lists] of the weights of gold needed for the gold items to be used for various purposes, and the weights of silver needed for the silver items to be used for various purposes -


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the weight of the gold needed for the gold menorahs, the weight needed for each menorah and for its lamps; and for the menorahs of silver, the weight of silver needed for each menorah and for its lamps, according to the way each menorah was to be used;


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also the gold by weight for the tables for the showbread, for each table; and silver for the tables made of silver;


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the gold for the pure gold forks, basins and jars, and for the gold bowls by weight for each bowl; also for the silver bowls by weight for each bowl;


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and for the incense altar, refined gold by weight; and gold for the design of the chariot and the k'ruvim with their wings spread out to cover the ark for the covenant of ADONAI.


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'All this is in writing, as ADONAI, with his hand on me, has given me good sense in working out these detailed plans.'


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Then David said to Shlomo his son, 'Be strong, be bold, and do it! Don't be afraid or become discouraged! For ADONAI, God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or abandon you until all the work for the service in the house of ADONAI has been finished.


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See, there are the divisions of the cohanim and L'vi'im for all the service in the house of God. For every kind of work, you will have with you every man who is willing and skilled, for every kind of service. Also the captains and all the people will be completely at your disposal.'


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To the whole community, David the king said, 'Shlomo my son is the only one God has chosen. But he is still young and inexperienced, whereas the work to be done is great; because the palace is not for anyone human, but for ADONAI, God.


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Now I have used all my strength to prepare for the house of my God the gold needed for the articles of gold, the silver for the articles of silver, the bronze for the articles of bronze, the iron for the articles of iron, the wood for the articles of wood, onyx stones, gemstones to be set, brilliant stones of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, as well as marble in abundance.


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In addition, because my desire is set on the house of my God, since I have my own supply of gold and silver, I herewith give it to the house of my God - over and above everything I have prepared for the holy house -


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ninety-nine tons of gold from the gold of Ofir and 231 tons of refined silver to be used for overlaying the walls of the houses.


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The gold is for whatever is to be made of gold, and the silver is for whatever is to be made of silver; and they may be used for anything to be made by craftsmen. Therefore, who offers willingly to consecrate himself today to ADONAI?'


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Then the clan leaders, the leaders of the tribes of Isra'el, the captains of thousands and of hundreds, along with the supervisors over the king's work offered willingly.


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They gave for the service of the house of God 165 tons of gold, 330 tons of silver, 594 tons of bronze and 3,300 tons of iron.


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Those who had precious stones gave them to the storehouse of the house of ADONAI, supervised by Yechi'el the Gershuni.


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The people were filled with joy, because they had given willingly - wholeheartedly they had given willingly to ADONAI; and David the king too was completely filled with joy,


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as he blessed ADONAI before the entire community: 'Blessed be you, ADONAI, the God of Isra'el our father, forever and ever.


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Yours, ADONAI, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory and the majesty; for everything in heaven and on earth is yours. The kingdom is yours, ADONAI; and you are exalted as head over all.


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Riches and honor come from you, you rule everything, in your hand is power and strength, you have the capacity to make great and to give strength to all.


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'But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to give so willingly in this way? For all things come from you, so that we have given you what is already yours.


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For in your presence we are temporary residents, just passing through, as all our ancestors were - our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope.


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ADONAI our God, all these supplies that we have prepared in order to build you a house for your holy name come from your own hand, all of it is already yours.


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I know also, my God, that you test the heart and take pleasure in integrity. As for myself, I have given all these things willingly, in the integrity of my heart; and now, with joy, I have seen your people who are present here give willingly to you.


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ADONAI, God of Avraham, Yitz'chak and Isra'el our ancestors, guard forever the inclinations of the thoughts in the hearts of your people; direct their hearts to you;


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and give to Shlomo my son wholeheartedness to obey your mitzvot, instructions and rules, to do all these things, and to build the palace for which I have made provision.'


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Then David said to all the community, 'Now bless ADONAI your God.' All the community blessed ADONAI, the God of their ancestors, bowing their heads and prostrating themselves before ADONAI and before the king.


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On the following day they presented sacrifices to ADONAI and offered burnt offerings to ADONAI - a thousand bulls, a thousand rams and a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings - and sacrifices in abundance for all Isra'el.


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They ate and drank before ADONAI that day with great joy. Then, for the second time, they made Shlomo the son of David king, anointing him before ADONAI to be king, and Tzadok to be cohen.


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Shlomo sat on the throne of ADONAI as king in place of David his father and prospered, and all Isra'el obeyed him.


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All the leaders, the warrior-heroes and likewise the sons of King David submitted themselves to Shlomo the king.


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ADONAI gave Shlomo exceedingly great power, in full view of all Isra'el, and bestowed on him royal majesty such as had not been seen on any king before him in Isra'el.


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The duration of his reign over Isra'el was forty years; he reigned seven years in Hevron, and he reigned thirty-three years in Yerushalayim.


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Then he died, at a ripe old age, full of years, riches and honor; and Shlomo his son reigned in his place.


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The activities of David the king, from first to last, are written in the records of Sh'mu'el the seer, Natan the prophet and Gad the seer,


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with all his reign and his power, and the events that he, Isra'el and the kingdoms of other countries experienced.


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Shlomo the son of David grew stronger in his rulership; ADONAI his God was with him, making him greater and greater.


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Shlomo spoke to all Isra'el - to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges and to every leader in all Isra'el, the heads of clans.


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Shlomo and the whole community with him went to the high place at Giv'on, because in that place was God's tent of meeting, which Moshe the servant of ADONAI had made in the desert.


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But the ark of God David had brought up from Kiryat-Ye'arim to the place he had prepared for it - he had set up a tent for it in Yerushalayim.


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The bronze altar crafted by B'tzal'el the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had been placed before the tabernacle of ADONAI; and there Shlomo and the community consulted him.


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Shlomo said to God, 'You showed much grace to your servant David my father and have made me king in his place.


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Now, ADONAI, God, you have been faithful to your promise to David my father; for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the grains of dust on the earth.


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So now, give me wisdom and knowledge; so that I will be able to lead this people. For who is equal to judging this great people of yours?'


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God said to Shlomo, 'Because you set your heart on this - because, instead of asking for riches, wealth, honor, the death of those who hate you, or long life, you asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself, so that you would be able to judge my people, over whom I made you king -


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not only are wisdom and knowledge being given to you, but I will also give you riches, wealth and honor such as no king before you has ever had; and no king after you will have as much.'


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So Shlomo came away from the high place at Giv'on, from in front of the tent of meeting, to Yerushalayim; and he ruled over Isra'el.


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Shlomo amassed chariots and horsemen; he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen; he placed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Yerushalayim.


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The king made silver and gold in Yerushalayim as common as stones, and he made cedars as abundant as sycamore-fig trees in the Sh'felah.


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Shlomo's horses had been brought from Egypt and from Keve, with the king's agents having bought them from the dealers in Keve at the going price.


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A chariot brought from Egypt cost fifteen pounds of silver shekels and a horse three-and-three quarters pounds [of shekels]; all the kings of the Hittim and the kings of Aram purchased them at these prices through Shlomo's agents.


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Shlomo enlisted 70,000 men who carried loads, another 80,000 men who were stonecutters in the hills and


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,600 supervising them.3 Then Shlomo sent this message to Huram the king of Tzor: '[Deal with me] as you dealt with David my father when you sent him cedar logs, so that he could build himself a palace to live in.


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Here, I am about to build a house for the name of ADONAI my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before Him incense made of sweet spices; the house will also be for the continuing showbread and for the burnt offerings presented every morning and evening, on the shabbats, at every Rosh-Hodesh, and at the designated times of ADONAI our God. This is a perpetual regulation for Isra'el.


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But who is equal to building him a house? Why, heaven itself, even the heaven of heavens, cannot contain him; so who am I to build him a house, except to offer sacrifices before him?


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'Now, therefore, send me a man skilled at working with gold, silver, bronze and iron; dealing with purple, crimson, and blue dyed materials; and capable of doing all kinds of engraving. He will be with the skilled craftsmen I have with me in Y'hudah and Yerushalayim, whom David my father provided.


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Also send me cedar, cypress and sandalwood logs from the L'vanon; for I know that your servants are skilled in cutting timber in the L'vanon. I will have my servants work together with your servants


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to prepare me an abundant supply of timber, for the house I am about to build must be magnificent and wonderful.


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I will give your servants, the woodcutters who cut the timber, 100,000 bushels of cracked wheat, 100,000 bushels of barley, 100,000 gallons of wine, and 100,000 gallons of olive oil.'


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Huram the king of Tzor wrote this answer and sent it to Shlomo: 'Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you king over them.'


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Huram continued, 'Blessed be ADONAI, the God of Isra'el, who made heaven and earth, who has given David the king a wise, knowledgeable son with common sense to build a house for ADONAI and a royal palace for himself.


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the son of a woman who was one of the daughters of Dan, while his father was a man from Tzor. He is skilled in working gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and timber, as well as purple and blue dyed materials, fine linen and crimson material; he can do any kind of engraving; and he can make all the equipment necessary to accomplish any task assigned to him, with the help of your craftsmen and those of my lord David your father.


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and we will cut wood from the L'vanon, as much as you need; we will float it to you as rafts by sea to Yafo, and you will take it up to Yerushalayim.'


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Shlomo took a census of all the foreigners in the land of Isra'el, following the pattern of the census of David his father; they were found to number 153,600.


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He appointed 70,000 of them to carry loads, 80,000 to be stonecutters in the hills and 3,600 as supervisors to assign the people their work.


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Then Shlomo began to build the house of ADONAI in Yerushalayim on Mount Moriyah, where ADONAI had appeared to David his father. Provision had been made for this at the place David had chosen, the threshing-floor of Ornan the Y'vusi.


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These are the foundations Shlomo laid for building the house of God: the length in old-standard cubits was sixty cubits [105 feet] and the width twenty cubits [thirty-five feet].


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The length of the hall fronting the house was the same as the house's width, thirty-five feet and the height 210 [feet]; and he overlaid it with pure gold.


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The larger house he covered with cypress-wood, which he overlaid with fine gold and embossed with palm trees and chains.


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overlaying the house and its beams, thresholds, walls and doors with gold and carving k'ruvim on the walls.


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Then he made the Especially Holy Place; its length matched the width of the house, thirty-five feet, and its width was thirty-five feet. He overlaid it with twenty tons of fine gold.


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The weight of the nails was one-and-a-quarter pounds of gold, and he overlaid the upper rooms with gold.


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Inside the Especially Holy Place he made two k'ruvim of cast metal, and they overlaid them with gold.


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The wings of the k'ruvim were thirty-five feet long - the wing of the one keruv was eight-and-three-quarters feet long and touched the wall of the house; the other wing was also eight-and-three-quarters feet long, so that it touched the wing of the other keruv.


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The wing of the other keruv was eight-and-three-quarters feet long, touching the wall of the house; and the other wing was also eight-and-three-quarters feet long, touching the wing of the first keruv.


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The wings of these k'ruvim spread out over thirty-five feet. They stood on their feet with their faces turned inward.


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He made the curtain of blue, purple and crimson material and of fine linen, with a design of k'ruvim worked into it.


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In front of the house he made two columns sixty-one-and-a-quarter feet high, with a capital of eight-and-three-quarters feet on top of each.


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He made chains in the sanctuary and added them to the tops of the columns, and he made a hundred pomegranates and attached them to the chains.


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He erected the columns in front of the temple, one on the right and the other on the left; the one on the right he called Yakhin, and the one on the left he called Bo'az.


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He made an altar of bronze thirty-five feet long, thirty-five feet wide and seventeen-and-a-half feet high.


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He made the cast metal 'Sea' circular, seventeen-and-a-half feet from rim to rim, eight-and-three quarters feet high and fifty-two-and-a-half feet in circumference.


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Below the rim a ring of ox-like figures encircled it, ten for every twenty-one inches all the way around the Sea. The oxen were in two rows; they were cast when the Sea was cast.


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It was a handbreadth thick, its rim was made like the rim of a cup, like the flower of a lily; and its capacity was 16,500 gallons.


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He also made ten basins for washing and put five on the right and five on the left. Items needed for the burnt offerings would be cleansed in these, but the Sea was for the cohanim to wash in.


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He made the ten menorahs of gold in accordance with their specifications and set them in the temple, five on the right and five on the left.


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He also made ten tables and put them in the temple, five on the right and five on the left. And he made a hundred basins of gold.


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He made the courtyard for the cohanim and the great courtyard, also the doors to the courtyard, which he overlaid with bronze.


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Huram made the ash pots, shovels and sprinkling basins. With that, Huram completed the work he had been doing for King Shlomo in the house of God -


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the two columns, the two moldings, the two capitals on top of the columns, the two nettings covering the two moldings of the capitals atop the columns,


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and the 400 pomegranates for the two nettings, two rows of pomegranates for each netting, to cover the two moldings of the capitals atop the columns.


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the ash pots, the shovels, the forks and all the other equipment for it. All these articles that Huram the master craftsman made for King Shlomo in the house of ADONAI were of brilliant bronze.


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Shlomo made all the objects that were inside the house of God: the gold altar; the table on which the showbread was displayed;


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and the snuffers, bowls, cups and fire pans of pure gold. As for the entryway to the house, the inner doors for the Especially Holy Place and the doors of the house (that is, of the temple) were of gold.


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Thus all the work that Shlomo did for the house of ADONAI was finished. Then Shlomo brought in the gifts which David his father had consecrated - the silver, the gold and all the utensils - and put them in the treasuries of the house of God.


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Shlomo assembled all the leaders of Isra'el and all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the paternal clans of the people of Isra'el, to Yerushalayim, to bring the ark for the covenant of ADONAI out of the City of David, also known as Tziyon.


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and brought up the ark, the tent of meeting and all the holy utensils that were in the tent; these are what the cohanim and L'vi'im brought up.


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King Shlomo and the whole community of Isra'el who had assembled in his presence were in front of the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen in numbers beyond counting or recording.


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The poles were so long that their ends could be seen [extending] from the ark into the sanctuary, but they could not be seen from outside; they are there to this day.


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There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets Moshe put there at Horev, when ADONAI made the covenant with the people of Isra'el at the time of their leaving Egypt.


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When the cohanim came out of the Holy Place (for all the cohanim who were present had consecrated themselves; they didn't keep to their divisions;


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also the L'vi'im who were the singers, all of them - Asaf, Heman, Y'dutun and their sons and relatives - dressed in fine linen, with cymbals, lutes and lyres, stood on the east side of the altar; and with them 120 cohanim sounding trumpets),


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then, when the trumpeters and singers were playing in concord, to be heard harmoniously praising and thanking ADONAI, and they lifted their voices together with the trumpets, cymbals and other musical instruments to praise ADONAI: 'for he is good, for his grace continues forever'- then, the house, the house of ADONAI, was filled with a cloud;


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so that because of the cloud, the cohanim could not stand up to perform their service; for the glory of ADONAI filled the house of God.


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as he said, 'Blessed be ADONAI, the God of Isra'el, who spoke to my father David with his mouth and fulfilled his promise with his hand. He said,


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'Since the day I brought my people out of Egypt, I chose no city from any of the tribes of Isra'el to build a house, so that my name might be there; nor did I choose anyone to be the leader of my people Isra'el.


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But now I have chosen Yerushalayim, so that my name can be there; and I have chosen David to be over my people Isra'el.'


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And there I have placed the ark containing the covenant of ADONAI, which he made with the people of Isra'el.'


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Then he stood before the altar of ADONAI in the presence of the whole community of Isra'el, spread out his hands -


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for Shlomo had made a bronze platform eight-and-three quarters feet long, eight-and-three-quarters feet wide and five-and-a-quarter feet high and had set it up in the middle of the courtyard. He stood on it, then got down on his knees before the whole community, spread out his hands toward heaven,


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and said, 'ADONAI, God of Isra'el, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth. You keep covenant with your servants and show them grace, provided they live in your presence with all their heart.


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Now therefore, ADONAI, God of Isra'el, keep what you promised to your servant David, my father, when you said, 'You will never lack a man in my presence to sit on the throne of Isra'el, if only your children are careful about what they do, so that they live by my Torah, just as you have lived in my presence.'


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Now therefore, ADONAI, God of Isra'el, please let your word, which you spoke to your servant David, my father, be confirmed.


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'But can God actually live with human beings on the earth? Why, heaven itself, even the heaven of heavens, cannot contain you; so how much less this house I have built?


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Even so, ADONAI my God, pay attention to your servant's prayer and plea, listen to the cry and prayer that your servant is praying before you,


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that your eyes will be open toward this house day and night - toward the place where you said you would put your name - to listen to the prayer your servant will pray toward this place.


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Yes, listen to the pleas of your servant, and also those of your people Isra'el when they pray toward this place. Hear from where you live, from heaven; and when you hear, forgive!


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then hear from heaven, act and judge your servants, paying back the wicked, so that his way of life devolves on his own head, and vindicating the one who is right, giving him what his righteousness deserves.


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'If your people Isra'el sin against you and in consequence are defeated by an enemy; then if they turn back to you, acknowledge your name, and pray and make their plea to you in this house,


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hear from heaven, forgive the sin of your people Isra'el, and bring them back to the land you gave to them and their ancestors.


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'When they sin against you, and in consequence the sky is shut, so that there is no rain; then if they pray toward this place, acknowledge your name and turn from their sin when you have brought them low;


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hear in heaven, forgive the sin of your servants and of your people Isra'el - since you keep teaching them the good way by which they should live -and send down rain on your land, which you have given your people as their inheritance.


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'If there is famine in the land, or blight, windstorm, mildew, locusts or shearer-worms; or if their enemies besiege them in any of their cities - no matter what kind of plague or sickness it is;


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then, regardless of what prayer or plea anyone among all your people Isra'el makes -for each individual will know his own plague and his own pain -and the person spreads out his hands toward this house;


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then hear from heaven where you live, and forgive; also, since you know what is in each one's heart, give each person what his conduct deserves (because you, and only you, know human hearts),


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so that they will fear you and therefore live according to your ways throughout the time they live in the land you gave our ancestors.


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'Also the foreigner who does not belong to your people Isra'el -when he comes from a distant country because of your great reputation, your mighty hand and your outstretched arm, when they come and pray toward this house;


text:
then hear from heaven, from where you live; and act in accordance with everything about which the foreigner is calling to you; so that all the peoples of the earth will know your name and fear you, as does your people Isra'el, and so that they will know that this house which I have built bears your name.


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'If your people go out to fight their enemies, no matter by which way you send them, and they pray to you toward the city you chose and the house I built for your name;


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'If they sin against you - for there is no one who doesn't sin - and you are angry with them and hand them over to the enemy, so that they carry them off captive to a land far away or nearby;


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then, if they come to their senses in the land where they have been carried away captive, turn back and make their plea to you in the land where they are being held captive, saying, 'We sinned, we acted wrongly, we behaved wickedly,'


text:
if, in the land where they were brought and are being held captive, they return to you with all their heart and being and pray to you toward their own land, which you gave to their ancestors, toward the city you chose and toward the house I have built for your name;


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then, from heaven, from where you live, hear their prayer and pleas, uphold their cause, and forgive your people who have sinned against you.


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'Now, my God, please, let your eyes be open, and let your ears pay attention to the prayer being made in this place.


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'Now go up, ADONAI, God, to your place of rest, you and the ark through which you give strength. 'May your cohanim, ADONAI, God, be clothed with salvation; may those loyal to you take joy in good.


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'ADONAI, God, don't turn away the face of your anointed one; remember the mercies of your servant David.'


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When Shlomo had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of ADONAI filled the house,


text:
so that the cohanim could not enter the house of ADONAI; because the glory of ADONAI filled ADONAI's house.


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All the people of Isra'el saw when the fire came down, and the glory of ADONAI was on the house; they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the flooring; prostrating themselves, they gave thanks to ADONAI, 'for he is good, for his grace continues forever.'


text:
King Shlomo offered a sacrifice of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. Thus the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.


text:
The cohanim stood at their appointed stations, while the L'vi'im used the instruments that David the king had provided for making music to ADONAI in order to 'give thanks to ADONAI, for his grace continues forever,'by means of the praises David had composed. Opposite them the cohanim sounded trumpets; and all Isra'el stood up.


text:
Shlomo also consecrated the center of the courtyard in front of the house of ADONAI; because he had to offer the burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings there. For the bronze altar which Shlomo had made could not receive the burnt offering, the grain offering and the fat.


text:
So Shlomo celebrated the festival at that time for seven days, together with all Isra'el, an enormous gathering; [they had come all the way] from the entrance of Hamat to the Vadi [of Egypt].


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On the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, having observed the dedication of the altar for seven days and the festival for seven days.


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Then, on the twenty-third day of the seventh month, he sent the people away to their tents full of joy and glad of heart for all the goodness ADONAI had shown to David, to Shlomo and to Isra'el his people.


text:
Thus Shlomo finished the house of ADONAI and the royal palace. Everything that Shlomo had set his heart on making in the house of ADONAI and in his own palace he accomplished successfully.


text:
ADONAI appeared to Shlomo by night and said to him, 'I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice.


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If I shut up the sky, so that there is no rain; or if I order locusts to devour the land; or if I send an epidemic of sickness among my people;


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then, if my people, who bear my name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face and turn from their evil ways, I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land.


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For now I have chosen and consecrated this house, so that my name can be there forever; my eyes and heart will always be there.


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As for you, if you will live in my presence, as did David your father, doing everything I have ordered you to do, and keeping my laws and rulings;


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then I will establish the throne of your rulership, as I covenanted with David your father when I said, 'You will never lack a man to be ruler in Isra'el.'


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But if you turn away and abandon my regulations and mitzvot which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, worshipping them;


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then I will pull them up by the roots out of the land I have given them. This house, which I consecrated for my name, I will eject from my sight; and I will make it an example to avoid and an object of scorn among all peoples.


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This house, now so exalted - everyone passing by will be shocked at the sight of it and will ask, 'Why has ADONAI done this to this land and to this house?'


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But the answer will be, 'It's because they abandoned ADONAI the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and took hold of other gods, worshipping and serving them; this is why [ADONAI] brought all these calamities on them.''


text:
At the end of twenty years, during which time Shlomo had built the house of ADONAI and his own palace,


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Shlomo built up the cities which Huram had given to Shlomo and had the people of Isra'el live there.


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Ba'alat; and all the cities that Shlomo had for storing supplies, all the cities for his chariots, the cities for his horsemen, and all the other buildings Shlomo wanted to build in Yerushalayim, in the L'vanon and throughout the land he ruled.


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As for all the people still left from the Hitti, Emori, P'rizi, Hivi, and Y'vusi, who were not part of Isra'el,


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from their descendants remaining after them in the land, whom the people of Isra'el did not exterminate - from them Shlomo levied [his forced laborers], as it is to this day.


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But Shlomo did not raise any of his slaves from the people of Isra'el; rather, these were the soldiers, his chief commanders, and the officials in charge of his chariots and horsemen.


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Shlomo brought up Pharaoh's daughter from the City of David to the house he had built for her; because he said, 'No wife of mine is going to live in the house of David king of Isra'el, since the [buildings] where the ark of ADONAI has been are holy.'


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Then Shlomo offered burnt offerings to ADONAI on the altar of ADONAI that he had built in front of the vestibule,


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as each day required, offering according to the mitzvah of Moshe on Shabbats, at Rosh-Hodesh and at the designated times three times a year - the festivals of Matzah, Shavu'ot and Sukkot.


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As David his father had ordered, he appointed the divisions of the cohanim for their service and the L'vi'im to their tasks - to praise and to perform their service in the presence of the cohanim according to each day's requirements. He also appointed the gatekeepers by their divisions to be at every gate, for David the man of God had so ordered.


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They did not deviate from the king's order to the cohanim and L'vi'im in any matter or in regard to the supplies.


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All the work of Shlomo was organized in this way from the day ground was broken for the house of ADONAI until everything had been accomplished, and the house of ADONAI had been completed.


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Huram sent some of his servants with ships, and others that were experienced sailors who understood the sea; they went with Shlomo's servants to Ofir and took from there fifteen tons of gold, which they brought back to King Shlomo.


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When the queen of Sh'va heard what was being said about Shlomo, she came to test him with difficult questions in Yerushalayim, accompanied by a very great retinue, including camels bearing spices and gold in abundance, and precious stones. When she appeared before Shlomo, she spoke with him about everything on her heart;


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the food at his table, the manner of seating his officials, the manner in which his staff served him and how they were dressed, his personal servants and how they were dressed, and his manner of going up to the house of ADONAI, it left her breathless.


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but I couldn't believe the report until I came and saw for myself. Actually, they didn't tell me even half of how great your wisdom is. In reality, you surpass the reports I heard.


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Blessed be ADONAI your God, who took pleasure in you to put you on his throne, so that you could be king for ADONAI your God. Because of your God's love for Isra'el, to establish them forever, he has made you king over them, to administer law and judgment.'


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Then she gave the king four tons of gold, spices in great abundance, and precious stones; there had never been spices like those the queen of Sh'va gave to King Shlomo.


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Huram's servants and Shlomo's servants, who had brought the gold from Ofir, now brought sandalwood and precious stones.


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The king used the sandalwood to make walkways for the house of ADONAI and for the royal palace, also lyres and lutes for the singers. None like these had been seen before in the land of Y'hudah.


