# verses

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and You shall be merciful to their unrighteousness in which they have trespassed against You, and according to all their transgressions that they have transgressed against You, and You shall cause them to be pitied before them that carried them captives, and they shall have compassion on them;


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for [they are] Your people and Your inheritance, whom You brought out of the land of Egypt, out of the midst of the iron furnace.


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And let Your eyes and Your ears be opened to the supplication of Your servant, and to the supplication of Your people Israel, to hearken to them in all things for which they shall call upon You,


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because You have set them apart for an inheritance to Yourself out of all the nations of the earth, as You spoke by the hand of Your servant Moses, when You brought our fathers out of the land of Egypt, O Lord God. Then Solomon spoke concerning the house, when he had finished building it; He manifested the sun in the heaven. The Lord said He would dwell in darkness; build my house, a beautiful house for yourself to dwell in anew. Behold, is not this written in the Book of the Song?


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And it came to pass when Solomon had finished praying to the Lord all this prayer and supplication, that he rose up from before the altar of the Lord, [after] having knelt upon his knees, and his hands [were] spread out towards heaven.


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Blessed [be] the Lord this day, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He said: there has not failed one word among all His good words which He spoke by the hand of His servant Moses.


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May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; let Him not desert us nor turn from us,


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that He may turn our hearts toward Him to walk in all His ways, and to keep all His commandments and His ordinances, which He commanded our fathers.


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And let these words, which I have prayed before the Lord our God, [be] near to the Lord our God day and night, to maintain the cause of Your servant, and the cause of Your people Israel forever,


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And let our hearts be perfect toward the Lord our God, to walk circumspectly in all His ordinances, and to keep His commandments, as at this day.


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And King Solomon offered for the sacrifices of peace offering which he sacrificed to the Lord, twenty-two thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. And the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord.


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In that day the king consecrated the middle of the court in the front of the house of the Lord; for there he offered the whole burnt offering, and the sacrifices, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar which was before the Lord [was too] small to bear the whole burnt offering and the sacrifices of peace offerings.


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So Solomon kept the feast in that day, and all Israel with him, even a great assembly from the entering in of Hamath to the river of Egypt, before the Lord our God in the house which he built, eating and drinking, and rejoicing before the Lord our God for seven days.


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And on the eighth day he sent the people away; and they blessed the king, and each departed to his tent rejoicing, and [their] hearts [were] glad because of the good things which the Lord had done for His servant David, and for Israel His people.


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And it came to pass when Solomon had finished building the house of the Lord, and the king's house, and all the work of Solomon, whatever he wished to perform,


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And the Lord said to him, I have heard the voice of your prayer, and your supplication which you have made before Me. I have done for you according to all your prayer; I have hallowed this house which you have built to put My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart shall be there always.


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And if you will walk before Me as David your father walked, in holiness of heart and uprightness, and so as to do according to all that I commanded him, and shall keep My ordinances and My commandments,


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then will I establish the throne of your kingdom in Israel forever, as I spoke to David your father, saying, There shall not fail you a man to rule in Israel.


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But if you or your children do in any wise revolt from Me, and do not keep My commandments and My ordinances, which Moses set before you, and you go and serve other gods, and worship them;


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then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them, and this house which I have consecrated to My name I will cast out of My sight; and Israel shall be a desolation and a by-word to all nations.


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And this house, which is high, shall be [so that] everyone that passes by it shall be amazed, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why has the Lord done thus to this land, and to this house?


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And [men] shall say, Because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought out their fathers from Egypt, out of the house of bondage, and they attached themselves to strange gods, and worshipped them, and served them; therefore the Lord has brought this evil upon them.


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[During] twenty years in which Solomon was building the two houses, the house of the Lord, and the house of the king,


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Hiram king of Tyre helped Solomon with cedar wood, and fir wood, and with gold, and all that he wished for. Then the king gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.


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So Hiram departed from Tyre, and went into Galilee to see the cities which Solomon gave to him; and they pleased him not. And he said,


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What [are] these cities which you have given me, brother? And he called them Boundary until this day.


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This was the arrangement of the provision which King Solomon fetched to build the house of the Lord, and the house of the king, and the wall of Jerusalem, and the citadel; to fortify the City of David, and Assyria, and Migdol, and Gezer, and Beth Horon the upper, and Jethermath, and all the cities of the chariots, and all the cities of the horsemen, and the fortification of Solomon which he purposed to build in Jerusalem and in all the land,


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so that none of the people should rule over him that was left of the Hittite and the Amorite, and the Perizzite and the Canaanite, and the Hivite and the Jebusite, and the Girgashite, who were not of the children of Israel, their descendants who had been left with him in the land, whom the children of Israel could not utterly destroy; and Solomon made them tributaries until this day.


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But of the children of Israel Solomon made nothing; for they were the warriors, and his servants and rulers, and captains of the third order, and the captains of his chariots, and his horsemen.


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Then Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the City of David into his house which he built for himself in those days,


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even that for which King Solomon built a ship in Ezion Geber near Elath on the shore of the extremity of the sea in the land of Edom.


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And Hiram sent in the ship together with the servants of Solomon servants of his own, mariners to row, men acquainted with the sea.


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And they came to Ophir, and took from there a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and brought them to King Solomon.


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Now the queen of Sheba heard of the name of Solomon, and the name of the Lord, and she came to test him with riddles.


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And she came to Jerusalem with a very great company. And [there came] camels bearing spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and she came in to Solomon, and told him all that was in her heart.


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And Solomon answered all her questions. And there was not a question overlooked by the king which he did not answer her.


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and the provision of Solomon and the sitting of his attendants, and the standing of his servants, and his clothing, and his cup-bearers, and his whole burnt offering which he offered in the house of the Lord, and she was utterly amazed.


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And she said to King Solomon, [It was] a true report which I heard in my land of your words and your wisdom.


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But I did not believe those that told it to me, until I came and my eyes saw: and behold, the words as they reported to me are not the half [of it]; you have exceeded in goodness all the report which I heard in my land.


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Blessed [are] your wives, blessed [are] these your servants who stand before you continually, who hear all your wisdom.


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Blessed be the Lord your God, who has taken pleasure in you, to set you upon the throne of Israel, because the Lord loved Israel to establish [him] forever; and He has made you king over them, to execute judgment with justice, and in their causes.


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And she gave to Solomon a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and very many spices, and precious stones; there had not come any other spices so abundant as those which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.


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And the ships of Hiram which brought the gold from Ophir, brought very much hewn timber and precious stones.


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And the king made the hewn timber [into] buttresses of the house of the Lord and the king's house, and lyres and harps for singers; such hewn timber had not come upon the earth, nor have been seen anywhere until this day.


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And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatsoever she asked, besides all that he had given her by the hand of King Solomon. And she returned, and came into her own land, she and her servants.


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And the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold.


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Besides the tributes of them that were subjects, both merchants and all the kings of the [country] beyond [the river], and of the princess of the land.


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And Solomon made three hundred spears of beaten gold: three hundred shekels of gold were upon one spear.


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And three hundred shields of beaten gold: and three pounds of gold were in one shield. And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.


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The throne [had] six steps, and calves in bold relief to the throne behind it, and sidepieces on either hand of the place of the seat, and two lions standing by the sidepieces,


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and twelve lions standing there on the six steps on either side: it was not so done [like that] in any [other] kingdom.


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And all the vessels made by Solomon [were] of gold, and the lavers [were] golden, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; there was no silver, for it was not accounted of in the days of Solomon.


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For Solomon had a ship of Tarshish in the sea with the ships of Hiram; one ship came to the king every three years out of Tarshish, [laden with] gold and silver, and wrought stones, and hewn stones. This was the arrangement of the provision which King Solomon fetched to build the house of the Lord, and the house of the king, and the wall of Jerusalem, and the citadel; to fortify the City of David, and Assyria, and Migdol, and Gezer, and Beth Horon the upper, and Jethermath, and all the cities of the chariots, and all the cities of the horsemen, and the fortification of Solomon which he purposed to build in Jerusalem and in all the land, so that none of the people should rule over him that was left of the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Canaanite and the Hivite and the Jebusite and the Girgashite, who were not of the children of Israel, their descendants who had been left with him in the land, whom the children of Israel could not utterly destroy. And Solomon made them tributaries until this day. But of the children of Israel Solomon made nothing, for they were the warriors, and his servants and rulers, and captains of the third order, and the captains of his chariots, and his horsemen.


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And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which the Lord [had] put into his heart.


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And everyone their own gifts, vessels of gold, articles of clothing, armor, spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.


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And Solomon had four thousand mares for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; and he put them in the cities of his chariots, and with the king in Jerusalem. And he ruled over all the kings from the river to the land of the Philistines, and to the borders of Egypt.