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King Shlomo gave the queen of Sh'va everything she wanted, whatever she asked, more than what she had brought to the king. After this, she returned and went back to her own country, she and her servants.


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besides that which came from customs duties and sales taxes; also all the Arab kings and regional governors brought gold and silver to Shlomo.


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King Shlomo made 200 large shields of hammered gold; fifteen pounds of hammered gold went into one shield.


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He made 300 more shields of hammered gold, with seven-and-a-half pounds going into one shield; the king put these in the House of the L'vanon Forest.


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The throne had six steps and a gold footstool; these were fastened to the throne. There were arms on either side of the seat, two lions standing beside the arms,


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All King Shlomo's drinking vessels were of gold; and all the utensils in the House of the L'vanon Forest were of pure gold; for in Shlomo's time, silver was regarded as having little value.


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The king had ships that could go to Tarshish with Huram's servants; once every three years the 'Tarshish' ships came in, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks.


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All the kings on earth sought to have an audience with Shlomo, in order to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.


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Shlomo also had 4,000 stalls of horses for his chariots and his 12,000 horsemen; he assigned them to the chariot cities and to the king in Yerushalayim.


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He ruled over all the kingdoms from the [Euphrates] River through the land of the P'lishtim to the border of Egypt.


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Other activities of Shlomo, from beginning to end, are written in the records of Natan the prophet, in the prophecy of Achiyah of Shiloh and in the visions of Ye'do the seer concerning Yarov'am the son of N'vat.


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They said to him, 'If you will treat these people kindly, pleasing them and giving them favorable consideration, they will be your servants forever.'


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He said to them, 'What advice would you give me, so that we can give an answer to these people who said to me, 'Lighten the yoke that your father laid on us'?'


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The young men he had grown up with said to him, 'The people who said to you, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you, make it lighter for us'- here's the answer you should give them: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist!


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Yes, my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I will make it heavier! My father controlled you with whips, but I [will control you] with scorpions!''


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addressed them according to the advice of the young men and said, 'I will make your yoke heavy, and I will add to it! My father controlled you with whips, but I will control you with scorpions!'


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So the king didn't listen to the people; and that was something God brought about, so that ADONAI could fulfill his word, which he had spoken through Achiyah from Shiloh to Yarov'am the son of N'vat.


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When all Isra'el [saw] that the king wasn't listening to them, the people answered the king, 'Do we have any share in David? We have no heritage in the son of Yishai! Everyone to your tents, Isra'el! Care for your own house, David!' So all Isra'el left for their tents.


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King Rechav'am then sent Hadoram, who was in charge of forced labor; but the people of Isra'el stoned him to death. King Rechav'am managed to mount his chariot and flee to Yerushalayim.


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When Rechav'am arrived in Yerushalayim, he assembled the house of Y'hudah and Binyamin, 180,000 select soldiers, to fight Isra'el and bring the rulership back to Rechav'am.


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'Speak to Rechav'am the son of Shlomo, king of Y'hudah, and to all Isra'el in Y'hudah and Binyamin; tell them


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that this is what ADONAI says: 'You are not to go up and fight your brothers! Every man is to go back home, because this is my doing.'' They paid attention to the words of ADONAI and turned back from attacking Yarov'am.


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He fortified the strongholds, appointed captains in charge of them and supplied them with food, olive oil and wine.


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In every city he put shields and spears, making them very strong. Y'hudah and Binyamin stuck with him.


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The cohanim and L'vi'im from wherever they lived throughout all Isra'el made themselves available to Rechav'am.


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The L'vi'im left their pasture lands and property and came to Y'hudah and Yerushalayim; since Yarov'am and his sons had thrown them out, not allowing them to function as cohanim for ADONAI,


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and had appointed for himself cohanim for the high places and for the images of goat-demons and calves that he had made.


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Those from all the tribes of Isra'el who had set their hearts on seeking ADONAI, the God of Isra'el, followed them to Yerushalayim to sacrifice to ADONAI, the God of their fathers.


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For three years they strengthened the kingdom of Y'hudah and made Rechav'am the son of Shlomo strong, because for three years they followed the way of life of David and Shlomo.


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Rechav'am married Machalat the daughter of Yerimot the son of David and Avichayil the daughter of Eli'av the son of Yishai;


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After her, he married Ma'akhah the daughter of Avshalom; she became the mother of Aviyah, 'Atai, Ziza and Shlomit.


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Rechav'am loved Ma'akhah more than all his other wives and concubines - for he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines and was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.


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Rechav'am appointed Aviyah the son of Ma'akhah chief, the leader of his brothers, because he intended to make him king.


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He was wise in his treatment of his sons, sending all of them throughout the territory of Y'hudah and Binyamin, to every fortified city, providing them with plenty of supplies and seeking for them many wives.


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But in time, after Rechav'am had consolidated his rulership and had become strong, he, and with him all Isra'el, abandoned the Torah of ADONAI.


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In the fifth year of King Rechav'am, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Yerushalayim, because they had acted faithlessly toward ADONAI.


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He came out of Egypt with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horsemen and a numberless army including Luvim, Suki'im and Ethiopians.


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Now Sh'ma'yah the prophet came to Rechav'am and the leaders of Y'hudah who had gathered in Yerushalayim because of Shishak and said to them, 'Here is what ADONAI says: 'Because you have abandoned me, I have abandoned you to the hands of Shishak.''


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When ADONAI saw that they had humbled themselves, this word of ADONAI came to Sh'ma'yah: 'Because they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will grant them a measure of deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Yerushalayim through Shishak.


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However, they will become his slaves, so that they will come to appreciate the difference between serving me and serving earthly kingdoms.'


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So Shishak king of Egypt attacked Yerushalayim. He took the treasures in the house of ADONAI and the treasures in the royal palace - he took everything, including the gold shields Shlomo had made.


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Whenever the king went to the house of ADONAI, the guard would come and get the shields; later they would return them to the guardroom.


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After he humbled himself, the anger of ADONAI turned away from him, so that he did not altogether destroy him; moreover, some good things were found in Y'hudah.


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So King Rechav'am consolidated his rule in Yerushalayim. Rechav'am was forty-one years old when he began his reign; and he ruled seventeen years in Yerushalayim, the city ADONAI had chosen from all the tribes of Isra'el to bear his name; his mother's name was Na'amah the 'Amonit.


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The activities of Rechav'am from beginning to end are written in the genealogically organized histories of Sh'ma'yah the prophet and 'Iddo the seer. But there were continual wars between Rechav'am and Yarov'am.


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Rechav'am slept with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. Then Aviyah his son became king in his place.


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He ruled three years in Yerushalayim; his mother's name was Mikhayahu the daughter of Uri'el from Giv'ah. There was war between Aviyah and Yarov'am.


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Aviyah joined the battle with an army of valiant soldiers, 400,000 select troops; while Yarov'am took the field against him with 800,000 select troops who were valiant, strong men.


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Aviyah, standing on Mount Z'marayim, in the hills of Efrayim, cried, 'Yarov'am and all Isra'el! Listen to me!


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Don't you know that ADONAI, the God of Isra'el, gave rulership over Isra'el to David forever, to him and his descendants, by a covenant of salt [which is unbreakable]?


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Yet Yarov'am the son of N'vat, servant to Shlomo the son of David, rose in rebellion against his lord.


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There rallied around him worthless brutes who were too strong for Rechav'am the son of Shlomo to withstand when he was young and inexperienced.


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Now you expect to withstand the kingdom of ADONAI in the hands of the descendants of David. Yes, there are a great number of you, and you have with you the gold calves that Yarov'am made as gods for you.


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Yes, you drove out the cohanim of ADONAI, the descendants of Aharon, and the L'vi'im; and you made yourselves priests as do the peoples in other countries, so that anyone who comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams can become a priest of those non-gods.


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'But we are different. ADONAI is our God, and we have not abandoned him. We have cohanim performing the service for ADONAI, descendants of Aharon. With the L'vi'im doing their work,


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they burn to ADONAI every morning and evening burnt offerings and sweet incense; they arrange the showbread on the pure table, and they prepare the gold menorah with its lamps to burn every evening. For we observe the order of ADONAI our God. But you have abandoned him.


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'So look here! God is with us, leading us and his cohanim with the battle trumpets to sound an alarm against you. People of Isra'el! Don't fight against ADONAI, the God of your ancestors; because you will not succeed.'


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But Yarov'am prepared to ambush them from behind, so that the main body was ahead of Y'hudah, while the ambush was behind them.


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Thus when Y'hudah looked back, the battle had to be fought in front of them and behind them. They cried to ADONAI, and the cohanim sounded the trumpets.


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Then the men of Y'hudah gave forth a shout, and as the men of Y'hudah shouted, God struck Yarov'am and all Isra'el before Aviyah and Y'hudah.


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Aviyah and his army inflicted a great slaughter on them - 500,000 of Isra'el's select soldiers fell dead.


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Thus the people of Isra'el were subdued that time, and the people of Y'hudah won the victory, because they relied on ADONAI the God of their ancestors.


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Aviyah pursued Yarov'am, taking from him the towns of Beit-El with its villages, Y'shanah with its villages and 'Efrayin with its villages.


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Yarov'am did not recover his strength during the time of Aviyahu. Finally ADONAI struck him, and he died.


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But Aviyahu grew strong; he married fourteen wives and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.


text:
Other activities of Aviyah, together with his ways of doing things and his sayings, are recorded in the commentary of the prophet 'Iddo.


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Aviyah slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in the City of David. Then Asa his son became king in his place; during his time the land was quiet for ten years.


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for he removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashing the standing-stones and chopping down the sacred poles.


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He ordered Y'hudah to seek ADONAI, the God of their ancestors, and to obey the Torah and the mitzvah.


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He removed the high places and pillars for sun-worship from all the cities of Y'hudah, and under him the kingdom was quiet.


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Because the land was quiet, and he had no war during those years, since ADONAI had given him rest, he built fortified cities in Y'hudah.


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'Let's build these cities,' he said to Y'hudah; 'we'll surround them with walls, towers, gates and bars. The land is there for us to use, because we have sought ADONAI our God; we have sought him, and he has given us peace on every side.' So they built and prospered.


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Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Y'hudah, equipped with shields and spears, and another 280,000 from Binyamin, with shields and bows; all were brave, strong men.


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Zerach the Ethiopian came out to attack them with an army of one million and three hundred chariots. When he arrived at Mareshah,


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Asa went out to fight him, and the forces were arranged for battle in the Tz'fat Valley at Mareshah.


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Asa cried out to ADONAI his God, 'ADONAI, there is no one besides yourself, strong or weak, who can help. Help us, ADONAI our God, because we are relying on you, and we are coming against this vast throng in your name. You are ADONAI our God; don't let human beings stop you!'


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Asa and the army with him pursued them to G'rar, and the Ethiopians were defeated beyond recovery; they were shattered before ADONAI and his army, who carried off much spoil.


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Then they attacked all the cities in the vicinity of G'rar, for a panic from ADONAI had overcome them. They plundered all the cities, for they were full of spoil.


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They also attacked the tents of those tending the livestock and carried off sheep and camels in abundance. Then they returned to Yerushalayim.


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he went out to meet Asa and said to him, 'Listen to me, Asa, and all Y'hudah and Binyamin! ADONAI is with you, as long as you are with him; if you seek him, you will find him; but if you abandon him, he will abandon you!


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For a long time Isra'el was without the true God, without a cohen who could teach, and without Torah.


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But when, in their distress, they turned to ADONAI the God of Isra'el and sought him, they found him.


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In those times people going about their business were insecure, and great disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands;


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so that they were shattered to pieces, nation against nation and city against city, as God troubled them with every kind of distress.


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When Asa heard these words prophesied by 'Oded the prophet, it gave him courage to throw the disgusting things out of the whole land of Y'hudah and Binyamin and out of the cities he had captured in the hills of Efrayim; he also renewed the altar of ADONAI which was in front of the vestibule of ADONAI.


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Then he gathered all Y'hudah and Binyamin, along with those from Efrayim, M'nasheh and Shim'on who were staying with him (for they had defected to him in large numbers upon seeing that ADONAI his God was with him).


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and they entered into a covenant to seek ADONAI, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and with all their being;


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[they also agreed] that whoever refused to seek ADONAI the God of Isra'el should be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman.


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All Y'hudah was full of joy at this oath; for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought him with all their will; and they found him, and ADONAI gave them rest all around.


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Asa the king also deposed Ma'akhah his [grand]mother from her position as queen mother, because she had made a disgusting image for an asherah. Asa cut down this image of hers, chopped it into tiny pieces and burned it in Vadi Kidron.


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But the high places were not removed from Isra'el. Nevertheless, Asa was wholehearted throughout his life.


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He brought into the house of God all the articles his father had consecrated, also the things he himself had consecrated - silver, gold and utensils.


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In the thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign, Ba'asha king of Isra'el attacked Y'hudah, and he fortified Ramah to prevent anyone's leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Y'hudah.


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Then Asa removed silver and gold from the treasures of the house of ADONAI and the royal palace; and sent this message to Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who lived in Dammesek:


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'There is a covenant between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Here, I am sending you silver and gold; go, and break your covenant with Ba'asha king of Isra'el, so that he will leave me alone.'


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Ben-Hadad did as King Asa had asked - he sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Isra'el, attacking 'Iyon, Dan, Avel-Mayim and all the storage-cities of Naftali.


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Asa the king took all Y'hudah and carried off the stones and timber which Ba'asha had used to fortify Ramah. With them he fortified Geva and Mitzpah.


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It was around then that Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Y'hudah and said to him, 'Because you relied on the king of Aram and didn't rely on ADONAI your God, the king of Aram's army has escaped from your power.


text:
The army of the Ethiopians and Luvim was huge, wasn't it? How many chariots and horsemen did they have? Yet because you relied on ADONAI, he handed them over to you.


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For the eyes of ADONAI move here and there throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong on behalf of those who are wholehearted toward him. You acted foolishly in this regard; for from now on, you will have war.'


text:
But Asa became angry at the seer; in fact, because of his rage at him over this matter he threw him in prison. Moreover, at the same time, he mistreated some of the people.


text:
The activities of Asa from beginning to end are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y'hudah and Isra'el.


text:
In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa suffered from a disease in his legs. It was a very serious disease, yet even with this disease he did not seek out ADONAI but turned to the physicians.


text:
They buried him in his own burial cave, which he had ordered cut for himself in the City of David. They laid him in a bed filled with sweet spices of various kinds, expertly compounded; and a very great fire was kindled in his honor.


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by placing forces in all the fortified cities of Y'hudah, and by garrisoning troops in the territory of Y'hudah and in the cities of Efrayim that Asa his father had captured.


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ADONAI was with Y'hoshafat, because he lived according to the first ways of his ancestor David, not seeking the ba'alim,


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Therefore ADONAI consolidated his rulership; all Y'hudah brought presents to Y'hoshafat, so that he had wealth and honor in abundance.


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In his heart he highly regarded ADONAI's ways; moreover, he removed the high places and sacred poles from Y'hudah.


text:
In the third year of his reign he sent his leading men Ben-Chayil, 'Ovadyah, Z'kharyah, N'tan'el and Mikhayahu to teach in the cities of Y'hudah;


text:
with them were the L'vi'im Sh'ma'yahu, N'tanyahu, Z'vadyahu, 'Asah'el, Sh'miramot, Y'honatan, Adoniyahu, Tuviyahu and Tov-Adoniyah, the L'vi'im; and with them Elishama and Y'horam the cohanim.


text:
They taught in Y'hudah, having a scroll of the Torah of ADONAI with them; they circulated through all the cities of Y'hudah, teaching among the people.


text:
A panic from ADONAI seized all the kingdoms in the lands surrounding Y'hudah, so that they did not make war against Y'hoshafat.


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Some of the P'lishtim brought Y'hoshafat gifts and silver as tribute; the Arabs too brought him flocks - 7,700 rams and 7,700 male goats.


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He had many projects in the cities of Y'hudah; and in Yerushalayim he had warriors, strong brave men.


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Here is a listing of them by clans: from Y'hudah, the captains of thousands: 'Adnah the leader, and with him 300,000 strong, brave men;


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next to him 'Amasyah the son of Zikhri, who volunteered to serve ADONAI, and with him 200,000 strong, brave men.


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These served the king, in addition to those the king assigned to the fortified cities throughout all Y'hudah.


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After some years he went down to Ach'av in Shomron. Ach'av slaughtered sheep and oxen in abundance for him and the people with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramot-Gil'ad.


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Ach'av king of Isra'el said to Y'hoshafat king of Y'hudah, 'Will you go with me to Ramot-Gil'ad?' He answered him, 'I'm with you all the way; think of my troops as yours; we will join you in this war.'


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So the king of Isra'el assembled the prophets, 400 men. 'Should we attack Ramot-Gil'ad?' he asked them, 'Or should I hold off?' They said, 'Attack. God will hand it over to the king.'


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The king of Isra'el said to Y'hoshafat, 'Yes, there is still one man through whom we can consult ADONAI; but I hate him, because he never prophesies anything good for me, only bad! It's Mikhay'hu the son of Yimlah.' Y'hoshafat replied, 'The king shouldn't say such a thing.'


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Now the king of Isra'el and Y'hoshafat the king of Y'hudah were each sitting on his throne, dressed in their royal robes; they were sitting in a threshing-floor at the entrance to the gate of Shomron; and all the prophets were there, prophesying in their presence.


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All the prophets prophesied the same thing: 'Go up and attack Ramot-Gil'ad. You will succeed, because ADONAI will hand it over to the king.'


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The messenger who had gone to call Mikhay'hu said to him, 'Here, now, the prophets are unanimously predicting success for the king. Please let your word be like one of theirs - say something good.'


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When he reached the king, the king asked him, 'Mikhay'hu, should we go up and attack Ramot-Gil'ad, or should we hold off?' He answered, 'Go up, you will succeed, they will be handed over to you.'


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Mikhay'hu continued: 'Therefore, hear the word of ADONAI. I saw ADONAI sitting on his throne with the whole army of heaven standing on his right and on his left.


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ADONAI asked, 'Who will entice Ach'av king of Isra'el to go up to his death at Ramot-Gil'ad?' One of them said, 'Do it this way,' and another, 'Do it that way.'


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Then a spirit stepped up, stood in front of ADONAI and said, 'I will entice him.'ADONAI asked, 'How?'


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He answered, 'I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.'ADONAI said, 'You will succeed in enticing him. Go, and do it.'


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So now ADONAI has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours; meanwhile, ADONAI has ordained disaster for you.'


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Say, 'The king says to put this man in prison; and feed him only bread and water, and not much of that, until I come back in peace.''


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Mikhay'hu said, 'If you return in peace at all, ADONAI has not spoken through me!'Then he added, 'Did you hear me, you peoples, all of you?'


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Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, 'Don't attack anyone of either high or low rank, only the king of Isra'el.'


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So when the chariot commanders saw Y'hoshafat they said, 'This is the king of Isra'el,' and turned to attack him. But Y'hoshafat called out, and ADONAI came to his aid - God moved them to leave him alone,


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so that when the chariot commanders saw that he wasn't the king of Isra'el, they stopped pursuing him.


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However, one soldier shot an arrow at random and struck the king of Isra'el between his lower armor and the breastplate. The king said to his chariot-driver, 'Turn the reins and take me out of the fighting; I'm collapsing from my wounds.'


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But the fighting grew fiercer that day; and although the king of Isra'el propped himself upright in his chariot facing Aram until evening, around sunset he died.


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Yehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Y'hoshafat, 'Should you help the wicked and befriend those who hate ADONAI? Because of this, ADONAI's anger is upon you.


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Still, there is some good in you, in that you have removed the sacred poles from the land and have set your heart on seeking God.'


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So Y'hoshafat lived in Yerushalayim and again circulated among the people from Be'er-Sheva to the hills of Efrayim, bringing them back to ADONAI, the God of their ancestors.


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and instructed the judges, 'Think about what you are doing: you are not dispensing justice by merely human standards but on behalf of ADONAI; he is with you when you deliver a verdict.


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Therefore, let the fear of ADONAI be upon you; be careful what you do; for ADONAI our God does not allow dishonesty, partiality or bribe-taking.'


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In Yerushalayim Y'hoshafat appointed some of the L'vi'im, cohanim and clan heads of Isra'el to judge in matters concerning ADONAI and in civil cases. After they had returned to Yerushalayim,


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when an issue comes before you from your brothers who live in their cities, whether it's a case involving bloodshed or a question as to which teaching, mitzvah, law or ruling applies, you must warn them; so that they won't incur guilt toward ADONAI and thereby bring anger on both you and your kinsmen. Do this, and you won't incur guilt.


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Amaryahu the chief cohen is over you in all matters concerning ADONAI, and Z'vadyahu the son of Yishma'el, chief of the house of Y'hudah, in all the king's matters. The officers of the L'vi'im are at your service. Be strong, and act, and may ADONAI be with the good.'


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Some time later, the people of Mo'av and the people of 'Amon with other 'Amonim came up to fight Y'hoshafat.


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Y'hoshafat was told, 'A huge army from beyond the [Dead] Sea, from Aram, is on its way to fight you; right now they are in Hatzatzon-Tamar' (that is, 'Ein-Gedi).


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Y'hoshafat was frightened, so he determined to seek ADONAI. He proclaimed a fast throughout all Y'hudah,


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and Y'hudah assembled to seek help from ADONAI; they came from all the cities of Y'hudah to seek ADONAI.


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Standing in front of the new courtyard in the house of ADONAI, among those assembled from Y'hudah and Yerushalayim,


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he said: 'ADONAI, God of our ancestors, you alone are God in heaven. You rule all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and strength, so that no one can withstand you.


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You, our God, drove out those living in the land ahead of your people Isra'el and gave it forever to the descendants of Avraham your friend.


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'If calamity strikes us, such as war, judgment, disease or famine, we will stand before this house - that is, before you, since your name is in this house - and cry to you in our distress; and you will hear us and rescue us.'


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'So now, see: the people of 'Amon, Mo'av and Mount Se'ir, whom you would not let Isra'el invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, so that they turned away from them and did not destroy them,


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are now repaying us [evil]; they have come to throw us out of your possession, which you gave us as an inheritance.


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Our God! Won't you execute judgment against them? For we haven't strength enough to defeat this huge horde coming against us, and we don't know what to do, but our eyes are on you.'


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Then, in the middle of the assembly, the Spirit of ADONAI came upon Yachzi'el the son of Z'kharyahu, the son of B'nayah, the son of Ye'i'el, the son of Matanyah the Levi, from the descendants of Asaf.


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He said, 'Listen, all Y'hudah, you who live in Yerushalayim and King Y'hoshafat: here is what ADONAI is saying to you: 'Don't be afraid or distressed by this great horde; for the battle is not yours, but God's.


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Tomorrow, go down against them. They will be coming up by the ascent of Tzitz, and you will find them at the end of the vadi, before the Yeru'el Desert.


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You won't even need to fight this battle! Just take your positions, Y'hudah and Yerushalayim, stand still, and watch how ADONAI will deliver you! Don't be afraid or distressed; tomorrow, go out against them; for ADONAI is with you.''


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Y'hoshafat bowed his head with his face to the ground; while all Y'hudah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim fell down before ADONAI, worshipping ADONAI;


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and the L'vi'im from the descendants of the K'hati and the descendants of the Korchi, stood up and praised ADONAI the God of Isra'el at the top of their voices.


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The next morning, they rose early and went out into the T'koa Desert. As they left, Y'hoshafat stood and said, 'Listen to me, Y'hudah and you inhabitants of Yerushalayim! 'Trust in ADONAI your God, and you will be safe. Trust in his prophets, and you will succeed.'


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After consulting with the people, he appointed those who would sing to ADONAI and praise the splendor of his holiness as they went out ahead of the army, saying, 'Give thanks to ADONAI, for his grace continues forever.'


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Then, during the time when they were singing and praising, ADONAI brought a surprise attack against the people of 'Amon, Mo'av and Mount Se'ir who had come to fight Y'hudah; and they were defeated.


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What happened was that the people of 'Amon and Mo'av began attacking those people who lived by Mount Se'ir, to kill and destroy them completely; and when they had finished off the people from Se'ir, they set to work slaughtering one another.


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So when Y'hudah reached the watchtower overlooking the desert, they looked toward the horde; and there in front of them were corpses fallen to the ground; none had escaped.


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Y'hoshafat and his army came to take the spoil from them and found among them personal property in abundance and corpses with precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves until they couldn't carry any more. They took three days just to collect the spoil, there was so much.


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On the fourth day, they assembled in the Valley of B'rakhah [blessing], where they blessed ADONAI; hence that place is called the Valley of B'rakhah to this day.


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Then they returned, everyone from Y'hudah and Yerushalayim, with Y'hoshafat leading them joyfully back to Yerushalayim; for ADONAI had caused them to rejoice over their enemies.


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A panic from God was on all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard that ADONAI had fought against the enemies of Isra'el.


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Y'hoshafat ruled over Y'hudah; he was thirty-five years old when he began his reign, and he ruled twenty-five years in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was 'Azuvah the daughter of Shilchi.


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although the high places were not taken away, and the people had not yet set their hearts toward the God of their ancestors.


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Other activities of Y'hoshafat, from beginning to end, are written in the records of Yehu the son of Hanani, which have been inserted in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el.


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It was after this that Y'hoshafat joined up with Achazyah king of Isra'el, who was acting very wickedly.