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And the king made gold and silver in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as the sycamores in the plain for multitude.


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And the goings forth of Solomon's horsemen [was] also out of Egypt, and the king's merchants [were] of Keveh; and they received them out of Keveh at a price.


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And that which proceeded out of Egypt went up [thus, even] a chariot for a hundred [shekels] of silver, and a horse for fifty [shekels] of silver; and thus for all the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of Syria, they came out by sea.


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And King Solomon was a lover of women. And he took strange women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh, Moabite and Ammonite women, Syrians and Edomites, Hittites and Amorites;


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of the nations concerning whom the Lord forbade the children of Israel, [saying], You shall not go in to them, and they shall not come in to you, lest they turn away your hearts after their idols; Solomon clung to these in love.


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And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines. And the strange women turned away his heart after their gods.


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And it came to pass in the time of Solomon's old age, that his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as [was] the heart of David his father.


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And Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord: he went not after the Lord, as David his father.


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Then Solomon built a high place to Chemosh the idol of Moab, and to their king the idol of the children of Ammon.


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And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because he turned away his heart from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared twice to him,


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and charged him concerning this matter, by no means to go after other gods, but to take heed to do what the Lord God commanded him; neither was his heart perfect with the Lord, according to the heart of David his father.


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And the Lord said to Solomon, Because it has been thus with you, and you has not kept My commandments and My ordinances which I commanded you, I will surely tear your kingdom out of your hand, and give it to your servant.


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Only in your days I will not do it for the sake of David your father; [but] I will take it out of the hand of your son.


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Only I will not take away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for David My servant's sake, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen.


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And the Lord raised up and enemy to Solomon, Hadad the Edomite, and Esrom son of Eliadae who [dwelt] in Ramah, [and] Hadadezer, king of Zobah his master (and men gathered to him, and he was head of the conspiracy, and he seized on Damasec), and they were adversaries to Israel all the days of Solomon: and Hadad the Edomite [was] of the royal seed in Edom.


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And it happened, that while David was utterly destroying Edom, while Joab captain of the army was going to bury the dead, when they slew every male in Edom;


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(for Joab and all Israel abode there six months in Edom, until he utterly destroyed every male in Edom)


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that Hadad ran away, he and all the Edomites of the servants of his father with him; and they went into Egypt; and Hadad [was then] a little child.


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And there rose up men out of the city of Midian, and they come to Paran, and they took men with them, and came to Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Hadad went in to Pharaoh, and he gave him a house, and appointed him provisions.


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And Hadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh, and he gave him his wife's sister in marriage, the elder sister of Tahpenes.


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And the sister of Tahpenes bore to him, [even] to Hadad, Genubath her son; and Tahpenes brought him up in the midst of the sons of Pharaoh, and Genubath was in the midst of the sons of Pharaoh.


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And Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the army was dead; and Hadad said to Pharaoh, Let me go, and I will return to my country.


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And Pharaoh said to Hadad, What do you lack here with me, that behold, you seek to depart to your country? And Hadad said to him, By all means let me go.


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So Hadad returned to his country. This [is] the mischief which Hadad did, and he was a bitter enemy of Israel, and he reigned in the land of Edom.


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And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the Ephrathite of Zereda, the son of a widow, [was] servant of Solomon.


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And this was the occasion of his lifting up [his] hands against King Solomon. Now King Solomon built the citadel, and he completed the fortification of the City of David his father.


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And the man Jeroboam was very strong; and Solomon saw the young man, that he was active, and he set him over the levies of the house of Joseph.


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And it came to pass at that time, that Jeroboam went forth from Jerusalem, and Ahijah the Shilonite, the prophet, found him in the road, and caused him to turn aside out of the way. And Ahijah was clothed with a new garment, and those two [were] alone in the field.


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And he said to Jeroboam, Take to yourself ten pieces, for thus says the Lord God of Israel: Behold, I tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give you ten tribes.


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Yet he shall have two tribes, for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.


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Because he forsook Me, and sacrificed to Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and to Chemosh, and to the idols of Moab, and to their king the abomination of the children of Ammon, and he walked not in My ways, to do that which was right before Me, as David his father [did].


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However, I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, (for I will certainly resist him all the days of his life,) for the sake of My servant David, whom I have chosen.


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But to his son I will give the two [remaining] tribes, that My servant David may have an establishment continually before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for Myself, to put My name there.