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He joined together with him to build large ships capable of going to Tarshish; they made the ships in 'Etzyon-Gever.


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Then Eli'ezer the son of Dodavahu from Mareshah prophesied against Y'hoshafat: 'Because you joined yourself with Achazyah, ADONAI is wrecking your project.'And the ships were wrecked, so that they couldn't go to Tarshish.


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Y'hoshafat slept with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David, and Y'horam his son became king in his place.


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He had brothers who were sons of Y'hoshafat -'Azaryah, Yechi'el, Z'kharyahu, 'Azaryahu, Mikha'el and Sh'fatyahu; all these were sons of Y'hoshafat king of Isra'el.


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Their father had given them lavish gifts of silver, gold and other items of value, as well as fortified cities in Y'hudah; but he had given the kingdom to Y'horam, because he was the firstborn.


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But when Y'horam had taken control of his father's kingdom and consolidated his rule, he put to the sword all his brothers and a number of the leading men in Isra'el.


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However, ADONAI was unwilling to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant he had made with David; inasmuch as he had promised to give him and his children a lamp that would burn forever.


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Then Y'horam crossed with his commanders and all his chariots. Under cover of night, he and his chariot commanders attacked and defeated Edom, who had surrounded him.


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Nevertheless, since that day Edom has remained free of Y'hudah's domination. Livnah revolted against him at the same time, because he had abandoned ADONAI the God of his ancestors.


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Moreover, he built high places in the hills of Y'hudah, caused the people living in Yerushalayim to prostitute themselves and drew Y'hudah away.


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A letter came to him from Eliyahu the prophet which said, 'Here is what ADONAI, the God of David your ancestor, says: 'You have not lived by the examples of Y'hoshafat your father or Asa king of Y'hudah.


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Instead you have lived by the example of the kings of Isra'el and have caused Y'hudah and the people living in Yerushalayim to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ach'av caused [Isra'el] to prostitute themselves. Moreover, you killed your brothers from your father's house, men better than you.


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Because of all this, ADONAI is going to strike your people with a terrible disease, also your children, your wives and everything you have.


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You will be very ill from a disease in your intestines, until your intestines protrude, because of the effects of this disease, day after day.''


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Then ADONAI aroused against Y'horam the spirit of the P'lishtim and of the Arabs near the Ethiopians;


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and they came up to attack Y'hudah. They broke in and carried off all the personal property they could find in the royal palace, as well as his children and his wives; so that no son was left to him except Y'ho'achaz his youngest son.


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In time, after two years, his intestines protruded because of his disease, and he suffered a most painful death. His people kindled no fire for him, as had been done for his ancestors.


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He was thirty-two years old when he began his reign, he ruled in Yerushalayim for eight years, and he left without joy. They buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.


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The people living in Yerushalayim made Achazyah his youngest son king in place of him, since the raiding party that had invaded the camp with the Arabs had killed all the older ones. So Achazyah the son of Y'horam king of Y'hudah reigned.


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Achazyah was forty-two years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for one year in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was 'Atalyahu the daughter of 'Omri.


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He too lived after the example of the house of Ach'av, because his mother was his counselor in acting wickedly.


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So he did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective, as had the house of Ach'av; because, to his destruction, they were his counselors after his father died;


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and he lived his life by their advice. With Y'horam the son of Ach'av, king of Isra'el, he went to war against Haza'el king of Aram at Ramot-Gil'ad, where the Aramim wounded Yoram.


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He returned to Yizre'el to be healed of the wounds which they had inflicted on him at Ramah while fighting Haza'el king of Aram. Achazyah the son of Y'horam, king of Y'hudah, went down to visit Y'horam the son of Ach'av in Yizre'el, because he was not feeling well.


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Through Achazyah's visit to Yoram, God brought about his downfall. After he arrived, he accompanied Yoram against Yehu the son of Nimshi, whom ADONAI had anointed to cut off the house of Ach'av.


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But it happened that when Yehu was executing judgment on the house of Ach'av, he found the leading men of Y'hudah and Achazyah's nephews in attendance on Achazyah and killed them.


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Then he went searching for Achazyah; they caught him where he had been hiding in Shomron, brought him to Yehu and killed him. But [his subjects] buried him, because they said, 'He was the [grand]son of Y'hoshafat, who sought ADONAI with all his heart.' At this point there was no one in the house of Achazyah strong enough to rule the kingdom.


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When 'Atalyah the mother of Achazyah saw that her son was dead, she set about destroying the entire royal family of the house of Y'hudah.


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But Y'hoshav'at the daughter of the king took Yo'ash the son of Achazyah, stole him away from among the princes who were being slaughtered, and sequestered him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus Y'hoshav'at the daughter of King Y'horam, wife of Y'hoyada the cohen and sister of Achazyah, hid him from 'Atalyah, so that he was not killed.


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He remained hidden with them in the house of God for six years; during this time 'Atalyah ruled the land.


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In the seventh year Y'hoyada took courage and formed a conspiracy with certain captains of hundred-man platoons -'Azaryah the son of Yerocham, Yishma'el the son of Y'hochanan, 'Azaryah the son of 'Oved, Ma'aseiyahu the son of 'Adayahu and Elishafat the son of Zikhri.


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They canvassed Y'hudah and gathered the L'vi'im from all the cities of Y'hudah, together with the clan heads of Isra'el, and came to Yerushalayim.


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The whole assembly made an agreement with the king in the house of God. [Y'hoyada] addressed them: 'Here! The king's son will reign, as ADONAI said in regard to the descendants of David!


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Here is what you are to do: of you cohanim and L'vi'im who come on duty on Shabbat, a third are to guard the gates,


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a third the royal palace and a third the Gate of the Foundation; while all the people are to remain in the courtyards of the house of ADONAI.


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No one is to enter the house of ADONAI except the cohanim and those L'vi'im who are actually performing the service. These may enter, because they are holy; but all the people are to observe ADONAI's order.


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The L'vi'im are to surround the king, each man with his weapons in his hand. Anyone who enters the house is to be killed. Stay with the king whenever he enters or leaves.'


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The L'vi'im and all Y'hudah did exactly as Y'hoyada the cohen ordered. Each took his men, those coming on duty on Shabbat and those going off duty on Shabbat (for Y'hoyada the cohen did not dismiss the divisions).


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Y'hoyada the cohen issued to the captains of hundreds the spears and the large and small shields that had been King David's and were kept in the house of God.


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He then positioned all the people, each man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, alongside the altar, alongside [the exterior of] the house and around the king.


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Then they brought out the king's son, crowned him, gave him [a copy of] the testimony and thus made him king. Y'hoyada and his sons anointed him, and they shouted, 'Long live the king!'


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When 'Atalyah heard the sound of the people running and praising the king, she entered the house of ADONAI where the people were,


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looked and saw the king standing there on his platform at the entrance, with the leaders and trumpeters next to the king. All the people of the land were celebrating and blowing the trumpets; while the singers with their musical instruments were leading songs of praise. At this, 'Atalyah tore her clothes and cried, 'Treason! Treason!'


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Y'hoyada the cohen brought out the captains of hundreds who were in charge of the army and said to them, 'Escort her out past the ranks [of guards]; but anyone who follows her, let him be put to the sword.' For the cohen had said, 'Do not put her to death in the house of ADONAI.'


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So they took her by force and led her by the horses' entry to the king's palace, and there they put her to death.


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Y'hoyada made a covenant between himself, all the people and the king, that they would be ADONAI's people.


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Then all the people went to the house of Ba'al and broke it down; they smashed his altars and images and killed Mattan the priest of Ba'al in front of the altars.


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Y'hoyada appointed officers for the house of ADONAI under the supervision of the cohanim and L'vi'im, whom David had assigned turns of duty in the house of ADONAI, to offer the burnt offerings of ADONAI, as written in the Torah of Moshe, with rejoicing and singing in keeping with David's orders.


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He stationed guards at the gates of the house of ADONAI, so that no one who was unclean in any respect could enter.


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He took the captains of hundreds, the men of rank, the rulers of the people and all the people of the land; and they brought the king down from the house of ADONAI, going through the Upper Gate to the royal palace, and seated the king on the royal throne.


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All the people of the land celebrated, and at last the city was quiet. That is how they killed 'Atalyah with the sword.


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Yo'ash was seven years old when he began his reign, and he reigned forty years in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was Tzivyah, from Be'er-Sheva.


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He gathered the cohanim and L'vi'im and said to them, 'Go out to the cities of Y'hudah, and collect money each year from all Isra'el to repair the house of your God. See that you do this promptly.' But when the L'vi'im procrastinated,


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the king summoned Y'hoyada the chief and said to him, 'Why haven't you demanded that the L'vi'im bring in from Y'hudah and Yerushalayim the tax prescribed by Moshe the servant of ADONAI and by the community of Isra'el, for the tent of the testimony?'


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For the sons of that wicked 'Atalyahu had broken up the house of God, and they had given all the consecrated things belonging to the house of ADONAI to the ba'alim.


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Then, at the king's order, they made a box and placed it outside the entrance to the house of ADONAI.


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They proclaimed throughout Y'hudah and Yerushalayim that the tax Moshe the servant of God had imposed on Isra'el in the desert should be brought in for ADONAI.


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All the leaders and all the people were glad to bring in their contributions and put them in the box, until it was full.


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When the box was brought to the king's officials by the L'vi'im, and when they saw how much money there was, the king's secretary and the chief cohen's official came and emptied the box; then they took it and returned it to its place. They did this daily, and they collected money in abundance.


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The king and Y'hoyada gave it to those in charge of taking care of the house of ADONAI. They, in turn, hired stone-workers and carpenters to restore the house of ADONAI, also iron- and bronze-workers to repair the house of ADONAI.


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The workers got on with their tasks, so that the restoration progressed well, until they had returned the house of God to its earlier condition and strengthened it.


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When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Y'hoyada, and it was used to make equipment for the house of ADONAI - articles for ministry, buckets, fire pans, and utensils of gold and silver. So they offered burnt offerings in the house of ADONAI regularly throughout the time of Y'hoyada.


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They buried him in the City of David among the kings, because he had served Isra'el, God and his house well.


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After Y'hoyada died, the leaders of Y'hudah came and prostrated themselves before the king. Then the king listened to them;


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and they abandoned the house of ADONAI the God of their ancestors and served the sacred poles and the idols. In consequence of their guilt, [God's] anger fell on Y'hudah and Yerushalayim.


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In spite of this, he sent them prophets to bring them back to ADONAI; they warned them, but they wouldn't pay attention.


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The Spirit of God covered Z'kharyah the son of Y'hoyada the cohen; he stood above the people and addressed them: 'Thus says God: 'Why are you transgressing the mitzvot of ADONAI and courting disaster? Because you have abandoned ADONAI, he has abandoned you.'


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But they conspired against him and stoned him to death at the order of the king in the courtyard of the house of ADONAI.


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Thus Yo'ash the king did not remember the kindness which Y'hoyada, [Z'kharyah's] father, had done for him, but put his son to death. As he was dying he said, 'May ADONAI see this and take vengeance!'


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The following spring, the army of Aram came up against him. They attacked Y'hudah and Yerushalayim, slaughtered all the people's leaders and sent all their spoil to the king of Dammesek.


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Although the army of Aram attacked with only a small company of men, ADONAI handed over a very great army to them, because they had abandoned ADONAI the God of their ancestors. Thus they executed judgment against Yo'ash.


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After they had left him - and they left him seriously wounded - his own servants conspired against him because he had shed the blood of the sons of Y'hoyada the cohen; and they killed him in his own bed. After he died, they buried him in the City of David, but they didn't bury him in the tombs of the kings.


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Those who conspired against him were Zavad the son of Shim'at the 'Amonit and Y'hozavad the son of Shimrit the Mo'avit.


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As for his sons, the heavy tribute imposed on him, and the rebuilding of the house of God, they are recorded in the commentary of the Annals of the Kings. Then Amatzyahu his son took his place as king.


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Amatzyahu was twenty-five years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for twenty-nine years in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was Y'ho'adan, from Yerushalayim.


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As soon as he had the kingdom firmly in his control, he put to death the servants of his who had assassinated the king his father.


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But he did not put their children to death; rather, he acted according to what is written in the Torah, in the scroll of Moshe, as ADONAI ordered when he said, 'Fathers are not to die for the children, nor are the children to die for the fathers; every person will die for his own sin.'


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Amatzyahu assembled Y'hudah together and put them in order by clans under captains of thousands and captains of hundreds - all Y'hudah and Binyamin. He registered everyone twenty years old and older, and found that there were 300,000 select troops able to go to war, capable of using spears and shields.


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But a man of God came to him and said, 'King, don't let the army of Isra'el go with you; because ADONAI is not with Isra'el or with any of the people of Efrayim.


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And if you do go, then no matter how fiercely you fight, God will cause you to fail before the enemy. For God has the power to help and to cause failure.'


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Amatzyahu said to the man of God, 'But what do we do about the three-and-a-third tons [of silver] I paid for Isra'el's army?'The man of God answered, 'ADONAI can give you far more than that!'


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Then Amatzyahu separated out the battalion that had come to him from Efrayim and told them to go back home - which made their anger burn hotly against Y'hudah, and they returned home enraged.


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Amatzyahu took courage, led his people out and went to the Salt Valley, where he killed 10,000 of the people of Se'ir.


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The people of Y'hudah took another 10,000 away alive, brought them to the top of the Rock and threw them off the top of the Rock, so that they were all dashed to pieces.


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Meanwhile, the men in the army that Amatzyahu had sent back and hadn't allowed to join him in battle fell on the cities of Y'hudah, all the way from Shomron to Beit-Horon, killed 3,000 of them and took much spoil.


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After Amatzyahu returned from the slaughter of the people from Edom, he brought the gods of the people of Se'ir and set them up as his own gods, prostrating himself before them and offering incense to them.


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As a result, the anger of ADONAI blazed up against Amatzyah, and he sent him a prophet, who said to him, 'Why have you sought out the gods of those people, when they couldn't even rescue their own people from you?'


text:
But as [the prophet] was speaking to him, he interrupted him: 'Were you made an adviser to the king? You had better stop before you get yourself killed!' So the prophet stopped, but he added, 'I know that God is planning to destroy you for having done this and for refusing to listen to my advice.'


text:
Then, after taking counsel, Amatzyah king of Y'hudah sent a challenge to Yo'ash the son of Y'ho'achaz, the son of Yehu, king of Isra'el: 'Come on, let's have it out face-to-face.'


text:
Yo'ash the king of Isra'el sent this reply to Amatzyah king of Y'hudah: 'Once, in the L'vanon, the thistle sent a message to the cedar: 'Give your daughter to my son in marriage.' But a wild animal passed by the thistle and squashed it.


text:
You say you defeated Edom, which is true; so you're excited and itching for more glory. But now, stay home! Why provoke calamity, to your own ruin, yours and Y'hudah's too?'


text:
But Amatzyah wouldn't listen. And this was from God, so that he could hand them over [to their enemies], because they had sought the gods of Edom.


text:
So Yo'ash king of Isra'el went up; and he and Amatzyah king of Y'hudah had it out face-to-face at Beit-Shemesh, which belongs to Y'hudah.


text:
Yo'ash king of Isra'el took Amatzyah king of Y'hudah, the son of Yo'ash the son of Y'ho'achaz, prisoner at Beit-Shemesh. Then he brought him to Yerushalayim and demolished the wall of Yerushalayim between the Gate of Efrayim and the Corner Gate, a section 600 feet long.


text:
[He took] all the gold and silver, all the articles he could find in the house of God, with 'Oved-Edom, and the treasures of the royal palace, together with hostages; then he returned to Shomron.


text:
Amatzyahu the son of Yo'ash, king of Y'hudah, lived another fifteen years after the death of Yo'ash son of Y'ho'achaz king of Isra'el.


text:
Other activities of Amatzyah, from beginning to end, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y'hudah and Isra'el.


text:
From the time that Amatzyahu turned away from following ADONAI, they formed a conspiracy against him in Yerushalayim. So he fled to Lakhish; but they followed him to Lakhish and killed him there.


text:
Meanwhile, all the people of Y'hudah had taken 'Uziyahu at the age of sixteen and made him king in place of his father Amatzyahu.


text:
He recovered Eilot for Y'hudah and rebuilt it; it was after this that the king [Amatzyahu] slept with his ancestors.


text:
'Uziyahu was sixteen years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for fifty-two years in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was Y'kholyahu, from Yerushalayim.


text:
He did what was right from ADONAI's perspective, following the example of everything his father Amatzyahu had done.


text:
He consulted God during the lifetime of Z'kharyahu, who understood visions of God; and as long as he consulted ADONAI, God gave him success.


text:
He went out to fight the P'lishtim, breaking down the walls of Gat, Yavneh and Ashdod; and he built cities in the area of Ashdod and among the P'lishtim.


text:
God helped him against the P'lishtim, against the Arabs living in Gur-Ba'al, and against the Me'unim.


text:
The 'Amonim brought tribute to 'Uziyahu, and his fame spread abroad as far as the Egyptian frontier, since he kept growing stronger.


text:
'Uziyahu built towers in Yerushalayim at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate and at the Angle, and fortified them.


text:
He built towers in the desert and dug many cisterns, because he had much livestock, likewise in the Sh'felah and the coastal plain. He had farmers and vineyard-workers in the hills and in the fertile lands, because he loved the soil.


text:
'Uziyahu had a standing army of fit soldiers divided into units according to the census taken by the secretary Ye'i'el and the officer Ma'aseiyah, under the direction of Hananyah, one of the king's officials.


text:
They directed a trained army of 307,500 fighting men, a strong force supporting the king in war against the enemy.


text:
In Yerushalayim he built devices designed by experts for the towers and angles, from which to shoot arrows and lob large stones. His fame spread far and wide, for he was miraculously helped, until he became strong.


text:
But when he was strong, he became arrogant, which caused him to become corrupt, so that he sinned against ADONAI his God by going into the temple of ADONAI to burn incense on the incense altar.


text:
They stood up to 'Uziyahu the king; they told him, 'It isn't your job, 'Uziyahu, to burn incense to ADONAI! The job of burning incense belongs to the cohanim, the descendants of Aharon, who have been consecrated. Get out of the sanctuary! You have trespassed, and ADONAI, God, will not honor you for this.'


text:
This made 'Uziyahu angry as he stood there with a censer in his hand ready to burn incense; and in his anger at the cohanim, tzara'at broke out on his forehead right in front of the cohanim in the house of ADONAI beside the altar for incense.


text:
'Azaryahu the chief cohen and all the cohanim stared at him -there he was, with tzara'at on his forehead! Quickly they threw him out of there; and indeed, he himself hurried to get out, because ADONAI had struck him.


text:
'Uziyahu the king had tzara'at until his dying day; he lived in a separate house because he had tzara'at, and was not allowed into the house of ADONAI. Meanwhile, Yotam the king's son ran the king's household and was regent over the people of the land.


text:
Other activities of 'Uziyahu, from beginning to end, were recorded by Yesha'yahu the prophet, the son of Amotz.


text:
So 'Uziyahu slept with his ancestors, and they buried him with his ancestors in the graveyard belonging to the kings, because they said, 'He had tzara'at.'Then Yotam his son took his place as king.


text:
Yotam was twenty-five years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for sixteen years in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was Yerushah the daughter of Tzadok.


text:
He did what was right from ADONAI's perspective, following the example of everything his father 'Uziyah had done, except that he did not enter the temple of ADONAI. Nevertheless, the people acted corruptly.


text:
He fought with the king of the people of 'Amon and defeated them. That year the people of 'Amon paid him tribute of three-and-a-third tons of silver, 50,000 bushels of wheat and 50,000 [bushels] of barley. The people of 'Amon paid him the same amount the second and third years also.


text:
Other activities of Yotam, all his wars and his ways [of doing things] are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el and Y'hudah.


text:
He was twenty-five years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for sixteen years in Yerushalayim.


text:
Yotam slept with his ancestors and they buried him in the City of David. Then Achaz his son took his place as king.


text:
Achaz was twenty years old when he began his reign, and he ruled sixteen years in Yerushalayim. But he did not do what was right from the perspective of ADONAI, as David his ancestor had done.


text:
Moreover, he made offerings in the Ben-Hinnom Valley and even burned up his own children as sacrifices, in keeping with the horrible practices of the pagans, whom ADONAI had thrown out ahead of the people of Isra'el.


text:
Because of this, ADONAI his God handed him over to the king of Aram; they attacked him and carried off from his people a great number of captives, bringing them to Dammesek. In addition, he was handed over to the king of Isra'el, who inflicted on him a great massacre.


text:
For Pekach the son of Remalyah killed in Y'hudah 120,000 men in one day, all of them brave men, because they had abandoned ADONAI, the God of their ancestors.


text:
And Zikhri, a champion from Efrayim, killed Ma'aseiyah the king's son, 'Azrikam the administrator of the household and Elkanah, who was second only to the king.


text:
The people of Isra'el took captive from their kinsmen 200,000 wives, sons and daughters; they also captured from them much spoil, which they brought to Shomron.


text:
But a prophet of ADONAI named 'Oded was there; he went out to meet the army coming to Shomron and said to them, 'Look, it's because ADONAI the God of your fathers was angry with Y'hudah that he has handed them over to you, and you have slaughtered them in a fury that has reached up to heaven.


text:
Now you intend to force the people from Y'hudah and Yerushalayim into subjection as your slaves; but haven't you guilty deeds of your own that you committed against ADONAI your God?


text:
Therefore listen to me now; and send the captives back, the people you have taken captive from your kinsmen; because the fierce anger of ADONAI is on you.'


text:
At this, some of the leaders of the people of Efrayim -'Azaryahu the son of Y'hochanan, Berekhyahu the son of Meshilemot, Y'chizkiyah the son of Shalum and 'Amasa the son of Hadlai - protested against those who were returning from the war,


text:
saying to them, 'Don't bring the captives here, because you intend to do something that will bring guilt on us against ADONAI. It will only add to our sins and guilt, for our guilt is great, and there is fierce anger against Isra'el.'


text:
So the armed soldiers left the captives and the spoil there with the leaders and the whole community;


text:
while the men named above took charge of the captives and from the spoil clothed those among them who were inadequately clothed, giving them garments and shoes, providing them food and drink and anointing them with oil. After placing all the weak among them on donkeys, they brought them to Yericho, the City of Date-Palms, to their kinsmen; only then did they return to Shomron.


text:
The P'lishtim too had invaded the cities in the Sh'felah and in the Negev of Y'hudah; they had captured Beit-Shemesh, Ayalon, G'derot, Sokho with its villages, Timnah with its villages and Gimzo with its villages; and they settled there.


text:
For ADONAI brought Y'hudah low because of Achaz king of Isra'el, since he had caused disturbances in Y'hudah and acted very treacherously against ADONAI.


text:
even though Achaz had stripped the house of ADONAI and the palaces of the king and princes and had given the plunder to the king of Ashur, it didn't help him at all.


text:
by sacrificing to the gods of Dammesek, who had attacked him, reasoning, 'The gods of the kings of Aram helped them, so I will sacrifice to them, and then they'll help me.' But they became the ruin of him and of all Isra'el.


text:
Achaz collected the equipment from the house of God, broke to pieces the equipment from the house of God and sealed the doors of the house of ADONAI; then he made himself altars in every corner of Yerushalayim.


text:
In every city of Y'hudah he made high places for offering to other gods, thus provoking ADONAI the God of his ancestors.


text:
Other activities of Achaz and his ways [of doing things], from beginning to end, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y'hudah and Isra'el.


text:
Achaz slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in the city, in Yerushalayim; because they did not bring him to the tombs of the kings of Isra'el. Then Hizkiyahu his son took his place as king.


text:
Hizkiyahu was twenty-five years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for twenty-nine years in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was Aviyah the daughter of Z'kharyah.


text:
In the first month of the first year of his reign, he reopened the doors of the house of ADONAI and repaired them.


text:
and said to them, 'Listen to me, L'vi'im: consecrate yourselves now, consecrate the house of ADONAI the God of your ancestors, and remove the filth from the Holy Place.


text:
For our ancestors acted treacherously, they did what is evil from the perspective of ADONAI our God, they abandoned him, they turned their faces away from where ADONAI lives and turned their backs on him.


text:
They sealed the doors of the vestibule, put out the lamps and stopped burning incense and offering burnt offerings in the Holy Place to the God of Isra'el.


text:
'Because of this, ADONAI's anger has settled on Y'hudah and Yerushalayim; and he has made them an object of horror, astonishment and mocking - as you can see with your own eyes.


text:
Here, our ancestors have fallen by the sword; and on this account our sons, daughters and wives have gone into captivity.


text:
'Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with ADONAI the God of Isra'el, so that his furious anger will turn away from us.


text:
My sons, now is not a time for being negligent; for you are the ones ADONAI chose to stand before him and serve him as his ministers, offering him incense.'


text:
Then the L'vi'im set about the task - Machat the son of 'Amasai and Yo'el the son of 'Azaryahu from the descendants of the K'hati; of the sons of M'rari, Kish the son of 'Avdi and 'Azaryahu the son of Yehallel'el; of the Gershuni, Yo'ach the son of Zimah and 'Eden the son of Yo'ach;


text:
of the descendants of Elitzafan, Shimri and Ye'i'el; of the descendants of Asaf, Z'kharyahu and Matanyahu;


text:
of the descendants of Heman, Yechi'el and Shim'i; and of the descendants of Y'dutun, Sh'ma'yah and 'Uzi'el.


text:
They gathered their kinsmen, consecrated themselves and, in keeping with the king's order and ADONAI's words, went in to cleanse the house of ADONAI.


text:
The cohanim went in to cleanse the inner part of the house of ADONAI; all the unclean things they found in the sanctuary of ADONAI they brought out into the courtyard of the house of ADONAI, where the L'vi'im took and carried them out to Vadi Kidron.


text:
They began consecrating on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they reached the vestibule of ADONAI. Then they consecrated the house of ADONAI in eight more days; so that on the sixteenth day of the first month, they had finished.


text:
Then they went to Hizkiyahu the king in [the palace] and said, 'We have cleansed all the house of ADONAI, including the altar for burnt offerings, with all its equipment, and the table for the showbread, with all its equipment.


text:
Moreover, we have reconditioned and consecrated all the articles that King Achaz threw out during his reign, when he was sinning; and they are there, in front of the altar of ADONAI.'


text:
Next morning, Hizkiyahu the king got up early, gathered the leading men of the city and went up to the house of ADONAI.


text:
They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary and for Y'hudah; and he ordered the cohanim to offer them on the altar of ADONAI.


text:
After slaughtering the bulls, the cohanim took the blood and splashed it against the altar. Next, they slaughtered the rams and splashed the blood against the altar and also slaughtered the lambs and splashed the blood against the altar.


text:
After bringing the male goats for the sin offering close to the king and the assembly and laying their hands on them,


text:
the cohanim slaughtered them and made a sin offering with their blood on the altar to make atonement for all Isra'el; for the king had ordered that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be for all Isra'el.


text:
He stationed the L'vi'im in the house of ADONAI with cymbals, lyres and lutes, in keeping with the order of David, Gad the king's seer and Natan the prophet; for the mitzvah had come from ADONAI through his prophets.


text:
Hizkiyahu ordered that the burnt offering should be offered on the altar. The moment the burnt offering began, the song of ADONAI also began, accompanied by the trumpets and the instruments of David king of Isra'el.


text:
The whole assembly prostrated themselves, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.


text:
When the offering was over, the king and everyone present with him bowed down and prostrated themselves.


text:
Then Hizkiyahu the king and the leaders ordered the L'vi'im to sing praises to ADONAI, using the words of David and of Asaf the seer. They sang praises until they were filled with joy, and they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves.


text:
Hizkiyahu responded by saying, 'Now that you have consecrated yourselves to ADONAI, come close, and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of ADONAI. So the community brought in sacrifices and thank offerings, and as many as were willing volunteered burnt offerings.


text:
In all, the burnt offerings brought by the congregation totaled 70 bulls, 100 rams and 200 lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to ADONAI.


text:
Only there weren't enough cohanim to skin and butcher all the burnt offerings, so their colleagues the L'vi'im assisted them until the work was finished and the cohanim had consecrated themselves (for the L'vi'im had been more diligent to consecrate themselves than the cohanim).


text:
Besides the abundance of burnt offerings, there was the fat of the peace offerings and drink offerings for each burnt offering. Thus the service of the house of ADONAI was restored.


text:
Hizkiyahu and all the people rejoiced over what God had prepared for the people, since it had all happened so suddenly.


text:
Then Hizkiyahu sent to all Isra'el and Y'hudah, and wrote letters also to Efrayim and M'nasheh, summoning them to the house of ADONAI in Yerushalayim, to keep the Pesach to ADONAI the God of Isra'el.


text:
For the king, his officials and the entire Yerushalayim community had agreed to keep the Pesach in the second month.


text:
They had not been able to observe it at the proper time because the cohanim had not consecrated themselves in sufficient number; also the people had not assembled in Yerushalayim.


text:
so they issued a decree that it should be proclaimed throughout all Isra'el, from Be'er-Sheva to Dan, that they should come to keep the Pesach to ADONAI the God of Isra'el at Yerushalayim; for only a few had been observing it as prescribed.


text:
So runners went with the letters from the king and his officers throughout all Isra'el and Y'hudah. They conveyed the king's order: 'People of Isra'el! Turn back to ADONAI, the God of Avraham, Yitz'chak and Ya'akov! Then he will return to those of you who remain, who escaped capture by the kings of Ashur.


text:
Don't be like your ancestors, or like your kinsmen who sinned against ADONAI the God of their ancestors, with the result that he allowed them to become an object of horror, as you see.


text:
Don't be stiffnecked now, as your ancestors were. Instead, yield yourselves to ADONAI; enter his sanctuary, which he has made holy forever; and serve ADONAI your God; so that his fierce anger will turn away from you.


text:
For if you turn back to ADONAI, your kinsmen and children will find that those who took them captive will have compassion on them, and they will come back to this land. ADONAI your God is compassionate and merciful; he will not turn his face away from you if you return to him.'


text:
So the runners passed from city to city through the territory of Efrayim and M'nasheh, as far as Z'vulun; but the people laughed at them and made fun of them.


text:
Also in Y'hudah the hand of God was at work, uniting their hearts to do what the king and the leaders had ordered in accordance with the word of ADONAI.


text:
Thus, many people assembled in Yerushalayim to keep the festival of Matzot in the second month, a huge crowd.


text:
First they set about removing the altars that were in Yerushalayim, and they also removed all the altars for incense and threw them in Vadi Kidron.


text:
Then they slaughtered the Pesach lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. Ashamed of themselves, the cohanim and L'vi'im had consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings into the house of ADONAI.


text:
Now they stood at their stations, as prescribed in the Torah of Moshe the man of God; the cohanim splashed the blood given to them by the L'vi'im.


text:
For there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves; therefore the L'vi'im were responsible for slaughtering the Pesach lambs and consecrating them to ADONAI on behalf of everyone who was not clean.


text:
For a large number of the people, especially from Efrayim, M'nasheh, Yissakhar and Z'vulun, had not cleansed themselves but ate the Pesach lamb anyway, despite what is written. For Hizkiyahu had prayed for them, 'May ADONAI, who is good, pardon


text:
everyone who sets his heart on seeking God, ADONAI, the God of his ancestors, even if he hasn't undergone the purification prescribed in connection with holy things.'


text:
The people of Isra'el there in Yerushalayim observed the festival of Matzot for seven days with great joy; while every day the L'vi'im and cohanim praised ADONAI, singing to ADONAI with the accompaniment of loud instruments.


text:
Hizkiyahu spoke encouragingly to all the L'vi'im who were well skilled in the service of ADONAI. Thus they ate throughout the festival for the seven days, offering sacrifices of peace offerings and giving thanks to ADONAI, the God of their ancestors.


text:
Then the whole assembly decided to celebrate for yet another seven days, and they observed those seven days too with joy.


text:
For Hizkiyahu king of Y'hudah gave the assembly a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for offerings, while the leaders gave the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep; and great numbers of cohanim consecrated themselves.


text:
All the people who had assembled from Y'hudah rejoiced, as did the cohanim and L'vi'im, those assembled from Isra'el, and the foreigners who had come from the territory of Isra'el or who lived in Y'hudah.


text:
So there was great joy in Yerushalayim; for since the time of Shlomo the son of David, king of Isra'el, there had been nothing like it in Yerushalayim.


text:
Then the cohanim, who were L'vi'im, stood up and blessed the people; [ADONAI] heard their voice, and their prayer came up to the holy place where he lives, heaven.


text:
After all this was over, all Isra'el who were there went out to the cities of Y'hudah and smashed the standing-stones, chopped down the sacred poles, and broke down the high places and altars throughout Y'hudah, Binyamin, Efrayim and M'nasheh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the people of Isra'el returned to their own cities, each to his own possession.


text:
Hizkiyahu re-established the divisions of the cohanim and L'vi'im in accordance with the way the divisions had been before, with each man assigned his task, both the cohanim and the L'vi'im, for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to serve, to give thanks and to praise at the gates of ADONAI's camp.


text:
He determined a portion of the king's property to be given for the burnt offerings, that is, for the morning and evening burnt offerings and for burnt offerings on Shabbats, Rosh-Hodesh and the designated times, as prescribed by the Torah of ADONAI.


text:
He also ordered the people living in Yerushalayim to contribute the portion meant for the cohanim and L'vi'im, so that they would be submitting themselves to the Torah of ADONAI.


text:
As soon as the order was issued, the people of Isra'el gave in abundance from the firstfruits of the grain, wine, olive oil, honey and other agricultural produce; they brought the required tenth and more.


text:
The people of Isra'el and Y'hudah living in the cities of Y'hudah also brought the required tenth of oxen and sheep and the required tenth of consecrated gifts that had been dedicated to ADONAI their God, and piled them in heaps.


text:
'Azaryahu the chief cohen, from the house of Tzadok, answered him, 'Ever since the people began bringing offerings into the house of ADONAI, we have had enough to eat and plenty left over; for ADONAI has blessed his people, and what is left over is this massive supply.'


text:
they faithfully brought in the offerings, the required tenths and the consecrated things. Konanyahu the Levi was put in charge of them, with Shim'i his brother as his assistant.


text:
Hizkiyahu the king and 'Azaryahu the ruler of the house of God appointed Yechi'el, 'Azazyahu, Nachat, 'Asah'el, Yerimot, Yozavad, Eli'el, Yismachyah, Machat and B'nayahu as supervisors to serve under Konanyah and Shim'i his brother.


text:
Kore the son of Yimnah the Levi, gatekeeper at the East Gate, was responsible for the voluntary offerings to God; he had to distribute the offerings made to ADONAI and the especially holy gifts.


text:
Under him were 'Eden, Minyamin, Yeshua, Sh'ma'yahu, Amaryahu and Sh'khanyahu, in the cities of the cohanim, faithfully making the distributions to their kinsmen by divisions, to great and small alike.


text:
Every male three years and older entitled to enter the house of ADONAI was given his daily share for performing his duties according to his division, regardless of how he was recorded in the genealogies.


text:
Likewise, those recorded in the genealogies of the cohanim by clans received shares, as did the L'vi'im twenty years and older who were performing their duties in their assigned divisions.


text:
When shares were assigned, all their little ones, wives, sons and daughters were also recorded in the genealogies, throughout the entire community; for in their faithfulness to this task they consecrated themselves.


text:
Finally, shares were assigned to the descendants of Aharon, the cohanim, who lived in the pasture-lands surrounding their cities -in each city they were mentioned by name. Thus portions were distributed to all the males among the cohanim and to all whose genealogies showed that they belonged to the L'vi'im.


text:
This is what Hizkiyahu did throughout all Y'hudah. He accomplished things that were good, right and faithful before ADONAI his God.


text:
Every project that he undertook in order to seek his God, whether in the service of the house of God or in connection with the Torah and the mitzvot, he did with all his heart; and so he succeeded.


text:
After these events and this faithfulness of [Hizkiyahu's], Sancheriv king of Ashur came, invaded Y'hudah and besieged the fortified cities, thinking that he would break in [and capture] them.


text:
he consulted his leading men and military advisers about sealing off the water in the springs outside the city. After gaining their support,


text:
a large crowd was gathered to block all the springs and the stream flowing through the countryside. They reasoned, 'Why should the kings of Ashur come and find an ample supply of water?'


text:
Then, taking courage, he rebuilt all the broken sections of the wall, raised towers on it, built another wall outside that, strengthened the Millo in the City of David, and made a large quantity of spears and shields.


text:
He appointed military commanders over the people, then gathered them before him in the open space at the city gate and spoke these words of encouragement to them:


text:
'Be strong! Take courage! Don't be afraid or distressed on account of the king of Ashur or all the horde he brings with him. For the One with us is greater than the one with him -


text:
he has human strength, but we have ADONAI our God to help us and fight our battles!'The people took heart at the words of Hizkiyahu king of Y'hudah.


text:
After this, while Sancheriv and all his army were besieging Lakhish, he sent his envoys to Yerushalayim, to Hizkiyahu king of Y'hudah and to all Y'hudah who were there in Yerushalayim, with this message:


text:
'This is what Sancheriv king of Ashur says: 'What gives you the confidence that you can endure a siege against Yerushalayim?


text:
Hasn't Hizkiyahu deluded you? Isn't he condemning you to death by starvation and thirst when he says, 'ADONAI our God will save us from the king of Ashur'?


text:
Isn't this the same Hizkiyahu who removed [your God's] high places and altars and ordered Y'hudah and Yerushalayim to worship before one altar and offer sacrifices only on it?


text:
Don't you realize what I and my ancestors have done to all the peoples of the other countries? Were the gods of these nations able to do a thing to rescue their country from me?


text:
Who of all the gods of those nations that my ancestors completely destroyed was able to rescue his people from me? How then will your God rescue you from me?


text:
Don't let Hizkiyahu mislead you or delude you this way, don't believe him. For no god of any nation or kingdom has ever been able to rescue his people from me or my ancestors; how much less will your God rescue you from me!''


text:
He also wrote a letter insulting ADONAI the God of Isra'el and speaking against him; it said, 'Just as the gods of the nations of the other countries could not rescue their people from me, likewise Hizkiyahu's God will not rescue his people from me.'


text:
They were shouting loudly in the language of the Judeans to the people of Yerushalayim who were on the wall in order to terrify them and make them fearful, so that they could capture the city.


text:
They spoke about the God of Yerushalayim in the same way as about the gods of the other peoples of the earth, which are merely human artifacts.


text:
Because of this, Hizkiyahu the king and Yesha'yahu the prophet, the son of Amotz, prayed and cried out to heaven.


text:
Then ADONAI sent an angel, who cut down the valiant warriors, the leaders and the officers in the king of Ashur's camp, so that he had to return shamefaced to his own country. When he entered the house of his god, his own sons, whom he himself had fathered, put him to death with the sword there.


text:
In this way ADONAI rescued Hizkiyahu and those living in Yerushalayim from Sancheriv the king of Ashur and from everyone, caring for them in every respect.


text:
Many people brought gifts to ADONAI in Yerushalayim and items of value to Hizkiyahu king of Y'hudah, so that from then on he was regarded highly by all the nations.


text:
Around this time, Hizkiyahu became ill to the point of death. But he prayed to ADONAI, who answered him, even giving him a sign.


text:
However, Hizkiyahu did not respond commensurately with the benefit done for him, because he had grown proud; thus he brought anger on himself and on Y'hudah and Yerushalayim as well.


text:
But Hizkiyahu then humbled himself for his pride, both he and the people living in Yerushalayim, so that ADONAI's anger did not strike them during Hizkiyahu's lifetime.


text:
Hizkiyahu had vast riches and great honor. He provided himself with storage places for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields and all kinds of valuable articles;


text:
also storehouses for the harvest of grain, wine and olive oil; and stalls for all kinds of livestock and pens for the flocks.


text:
He provided cities for himself and purchased flocks and herds in abundance, for God had made him extremely wealthy.


text:
It was this same Hizkiyahu who blocked the upper outlet of the Gichon Spring and diverted the water straight down on the west side of the City of David. Hizkiyahu succeeded in all that he did.


text:
However, in the matter of the ambassadors from the princes of Bavel, who sent to him to learn of the marvel that had taken place in the land, God left him by himself, in order to test him, so that he might know everything that was in his heart.


text:
Other activities of Hizkiyahu and his good deeds are recorded in the vision of Yesha'yahu the prophet, the son of Amotz, and in the Annals of the Kings of Y'hudah and Isra'el.


text:
Then Hizkiyahu slept with his ancestors, and they buried him by the path leading up to the tombs of the descendants of David. All Y'hudah and the people living in Yerushalayim honored him when he died, after which M'nasheh his son took his place as king.


text:
M'nasheh was twelve years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for fifty-five years in Yerushalayim.


text:
For he rebuilt the high places which Hizkiyahu his father had smashed; he erected altars for the ba'alim, made sacred poles and worshipped all the army of heaven and served them.


text:
He erected altars in the house of ADONAI, concerning which ADONAI had said, 'My name will be in Yerushalayim forever.'


text:
He made his children pass through the fire [as a sacrifice] in the Ben-Hinnom Valley. He practiced soothsaying, divination and sorcery; and he appointed mediums and persons who used spirit guides. He did much that was evil from ADONAI's perspective, thus provoking him to anger.


text:
He set the carved image of the idol he had made in the house of God, concerning which God had told David and Shlomo his son, 'In this house and in Yerushalayim, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Isra'el, I will put my name forever.


text:
Also I will not remove the feet of Isra'el from the land I assigned your ancestors, if only they will take heed to obey every order I have given them, that is, all the Torah, laws and rulings that came through Moshe.'


text:
M'nasheh caused Y'hudah and the people of Yerushalayim to go astray, so that they did even worse things than the nations whom ADONAI destroyed ahead of the people of Isra'el.


text:
Therefore ADONAI brought against them the commanders of the king of Ashur's army. They took M'nasheh captive with hooks, bound him in chains and carried him off to Bavel.


text:
Then, when he was in distress, he began to appease the anger of ADONAI, abjectly humbling himself before the God of his ancestors.


text:
He prayed to him; and God was moved by his plea, paid attention to his entreaty and brought him back to Yerushalayim, to his kingly office. Then M'nasheh understood that ADONAI really is God.


text:
After this he built an outer wall for the City of David on the west side of Gichon, in the valley, extending as far as the entrance at the Fish Gate; it encompassed the 'Ofel, and he built it very high. He stationed army commanders in all the fortified cities of Y'hudah.


text:
He removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of ADONAI and all the altars he had built on the hill of the house of ADONAI and in Yerushalayim, and threw them out of the city.


text:
He repaired the altar of ADONAI and offered on it sacrifices as peace offerings and for thanksgiving; and he ordered Y'hudah to serve ADONAI the God of Isra'el.


text:
Other activities of M'nasheh, his prayer to his God and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of ADONAI the God of Isra'el are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el.


text:
Also his prayer and how God was moved by his plea, all his sin and disloyalty, and the locations where he built high places and set up the sacred poles and carved images before he humbled himself are written in the History of the Seers.


text:
Then M'nasheh slept with his ancestors and was buried at his own house, and Amon his son took his place as king.


text:
He did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective, as had M'nasheh his father. Amon sacrificed to all the carved images that M'nasheh his father had made, and served them.


text:
He did not humble himself before ADONAI, as M'nasheh his father had done; rather, this Amon kept adding to his guilt.


text:
Yoshiyahu was eight years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for thirty-one years in Yerushalayim.


text:
For in the eighth year of his reign, when he was still young, he began seeking after the God of David his father; and in the twelfth year, he began cleansing Y'hudah and Yerushalayim from the high places, the sacred poles, and the carved and cast metal images.


text:
In his presence they broke down the altars of the ba'alim, and he chopped down the pillars for sun-worship mounted above them. He smashed the sacred poles and the carved and cast metal images, grinding them to dust, which he threw on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.


text:
He did likewise in the cities of M'nasheh, Efrayim, Shim'on and even as far as Naftali, in their surrounding ruins.


text:
He broke down the altars, beat the sacred poles and carved images to powder and chopped down the pillars for sun-worship throughout all the land of Isra'el. Then he returned to Yerushalayim.


text:
In the eighteenth year of his reign, after he had cleansed the land and the house, he sent Shafan the son of Atzalyahu, Ma'aseiyah the governor of the city and Yo'ach the son of Yo'achaz the recorder to repair the house of ADONAI his God.


text:
They went to Hilkiyahu the cohen hagadol and handed over to him the money that had been brought into the house of God, which the L'vi'im who guarded the doors had collected from M'nasheh, Efrayim, the rest of Isra'el and all Y'hudah and Binyamin. Then they returned to Yerushalayim.


text:
They gave it to the supervisors of the work being done in the house of ADONAI; and those doing the work in the house of ADONAI used it to repair and restore the house -


text:
that is, they gave it to the carpenters and construction-workers to purchase worked stone, timber for the crossbeams and roof beams for the houses which the kings of Y'hudah had destroyed.


text:
The men did the work faithfully. Their supervisors were Yachat and 'Ovadyahu, L'vi'im from the descendants of M'rari, also Z'kharyah and Meshulam from the descendants of the K'hatim to give direction; and other L'vi'im, all of whom could accompany singing with musical instruments.


text:
They supervised those carrying the loads and everyone doing any kind of work; and there were also L'vi'im who were secretaries, officials and gatekeepers.


text:
While bringing out the money that had been brought into the house of ADONAI, Hilkiyahu the cohen found the scroll of the Torah of ADONAI given by Moshe.


text:
Hilkiyahu said to Shafan the secretary, 'I have found the scroll of the Torah in the house of ADONAI.' Hilkiyahu gave the scroll to Shafan.


text:
Shafan the secretary brought the scroll to the king. Turning to the king, he gave him this report: 'Your servants are doing everything you ordered them to do.


text:
They have poured out the money found in the house of ADONAI and handed it over to the supervisors and workers.'


text:
Then Shafan the secretary told the king, 'Hilkiyahu the cohen hagadol gave me a scroll.' Shafan read it aloud before the king.


text:
Then the king issued this order to Hilkiyahu, Achikam the son of Shafan, 'Avdon the son of Mikhah, Shafan the secretary and 'Asayah the king's servant:


text:
'Go, and consult ADONAI for me and for the people left in Isra'el and Y'hudah in regard to what is written in this scroll which has been found. For ADONAI must be furious at us, since our ancestors did not observe the word of ADONAI and do everything written in this scroll.'


text:
So Hilkiyahu and those the king had ordered went to Huldah the prophet, the wife of Shalum the son of Tok'hat, the son of Hasrat, keeper of the wardrobe - she lived in the Second Quarter of Yerushalayim - and spoke with her about this.


text:
that ADONAI says this: 'I am going to bring calamity on this place and on its inhabitants, all the curses written in the scroll they read to the king of Y'hudah;


text:
because they have abandoned me and offered to other gods, in order to provoke me with everything they do. Therefore my anger is poured out on this place and will not be quenched.'


text:
'But you are to tell the king of Y'hudah, who sent you to consult ADONAI, that ADONAI the God of Isra'el also says this: 'In regard to the words you have heard,


text:
because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants - you humbled yourself before me, tore your clothes and cried before me - I have also heard you,' says ADONAI.


text:
'Here, I will gather you to your ancestors; you will go to your grave in peace; and your eyes will not see all the calamity I am going to bring on this place and its inhabitants.'' So they brought back word to the king.


text:
The king went up to the house of ADONAI with all the men of Y'hudah, those living in Yerushalayim, the cohanim, the L'vi'im and all the people, both great and small; and he read in their hearing everything written in the scroll of the covenant that had been found in the house of ADONAI.


text:
The king stood in his place and made a covenant in the presence of ADONAI to live following ADONAI, observing his mitzvot, instructions and laws wholeheartedly and with all his being, so as to perform the words of the covenant written in this scroll.


text:
Then, after he had all the people in Yerushalayim and Binyamin stand in affirmation of it, the inhabitants of Yerushalayim acted in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors.


text:
Yoshiyahu removed all the abominable idols from all the territories belonging to the people of Isra'el, and he made everyone in Isra'el serve ADONAI their God. Throughout his lifetime, they did not stop following ADONAI, the God of their ancestors.


text:
Yoshiyahu kept Pesach to ADONAI in Yerushalayim. They slaughtered the Pesach lamb on the fourteenth day of the first month.


text:
He assigned the cohanim to their posts and encouraged them to perform the service of the house of ADONAI.


text:
To the L'vi'im who were teaching all Isra'el and were holy for ADONAI he said, 'Put the holy ark in the house which Shlomo the son of David, king of Isra'el, built; after this, you will not have to carry it again. Now serve ADONAI your God and his people Isra'el.


text:
Organize yourselves by clans and duty divisions according to the arrangement written down by David king of Isra'el and Shlomo his son.


text:
Stand in the Holy Place according to the divisions of the clans of your kinsmen the ordinary people, with part of a clan of L'vi'im serving each clan [of Isra'el].


text:
Then slaughter the Pesach lamb, consecrate yourselves, prepare what your kinsmen need, and act according to the word of ADONAI given through Moshe.'


text:
Yoshiyahu gave the ordinary people, to all who were present, 30,000 lambs and kids from the flock, all of them for Pesach offerings, and 3,000 bulls. These were from the king's personal property.


text:
Also his leading men voluntarily gave to the people and to the cohanim and L'vi'im. Hilkiyah, Z'kharyahu and Yechi'el, the rulers of the house of God, gave the cohanim 2,600 [lambs and kids] and 300 oxen for Pesach offerings.


text:
Konanyah, his brothers Sh'ma'yah and N'tan'el, and Hashavyah, Ye'i'el and Yozavad, the head L'vi'im, gave the L'vi'im 5,000 [lambs and kids] and 500 oxen for Pesach offerings.


text:
So the service was prepared; the cohanim stood at their posts; and the L'vi'im worked in their divisions, in keeping with the king's order.


text:
They slaughtered the Pesach lamb; the cohanim splashed [the blood, which they received from the L'vi'im], and the L'vi'im skinned and butchered them.


text:
They removed the portions to be burned, in order to give them to the divisions of the clans of the ordinary people to present to ADONAI, as written in the scroll of Moshe. They did the same with the oxen.


text:
They roasted the Pesach lamb over fire, according to the rule; while they boiled the holy offerings in pots, kettles and pans and carried them quickly to all the ordinary people.


text:
Afterwards, they prepared food for themselves and for the cohanim; because the cohanim, the descendants of Aharon, were busy till nightfall offering the fat and the portions to be burned up; this is why the L'vi'im prepared food both for themselves and for the cohanim the descendants of Aharon.