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And it shall come to pass, if you will keep all the commandments that I shall give you, and will walk in My ways, and do that which is right before Me, to keep My ordinances and My commandments, as David My servant did, that I will be with you, and will build you a sure house, as I built to David.


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And Solomon sought to slay Jeroboam; but he arose and fled into Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and he was in Egypt until Solomon died.


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And the rest of the history of Solomon, and all that he did, and all his wisdom, behold, are not these things written in the book of the life of Solomon?


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And Solomon slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David his father. And it came to pass when Jeroboam son of Nebat heard [of it], even while he was yet in Egypt as he fled from the face of Solomon and dwelt in Egypt, he straightway came into his own city, into the land of Sarira in the mount of Ephraim. And King Solomon slept with his fathers, and Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.


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but lighten somewhat of the hard service of your father, and of his heavy yoke which he put upon us, and we will serve you.


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Then the king referred [the matter] to the elders, who stood before Solomon his father while he was yet living, saying, How do you advise that I should answer this people?


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And they spoke to him, saying, If you will this day be a servant to this people, and serve them, and speak to them good words, then will they be your servants continually.


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But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they gave him, and consulted with the young men who were brought up with him, who stood in his presence.


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And he said to them, What counsel do you give? And what shall I answer to this people who speak to me, saying, Lighten somewhat of the yoke which your father has put upon us?


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And the young men who had been brought up with him, who stood before his face, spoke to him, saying, Thus shall you say to this people who have spoken to you, saying, Your father made our yoke heavy, and would you now lighten it from off us. Thus shall say to them: My little [finger shall be] thicker than my father's loins.


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And whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I also will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.


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And all Israel came to King Rehoboam on the third day, as the king spoke to them, saying, Return to me on the third day.


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And the king answered the people harshly. And Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men which they counseled him.


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And he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.


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And the king hearkened not to the people, because the change was from the Lord, that He might establish His word which He spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat.


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And all Israel saw that the king did not hearken to them. And the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? Neither have we any inheritance in the son of Jesse. Depart, O Israel, to your tents; now feed your own house, David.


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And the king sent Adoniram who was over the tribute; and they stoned him with stones, and he died. And King Rehoboam made haste to rise and flee to Jerusalem.


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And it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned out of Egypt, that they sent and called him to the assembly, and they made him king over Israel; and none followed the house of David except the tribe of Judah and Benjamin only.


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And Rehoboam went into Jerusalem, and he assembled the congregation of Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and twenty thousand young men, warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to recover the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.


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Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,