text:
The singers the sons of Asaf were at their posts, as ordered by David - Asaf, Heman and Y'dutun the king's seer. The gatekeepers were at every gate, and they did not need to leave their posts, because their brothers the L'vi'im prepared [food] for them.


text:
Thus all the service of ADONAI was prepared the same day for observing Pesach and offering burnt offerings on the altar of ADONAI, in accordance with the order of King Yoshiyahu.


text:
The people of Isra'el who were present observed the Pesach at that time and the festival of Matzot for seven days.


text:
No Pesach like that had been kept in Isra'el since the days of Sh'mu'el the prophet, and none of the kings of Isra'el observe a Pesach such as Yoshiyahu observed, with the cohanim, L'vi'im, all Y'hudah, those of Isra'el who were present, and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim.


text:
After all this, and after Yoshiyahu had restored the house, N'kho king of Egypt went up to attack Kark'mish by the Euphrates River. King Yoshiyahu went out to oppose him;


text:
but N'kho sent envoys to him with this message: 'Do I have a conflict with you, king of Y'hudah? No, I am not coming today to attack you, but to attack the dynasty with whom I am at war. God has ordered to speed me along; so don't meddle with God, who is with me; so that he won't destroy you.'


text:
Nevertheless, Yoshiyahu was determined to go after him. He disguised himself in order to fight against him and wouldn't listen to what N'kho said, which was from the mouth of God. Then he went to fight in the Megiddo Valley.


text:
There archers shot King Yoshiyahu. The king said to his servants, 'Take me away, because I'm badly wounded.'


text:
So his servants took him out of the chariot, transferred him to his second chariot and brought him to Yerushalayim. But he died, and he was buried in the tombs of his ancestors. All Y'hudah and Yerushalayim mourned Yoshiyahu.


text:
Yirmeyahu composed a lament for Yoshiyahu; and all the men and women singers have sung of Yoshiyahu in their laments till this day. They made singing them a law in Isra'el, and they are recorded in the Laments.


text:
Other activities of Yoshiyahu and all his good deeds in keeping with what is written in the Torah of ADONAI,


text:
also his accomplishments from beginning to end, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el and Y'hudah.


text:
Then the people of the land took Y'ho'achaz the son of Yoshiyahu and made him king in his father's place, in Yerushalayim.


text:
Y'ho'achaz was twenty-three years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for three months in Yerushalayim.


text:
But the king of Egypt deposed him in Yerushalayim and imposed a penalty on the land of three-and-a-third tons of silver and sixty-six pounds of gold.


text:
Then the king of Egypt made Elyakim his brother king over Y'hudah and Yerushalayim, changing his name to Y'hoyakim; N'kho took Yo'achaz his brother and carried him off to Egypt.


text:
Y'hoyakim was twenty-five years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for eleven years in Yerushalayim. He did what was evil from the perspective of ADONAI his God.


text:
N'vukhadnetzar also carried the articles in the house of ADONAI away to Bavel and put them in his temple in Bavel.


text:
Other activities of Y'hoyakim, including all the abominations he did publicly and those discovered later, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el and Y'hudah. Then Y'hoyakhin his son took his place as king.


text:
Y'hoyakhin was eight years old when he began his reign, and he ruled in Yerushalayim for three months and ten days. He did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective.


text:
In the spring, King N'vukhadnetzar sent and had him brought to Bavel together with the valuable articles from the house of ADONAI, and made Tzedekyah his brother king over Y'hudah and Yerushalayim.


text:
Tzedekyah was twenty-one years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for eleven years in Yerushalayim.


text:
He did what was evil from the perspective of ADONAI his God. He did not humble himself before Yirmeyahu the prophet speaking on behalf of ADONAI.


text:
He also rebelled against King N'vukhadnetzar, who had made him swear loyalty to him by God; instead, he became stiffnecked and hardhearted, refusing to turn to ADONAI the God of Isra'el.


text:
In addition, the chief cohanim and the people grew increasingly unfaithful, following all the abominable practices of the other nations; and they polluted the house of ADONAI, which he had consecrated in Yerushalayim.


text:
Time after time, and frequently, ADONAI, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers; because he had compassion on his people and on the place where he lived.


text:
But they ridiculed God's messengers, treating his words with contempt and scoffing at his prophets, until the anger of ADONAI rose up against his people to the extent that there was no longer any remedy.


text:
Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Kasdim, who put their young men to the sword in the house of their sanctuary. They had no compassion on either young men or young women, old men or gray-haired; God handed all of them over to him.


text:
All the articles in the house of God, great and small; the supplies in the house of ADONAI; and the supplies of the king and his leading men - all these he brought to Bavel.


text:
Then they burned down the house of God, broke down the wall of Yerushalayim, put to flames all its palaces and destroyed everything in it of worth.


text:
Those who had escaped the sword he carried off to Bavel, and they became slaves to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia.


text:
Thus was fulfilled the word of ADONAI spoken by Yirmeyahu, 'until the land has been paid her Shabbats'-for as long as it lay desolate, it kept Shabbat, until seventy years had passed.


text:
Now in the first year of Koresh king of Persia, so that the word of ADONAI spoken by Yirmeyahu might be fulfilled, ADONAI activated the spirit of Koresh king of Persia to proclaim throughout his entire kingdom, and put in writing as well:


text:
'Here is what Koresh king of Persia says: ADONAI, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms on earth, and he has charged me to build him a house in Yerushalayim, in Y'hudah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, may ADONAI his God be with him! He may go up . . . .'


text:
In the first year of Koresh king of Persia, in order for the word of ADONAI prophesied by Yirmeyahu to be fulfilled, ADONAI stirred up the spirit of Koresh king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his whole kingdom, which he also put in writing, as follows:


text:
'Here is what Koresh king of Persia says: ADONAI, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms on earth; and he has charged me to build him a house in Yerushalayim, in Y'hudah.


text:
Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him! He may go up to Yerushalayim, in Y'hudah, and build the house of ADONAI the God of Isra'el, the God who is in Yerushalayim.


text:
Let every survivor, no matter where he lives, be helped by his neighbors with silver, gold, goods and animals, in addition to the voluntary offering for the house of God in Yerushalayim.'


text:
The heads of fathers' clans in Y'hudah and Binyamin, along with the cohanim, the L'vi'im, and indeed all whose spirit God had stirred, set out to go up and rebuild the house of ADONAI in Yerushalayim.


text:
All their neighbors supported them by giving them articles of silver, gold, goods, animals, and valuables, besides all their voluntary offerings.


text:
In addition, Koresh the king brought out the vessels from the house of ADONAI which N'vukhadnetzar had taken from Yerushalayim and put in the house of his god.


text:
Koresh king of Persia had Mitr'dat the treasurer bring them out and make an inventory of them for Sheshbatzar the prince of Y'hudah.


text:
In all there were 5,400 articles of gold and silver. Sheshbatzar took all of them along when the exiles were brought up from Bavel to Yerushalayim.


text:
Here is a list of the people of the province who had been exiled, carried off to Bavel by N'vukhadnetzar king of Bavel, but who later returned from exile and went up to Yerushalayim and Y'hudah, each to his own city;


text:
they went with Z'rubavel, Yeshua, Nechemyah, S'rayah, Re'elyah, Mordekhai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rechum and Ba'anah. The number of men from the people of Isra'el:


text:
The descendants of the gatekeepers: descendants of Shalum, descendants of Ater, descendants of Talmon, descendants of 'Akuv, descendants of Hatita, and descendants of Shovai in all, 139


text:
The descendants of Shlomo's servants: descendants of Sotai, descendants of Hasoferet, descendants of P'ruda,


text:
descendants of Sh'fatyah, descendants of Hatil, descendants of Pokheret-Hatzvayim, and descendants of Ami.


text:
The following went up from Tel-Melach, Tel-Harsha, K'ruv, Adan and Immer; but they could not state which fathers' clan they or their children belonged to, [so it was not clear] whether they were from Isra'el:


text:
and of the descendants of the cohanim: descendants of Havayah, descendants of Hakotz, and descendants of Barzillai, who took a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gil'adi and was named after them.


text:
These tried to locate their genealogical records, but they weren't found. Therefore they were considered defiled and were not allowed to serve as cohanim.


text:
The Tirshata told them not to eat any of the especially holy food until a cohen appeared who could consult the urim and tumim.


text:
not including their male and female slaves, of whom there were 7,337. They also had 200 male and female singers.


text:
Some of the heads of fathers' clans, when they came to the house of ADONAI in Yerushalayim, made voluntary offerings for rebuilding the house of God on its site.


text:
According to their means they gave into the treasury for the work 61,000 gold darkmonim [about two-thirds of a ton], 5,000 manim of silver [just over three tons], and a hundred tunics for the cohanim.


text:
So the cohanim, the L'vi'im, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers and the temple servants lived in their towns and all Isra'el in their towns.


text:
When the seventh month arrived, after the people of Isra'el had resettled in the towns, the people gathered with one accord in Yerushalayim.


text:
Then Yeshua the son of Yotzadak with his fellow cohanim, and Z'rubavel the son of Sh'alti'el with his kinsmen, organized rebuilding the altar of the God of Isra'el; so that they could offer burnt offerings on it, as is written in the Torah of Moshe the man of God.


text:
They set up the altar on its former bases. Despite feeling threatened by the peoples of the [surrounding] countries; they offered on it burnt offerings to ADONAI, the morning and evening burnt offerings.


text:
They observed the festival of Sukkot as written, offering daily the number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day,


text:
and afterwards the regular burnt offering, the offerings for Rosh-Hodesh and those for all the designated times set apart for ADONAI, as well as those of everyone who volunteered a voluntary offering to ADONAI.


text:
From the first day of the seventh month, they began offering burnt offerings to ADONAI, even though the foundation of ADONAI's temple had not yet been laid.


text:
They also gave money for the stone-workers and carpenters, as well as food, drink and olive oil for the people of Tzidon and Tzor bringing cedar logs from the L'vanon to the sea and on to Yafo, in accordance with the authorization granted by Koresh king of Persia.


text:
In the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Yerushalayim, in the second month, Z'rubavel the son of Sh'alti'el, Yeshua the son of Yotzadak, the rest of their kinsmen the cohanim and L'vi'im, and all who had come out of exile to Yerushalayim began the project. They appointed the L'vi'im aged twenty and up to direct work in the house of ADONAI.


text:
Yeshua and his sons and brothers, Kadmi'el and his sons, and Y'hudah's sons together directed the workers in the house of God; also the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their kinsmen the L'vi'im.


text:
When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of ADONAI, the cohanim in their robes, with trumpets, and the L'vi'im the sons of Asaf, with cymbals, took their places to praise ADONAI, as David king of Isra'el had instructed.


text:
They sang antiphonally, praising and giving 'thanks to ADONAI, for he is good, for his grace continues forever' toward Isra'el. All the people raised a great shout of praise to ADONAI, because the foundation of the house of ADONAI had been laid.


text:
But many of the cohanim, L'vi'im and heads of fathers' clans, the old men who had seen the first house standing on its foundation, wept out loud when they saw this house; while others shouted out loud for joy -


text:
so that the people couldn't distinguish the noise of the joyful shouting from the noise of the people's weeping; for the people were shouting so loudly that the noise could be heard at a great distance.


text:
When the enemies of Y'hudah and Binyamin heard that the people from the exile were building a temple to ADONAI the God of Isra'el,


text:
they approached Z'rubavel and the heads of fathers' clans and said to them, 'Let us build along with you; for we seek your God, just as you do; and we have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esar-Hadon king of Ashur, who brought us here.'


text:
But Z'rubavel, Yeshua and the rest of the heads of fathers' clans in Isra'el answered them, 'You and we have nothing in common that you should join us in building a house for our God. We will build by ourselves for ADONAI the God of Isra'el, as Koresh king of Persia ordered us to do.'


text:
Then the people of the land began discouraging the people of Y'hudah, in order to make them afraid to build.


text:
They also bribed officials to frustrate their plan throughout the lifetime of Koresh king of Persia and on into the reign of Daryavesh king of Persia.


text:
During the reign of Achashverosh, at the beginning of his reign, they brought a charge in writing against the people living in Y'hudah and Yerushalayim.


text:
Then, during the time of Artach'shashta, Bishlam, Mitr'dat, Tav'el and their other colleagues wrote Artach'shashta; the letter was written in Aramaic, using Aramaic script.


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Rechum the district governor and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Yerushalayim to Artach'shashta the king as follows:


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'From Rechum the district governor, Shimshai the secretary, their other colleagues, the judges, the officials, the Dina'im, the Afarsat'khim, the Tarp'lim, the Afarsim, the Ark'vim, the Bavlim, the Shushan'kayim, the Dehayim, the 'Elma'im,


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the other nations whom the great and noble Asnapar deported and settled in Shomron, and the others who remain in the country beyond the [Euphrates] River.'


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(This is the text of the letter they sent him.) 'To Artach'shashta the king from his servants the people beyond the River:


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'Let the king know that the Judeans who left you to come to us in Yerushalayim are building this rebellious and wicked city. They have finished the walls and are now digging the foundations.


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So let the king know that if this city is rebuilt and the walls are finished, they will refuse to pay tribute, tax or toll; and this will reduce the royal revenue.


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Now, because we eat the king's salt, and it is not right for us to see the king dishonored, we therefore are sending to inform the king,


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so that a search can be made in the archives of your ancestors; in these archives you will find and ascertain that this city is indeed a rebellious city, the bane of kings and provinces, and that sedition has been fostered there since ancient times - which is why this city was destroyed.


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We submit to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls are finished, you will soon lose possession of all territories beyond the River.'


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The king sent this answer: 'To Rechum the district governor, Shimshai the secretary, their other colleagues living in Shomron, and the rest beyond the River: 'Shalom!


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I ordered a search made, and it was found that this city has a long history of revolt against kings, that rebellion and sedition have been fostered there;


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also that there have been powerful kings over Yerushalayim who ruled all the territory beyond the River; and tribute, taxes and tolls were paid to them.


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When the text of King Artach'shashta's letter was read before Rechum, Shimshai the secretary and their colleagues, they hurried to Yerushalayim to the Judeans and stopped their work by force of arms.


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So the work on the house of God in Yerushalayim ceased; it remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of Daryavesh king of Persia.


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The prophets Hagai and Z'kharyah the son of 'Iddo prophesied to the Judeans in Yerushalayim and Y'hudah; they prophesied to them in the name of the God of Isra'el.


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Then Z'rubavel the son of Sh'alti'el and Yeshua the son of Yotzadak began rebuilding the house of God in Yerushalayim; with them were the prophets of God, helping them.


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No sooner had they begun, when Tatnai the governor of the territory beyond the [Euphrates] River, Sh'tar-Boznai and their colleagues came and asked them, 'Who gave you permission to rebuild this house and finish this wall?


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But the eye of their God was on the leaders of the Judeans, so they didn't stop them until the matter could come before Daryavesh and a reply in writing be received.


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Here is the text of the letter which Tatnai the governor of the territory beyond the River, Sh'tar-Boznai and their fellow officials beyond the River sent to Daryavesh the king;


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'Let the king know that we went to the province of Y'hudah, to the house of the great God. It is being rebuilt with large stones, and timber is being set in the walls. This work is being done energetically, and it is making good progress under the direction


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of their leaders. We asked them, 'Who gave you permission to rebuild this house and finish this wall?'


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'They gave us this answer: 'We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth. We are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, built and finished by a great king of Isra'el.


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But because our ancestors provoked the God of heaven, he handed them over to N'vukhadnetzar king of Bavel, the Kasdi; he destroyed this house and carried the people off to Bavel.


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But in the first year of Koresh king of Bavel, Koresh the king gave authorization to rebuild this house of God.


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Moreover, the gold and silver articles belonging to the house of God, which N'vukhadnetzar had removed from the temple in Yerushalayim and brought to the temple of Bavel, Koresh the king took out of the temple in Bavel; they were turned over to a man named Sheshbatzar, whom he had appointed governor.


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He said to him, 'Take these articles, go, put them in the temple in Yerushalayim, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its original site.'


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So this same Sheshbatzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Yerushalayim; it has been under construction ever since, and it isn't finished yet.


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''Now therefore, if it seems good to the king, let a search be made in the royal treasury there in Bavel to determine whether a decree was issued by Koresh the king to rebuild this house of God in Yerushalayim; and let the king send us his decision concerning this matter.''


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Daryavesh the king issued an order; and search was made in the archives building, where treasures were stored in Bavel;


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and there was found at Achm'ta, in the palace which is in the province of Media, a scroll on which was written the following: 'Memorandum:


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'In the first year of Koresh the king, Koresh the king issued this decree: 'Concerning the house of God in Yerushalayim, let the house be rebuilt, the place where they offer sacrifices; and let its foundations be firmly laid. Its height is to be ninety feet and its breadth ninety feet,


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with three rows of large stones and one row of new timber. The expenses are to be charged to the king's treasury.


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Also let the gold and silver articles belonging to the house of God, which N'vukhadnetzar removed from the temple at Yerushalayim and brought to Bavel, be restored and returned to the temple in Yerushalayim, each item to its place; and you are to put them in the house of God.'


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'Therefore, Tatnai governor of the territory beyond the River, Sh'tar-Boznai and your colleagues the officials beyond the River, stay away from there!


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Let the work of this house of God alone. Let the governor of the Judeans and the leaders of the Judeans rebuild this house of God on its site.


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'Moreover, I herewith issue this order concerning how you are to assist these leaders of the Judeans in rebuilding this house of God: the expenses of these men are to be defrayed promptly from the royal funds, from the taxes collected beyond the River, so that the work can continue.


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Whatever they need - young bulls, rams and lambs - for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, according to what the cohanim in Yerushalayim say, is to be given them daily without fail;


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so that they can offer sacrifices with a fragrant aroma to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons.


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'I also order that if anyone defies this order, a beam is to be pulled from his house; and he is to be lifted up and impaled on it. His house is to be reduced to rubble.


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May the God who has caused his name to be there overthrow any king or people that tries to defy it and destroy this house of God in Yerushalayim. 'I, Daryavesh, have issued this order. Let it be carried out to the letter.'


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Then Tatnai the governor of the territory beyond the [Euphrates] River, Sh'tar-Boznai and their colleagues obeyed strictly; because Daryavesh the king had given the order to do so.


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The leaders of the Judeans made good progress with the rebuilding, thanks to the prophesying of Hagai the prophet and Z'kharyah the son of 'Iddo. They kept building until they were finished, in keeping with the command of the God of Isra'el and in accordance with the order of Koresh, Daryavesh and Artach'shashta king of Persia.


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This house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Daryavesh the king.


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The people of Isra'el, the cohanim, the L'vi'im and the other people from the exile joyfully dedicated this house of God.


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At the dedication of this house of God they offered 100 young bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and, as a sin offering for all Isra'el, twelve male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Isra'el.


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Then they installed the cohanim in their divisions and the L'vi'im in their orders for the service of God in Yerushalayim, as written in the book of Moshe.


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For the cohanim and L'vi'im had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. So they slaughtered the Pesach lambs for all the people from the exile and for their kinsmen the cohanim and for themselves.


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The people of Isra'el who had returned from the exile and all those who had renounced the filthy practices of the nations living in the land in order to seek ADONAI the God of Isra'el, ate [the Pesach lamb]


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and joyfully kept the feast of matzah for seven days; for ADONAI had filled them with joy by turning the heart of the king of Ashur toward them, so that he assisted them in the work of the house of God, the God of Isra'el.


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After these events, during the reign of Artach'shashta king of Persia, 'Ezra the son of S'rayah, the son of 'Azaryah, the son of Hilkiyah,


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this 'Ezra went up from Bavel. He was a scribe, expert in the Torah of Moshe, which ADONAI the God of Isra'el had given; and the king granted him everything he asked for, since the hand of ADONAI his God was on him.


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In the seventh year of Artach'shashta the king, some of the people of Isra'el, and some of the cohanim, L'vi'im, singers, gatekeepers and temple servants went up to Yerushalayim.


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He began going up to Yerushalayim from Bavel on the first day of the first month and arrived on the first day of the fifth month, since the good hand of his God was on him.


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For 'Ezra had set his heart on studying and practicing the Torah of ADONAI and teaching Isra'el the laws and rulings.


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Here is the letter that King Artach'shashta gave 'Ezra the cohen and Torah-teacher, the student of matters relating to ADONAI's mitzvot and his laws for Isra'el: 'From: Artach'shashta, king of kings 'To: 'Ezra the cohen, scribe of the law of the God of heaven, etc.: 'Herewith 13 I decree that everyone in my realm who belongs to the people of Isra'el, including their cohanim and L'vi'im, who, of his own free will, chooses to go with you to Yerushalayim, should go. 14 You are being sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire how the law of your God, of which you have expert knowledge, is being applied in Y'hudah and Yerushalayim. 15 You are also to bring with you the silver and gold which the king and his counselors have voluntarily offered to the God of Isra'el, whose dwelling is in Yerushalayim; 16 together with all the silver and gold you receive throughout the province of Bavel and the voluntary offerings of the people and the cohanim that have been offered willingly for the house of their God in Yerushalayim. 17 'You are to spend this money carefully on young bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and drink offerings; and offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Yerushalayim. 18 Whatever seems good to you and your kinsmen to do with the rest of the silver and gold, do it according to the will of your God. 19 'The articles given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver to the God of Yerushalayim. 20 'Whatever else may be needed for the house of your God that you have to supply, you may supply from the royal treasury. 21 'I, Artach'shashta the king, herewith order all the treasurers in the territory beyond the [Euphrates] River to do carefully anything 'Ezra the cohen, scribe of the law of the God of heaven, requires of you, 22 up to three-and-a-third tons of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 500 gallons of wine, 500 gallons of olive oil and unlimited amounts of salt. 23 Whatever is ordered by the God of heaven is to be performed exactly for the house of the God of heaven; for why should wrath come against the realm of the king and his sons? 24 Moreover, we herewith proclaim to you that it will be illegal to impose tribute, taxes or tolls on any of the cohanim, L'vi'im, singers, gatekeepers, servants or laborers in this house of God. 25 'And you, 'Ezra, making use of the wisdom you have from your God, are to appoint magistrates and judges to judge all the people in the territory beyond the River, that is, all who know the laws of your God; and you are to teach those who don't know them. 26 Whoever refuses to obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed on him swiftly, whether it be death, banishment, confiscation of goods or imprisonment.' 27 Blessed be ADONAI, the God of our ancestors, who has put such a thing as this in the heart of the king, to restore the beauty of the house of ADONAI in Yerushalayim, 28 and has extended mercy to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king's most powerful officials. So I took courage, since the hand of ADONAI my God was on me, and I gathered together out of Isra'el key men to go up with me.


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These are the heads of their fathers' clans, and this is the genealogy of those who went up with me from Bavel during the reign of Artach'shashta the king:


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of the descendants of Pinchas: Gershom; of the descendants of Itamar: Dani'el; of the descendants of David: Hatush;


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of the descendants of Sh'khanyah: of the descendants of Par'osh: Z'kharyah, and with him 150 males officially registered;


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of the descendants of Adonikam: the younger ones, whose names were Elifelet, Ye'i'el and Sh'ma'yah, and with them 60 males; and


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I assembled them by the river that runs to Ahava, and we camped there three days. I reviewed the people and the cohanim but found no L'vi'im there.


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So I sent for Eli'ezer, Ari'el, Sh'ma'yah, Elnatan, Yariv, Elnatan, Natan, Z'kharyah and Meshulam, who were leaders, and also for Yoyariv and Elnatan, who were men of discernment.


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I gave them instructions for Iddo, the leading man in a place called Kasifya, and told them what to say to Iddo and his brother, who were in charge of Kasifya, so that they would bring us men to minister in the house of our God.


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Since the good hand of our God was on us, they brought us Ish-Sekhel from the descendants of Machli the son of Levi, the son of Isra'el; Sherevyah with eighteen of his sons and kinsmen;


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Hashavyah, with Yesha'yah, from the descendants of M'rari, and twenty of his kinsmen and their sons;


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and from the temple servants, whom David and the princes had assigned to serve the L'vi'im, two hundred temple servants, all recorded by name.


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Then, there at the Ahava River, I proclaimed a fast; so that we could humble ourselves before our God and ask a safe journey of him for ourselves, our little ones and all our possessions.


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For I would have been ashamed to ask the king for a detachment of soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies along the road, since we had said to the king, 'The hand of our God is on all who seek him, for good; but his power and fury is against all who abandon him.'


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Then I separated twelve of the chief cohanim, along with Sherevyah, Hashavyah and ten of their kinsmen.


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I weighed out to them the silver, the gold and the utensils for the house of our God contributed by the king, his counselors, his princes and all Isra'el present there.


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I weighed out and handed over to them twenty-one-and-a-half tons of silver, three-and-a-third tons of silver articles, three-and-a-third tons of gold,


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twenty gold bowls weighing twenty-one pounds, and two vessels of fine burnished bronze as precious as gold.


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Then I told them, 'You are consecrated to ADONAI, the articles are holy, and the silver and gold are a voluntary offering for ADONAI the God of your ancestors.


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Guard them carefully, until you weigh them before the chief cohanim and L'vi'im and the leaders of the fathers'clans in Yerushalayim, in the rooms of the house of ADONAI.'


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So the cohanim and L'vi'im received the consignment of silver and gold and the articles to bring to Yerushalayim, to the house of our God.


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On the twelfth day of the first month, we left the Ahava River to go to Yerushalayim. The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and surprise attacks along the road.


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On the fourth day, the silver, gold and articles were weighed in the house of our God and handed over to M'remot the son of Uriyah the cohen; with him was El'azar the son of Pinchas; and with them were Yozavad the son of Yeshua and No'adyah the son of Binui, who were L'vi'im.


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The entire consignment was numbered and weighed, and at the same time the total weight was recorded.


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The exiles who had returned from captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Isra'el - twelve young bulls for all Isra'el, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve male goats as a sin offering; all this was a burnt offering for ADONAI.


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They also delivered the king's orders to the king's viceroys and governors beyond the [Euphrates] River; and these gave their support to the people and to the house of God.


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After these things had been done, the leaders approached me and said, 'The people of Isra'el, the cohanim and the L'vi'im have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands and their disgusting practices - the Kena'ani, Hitti, P'rizi, Y'vusi, 'Amoni, Mo'avi, Egyptians and Emori.


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They have taken some of the women from these nations as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed has assimilated to the peoples of the lands; moreover, the officials and leaders have been the main offenders in this treachery.'


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When I heard this, I tore my robe and tunic, pulled hair from my head and beard, and sat down in shock.


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All who trembled at the words of the God of Isra'el assembled around me when confronted with the treachery of these exiles; and I sat there in shock until the evening offering.


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At the evening offering, with my cloak and tunic torn, I got up from afflicting myself, fell on my knees, spread out my hands to ADONAI my God,


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and said, 'My God, I am ashamed. I blush to lift my face to you, my God! For our sins tower over our heads; our guilt reaches up to heaven.


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Since the times of our ancestors, we have been deeply guilty; and because of our sins, we, our kings and our cohanim have been handed over to the kings of the lands, to the sword, to exile, to pillage and to disgrace, as is the case today.


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Now, for a brief moment, ADONAI our God has shown us the favor of allowing a remnant to escape and giving us a secure foothold in his holy place, in order for God to make things look brighter to us and revive us a little in our slavery.


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For we are slaves. Yet our God has not abandoned us in our slavery, but has caused the kings of Persia to extend grace to us, reviving us, so that we can rebuild the house of our God, repair its ruins, and have a wall of defense in Y'hudah and Yerushalayim.


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which you gave us through your servants the prophets when they said, 'The land which you are going to in order to take possession of it is a land defiled by the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, because of their disgusting practices, which have filled it with their filth from one end to the other.


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Therefore, you are not to give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons; and you are not to promote their peace or prosperity ever. Only in this way will you grow strong, enjoy the good things of the land and leave it as a lasting inheritance to your children.'


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Now, after all that has come upon us because of our evil deeds and our deep guilt - and even so, you, our God, have punished us less than our sins deserve and have given us a surviving remnant -


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are we to break your mitzvot again by making marriages with the peoples who have these disgusting practices? Won't you become so angry with us that you would destroy us completely, so that there would be no surviving remnant and no one who escapes?


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ADONAI, God of Isra'el! You are just; yet we have been left a surviving remnant that has escaped, as is the case today. Look, we are before you in our guilt; because of it, no one can stand in your presence.'


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While 'Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrated before the house of God, a huge crowd of Isra'el's men, women and children gathered around him; and the people were weeping bitterly.


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Sh'khanyah the son of Yechi'el, one of the descendants of 'Eilam, spoke up and said to 'Ezra, 'We have acted treacherously toward our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples of the land. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Isra'el.


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We should make a covenant with our God to send away all these wives, along with their children, in obedience to the advice of Adonai and of those who tremble at the mitzvah of our God; let us act in accordance with the Torah.


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'Ezra stood up, and he made the chief cohanim, the L'vi'im and all Isra'el swear that they would act according to what had been said; and they took the oath.


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'Ezra then left his place in front of the house of God and went to the room of Y'hochanan the son of Elyashiv. After going there, he neither ate food nor drank water; because he was mourning over the treachery of the exiles.


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A proclamation was issued throughout Y'hudah and Yerushalayim that all the exiles were to assemble in Yerushalayim;


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and that whoever didn't come within three days, in answer to the summons from the officials and leaders, would forfeit all he owned and himself be banished from the community of the exiles.


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All the men of Y'hudah and Binyamin assembled in Yerushalayim within the three days. It was the twentieth day of the ninth month. All the people sat in the open place in front of the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain.


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'Ezra the cohen stood up and addressed them: 'You have acted treacherously by marrying foreign women and have thus increased Isra'el's guilt.


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Now, therefore, make confession to ADONAI, the God of your ancestors; and do what will please him by separating yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign women.'


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But there are many people, and it's the rainy season - we can't stay out here in the open. Also, it isn't the work of a day or two; for there are many of us who have committed this crime.


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Let our leaders represent the whole community; and let all those in our cities who have married foreign women appear at prearranged times, accompanied by the elders and judges of each city; until our God's fierce anger over this has been turned away from us.'


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Only Yonatan the son of 'Asah'el and Yachz'yah the son of Tikvah, supported by Meshulam and Shabtai the Levi, opposed this.


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The exiles did as agreed. 'Ezra the cohen chose heads of fathers' clans by name, and they began their sessions to look into the matter on the first day of the tenth month.


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They finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women by the first day of the first month.


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Among the cohanim were found these who had married foreign women: of the sons of Yeshua the son of Yotzadak and his brothers: Ma'aseiyah, Eli'ezer, Yariv and G'dalyah.


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They promised that they would send their wives away; and since they were guilty, they offered a ram from the flock for their guilt.


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Of Isra'el: of the descendants of Par'osh: Ramyah, Yizziyah, Malkiyah, Miyamin, El'azar, Malkiyah and B'nayah;


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of the descendants of Pachat-Mo'av: 'Adna, K'lal, B'nayah, Ma'aseiyah, Mattanyah, B'tzal'el, Binui and M'nasheh;


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The words of Nechemyah the son of Hakhalyah: It was in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the capital,


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that Hanani, one of my kinsmen, came out of Y'hudah with some men; and I asked them about the remnant of Judeans who had escaped the exile, and about Yerushalayim.


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They answered me, 'The remnant of the exile left there in the province are in great distress and are held in contempt, the wall of Yerushalayim is in ruins, and its gates have been completely burned up.'


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On hearing this answer, I sat down and wept; I mourned for several days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.


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I said, 'Please, ADONAI! God of heaven! You great and fearsome God, who keeps his covenant and extends grace to those who love him and observe his mitzvot!


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Let your ear now be attentive and your eyes be open, so that you will listen to the prayer of your servant, which I am praying before you these days, day and night, for the people of Isra'el your servants - even as I confess the sins of the people of Isra'el that we have committed against you. Yes, I and my father's house have sinned.


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We have deeply offended you. We haven't observed the mitzvot, laws or rulings you ordered your servant Moshe.


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Remember, please, the word you gave through your servant Moshe, 'If you break faith, I will scatter you among the peoples;


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but if you return to me, observe my mitzvot and obey them, then, even if your scattered ones are in the most distant part of heaven, nevertheless, I will collect them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen for bearing my name.'


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Now these are your servants, your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and strong hand.


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Adonai, please, let your ear now be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who take joy in fearing your name: please let your servant succeed today and win this man's compassion'- for I was the king's personal attendant.


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In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of Artach'shashta the king, it happened that I took the wine and brought it to the king. Prior to then I had never appeared sad in his presence.


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The king asked, 'Why do you look so sad? You're not sick, so this must be some deep inner grief.'At this, I became very fearful,


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as I said to the king, 'May the king live forever! Why shouldn't I look sad, when the city, the place where my ancestors' tombs are, lies in ruins; and its gates are completely burned up?'


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then said to the king, 'If it pleases the king, if your servant has won your favor, send me to Y'hudah, to the city of my ancestors' tombs, so that I can rebuild it.'


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With the queen sitting next to him, the king asked me, 'How long is your trip going to take? When will you return?' So it pleased the king to send me, and I gave him a time.


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I then said to the king, 'If it pleases the king, have letters given to me for the governors of the territory beyond the [Euphrates] River, so that they will let me pass through until I reach Y'hudah;


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and also a letter for Asaf the supervisor of the royal forests, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress belonging to the house, for the city wall and for the house I will be occupying.' The king gave me these, according to the good hand of my God on me.


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I went to the governors of the territory beyond the River and gave them the king's letters. The king had sent with me an escort of army captains and cavalry.


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When Sanvalat the Horoni and Toviyah the servant, the 'Amoni, heard about this, they were very displeased that someone had come to promote the welfare of the people of Isra'el.


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I got up during the night, I and a few men with me. I hadn't told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Yerushalayim; and I didn't take any animal with me except the animal on which I was riding.


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I went out by night through the Valley Gate, to the Dragon's Well and the Dung Gate, and inspected the places where the walls of Yerushalayim were broken down and where its gates had been burned down.


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Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but there was no room for the animal under me to pass.


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So I went up the valley in the dark and went on inspecting the wall; then I turned back, entered through the Valley Gate and returned,


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without the officials' knowing where I had gone or what I had done. Till then, I hadn't said anything about this to the Judeans, cohanim, nobles, officials or anyone who would be responsible for the work.


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Afterwards, I said to them, 'You see what a sad state we are in, how Yerushalayim lies in ruins, with it gates burned up. Come, let's rebuild the wall of Yerushalayim, so that we won't continue in disgrace.'


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I also told them of the gracious hand of my God that had been on me, also what the king had said to me. They said, 'Let's start building at once,' and energetically set out to do this good work.


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When Sanvalat the Horoni, Toviyah the servant, the 'Amoni, and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they began mocking us and jeering, 'What is this you are doing? Are you going to rebel against the king?'


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But I answered them: 'The God of heaven will enable us to succeed. Therefore we his servants will set about rebuilding. But you have no share, right or history to commemorate in Yerushalayim.'


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Then Elyashiv the cohen hagadol set out with his fellow cohanim, and they rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set up its doors; they consecrated it as far as the Tower of the Hundred and on to the Tower of Hanan'el.


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The sons of Hasna'ah rebuilt the Fish Gate; they installed its timber framework and set up its doors, along with its bolts and bars.


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Next to them M'remot the son of Uriyah, the son of Hakotz, made repairs. Next to them Meshulam the son of Berekhyah, the son of Mesheizav'el, made repairs. Next to them Tzadok the son of Ba'ana made repairs.


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Next to them the men from T'koa made repairs; but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work of their Lord.


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Yoyada the son of Paseach and Meshulam the son of B'sodyah made repairs to the Old City Gate; they installed its timber framework and set up its doors, along with its bolts and bars.


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Next to them M'latyah the Giv'oni, Yadon the Meronoti and the men from Giv'on and Mitzpah made repairs; they worked for the people associated with the governor of the territory beyond the [Euphrates] River.


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Next to them 'Uzi'el the son of Harhayah, goldsmiths, made repairs. Next to him Hananyah, one of the perfume-makers, made repairs; they renovated Yerushalayim as far as the Broad Wall.


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Next to him Y'dayah the son of Harumaf made repairs opposite his own house. Next to him Hatush the son of Hashavn'yah made repairs.


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Malkiyah the son of Harim and Hashuv the son of Pachat-Mo'av made repairs on another section and on the Tower of the Ovens.


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Next to him Shalum the son of HaLochesh, leader of half the district of Yerushalayim, he and his daughters, made repairs.


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Hanun and the people living in Zanoach repaired the Valley Gate; they rebuilt it and set up its doors, along with its bolts and bars; and they rebuilt 1,500 feet of the wall, as far as the Dung Gate.


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Malkiyah the son of Rechav, leader of the district of Beit-Hakerem, repaired the Dung Gate; he rebuilt it and set up its doors, along with its bolts and bars.


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Shalun the son of Kol-Hozeh, leader of the district of Mitzpah, repaired the Fountain Gate; he rebuilt it, covered it and set up its doors, along with its bolts and bars; he also rebuilt the wall of the Pool of Shelach, by the royal garden, as far as the stairs that go down from the City of David.


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After him Nechemyah the son of Azbuk, leader of half the district of Beit-Tzur, made repairs from the place opposite the tombs of David as far as the artificial pool and the soldiers' barracks.


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After him the L'vi'im made repairs: Rechum the son of Bani; next to him Hashavyah, leader of half the district of Ke'ilah, made repairs for his district.


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After him their colleagues, Bavai the son of Henadad, leader of half the district of Ke'ilah, made repairs.


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Next to him 'Ezer the son of Yeshua, leader of Mitzpah, made repairs on another section, opposite the ascent to the armory at the Angle.


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After him Barukh the son of Zakkai worked diligently making repairs on another section, from the Angle to the door of the house of Elyashiv the cohen hagadol.


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After him M'remot the son of Uriyah made repairs on another section, from the door of the house of Elyashiv to the end of the house of Elyashiv.


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After them Binyamin and Hashuv made repairs opposite their house. After them 'Azaryah the son of Ma'aseiyah, the son of 'Ananyah, made repairs next to his house.


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After him Binui the son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of 'Azaryah to the Angle and to the Corner.


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Palal the son of Uzai made repairs opposite the Angle and the tower that projects out from the upper part of the royal palace near the Courtyard of the Guard. After him P'dayah the son of Par'osh made repairs


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(since the temple servants were living in the 'Ofel) as far as opposite the Water Gate to the east and the tower that projects out.


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After him the men from T'koa repaired another section, opposite the great tower that projects out and on to the wall of the 'Ofel.


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After them Tzadok the son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. After him Sh'ma'yah the son of Sh'khanyah, the keeper of the East Gate, made repairs.


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After him Hananyah the son of Shelemyah and Hanun the sixth son of Tzalaf made repairs on another section. After him Meshulam the son of Berekhyah made repairs opposite his own room.


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After him Malkiyah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and the merchants, opposite the Mustering Gate and on to the upper room at the corner.


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Finally, between the upper room at the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs.


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But when Sanvalat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious. Greatly enraged, he ridiculed the Judeans;


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before his kinsmen and the army of Shomron he said, 'What are these pathetic Judeans doing? Are they going to rebuild anything they want? Are they going to sacrifice? Are they going to finish today? Are they going to recover useful stones from the piles of rubble, burned rubble at that?'


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Toviyah the 'Amoni was with him, and he said, 'Whatever they're building, why, if even a fox went up it, he'd knock their stone wall down!'


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Our God, listen! We are being treated with contempt. Turn back their jeers on their own heads; give them over to be plundered in a land of exile.


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Don't cover their guilt, don't let their sin be wiped out from before you; because they have insulted the builders to their face.


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So we kept building the wall, which was soon joined together and completed to half its height all the way around; because the people worked with a will.


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But when Sanvalat, Toviyah, the Arabs, the 'Amonim and the Ashdodim heard that the repairs on the walls of Yerushalayim were going forward, and the breaks were being filled in, they became very angry.


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All of them together plotted to come and fight against Yerushalayim and thus throw us into confusion.


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Y'hudah was saying, 'The strength of the people who carry loads away is starting to fail, and there is so much rubble that we can't build the wall.'


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Our enemies were saying, 'They won't know or see anything, until we have already infiltrated them and begun killing them and stopping the work.'


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And even the Judeans living near them came and must have said to us ten times, 'From every place you must come back to us.'


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So in the lower parts of the space behind the wall, I stationed men according to their families, with their swords, spears and bows.


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After inspecting them, I stood up and addressed the nobles, leaders and the rest of the people: 'Don't be afraid of them! Remember Adonai, who is great and fearful; and fight for your brothers, sons, daughters, wives and homes.'


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When our enemies heard that the plot was known to us, and God had foiled their plans, we all returned to the wall, everyone to his work.


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From then on, half of my men would do the work; and half of them held the spears, shields, bows and armor; while the leaders stood guard behind the entire house of Y'hudah,


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as they continued building the wall. Those who carried loads held their loads with one hand and carried a weapon in the other.


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As for the construction-workers, each one had his sword sheathed at his side; that is how they built. The man to sound the alarm on the shofar stayed with me.


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I said to the nobles, the leaders and the rest of the people, 'This is a great work, and it is spread out; we are separated on the wall, one far from another.


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But wherever you are, when you hear the sound of the shofar, come to that place, to us. Our God will fight for us!'


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Also at that time I told the people, 'Let everyone with a servant stay the night within Yerushalayim, so that at night they can be a guard for us, even as they work during the day.'


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I, my kinsmen, my servants and my bodyguards never took off our clothes, and everyone who went to get water took his weapon.


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Then there arose a great outcry from the common people and their wives against their brothers the [wealthier] Judeans.


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Some of them said, 'Counting our sons and daughters, there are a lot of us! Allow us to get grain for them, so that we can eat and stay alive.'


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There were also some who said, 'We are mortgaging our fields, vineyards and homes in order to buy grain, because of the famine.'


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Now our flesh is no different from the flesh of our kinsmen, and our children are the same as their children; yet we are bringing our sons and daughters into bondage as slaves. Some of our daughters have gone into slavery already, and it's beyond our power to do anything about it, because other men have our fields and vineyards.'


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I thought the matter over and then took issue with the nobles and rulers. I charged them, 'You are lending against pledges, everyone to his brother'; and I summoned a great assembly to deal with them.


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I said to them, 'We, to the limit of our ability, have redeemed our brothers the Judeans who sold themselves to the pagans. Now you are selling your own brothers, and we will have to buy them back!'They stayed silent; they couldn't think of anything to say.


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I also said, 'What you are doing is not good! You should be living in fear of our God, so that our pagan enemies won't have grounds for deriding us.


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Moreover, my brothers and my servants, I too have loaned them money and grain. Please, let's stop making it so burdensome to go into debt.


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Please! Today! Give them back their fields, vineyards, olive groves and homes; also the hundred pieces of silver and the grain, wine and olive oil you demand from them as interest.'


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They answered, 'We will give it back. We will require nothing from them. Yes, we will do it, just as you say.'Then I called the cohanim and took an oath from them that they would do as they had promised.


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Shaking out the fold in my garment, I said, 'May God thus shake every man from his house and from his work who fails to live up to this promise - may he be shaken out like this and made empty.' The whole assembly said, 'Amen!' and praised ADONAI; and the people did as they had promised.


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Besides that, from the time I was appointed their governor in the land of Y'hudah, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of Artach'shashta the king - that is, for twelve years - neither I nor my colleagues drew on the governor's living allowance.


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The earlier governors, before me, had burdened the people, taxing them more than one-and-a-half pounds of silver shekels for food and wine; and even their servants lorded it over the people. But I didn't, because I feared God.


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Moreover, I put all my energy into working on this wall. We didn't buy any land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.


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There were 150 leaders and other Judeans who ate at my table, besides those who came to us from the surrounding nations.


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Every day one ox, six choice sheep, and fowl were prepared for me, and every ten days a supply of all kinds of wine. Yet in spite of all this, I never claimed the governor's allowance, because the people were already bearing the heavy burden of their labor.


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When it was reported to Sanvalat, Toviyah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and that not a single gap was left in it - although up to that time I hadn't yet set up the doors in the gateways -


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Sanvalat and Geshem sent me a message which said, 'Come, let's meet together in one of the villages of the Ono Valley.' But they were planning to do me harm;


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so I sent them messengers with this message: 'I'm too busy with important work to come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to come down to you?'


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The fifth time, with the same purpose, Sanvalat sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand,


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in which was written: 'It is reported among the nations, and Geshem says it too, that you and the Judeans are planning a revolt, that this is why you are rebuilding the wall, and that you intend to be their king,' and similar words;


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'moreover, that you have also appointed prophets to proclaim about you in Yerushalayim, 'There is a king in Y'hudah!'A report along these lines is now going to be made to the king. Come now, therefore, and let's discuss this.'


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I sent him this answer; 'Nothing like what you are saying is being done. You're making it all up in your head.'


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They were all just trying to scare us, thinking, 'This will sap their strength and keep them from working.' But now, [God,] increase my strength!


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One day, when I went to the house of Sh'ma'yah the son of D'layah, the son of M'heitav'el, where he was confined, he said, 'Let's meet together in the house of God, inside the temple, and let's shut the doors of the temple. For they are going to come and try to assassinate you; yes, they will come at night to kill you.'


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I replied, 'Should a man like me run away? Can a man like me go into the temple to save his life? I refuse to go in.'


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Then I realized that God had not sent him, that he was making this prophecy against me, and that Toviyah and Sanvalat had bribed him to say it.


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He had been hired to frighten me into following his suggestion and thus sin, so that they would have material for their unfavorable report about me and could taunt me with it.


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My God, remember Toviyah and Sanvalat according to their deeds, also the prophet No'adyah and the other prophets trying to intimidate me.


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When all our enemies heard about it and the surrounding nations became afraid, our enemies' self-esteem fell severely; because they realized that this work had been accomplished by our God.


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During this same period of time, the nobles of Y'hudah sent many letters to Toviyah, and Toviyah kept sending them replies.


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For there were many in Y'hudah who had sworn allegiance to him, because he was the son-in-law of Sh'khanyah the son of Arach, and his son Y'hochanan had taken as his wife the daughter of Meshulam the son of Berekhyah.


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They would even praise his good deeds in my presence, and they passed on my words to him. And Toviyah kept sending letters to intimidate me.


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After the wall had been rebuilt, and I had set up its doors, and the gatekeepers, singers and L'vi'im had been appointed,


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I put my kinsman Hanani in charge of Yerushalayim, along with Hananyah the commander of the citadel. For he was a faithful man, and he feared God more than most.


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I said to them, 'The gates of Yerushalayim are not to be opened until the sun is hot; and while the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors; and you, put up the bars. Appoint watchmen from among those living in Yerushalayim; assign each one his time to guard, and have each one serving near his own house.'


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The city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not been rebuilt.


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My God put it in my heart to assemble the nobles, the leaders and the people, so that they could be registered according to their genealogies. I located the record of the genealogies of those who had come up at the beginning and found written in it:


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'Here is a list of the people of the province who had been exiled, carried off to Bavel by N'vukhadnetzar king of Bavel, but who later returned from exile and went up to Yerushalayim and Y'hudah, each to his own city;


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they went with Z'rubavel, Yeshua, Nechemyah, 'Azaryah, Ra'amyah, Nachmani, Mordekhai, Bilshan, Misperet, Bigvai, N'chum and Ba'anah. 'The number of men from the people of Isra'el:


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'The cohanim: descendants of Y'da'yah, of the house of Yeshua 973 descendants of Immer 1,052 41 descendants of Pash'chur 1,247 42 descendants of Harim 1,017 43 'The L'vi'im: descendants of Yeshua, of Kadmi'el, of the descendants of Hodvah 74 44 'The singers: descendants of Asaf 148 45 'The gatekeepers: descendants of Shalum, descendants of Ater, descendants of Talmon, descendants of 'Akuv, descendants of Hatita, and descendants of Shovai 138 46 'The temple servants: descendants of Tzicha, descendants of Hasufa, descendants of Taba'ot, 47 descendants of Keros, descendants of Si'a, descendants of Padon, 48 descendants of L'vanah, descendants of Hagava, descendants of Salmai, 49 descendants of Hanan, descendants of Giddel, descendants of Gachar, 50 descendants of Re'ayah, descendants of Retzin, descendants of N'koda, 51 descendants of Gazam, descendants of 'Uza, descendants of Paseach, 52 descendants of Besai, descendants of Me'unim, descendants of N'fish'sim, 53 descendants of Bakbuk, descendants of Hakufa, descendants of Harhur, 1138 54 descendants of Batzlit, descendants of M'chida, descendants of Harsha, 55 descendants of Barkos, descendants of Sisra, descendants of Temach, 56 descendants of N'tziach, and descendants of Hatifa. 57 'The descendants of Shlomo's servants: descendants of Sotai, descendants of Soferet, descendants of P'rida, 58 descendants of Ya'lah, descendants of Darkon, descendants of Giddel, 59 descendants of Sh'fatyah, descendants of Hatil, descendants of Pokheret-Hatzvayim, and descendants of Amon. 60 'All the temple servants and the descendants of Shlomo's servants numbered 392 61 'The following went up from Tel-Melach, Tel-Harsha, K'ruv, Adon and Immer; but they could not state which fathers' clan they and their children belonged to, [so it was not clear] whether they were from Isra'el: 62 descendants of D'layah, descendants of Toviyah, and descendants of N'koda 642 63 and of the cohanim: descendants of Havayah, descendants of Hakotz, and descendants of Barzillai, who took a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gil'adi and was named after them. 64 'These tried to locate their geneaolgical records, but they weren't found. Therefore they were considered defiled and were not allowed to serve as cohanim. 65 The Tirshata told them not to eat any of the especially holy food until a cohen appeared who could consult the urim and tumim. 66 'The entire assembly numbered 42,360, 67 not including their male and female slaves, of whom there were 7,337. They also had 245 male and female singers. 68 Their horses numbered 736; their mules, 245; 69 their camels, 435; and their donkeys, 6,720. 70 'Some from among the heads of fathers' clans made contributions for the work. The Tirshata contributed to the treasury a thousand gold darkmonim [twentyone pounds], fifty basins and 530 tunics for the cohanim. 71 Some of the heads of fathers' clans gave into the treasury for the work 20,000 gold darkmonim [420 pounds] and 2,200 silver manim [one-and-a-third tons]. 72 The rest of the people gave 20,000 gold darkmonim, 2,000 silver manim [about one-and-a-quarter tons] and sixty-seven tunics for the cohanim. 73 'So the cohanim, the L'vi'im, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants and all Isra'el lived in their towns.' (


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)When the seventh month arrived, after the people of Isra'el had resettled in their towns, all the people gathered with one accord in the open space in front of the Water Gate and asked 'Ezra the Torah-teacher to bring the scroll of the Torah of Moshe, which ADONAI had commanded Isra'el.