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Thus says the Lord: You shall not go up, neither shall you fight with your brethren the sons of Israel. Return each man to his own home, for this thing is from Me. And they hearkened to the word of the Lord, and they ceased from going up, according to the word of the Lord. So King Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David; and Rehoboam his son reigned in his place in Jerusalem, being sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twelve years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Naanan, daughter of Ana son of Naas king of the children of Ammon. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked not in the way of David his father. And there was a man of Mount Ephraim, a servant to Solomon, and his name [was] Jeroboam; and the name of his mother [was] Sarira, a harlot; and Solomon made him head of the levies of the house of Joseph. And he built for Solomon Sarira in Mount Ephraim; and he had three hundred chariots of horses. He built the citadel with the levies of the house of Ephraim; he fortified the City of David, and aspired to the kingdom. And Solomon sought to kill him; and he was afraid, and escaped to Shishak king of Egypt, and was with him until Solomon died. And Jeroboam heard in Egypt that Solomon was dead; and he spoke in the ears of Shishak king of Egypt, saying, Let me go, and I will depart into my land. And Shishak said to him, Ask any request, and I will grant it you. And Shishak gave to Jeroboam Ano the eldest sister of Tahpenes his wife, to be his wife. She was great among the daughters of the king, and she bore to Jeroboam Abia his son. And Jeroboa said to Shishak, Let me indeed go, and I will depart. And Jeroboam departed out of Egypt, and came into the land of Sarira that was in Mount Ephraim, and there the whole tribe of Ephraim assembled, and Jeroboam built a fortress there. And his young child was sick with a very severe sickness; and Jeroboam went to inquire concerning the child. And he said to Ano his wife, Arise, go, inquire of God concerning the child, whether he shall recover from his sickness. Now there was a man in Selom, and his name [was] Ahijah. And he was sixty years old, and the word of the Lord [was] with him. And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, and take in your hand loaves for the man of God, and cakes for his children, and grapes and a pot of honey. And the woman arose, and took in her hand bread, and two cakes, and grapes, and a pot of honey, for Ahijah. And the man [was] old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see. And she arose up from Sarira and went. And it came to pass when she had come into the city of Ahijah the Shilonite, that Ahijah said to his servant, Go out now to meet Ano the wife of Jeroboam, and you shall say to her, Come in, and stand not [still]; for thus says the Lord: I send grievous tidings to you. And Ano went in to the man of God; and Achia said to her, Why have you brought me bread and grapes, and cakes, and a pot of honey? Thus says the Lord: Behold, you shall depart from Me, and it shall come to pass when you have entered into the city, into Sarira, that your maidens shall come out to meet you, and shall say to you, The child is dead; for thus says the Lord: Behold, I will destroy every male of Jeroboam, and there shall be the dead of Jeroboam in the city, [them] the dogs shall eat, and him that has died in the field shall the birds of the air eat, and he shall lament for the child, [saying], Woe is [me], Lord! For there has been found in him some good thing touching the Lord. And the woman departed, when she heard this. And it came to pass as she entered into Sarira, that the child died; and there came forth a wailing to meet [her]. And Jeroboam went to Shechem in Mount Ephraim, and assembled there the tribes of Israel; and Rehoboam the son of Solomon went up there. And the word of the Lord came to Samaias son of Enlami, saying, Take to yourself a new garment which has not gone into the water, and tear it [into] twelve pieces; and you shall give [some] to Jeroboam, and you shall say to him, Thus says the Lord: Take to yourself ten pieces to cover you. And Jeroboam took [them]. And Samaias said, Thus says the Lord concerning the ten tribes of Israel. And the people said to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, Your father made his yoke heavy upon us, and made the meat of his table heavy; and now you shall lighten them upon us, and we will serve you. And Rehoboam said to the people, Wait three days, and I will return an answer. And Rehoboam said, Bring in to me the elders, and I will take counsel with them what I shall answer to the people on the third day. So Rehoboam spoke in their ears, as the people sent to him to [say]; and the elders of the people said, Thus the people have spoken to you. And Rehoboam rejected their counsel, and it pleased him not. And he sent and brought in those who had been brought up with him; and he said to them, Thus and thus has the people sent to me to say; and they that had been brought up with him said, Thus shall you speak to the people, saying, My little [finger] shall be thicker than my father's loins; my father scourged you with whips, but I will rule you with scorpions. And the saying pleased Rehoboam, and he answered the people as the young men, they that were brought up with him, counseled him. And all the people spoke as one man, everyone to his neighbor, and they cried out all together, saying, We have no part in David, nor inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel, everyone; for this man [is] not for a prince or a ruler over us. And all the people were dispersed from Shechem, and they departed everyone to his tent. And Rehoboam strengthened himself and departed, and mounted his chariot, and entered into Jerusalem. And the whole tribe of Judah followed him, and the whole tribe of Benjamin. And it came to pass at the beginning of the year, that Rehoboam gathered all the men of Judah and Benjamin, and went up to fight with Jeroboam at Shechem. And the word of the Lord came to Samaeas the man of God, saying, Speak to Rehoboam king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying, Thus says the Lord: You shall not go up, neither shall you fight with your brethren the sons of Israel; return every man to his house, for this thing is from Me. And they hearkened to the word of the Lord, and ceased to go up, according to the word of the Lord.


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And Jeroboam built Shechem in Mount Ephraim and dwelt in it, and went forth from there and built Penuel.


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If this people shall go up to offer sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of the people will return to their lord, and to their master, to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me.


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And the king took counsel, and went, and made two golden heifers, and said to the people, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold, [here are] your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.


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And this thing became a sin; and the people went before one as far as Dan, and left the house of the Lord.


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And he made houses on the high places, and made priests of any part of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.


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And Jeroboam appointed a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, according to the feast in the land of Judah;


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and went up to the altar which he made in Bethel to sacrifice to the heifers which he made, and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. And he went up to the altar which he had made, on the fifteenth dy in the eighth month, at the feast which he devised out of his own heart; and he made a feast to the children of Israel, and went up to the altar to sacrifice.


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And behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord to Bethel, and Jeroboam stood at the altar to sacrifice.


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And he cried against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus says the Lord: Behold, a son is [to be] born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and he shall offer upon you the priests of the high places, [even] of them that sacrifice upon you, and [he] shall burn men's bones upon you.


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And in that day one shall give a sign, saying, This [is] the word which the Lord has spoken, saying, Behold, the altar shall be split apart, and the fatness upon it shall be poured out.


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And it came to pass when King Jeroboam heard the words of the man of God who called on the altar that was in Bethel, that the king stretched forth his hand from the altar, saying, Take hold of him. And behold, his hand which he stretched forth against him withered, and he could not draw it back to himself.


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And the altar was split apart, and the fatness was poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God gave by the word of the Lord.


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And King Jeroboam said to the man of God, Intreat the Lord your God, and let my hand be restored to me. And the man of God intreated the Lord, and He restored the king's hand to him, and it became as before.


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And the king said to the man of God, Enter with me into the house, and dine, and I will give you a gift.


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And the man of God said to the king, If you should give me half of your house, I would not go in with you, neither will I eat bread, neither will I drink water in this place; for thus the Lord charged me by [His] word, saying,


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And there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel. And his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God did on that day in Bethel, and the words which he spoke to the king. And they turned the face of their father.


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And their father spoke to them, saying, Which way did he go? And his sons showed him the way by which the man of God who came out of Judah went up.


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and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak. And he said to him, Are you the man of God that came out of Judah? And he said to him, I [am].


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And he said, I shall not by any means be able to return with you, neither will I eat bread, neither will I drink water in this place.


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For thus the Lord commanded me by [His] word, saying, Eat not bread there, and drink not water, and return not by the way in which you came.


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And he said to him, I also am a prophet as you [are]; and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back to you into your house, and let him eat bread and drink water; but he lied to him.


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And it came to pass while they were sitting at the table, that the word of the Lord came to the prophet that brought him back;


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and he spoke to the man of God that came out of Judah, saying, Thus says the Lord: Because you have resisted the word of the Lord, and have not kept the commandment which the Lord your God has commanded you,


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but have returned, and eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which He spoke to you, saying, You shall not eat bread, and shall not drink water; [therefore] your body shall by no means enter into the tomb of your fathers.


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And it came to pass after he had eaten bread and drunk water, that he saddled the donkey for him, and he turned and departed.


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And a lion found him on the road, and killed him; and his body was cast out in the road, and the donkey was standing by it, and the lion [also] was standing by the body.


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And behold, men [were] passing by, and saw the corpse cast out in the road, and the lion was standing near the carcass. And they went in and spoke [of it] in the city where the old prophet dwelt.


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And [the prophet] that turned him back out of the road heard, and said, This is the man of God who rebelled against the word of the Lord.


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And he went and found the body cast in the road, and the donkey and the lion were standing by the body. And the lion had not devoured the body of the man of God, and had not torn the donkey.


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And the prophet took up the body of the man of God, and laid it on his donkey. And the prophet brought him back to his city, to bury him in his own tomb,


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And it came to pass after he had lamented him, that he spoke to his sons, saying, Whenever I die, bury me in this tomb in which the man of God is buried; lay me by his bones, that my bones may be preserved with his bones.


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For the word will surely come to pass which he spoke by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel, and against the high houses in Samaria.


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And after this Jeroboam turned not from his sin, but he turned and made some of the people priests of the [high places]. Whoever would, he consecrated him, and he became a priest for the high places.


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And this thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam, even to its destruction and its removal from the face of the earth.


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And Rehoboam son of Solomon ruled over Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in the city of Jerusalem, which the Lord chose to put His name there out of all the tribes of Israel. And his mother's name [was] Naamah the Ammonitess.


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And Rehoboam did evil in the sight of the Lord; and he provoked Him in all the things which their fathers did in their sins which they sinned.


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And they built for themselves high places, and pillars, and [planted] groves on every high hill, and under every shady tree.


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And there was a conspiracy in the land, and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the Lord removed from before the children of Israel.


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And it came to pass in the fifth year of the reign of Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem;


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and took all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house, and the golden spears which David took out of the hand of the sons of Adrazar king of Sheba, and brought them into Jerusalem, even all that he took, [and] the golden shields which Solomon had made, [and carried them away into Egypt].


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And King Rehoboam made bronze shields in place of them. And the chiefs of the body guard, who kept the gate of the house of the king, were placed in charge over them.


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And it came to pass when the king went into the house of the Lord, that the body guard took them up, and fixed them in the chamber of the body guard.


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And the rest of the history of Rehoboam, and all that he did, behold, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?


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And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David: and Abijam his son reigned in his place.


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And in the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam son of Rehoboam reigned over Judah.