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'Ezra the cohen brought the Torah before the assembly, which consisted of men, women and all children old enough to understand. It was the first day of the seventh month.


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Facing the open space in front of the Water Gate, he read from it to the men, the women and the children who could understand from early morning until noon; and all the people listened attentively to the scroll of the Torah.


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'Ezra the Torah-teacher stood on a wood platform which they had made for the purpose; beside him on his right stood Mattityah, Shema, 'Anayah, Uriyah, Hilkiyah and Ma'aseiyah; while on his left were P'dayah, Misha'el, Malkiyah, Hashum, Hashbadanah, Z'kharyah and Meshulam.


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'Ezra opened the scroll where all the people could see him, because he was higher than all the people; when he opened it, all the people rose to their feet.


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'Ezra blessed ADONAI, the great God; and all the people answered, 'Amen! Amen!' as they lifted up their hands, bowed their heads and fell prostrate before ADONAI with their faces to the ground.


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The L'vi'im Yeshua, Bani, Sherevyah, Yamin, 'Akuv, Shabtai, Hodiyah, Ma'aseiyah, K'lita, 'Azaryah, Yozavad, Hanan and P'layah explained the Torah to the people, while the people remained in their places.


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They read clearly from the scroll, in the Torah of God, translated it, and enabled them to understand the sense of what was being read.


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Nechemyah the Tirshata, 'Ezra the cohen and Torah-teacher and the L'vi'im who taught the people said to all the people, 'Today is consecrated to ADONAI your God; don't be mournful, don't weep.' For all the people had been weeping when they heard the words of the Torah.


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Then he said to them, 'Go, eat rich food, drink sweet drinks, and send portions to those who can't provide for themselves; for today is consecrated to our Lord. Don't be sad, because the joy of ADONAI is your strength.'


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In this way the L'vi'im quieted the people, as they said, 'Be quiet, for today is holy; don't be sad.'


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Then the people went off to eat, drink, send portions and celebrate; because they had understood the words that had been proclaimed to them.


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On the second day, the heads of fathers' clans of all the people assembled with the cohanim and L'vi'im before 'Ezra the Torah-teacher to study the words of the Torah.


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They found written in the Torah that ADONAI had ordered through Moshe that the people of Isra'el were to live in sukkot during the feast of the seventh month;


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and that they were to announce and pass the word in all their cities and in Yerushalayim, 'Go out to the mountains, and collect branches of olives, wild olives, myrtles, palms, and other leafy trees to make sukkot, as prescribed.'


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So the people went out, brought them and made sukkot for themselves, each one on the roof of his house, also in their courtyards, in the courtyards of the house of God, in the open space by the Water Gate and in the open space by the Efrayim Gate.


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The entire community of those who had returned from the exile made sukkot and lived in the sukkot, for the people of Isra'el had not done this since the days of Yeshua the son of Nun. So there was very great joy.


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Also they read every day, from the first day until the last day, in the scroll of the Torah of God. They kept the feast for seven days; then on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule.


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On the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Isra'el, wearing sackcloth and with dirt on them, assembled for a fast.


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Those descended from Isra'el separated themselves from all foreigners; then they stood up and confessed their own sins and the iniquities of their ancestors.


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Standing where they were, they read in the scroll of the Torah of ADONAI their God for one-quarter of the day. For another quarter they confessed and prostrated themselves before ADONAI their God.


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On the platform of the L'vi'im stood Yeshua, Bani, Kadmi'el, Sh'vanyah, Buni, Sherevyah, Bani and K'nani; they cried out loudly to ADONAI their God.


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Then the L'vi'im Yeshua, Kadmi'el, Bani, Hashavn'yah, Sherevyah, Hodiyah, Sh'vanyah and P'tachyah said, 'Stand up, and bless ADONAI your God from everlasting to everlasting; let them say: ''Blessed be your glorious name, exalted above all blessing and praise!


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''You are ADONAI, you alone. You made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their array, the earth and all the things that are in it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve them all. The army of heaven worships you.


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''You are ADONAI, the God who chose Avram, brought him out of Ur-Kasdim and gave him the name of Avraham.


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Finding that he was faithful to you, you made a covenant with him to give the land of the Kena'ani, the Hitti, Emori and P'rizi, the Y'vusi and the Girgashi, to give it to his descendants; and you have done what you promised, because you are just.


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You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his servants and the people of the land; for you knew how arrogantly they treated them; and you won yourself a name which is yours to this day.


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You divided the sea ahead of them, so that they could pass through the sea on dry land; then you hurled their pursuers into the depths, like a stone into turbulent waters.


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''In a column of cloud you led them by day, and by night in a column of fire, so that they would have light ahead of them on the way that they were to go.


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''You descended on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven. You gave them right rulings and true teachings, good laws and mitzvot.


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You revealed to them your holy Shabbat and gave them mitzvot, laws and the Torah through Moshe your servant.


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''For their hunger you gave them bread from heaven; for their thirst you brought forth for them water from the rock. You ordered them to enter and possess the land you had sworn with your hand to give them.


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they refused to listen and paid no attention to the wonders you had done among them. No, they stiffened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a leader to return them to their slavery. But because you are a God of forgiveness, merciful, full of compassion, slow to grow angry and full of grace, you did not abandon them.


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Even when they cast themselves a metal calf, saying of it, 'This is your god that brought you up from Egypt,'and committing other gross provocations;


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still, you, in your great compassion, did not abandon them in the desert. The column of cloud did not leave them by day; it kept leading them along the way. By night the column of fire kept showing them light and the path to take.


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You also gave your good Spirit to teach them, did not withhold man from their mouths and provided them water to quench their thirst. 1142


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Yes, forty years you sustained them in the desert; they lacked nothing -their clothes did not wear out; their feet did not swell up.


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''You gave them kingdoms and peoples; you even gave them extra land, so that they took possession of the land of Sichon, also the land of the king of Heshbon and the land of 'Og king of Bashan.


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You made their children as numerous as the countless stars in the sky. ''Then you brought them into the land about which you had said to their fathers that they should go in and take possession of it.


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So the children went in and possessed the land, as you subdued ahead of them the Kena'ani living in the land, and handed them over to them, along with their kings and the peoples of the land, for them to do with as they wished.


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They took fortified cities and fertile land, possessed houses full of all kinds of good things, dug-out cisterns, vineyards, olive groves, fruit trees in plenty; so they ate their fill and grew robust, luxuriating in your great goodness.


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''Yet they disobeyed and rebelled against you, throwing your Torah behind their backs. They killed your prophets for warning them that they should return to you and committed other gross provocations.


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So you handed them over to the power of their adversaries, who oppressed them. Yet in the time of their trouble, when they cried out to you, you heard from heaven, and in keeping with your great compassion, you gave them saviors to save them from the power of their adversaries.


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But as soon as they had gotten some relief, they went back to do evil before you. So you left them in the power of their enemies, who came down hard on them. Yet when they returned and cried out to you, you heard from heaven many times and saved them, according to your compassion.


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You warned them, in order to bring them back to your Torah; yet they were arrogant. They paid no attention to your mitzvot, but sinned against your rulings, which, if a person does them, he will have life through them. However, they stubbornly turned their shoulders, stiffened their necks and refused to hear.


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Many years you extended them mercy and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets; yet they would not listen. Therefore you handed them over to the peoples of the lands.


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Even so, in your great compassion, you didn't completely destroy them; nor did you abandon them, for you are a compassionate and merciful God.


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''Now therefore, our God, great, mighty, fearsome God, who keeps both covenant and grace: let not all this suffering seem little to you that has come on us, our kings, our leaders, our cohanim, our prophets, our ancestors, and on all your people, from the times of the kings of Ashur until this very day.


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There is no question that you are just in all that has come upon us; for you have treated us fairly. It is we who have acted wickedly.


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Our kings, our leaders, our cohanim and ancestors did not keep your Torah, pay attention to your mitzvot or heed the warnings you gave them.


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Even when they ruled their own kingdom, even when you prospered them greatly, in the great, rich land you gave them, they did not serve you; nor did they turn from their wicked deeds.


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''So here we are today, slaves. Yes, in the land you gave our ancestors, so that they could eat what it produces and enjoy its good 1144 here we are in it, slaves! Its rich yield now goes to the kings you have set over us because of our sins; they have power over our bodies, they can do what they please to our livestock, and we are in great distress! 38 ''In view of all this, we are making a binding covenant, putting it in writing and having it sealed by our leaders, our L'vi'im and our cohanim.''


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The rest of the people, the cohanim, the L'vi'im, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants and all who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Torah of God, along with their wives, sons and daughters, everyone capable of knowing and understanding,


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joined their kinsmen and their leaders in swearing an oath, accompanied by a curse [in case of noncompliance], as follows: 'We will live by God's Torah, given by Moshe the servant of God, and will perform and obey all the mitzvot, rulings and laws of ADONAI our Lord.


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'We will not give our daughters as wives to the peoples of the land or take their daughters as wives for our sons.


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'If the peoples of the lands bring merchandise or food to sell on Shabbat, we will not buy from them on Shabbat or on a holy day. 'We will forego [planting and harvesting our fields] during the seventh year and collecting debts then.


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'We will impose on ourselves a yearly tax of one-third of a shekel [one-seventh of an ounce of silver] for the service of the house of our


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for the showbread, for the regular grain offering, for the regular burnt offering, for [the offerings] on Shabbat, on Rosh-Hodesh, at the designated times and at other holy times, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Isra'el, and for all the work connected with the house of our God.


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'We, the cohanim, the L'vi'im and the people, will cast lots in connection with the wood offering, so that it will be brought to the house of our God according to our fathers' clans, at specified times, year by year, and then be burned on the altar of ADONAI our God, as prescribed in the Torah.


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'Every year we will bring the firstfruits of our land and the firstfruits of all fruit from every kind of tree to the house of ADONAI.


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'We will also bring the firstborn of our sons and of our livestock, as prescribed in the Torah, and the firstborn of our herds and flocks, to the house of our God, to the cohanim ministering in the house of our God.


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'We will bring the first of our dough, our contributions, the fruit of every kind of tree, wine and olive oil to the cohanim in the storerooms of the house of our God, along with the tenths from our land for the L'vi'im; since they, the L'vi'im, take the tenths in all the cities where we farm.


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The cohen the descendant of Aharon is to be with the L'vi'im when the L'vi'im take tenths. The L'vi'im will bring the tenth of the tenth to the house of our God, to the storerooms for supplies.


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For the people of Isra'el and the descendants of Levi are to bring the contribution of grain, wine and olive oil to the rooms where the equipment for the sanctuary, the ministering cohanim, the gatekeepers and the singers are. We will not abandon the house of our God.'


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The leaders of the people took up residence in Yerushalayim; while the rest of the people cast lots to bring one-tenth of them to live in Yerushalayim the holy city, with the other nine-tenths in the other cities.


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In the cities of Y'hudah, everyone lived on his own property - the people of Isra'el, the cohanim, the L'vi'im, the temple servants and the descendants of Shlomo's servants. But the leaders of the province lived in Yerushalayim.


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Some of those living in Yerushalayim were from people of Y'hudah, and others were from people of Binyamin. Those from the people of Y'hudah were: 'Atayah the son of 'Uziyah, the son of Z'kharyah, the son of Amaryah, the son of Sh'fatyah, the son of Mahalal'el, from the descendants of Peretz;


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and Ma'aseiyah the son of Barukh, the son of Kol-Hozeh, the son of Hazayah, the son of 'Adayah, the son of Yoyariv, the son of Z'kharyah, who belonged to the family of Shelah.


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These are the people of Binyamin: Salu the son of Meshulam, the son of Yo'ed, the son of P'dayah, the son of Kolayah, the son of Ma'aseiyah, the son of Iti'el, the son of Yesha'yah.


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Yo'el the son of Zikhri was their overseer, and Y'hudah the son of Hasnu'ah was second in charge of the city.


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S'rayah the son of Hilkiyah, the son of Meshulam, the son of Tzadok, the son of M'rayot, the son of Achituv, the supervisor of the house of God,


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and their kinsmen who did the work for the house; in all 822; and 'Adayah the son of Yerocham, the son of P'lalyah, the son of Amtzi, the son of Z'kharyah, the son of Pash'chur, the son of Malkiyah;


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with his kinsmen, heads of fathers' clans, 242; and 'Amash'sai the son of 'Azar'el, the son of Achzai, the son of Meshillemot, the son of Immer;


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From the L'vi'im: Sh'ma'yah the son of Hashuv, the son of 'Azrikam, the son of Hashavyah, the son of Buni,


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and Shabtai and Yozavad, from the leaders of the L'vi'im, who were in charge of external affairs for the house of God;


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and Matanyah the son of Mikha, the son of Zavdi, the son of Asaf, the leader who began the thanksgiving prayer; and Bakbukyah, the second among his kinsmen; and 'Avda the son of Shamua, the son of Galal, the son of Y'dutun.


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The rest of Isra'el, [the rest of] the cohanim and [the rest of] the L'vi'im were in all the cities of Y'hudah, each on his own property.


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The overseer of the L'vi'im in Yerushalayim was 'Uzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashavyah, the son of Matanyah, the son of Mikha, from the descendants of Asaf the singers; [he was] in charge of the work of the house of God.


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For they were subject to the king's orders; and there was a fixed schedule for the singers, assigning them their daily duties.


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P'tachyah the son of Mesheizav'el, from the descendants of Zerach the son of Y'hudah, was the king's deputy in all affairs concerning the people.


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As for the villages and their surrounding fields: some of the people of Y'hudah lived in Kiryat-Arba and its villages, in Divon and its villages, in Y'kabze'el and its villages,


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Zanoach, Adulam and their villages, in Lakhish and its surrounding fields, and in 'Azekah and its villages. Thus they occupied the territory from Be'er-Sheva as far as the Hinnom Valley.


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These are the cohanim and L'vi'im who went up with Z'rubavel the son of Sh'alti'el, and Yeshua: S'rayah, Yirmeyah, 'Ezra,


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Salu, 'Amok, Hilkiyah and Y'da'yah. These were the leaders of the cohanim and their kinsmen during the time of Yeshua.


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The L'vi'im: Yeshua, Binui, Kadmi'el, Sherevyah, Y'hudah and Mattanyah, who was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving, he and his kinsmen,


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Yeshua was the father of Yoyakim, Yoyakim was the father of Elyashiv, Elyashiv was the father of Yoyada,


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In the days of Yoyakim these were the cohanim who were heads of fathers'clans: of S'rayah, M'rayah; of Yirmeyah, Hananyah;


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As for the L'vi'im, the heads of fathers' clans in the days of Elyashiv, Yoyada, Yochanan and Yadua were recorded; also the cohanim, up to the reign of Daryavesh the Persian.


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The descendants of Levi who were heads of fathers' clans were recorded in the annals until the days of Yochanan the [grand]son of Elyashiv.


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The chiefs of the L'vi'im were Hashavyah, Sherevyah and Yeshua the son of Kadmi'el, with their kinsmen in an antiphonal choir, to praise and give thanks, in accordance with the order of David the man of God, choir opposite choir.


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Mattanyah, Bakbukyah, 'Ovadyah, Meshulam, Talmon and 'Akuv were the gatekeepers who guarded the supplies kept at the gates.


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This was in the days of Yoyakim the son of Yeshua, the son of Yotzadak, and in the days of Nechemyah the governor and of 'Ezra the cohen and Torah-teacher.


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At the dedication of the wall of Yerushalayim, they sought out the L'vi'im from wherever they had settled to bring them to Yerushalayim and celebrate the dedication with hymns of thanksgiving and with songs accompanied by cymbals, lutes and lyres.


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The trained singers assembled together from the area around Yerushalayim, the villages of the N'tofati,


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Beit-Gilgal and the region of Geva and 'Azmavet; for the singers had built villages for themselves all around Yerushalayim.


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The cohanim and L'vi'im first purified themselves; then they purified the people, the gates and the wall;


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and after that I brought the leaders of Y'hudah up onto the wall and appointed two large choirs to give thanks and to walk in procession. One went to the right on the wall toward the Dung Gate.


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With them were some of the sons of the cohanim carrying trumpets, namely, Z'kharyah the son of Yonatan the son of Sh'ma'yah, the son of Mattanyah, the son of Mikhayah, the son of Zakur, the son of Asaf,


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and his kinsmen, Sh'ma'yah, 'Azar'el, Milalai, Gilalai, Ma'ai, N'tan'el, Y'hudah and Hanani, who had the musical instruments of David the man of God. 'Ezra the Torah-teacher led them.


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At the Fountain Gate they went straight ahead up the steps to the City of David, where the wall goes up, passed above the house of David, and went on to the Water Gate on the east.


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The other thanksgiving choir, consisting of half the people, walked on the wall to meet them, with myself following. They went above the Tower of the Furnaces to the Broad Wall,


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above the Efrayim Gate, by the gate to the Old City, to the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hanan'el and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate, and halted at the Prison Gate.


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Thus stood the two choirs of those giving thanks in the house of God, with myself and half of the leaders with me.


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The cohanim there included Elyakim, Ma'aseiyah, Minyamin, Mikhayah, Elyo'einai, Z'kharyah and Hananyah carrying trumpets;


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also Ma'aseiyah, Sh'ma'yah, El'azar, 'Uzi, Y'hochanan, Malkiyah, 'Eilam and 'Ezer. The singers sang loudly, directed by Yizrachyah.


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With joy they offered great sacrifices that day, for God had made them celebrate with great joy. The women and children too rejoiced, so that the celebrating in Yerushalayim could be heard far off.


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At that time, men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms for supplies, contributions, firstfruits and tenths, and to gather into them, from the fields belonging to the cities, the portions prescribed by the Torah for the cohanim and L'vi'im. For Y'hudah rejoiced over the cohanim and L'vi'im who took their position


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carrying out the duties of their God and the duties of purification, as also did the singers and gatekeepers, in accordance with the order of David and of Shlomo his son.


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For back in the days of David and Asaf, there had been leaders for those singing the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.


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So in the days of Z'rubavel and in the days of Nechemyah, all Isra'el gave portions to the singers and gatekeepers as required daily. They set aside a portion for the L'vi'im, who, in turn set aside a portion for the descendants of Aharon.


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It was also at that time, when they were reading in the scroll of Moshe, that it was found written that no 'Amoni or Mo'avi may ever enter the assembly of God,


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because they did not supply the people of Isra'el with food and water, but hired Bil'am against them to put a curse on them - although our God turned the curse into a blessing.


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Also, prior to this, Elyashiv the cohen, who had been put in charge of the storage rooms in the house of our God, and who was related by marriage to Toviyah,


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had prepared for him a large room where formerly they had stored the grain offerings, frankincense, equipment and the tenths of grain, wine and olive oil ordered to be given to the L'vi'im, singers and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the cohanim.


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During all this time I wasn't present in Yerushalayim; because in the thirty-second year of Artach'shashta king of Bavel, I went to see the king; then, after some time had passed, I asked permission from the king


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and returned to Yerushalayim, where I found out about the terrible thing Elyashiv had done for Toviyah by preparing a room for him in the courtyards of the house of our God.


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Then, at my order, they cleansed the rooms; and I brought back the equipment of the house of God, the grain offerings and frankincense.


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I also learned that the portions for the L'vi'im had not been given to them, so that the L'vi'im and singers who were supposed to be doing the work had deserted, each one to his own farm.


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I disputed with the leaders, demanding, 'Why is the house of God abandoned?' I gathered the L'vi'im together and restored them to their stations;


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To supervise the storerooms I appointed Shelemyah the cohen, Tzadok the Torah-teacher and, from the L'vi'im, P'dayah; assisting them was Hanan the son of Zakur, the son of Mattanyah; for these were considered reliable. Their duty was to make the distribution to their kinsmen.


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My God, remember me for this; don't wipe out my good deeds which I have done for the house of my God and for his service!


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During this time I saw in Y'hudah some people who were treading winepresses on Shabbat, also bringing in heaps of grain and loading donkeys with it, likewise wine, grapes, figs and all kinds of loads; and they were bringing them into Yerushalayim on the day of Shabbat. On the day when they were planning to sell the food, I warned them not to.


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There were also living there people from Tzor who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on Shabbat to the people in Y'hudah and even in Yerushalayim.


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I disputed with the nobles of Y'hudah, demanding of them, 'What is this terrible thing you are doing, profaning the day of Shabbat?


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Didn't your ancestors do this, and didn't our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you are bringing still more fury against Isra'el by profaning Shabbat!'


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So when the gates of Yerushalayim began to grow dark before Shabbat, I ordered that the doors be shut; and I ordered that they not be reopened until after Shabbat. I put some of my servants in charge of the gates, to see to it that no loads be brought in on Shabbat.


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until I warned them, 'Why are you spending the night by the wall? Do it again, and I'll use force against you!' From then on they stopped coming on Shabbat.


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Then I ordered the L'vi'im to purify themselves and come and guard the gates, in order to keep the day of Shabbat holy. My God, remember this too for me, and have mercy on me in keeping with the greatness of your grace!


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and their children, who spoke half in the language of Ashdod and couldn't speak in the language the Judeans spoke but only in the language of each people.


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I disputed with them and cursed them, and I beat some of them up and pulled out their hair. Then I made them swear by God, 'You will not give your daughters as wives for their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves.


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Wasn't it by doing these things that Shlomo king of Isra'el sinned? There was no king like him among many nations, and his God loved him, and God made him king over all Isra'el; nevertheless the foreign women caused even him to sin.


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Are we to give in to you and let you continue in this very great evil, breaking faith with our God by marrying foreign women?'


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One of the sons of Yoyada the son of Elyashiv, the cohen hagadol, had become son-in-law to Sanvalat the Horoni; so I drove him out of my presence.


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My God, remember them; because they have defiled the office of cohen and the covenant of the cohanim and L'vi'im.


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Thus I cleansed them of everything foreign, and I had the cohanim and L'vi'im resume their duties, each one in his appointed task.


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I also made provision for the delivery of wood at stated times, and for the firstfruits. My God, remember me favorably.


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These events took place in the time of Achashverosh, the Achashverosh who ruled over 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia.


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in the third year of his reign, that he gave a banquet for all his officials and courtiers. The army of Persia and Media, the nobles and the provincial officials were in attendance.


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At the end of that time, the king gave a seven-day banquet in the courtyard of the royal palace garden for all the people, both great and small, there in Shushan the capital.


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There were white cotton curtains and blue hangings fastened to silver rods, with cords of fine linen and purple; the columns were marble; the couches [for reclining at table] were of gold and silver on a mosaic flooring of malachite, marble, mother-of-pearl and onyx.


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Drinks were served in gold goblets, with each goblet different from the others. There was royal wine in abundance, as befits royal bounty.


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The drinking was not according to any fixed rule, for the king had ordered the stewards to serve each man what he wanted.


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Also Vashti the queen gave a banquet for the women in the royal house belonging to King Achashverosh.


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On the seventh day, when the king was in high spirits from the wine, he ordered Mehuman, Bizta, Harvona, Bigta, Avagta, Zetar and Karkas, the seven officers who attended him,


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to bring Queen Vashti before the king with the royal crown, in order to show the people and the officials her beauty, for she was indeed a good-looking woman.


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But Queen Vashti refused to come at the order of the king, which he had sent through his officers. This enraged the king - his anger blazed inside him.


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With him were Karshna, Shetar, Admata, Tarshish, Meres, Marsna and Memukhan, the seven vice-regents of Persia and Media, who were part of the king's inner circle and were the most important officials in the kingdom.


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[The king asked the sages,] 'According to the law, what should we do to Queen Vashti, since she didn't obey the order of King Achashverosh conveyed by the officers?'


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Memukhan presented the king and vice-regents this answer: 'Vashti the queen has wronged not only the king, but also all the officials and all the peoples in all the provinces of King Achashverosh;


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because this act of the queen's will become known to all the women, who will then start showing disrespect toward their own husbands; they will say, 'King Achashverosh ordered Vashti the queen to be brought before him, but she wouldn't come.'


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Moreover, the noble ladies of Persia and Media who hear of the queen's conduct will mention it to all the king's officials, which will bring about no end of disrespect and discord.


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If it pleases his majesty, let him issue a royal decree - and let it be written as one of the laws of the Persians and Medes, which are irrevocable - that Vashti is never again to be admitted into the presence of King Achashverosh, and that the king give her royal position to someone better than she.


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When the edict made by the king is proclaimed throughout the length and breadth of the kingdom, then all wives will honor their husbands, whether great or small.'


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he sent letters to all the royal provinces, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language, that every man should be master in his own house and speak the language of his own people.


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A while later, when King Achashverosh's anger had subsided, he remembered Vashti, what she had done and what had been decreed against her.


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The king should appoint officials in all the provinces of the kingdom to gather all the young, good-looking virgins to the house for the harem, in Shushan the capital. They should be put under the care of Hegai the king's officer in charge of the women, and he should give them the cosmetics they require.