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And he reigned three years over Jerusalem; and his mother's name [was] Maachah, daughter of Absalom.


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And he walked in the sins of his father which he wrought in his presence, and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as [was] the heart of his father [David].


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Nevertheless for David's sake the Lord gave him a remnant, that He might establish his children after him, and might establish Jerusalem.


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Forasmuch as David did that which was right in the sight of the Lord; he turned not from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life.


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And the rest of the history of Abijam, and all that he did, behold, are not these written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.


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And Abijam slept with his fathers in the twenty-fourth year of Jeroboam; and he is buried with his fathers in the City of David: And Asa his son reigned in his place.


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And he removed the sodomites from out of the land, and abolished all the practices which his fathers had kept up.


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And he removed Ana his mother from being queen, forasmuch as she gathered a meeting in her grove: and Asa cut down her retreats, and burnt them with fire in the Brook of Kidron.


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But he removed not the high places; nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect with the Lord all his days.


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And he brought in the pillars of his father, he even brought in his gold and silver pillars into the house of the Lord, and [his] vessels.


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And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, so that no one should go out or come in for Asa king of Judah.


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And Asa took all the silver and the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king's house, and gave them into the hands of his servants; and King Asa sent them out to the son of Hadad, the son of Tabrimmon son of Hezion king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying,


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Make a covenant between me and you, and between my father and your father: Behold, I have sent forth to you gold and silver [for] gifts: come, break your league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may go up from me.


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And the son of Hadad hearkened to King Asa, and sent the chiefs of his forces to the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, Dan, and Abel of the house of Maachah, and all Chinneroth, as far as the whole land of Naphtali.


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And King Asa charged all Judah without exception. And they took up the stones of Ramah and its timbers [with] which Baasha was building; and King Asa built with them upon the whole hill of Benjamin, and the watchtower.


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And the rest of the history of Asa, and all his mighty deeds which he wrought, and the cities which he built, behold, are not these written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? Nevertheless in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet.


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And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David his father: and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.


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And Nadab son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned two years in Israel.


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And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sins wherein he caused Israel to sin.


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And Baasha son of Ahijah, [who was] over the house of Belaan son of Achia, conspired against him, and killed him in Gibbethon of the Philistines; for Nebat and all Israel were besieging Gibbethon.


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And it came to pass when he reigned, that he killed the whole house of Jeroboam, and left none that breathed of Jeroboam, until he had destroyed him utterly, according to the word of the Lord which he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite,


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for the sins of Jeroboam, who led Israel into sin, even by his provocation wherewith he provoked the Lord God of Israel.


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And the rest of the history of Nadab, and all that he did, behold, are not these written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?


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And in the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah began to reign over Israel in Tirzah, twenty-four years.


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And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sins, as he caused Israel to sin.


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Forasmuch as I lifted you up from the earth, and made you ruler over My people Israel; and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam, and have caused My people Israel to sin, to provoke Me with their vanities;


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Behold, I raise up [enemies] after Baasha, and after his house; and I will make your house as the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat.


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Him the dies of Baasha in the city the dogs shall devour, and him that dies in the field the birds of the sky shall devour.


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Now the rest of the history of Baasha, and all that he did, and his mighty acts, behold, are not these written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?


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And Baasha slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Tirzah; and Elah his son reigned in his place.


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And the Lord spoke by Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, and against his house, [even] all the evil which he wrought before the Lord to provoke Him to anger by the works of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam; and because he killed him.


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And Zimri, captain of half his cavalry, conspired against him, while he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza the steward at Tirzah.


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that he killed all the house of Baasha, according to the word which the Lord spoke against the house of Baasha, and to Jehu the prophet,


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for all the sins of Baasha and Elah his son, as he led Israel astray to sin, to provoke the Lord God of Israel with their vanities.


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And the rest of the deeds of Elah which he did, behold, are not these written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?


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And Zimri reigned in Tirzah [for] seven days. And the army of Israel [was] encamped against Gibbethon of the Philistines.


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And the people heard in the army, saying, Zimri has conspired and killed the king. And the people of Israel made Omri the captain of the army king in that day in the camp over Israel.


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And it came to pass when Zimri saw that his city was taken, that he went into the inner chamber of the house of the king, and burnt the king's house over him, and died,


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because of his sins which he committed, doing that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, so as to walk in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sins wherein he caused Israel to sin.


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And the rest of the history of Zimri, and his conspiracies wherein he conspired, behold, are not these written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?