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Then, the girl who seems best to the king should become queen instead of Vashti.'This proposal pleased the king, so he acted accordingly.


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There was in Shushan the capital a man who was a Jew, whose name was Mordekhai the son of Ya'ir, the son of Shim'i, the son of Kish, a Binyamini.


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He had been exiled from Yerushalayim with the captives exiled with Y'khanyah king of Y'hudah, whom N'vukhadnetzar king of Bavel had carried off.


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He had raised Hadassah, that is, Ester, his uncle's daughter; because she had neither father nor mother. The girl was shapely and good-looking; after her father's and mother's death, Mordekhai had adopted her as his own daughter.


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When the king's order and decree were proclaimed, and many girls assembled in Shushan the capital under the care of Hegai, Ester too was taken into the king's house and put under the care of Hegai, who was in charge of the women.


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The girl pleased him and won his favor, so that he lost no time in giving her her cosmetics, her portions [of special food] and seven girls from the king's palace to attend her; he also promoted her and the girls attending her to the best place in the harem's quarters.


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Ester did not disclose her people or family ties, because Mordekhai had instructed her not to tell anyone.


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Every day Mordekhai would walk around in front of the courtyard of the harem's house in order to know how Ester was doing and what was happening to her.


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Each girl had her turn to appear before King Achashverosh after she had undergone the full twelve-month preparation period prescribed for the women, consisting of a six-month treatment with oil of myrrh and six months with perfumes and other cosmetics for women.


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Then, when the girl went to see the king, whatever she wanted would be given to her as she went from the harem's house to the king's palace.


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She would go in the evening, and on the following day she would return to another part of the harem's house and be under the care of Sha'ashgaz the king's officer in charge of the concubines. She would not go to the king again unless he was especially pleased with her and had her summoned by name.


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When the turn came for Ester the daughter of Avichayil, whom Mordekhai had adopted as his own daughter, to appear before the king, she didn't ask for anything other than what Hegai the king's officer in charge of the harem advised. Yet Ester was admired by all who saw her.


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She was brought to King Achashverosh in his royal palace in the tenth month, Tevet, during the seventh year of his reign.


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The king liked Ester more than any of his wives; none of the other virgins obtained such favor and approval from him. So he put the royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.


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The king then gave a great banquet in Ester's honor for all his officers and servants, decreed a holiday for the provinces and distributed gifts worthy of royal bounty.


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Ester had not yet revealed her family ties or her people, as Mordekhai had ordered her; for Ester continued obeying what Mordekhai told her to do, as she had when he was raising her.


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On one of those occasions, when Mordekhai was sitting at the King's Gate, two of the king's officers, Bigtan and Teresh, from the group in charge of the private entryways, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Achashverosh.


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But Mordekhai learned about it and told Ester the queen. Ester reported it to the king, crediting Mordekhai.


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The matter was investigated, found to be true, and both were hanged on a stake. All this was recorded in the daily journal that was kept with the king.


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Some time later King Achashverosh began to single out Haman the son of Hamdata the Agagi for advancement; eventually he gave him precedence over all his fellow officers.


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All the king's servants at the King's Gate would kneel and bow down before Haman, because the king had so ordered. But Mordekhai would neither kneel nor bow down to him.


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But after they had confronted him a number of times without his paying attention to them, they told Haman, in order to find out whether Mordekhai's explanation that he was a Jew would suffice to justify his behavior.


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However, on learning what people Mordekhai belonged to, it seemed to him a waste to lay hands on Mordekhai alone. Rather, he decided to destroy all of Mordekhai's people, the Jews, throughout the whole of Achashverosh's kingdom.


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In the first month, the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of Achashverosh, they began throwing pur (that is, they cast lots) before Haman every day and every month until the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.


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Then Haman said to Achashverosh, 'There is a particular people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of every other people; moreover, they don't observe the king's laws. It doesn't befit the king to tolerate them.


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If it please the king, have a decree written for their destruction; and I will hand over 330 tons of silver to the officials in charge of the king's affairs to deposit in the royal treasury.'


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The king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman the son of Hamdata the Agagi, the enemy of the Jews.


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The king said to Haman, 'The money is given to you, and the people too, to do with as seems good to you.'


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The king's secretaries were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month. They wrote down all Haman's orders to the king's army commanders and governors in all the provinces and to the officials of every people, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language; everything was written in the name of King Achashverosh and sealed with the king's signet ring.


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Letters were sent by courier to all the royal provinces 'to destroy, kill and exterminate all Jews, from young to old, including small children and women, on a specific day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to seize their goods as plunder.'


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A copy of the document to be issued as a decree in every province was to be publicly proclaimed to all the peoples, so that they would be ready for that day.


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At the king's order the runners went out quickly, and the decree was issued in Shushan the capital. Then the king and Haman sat down for a drink together, but the city of Shushan was thrown into confusion.


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When Mordekhai learned everything that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes and went out through the city, lamenting and crying bitterly.


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He stopped before entering the King's Gate, since no one was allowed to go inside the King's Gate wearing sackcloth.


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In every province reached by the king's order and decree, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing, as many lay down on sackcloth and ashes.


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When the girls and officials attending Ester came and informed her of this, the queen became deeply distressed. She sent clothes for Mordekhai to wear instead of his sackcloth, but he wouldn't accept them.


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So Ester summoned Hatakh, one of the king's officials attending her, and instructed him to go to Mordekhai and find out what this was all about and why.


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and Mordekhai told him everything that had happened to him and exactly how much silver Haman had promised to put in the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews.


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He also gave him a copy of the decree for their destruction issued in Shushan; so that he could show it to Ester, explain it to her, and then instruct her to approach the king, intercede with him and implore his favor on behalf of her people.


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'All the king's officials, as well as the people in the royal provinces, know that if anyone, man or woman, approaches the king in the inner courtyard without being summoned, there is just one law - he must be put to death - unless the king holds out the gold scepter for him to remain alive; and I haven't been summoned to the king for the past thirty days.'


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asked them to give Ester this answer: 'Don't suppose that merely because you happen to be in the royal palace you will escape any more than the other Jews.


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For if you fail to speak up now, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from a different direction; but you and your father's family will perish. Who knows whether you didn't come into your royal position precisely for such a time as this.'


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'Go, assemble all the Jews to be found in Shushan, and have them fast for me, neither eating nor drinking for three days, night and day; also I and the girls attending me will fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.'


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On the third day, Ester put on her royal robes and stood in the inner courtyard of the king's palace, opposite the king's hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the king's hall, across from the entrance to the hall.


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When the king saw Ester the queen standing in the courtyard, she won his favor; so the king extended the gold scepter in his hand toward Ester. Ester approached and touched the tip of the scepter.


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'What is it you want, Queen Ester?' the king asked her. 'Whatever your request, up to half the kingdom, it will be given to you.'


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'If it is all right with the king,'answered Ester, 'let the king and Haman come today to the banquet I have prepared for him.'


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At the banquet of wine the king again said to Ester, 'Whatever your request, you will be granted it; whatever you want, up to half the kingdom, it will be done.'


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Then Ester answered, 'My request, what I want, is this: 8 if I have won the king's favor, if it pleases the king to grant my request and do what I want, let the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them; and tomorrow I will do as the king has said.'


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That day Haman went out happy and in good spirits. But when Haman saw Mordekhai at the King's Gate, that he neither rose nor moved for him, Haman was infuriated with Mordekhai.


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Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home, where he summoned and brought his friends and Zeresh his wife.


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Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and everything connected with how the king had promoted him and given him precedence over the other officials and servants of the king.


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'Indeed,' Haman added, 'Ester the queen let nobody into the banquet with the king that she had prepared except myself; and tomorrow, too, I am invited by her, together with the king.


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Yet none of this does me any good at all, as long as I keep seeing Mordekhai the Jew remaining seated at the King's Gate.'


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At this Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, 'Have a gallows seventy-five feet high constructed, and in the morning speak to the king about having Mordekhai hanged on it. Then go in, and enjoy yourself with the king at the banquet.' Haman liked the idea, so he had a gallows made.


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That night, the king couldn't sleep; so he ordered the records of the daily journal brought, and they were read to the king.


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It was found written that Mordekhai had told about Bigtana and Teresh, two of the king's officers from the group in charge of the private entryways, who had conspired to assassinate King Achashverosh.


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The king asked, 'What honor or distinction was conferred on Mordekhai for this?' The king's servants answered,'Nothing was done for him.'


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The king then asked,'Who's that in the courtyard?' For Haman had come into the outer courtyard of the king's palace to speak to the king about hanging Mordekhai on the gallows he had prepared for him.


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The king's servants told him, 'It's Haman standing there in the courtyard.'The king said, 'Have him come in.'


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So Haman came in. The king said to him, 'What should be done for a man that the king wants to honor?' Haman thought to himself, 'Whom would the king want to honor more than me?'


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have royal robes brought which the king himself wears and the horse the king himself rides, with a royal crown on its head.


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The robes and the horse should be handed over to one of the king's most respected officials, and they should put the robes on the man the king wants to honor and lead him on horseback through the streets of the city, proclaiming ahead of him, 'This is what is done for a man whom the king wants to honor.''


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The king said to Haman, 'Hurry, and take the robes and the horse, as you said, and do this for Mordekhai the Jew, who sits at the King's Gate. Don't leave out anything you mentioned.'


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So Haman took the robes and the horse, dressed Mordekhai and led him riding through the streets of the city, as he proclaimed ahead of him, 'This is what is done for a man whom the king wants to honor.'


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Then Mordekhai returned to the King's Gate; but Haman rushed home with his head covered in mourning.


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After Haman had told Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him, his advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, 'If Mordekhai, before whom you have begun to fall, is a Jew, you will not get the better of him; on the contrary, your downfall before him is certain.'


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While they were still talking with him, the king's officials came, hurrying to bring Haman to the banquet Ester had prepared.


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and the king again said to Ester at the wine banquet, 'Whatever your request, Queen Ester, you will be granted it; whatever you want, up to half the kingdom, it will be done.'


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Ester the queen answered, 'If I have won your favor, king, and if it pleases the king, then what I ask be given me is my own life and the lives of my people.


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For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, killed, exterminated. If we had only been sold as men- and women-slaves, I would have remained quiet; since then [our] trouble would not have been worth the damage it would have caused the king [to alter the situation].'


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King Achashverosh asked Ester the queen, 'Who is he? Where is the man who dared to do such a thing?'


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Ester said, 'A ruthless enemy - it's this wicked Haman!' Haman stood aghast, terrified before the king and queen.


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In a rage, the king got up from the wine banquet and went out to the palace garden. But Haman remained, pleading with Ester the queen to spare his life; for he could see that the king had decided to do him in.


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Haman had just fallen on the couch where Ester was, when the king returned from the palace garden to the wine banquet. He shouted, 'Is he even going to rape the queen here in the palace, before my very eyes?' The moment these words left the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face.


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Harvonah, one of the king's attendants, said, 'Look! The gallows seventy-five feet high that Haman made for Mordekhai, who spoke only good for the king, is standing at Haman's house.'The king said, 'Hang him on it.'


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That same day King Achashverosh gave the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews, to Ester the queen. Also Mordekhai appeared before the king, for Ester had revealed his relationship to her.


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The king removed his signet ring, which he had taken back from Haman, and gave it to Mordekhai. Then Ester put Mordekhai in charge of Haman's house.


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Again Ester spoke to the king; she fell at his feet and begged him with tears to put an end to the mischief Haman the Agagi had caused by the scheme he had worked out against the Jews.


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She said, 'If it pleases the king, if I have won his favor, if the matter seem right to the king and if I have his approval, then let an order be written rescinding the letters devised by Haman the son of Hamdata the Agagi, which he wrote to destroy the Jews in all the royal provinces.


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For how can I bear to see the disaster that will overcome my people? How can I endure seeing the extermination of my kinsmen?'


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King Achashverosh said to Ester the queen and Mordekhai the Jew, 'Listen! I gave Ester the house of Haman, and they hanged him on the gallows, because he threatened the lives of the Jews.


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You should issue a decree in the king's name for whatever you want concerning the Jews, and seal it with the king's signet ring; because a decree written in the king's name and sealed with the king's ring can't be rescinded by anyone.'


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The king's secretaries were summoned at that time, on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan; and a decree was written according to everything Mordekhai ordered concerning the Jews, to the army commanders, governors and officials of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to each province in its script and to each people in their language, also to the Jews in their script and language.


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They wrote in the name of King Achashverosh and sealed it with the king's signet ring; they sent the letters by couriers on horseback riding fast horses used in the king's service and bred from the royal stock.


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The letters said that the king had granted the Jews in every city the right 'to assemble and defend their lives by destroying, killing and exterminating any forces of any people or province that would attack them, their little ones or their women or would try to seize their goods as plunder


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on the designated day in any of the provinces of King Achashverosh, namely, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar.'


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A copy of the edict was to be issued as a decree in every province and proclaimed to all the peoples, and the Jews were to be ready on that day to take vengeance against their enemies.


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Couriers riding fast horses used in the king's service left quickly, pressed by the king's order; and the decree was issued in Shushan the capital.


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Meanwhile, Mordekhai left the king's presence arrayed in royal blue and white, wearing a large gold crown and a robe of fine linen and purple; and the city of Shushan shouted for joy.


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In every province and city where the king's order and decree arrived, the Jews had gladness and joy, a feast and a holiday. Many from the peoples of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews had overcome them.


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The time approached for the king's order and decree to be carried out, the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to overpower them. But, as it turned out, the opposite took place - the Jews overpowered those who hated them. Thus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar,


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the Jews assembled in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Achashverosh to attack anyone who tried to do them harm; and no one was able to withstand them; because all the peoples were afraid of them.


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All the officials of the provinces, the army commanders, the governors and those occupied with the king's affairs helped the Jews; because they were afraid of Mordekhai.


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For Mordekhai had become a powerful person in the king's palace, and his fame had spread through all the provinces; Mordekhai continued to grow increasingly powerful.


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The Jews put all their enemies to the sword; there was great slaughter and destruction, as they did whatever they wanted to those who hated them;


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They put to death the ten sons of Haman the son of Hamdata, the enemy of the Jews - Parshandata, Dalfon, Aspata, Porata, Adalya, Aridata, Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizata. But they did not touch the spoil.


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he said to Ester the queen, 'If the Jews have slaughtered 500 men in Shushan the capital and the ten sons of Haman, what have they done in the rest of the royal provinces! Now, whatever your request, you will be granted it; whatever more you want, it will be done.'


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Ester replied, 'If it pleases the king, let the Jews in Shushan act again tomorrow in accordance with today's decree; also have Haman's ten sons hanged on the gallows.'


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The king ordered these things done - a decree was issued in Shushan, and they hanged Haman's ten sons.


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So the Jews in Shushan assembled also on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and killed 300 men in Shushan, but they did not touch the spoil.


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The other Jews, those in the royal provinces, had assembled, defended their lives and won rest from their enemies, killing 75,000 of those who hated them, but without touching the spoil,


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on the thirteenth day of the month Adar. So on the fourteenth day of Adar they rested and made it a holiday for celebrating and rejoicing.


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However, the Jews of Shushan assembled on both the thirteenth and fourteenth days of Adar, so it was on the fifteenth that they rested and made it a holiday for celebrating and rejoicing.


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This is why the Jews of the villages, those who live in unwalled towns, make the fourteenth day of the month of Adar a day for celebrating and rejoicing, a holiday and a time for sending each other portions [of food].


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Mordekhai recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews in all the provinces of King Achashverosh, both near and far,


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instructing them to observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and the fifteenth day, every year,


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[to commemorate] the days on which the Jews obtained rest from their enemies and the month which for them was turned from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; they were to make them days of celebrating and rejoicing, sending portions [of food] to each other and giving gifts to the poor.


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So the Jews took it upon themselves to continue what they had already begun to do, and as Mordekhai had written to them;


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because Haman the son of Hamdata the Agagi, the enemy of the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had thrown pur (that is, 'cast lots') to crush and destroy them;


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but when Ester came before the king, he ordered by letters that [Haman's] wicked scheme, which he had plotted against the Jews, should recoil on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.


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This is why these days have been called Purim, after the word pur. Thus, because of everything written in this letter, and what they had seen concerning this matter, and what had come upon them,


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the Jews resolved and took upon themselves, their descendants and all who might join them that without fail they would observe these two days in accordance with what was written in [this letter] and at the appointed time, every year;


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and that these days would be remembered and observed throughout every generation, every family, every province and every city; and that these days of Purim would never cease among the Jews or their memory be lost by their descendants.


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Then Ester the queen, the daughter of Avichayil, and Mordekhai the Jew, gave full written authority to confirm a second letter about Purim.


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He sent copies of it to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Achashverosh, ensuring their peace and security


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and requiring the observance of these days of Purim at their designated times, as Mordekhai the Jew and Ester the queen had enjoined them, and as they had established for themselves and their descendants concerning the matters of fasting and lamenting.


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All the acts of his power and might, along with a full account of the high honor to which the king advanced Mordekhai, are written in the Annals of the Kings of Media and Persia.


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For Mordekhai the Jew was second only to King Achashverosh; he was a great man among the Jews, popular with all his many countrymen. He sought the good of his people and interceded for the welfare of all their descendants.


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There was a man in the land of 'Utz whose name was Iyov. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.


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He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 pairs of oxen and 500 female donkeys, as well as a great number of servants; so that he was the wealthiest man in the east.


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It was the custom of his sons to give banquets, each on his set day in his own house; and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.


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After a cycle of banquets, Iyov would send for them to come and be consecrated; then he would get up early in the morning and offer burnt offerings for each of them, because Iyov said, 'My sons might have sinned and blasphemed God in their thoughts.'This is what Iyov did every time.


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It happened one day that the sons of God came to serve ADONAI, and among them came the Adversary [Hebrew: Satan].


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ADONAI asked the Adversary, 'Where are you coming from?' The Adversary answered ADONAI, 'From roaming through the earth, wandering here and there.'


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ADONAI asked the Adversary, 'Did you notice my servant Iyov, that there's no one like him on earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and shuns evil?'


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You've put a protective hedge around him, his house and everything he has. You've prospered his work, and his livestock are spread out all over the land.


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But if you reach out your hand and touch whatever he has, without doubt he'll curse you to your face!'


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ADONAI said to the Adversary, 'Here! Everything he has is in your hands, except that you are not to lay a finger on his person.' Then the Adversary went out from the presence of ADONAI.


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when a raiding party from Sh'va came and carried them off; they put the servants to the sword too, and I'm the only one who escaped to tell you.'


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While he was still speaking, another one came and said, 'Fire from God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants; it completely destroyed them, and I'm the only one who escaped to tell you.'


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While he was still speaking, another one came and said, 'The Kasdim, three bands of them, fell on the camels and carried them off; they put the servants to the sword too, and I'm the only one who escaped to tell you.'


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While he was still speaking, another one came and said, 'Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house,


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when suddenly a strong wind blew in from over the desert. It struck the four corners of the house, so that it fell on the young people; they are dead, and I'm the only one who escaped to tell you.'


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he said, 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will return there. ADONAI gave; ADONAI took; blessed be the name of ADONAI.'


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Another day came when the sons of God came to serve ADONAI, and among them came the Adversary to serve ADONAI.


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ADONAI asked the Adversary, 'Did you notice my servant Iyov, that there's no one like him on earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and shuns evil, and that he still holds on to his integrity, even though you provoked me against him to destroy him for no reason?'


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The Adversary answered ADONAI, 'Skin for skin! A person will give up everything he has to save his life.


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But if you reach out your hand and touch his flesh and bone, without doubt he'll curse you to your face!'


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Then the Adversary went out from the presence of ADONAI and struck Iyov down with horrible infected sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.


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But he answered her, 'You're talking like a low-class woman! Are we to receive the good at God's hands but reject the bad?' In all this Iyov did not say one sinful word.


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Now when Iyov's three friends heard of all the calamities that had overwhelmed him, they all came. Each came from his own home - Elifaz from Teiman, Bildad from Shuach and Tzofar from Na'amah. They had agreed to meet together in order to come and offer him sympathy and comfort.


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When they saw him from a distance, they couldn't even recognize him. They wept aloud, tore their coats and threw dust over their heads toward heaven.


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Then they sat down with him on the ground. For seven days and seven nights, no one spoke a word to him; because they saw how much he was suffering.


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may gloom dark as death defile it, may clouds settle on it, may it be terrified by its own blackness.


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'As for that night, may thick darkness seize it, may it not be joined to the days of the year, may it not be numbered among the months;


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may the stars of its twilight be dark, may it look for light but get none, may it never see the shimmer of dawn


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It stood still, but I couldn't make out its appearance; yet the form stayed there before my eyes. Then I heard a subdued voice:


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much more those living in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust. They are crushed more easily than a worm;


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the hungry eat up his harvest, taking it even from among thorns, while the thirsty are panting, eager to swallow his wealth.


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You will be shielded from the lash of the tongue, and you won't have to fear destruction when it comes -


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for you will be in league with the stones in the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you.


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You will know that your descendants are many, your offspring like grass [growing thick] in the fields.


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For the arrows of Shaddai find their mark in me, and my spirit is drinking in their poison; the terrors of God are arrayed against me.


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Then I would feel consoled; so that even in the face of unending pain, I would be able to rejoice; for I have not denied the words of the Holy One.


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Do you think [your own] words constitute argument, while the speech of a desperate man is merely wind?


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'Human life on earth is like serving in the army; yes, we drudge through our days like a hired worker,


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When I lie down, I ask, 'When can I get up?'But the night is long, and I keep tossing to and fro until daybreak.


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'Therefore I will not restrain my mouth but will speak in my anguish of spirit and complain in my bitterness of soul.


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'Suppose I do sin - how do I harm you, you scrutinizer of humanity? Why have you made me your target, so that I am a burden to you?


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Why don't you pardon my offense and take away my guilt? For soon I will lie down in the dust; you will seek me, but I will be gone.'


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[for its destruction will come] like the lush growth of a plant in the sun, its shoots may spread out all over its garden,


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Yes, this is the 'joy' of the way [of the godless], and out of the dust will spring up others [like him].'


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The earth has been given to the power of the wicked; he covers the faces of its judges -if it isn't he, then who is it?


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'For he is not merely human like me; there is no answer that I could give him if we were to come together in court.


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'I am just worn out. 'By my life [I swear], I will never abandon my complaint; I will speak out in my soul's bitterness.


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Do you gain some advantage from oppressing, from spurning what your own hands made, from shining on the schemes of the wicked?


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If I am wicked, woe to me! -but if righteous, I still don't dare raise my head, because I am so filled with shame, so soaked in my misery.


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You keep producing fresh witnesses against me, your anger against me keeps growing, your troops assail me, wave after wave.


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a land of gloom like darkness itself, of dense darkness and utter disorder, where even the light is dark.''


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would tell you the secrets of wisdom, which is worth twice as much as common sense. Understand that God is demanding of you less than your guilt deserves.


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but the eyes of the wicked will fail [to find comfort]. They will find no way to escape, and their hope will turn to complete disappointment.'


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But I too have a brain, as much as you, In no way am I inferior to you. Besides, who doesn't know things like these?


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'Anyone who calls on God, and he answers him, becomes a laughingstock to his friends -they make fun of an innocent, blameless man.


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The tents of robbers prosper, [the homes of] those who anger God are secure, those who carry their gods in their hands.


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When he breaks something down, it can't be rebuilt; when he imprisons someone, he can't be released.


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You put my feet in the stocks, you watch me closely wherever I go, you trace out each footprint of mine


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Since his days are fixed in advance, the number of his months is known to you, and you have fixed the limits which he can't cross;


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'For a tree, there is hope that if cut down, it will sprout again, that its shoots will continue to grow.


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so a person lies down and doesn't arise until the sky no longer exists; it will not awaken, it won't be roused from its sleep.


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'I wish you would hide me in Sh'ol, conceal me until your anger has passed, then fix a time and remember me!


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'Should a wise man answer with hot-air arguments? Should he fill up his belly with the hot east wind?


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'What is a human being, that he could be innocent, someone born from a woman, that he could be righteous?


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therefore he will not remain rich, his wealth will not endure, his produce will not bend [the grain stalks] to the earth.


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'He will not escape from darkness. The flame will dry up his branches. By a breath from the mouth of [God], he will go away.


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Let him not rely on futile methods, thereby deceiving himself; for what he will receive in exchange will be only futility.


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'If I were in your place, I too could speak as you do -I could string phrases together against you and shake my head at you.


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Besides, you have shriveled me up; and this serves to witness against me. My being so thin rises up against me and testifies to my face.


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He tears me apart in his anger; he holds a grudge against me; he gnashes on me with his teeth. 'My enemies look daggers at me.


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Wide-mouthed, they gape at me; with scorn, they slap my cheeks; they gather themselves together against me.


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I was at peace, and he shook me apart. Yes, he grabbed me by the neck and dashed me to pieces. He set me up as his target


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his archers surrounded me. He slashes my innards and shows no mercy, he pours my gall on the ground.


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You can tear yourself to pieces in your anger, but the earth won't be abandoned just for your sake; not even a rock will be moved from its place.


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Those who come after will be appalled at his fate, just as those there before were struck with horror.


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'This is how things are in the homes of the wicked, and this is the place of those who don't know God.'


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Those living in my house consider me a stranger; my slave-girls too - in their view I'm a foreigner.


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I will see him for myself, my eyes, not someone else's, will behold him. My heart grows weak inside me!