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Then the people of Israel divided; half the people went after Tibni the son of Ginath to make him king; and half the people went after Omri.


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The people that followed Omri overpowered the people that followed Tibni son of Ginath; and Tibni died and Joram his brother at that time, and Omri reigned after Tibni.


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In the thirty-first year of King Asa, Omri began to reign over Israel [for] twelve years: he reigned six years in Tirzah.


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And Omri bought the mount of Samaria from Shemer the lord of the mountain for two talents of silver; and he built [upon] the mountain, and they called the name of the mountain [on] which he built, after the name of Shemer the lord of the mount, Samaria.


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And Omri did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and wrought wickedly beyond all that were before him.


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And he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sins wherewith he caused Israel to sin, to provoke the Lord God of Israel by their vanities.


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And the rest of the acts of Omri, and all that he did, and all his might, behold, [are] not these things written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?


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And Omri slept with his fathers, and is buried in Samaria; and Ahab his son reigned in his place. And in the eleventh year of Omri, Jehoshaphat the son of Asa reigned, [being] thirty-five years old in the beginning of his reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Gazuba, daughter of Seli. And he walked in the way of Asa his father, and turned not from it, [even] from doing right in the eyes of the Lord; only they removed not [any] of the high places; they sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places. Now the engagements which Jehoshaphat made with the king of Israel, and all his mighty deeds which he performed, and the enemies whom he fought against, behold, [are] not these written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And the remains of the prostitution which they practiced in the days of Asa his father, he removed out of the land. And there was no king in Syria, [but] a deputy. Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will send forth your servants and my servants in the ship; but Jehoshaphat would not. And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and is buried with his fathers in the City of David: and Joram his son reigned in his place.


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In the second year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years.


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And Ahab did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did more wickedly than all that were before him.


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And it was not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, but he took Jezabel the daughter of Ethebaal king of the Sidonians for a wife; and he went and served Baal, and worshipped him.


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And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did yet more abominably, to provoke the Lord God of Israel, and [to sin against] his own life so that he should be destroyed: he did evil above all the kings of Israel that were before him.


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And in his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho: he laid the foundation of it with Abiram his firstborn, and he set up the doors of it with Segub his younger son, according to the word of the Lord which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.


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And Elijah the prophet, the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, As the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be these years dew nor rain, except by the word of my mouth.


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And it shall be [that] you shall drink water of the brook, and I will command the ravens to feed you there.


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And Elijah did according to the word of the Lord, and he sat by the Brook of Cherith before the Jordan.


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And the ravens brought him loaves in the morning, and flesh in the evening, and he drank water out of the brook.


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And it came to pass after some time, that the brook was dried up, because there had been no rain upon the earth.


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Arise, and go to Zarephath of the Sidonians; behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to provide for you.


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And he arose and went to Zarephath, and came to the gate of the city. And behold, a widow woman was there gathering sticks. And Elijah cried after her, and said to her, Fetch me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.


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And she went to fetch it; and Elijah cried after her and said, Bring me the morsel of the bread that is in your hand.


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And the woman said, [As] the Lord your God lives, I have not a cake, but only a handful of meal in this pitcher, and a little oil in a jar; and behold, I am going to gather two sticks, and I shall go in and dress it for myself and my children, and we shall eat it and die.


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And Elijah said to her, Be of good courage, go in and do according to your word; but make me a little cake from it first, and you shall bring [it] out to me, and you shall make [some] for yourself and your children last.


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For thus says the Lord: The pitcher of meal shall not fail, and the jar of oil shall not diminish, until the day that the Lord gives rain upon the earth.


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And the pitcher of meal failed not, and the jar of oil was not diminished, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by the hand of Elijah.


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And it came to pass afterward, that the son of the woman the mistress of the house was sick; and his sickness was very severe, until there was no breath left in him.


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And she said to Elijah, What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come in to me to bring my sins to remembrance, and to slay my son?


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And Elijah said to the woman, Give me your son. And he took him out of her bosom, and took him up to the chamber in which he himself lodged, and laid him on the bed.


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And Elijah cried aloud and said, Alas, O Lord, the witness of the widow with whom I sojourn, You have brought tragedy [for her] in slaying her son.


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And he breathed on the child three times, and called on the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, let the soul of this child return to him, I pray.


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and he brought him down from the upper chamber into the house, and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, See, your son lives.


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And the woman said to Elijah, Behold, I know that you [are] a man of God, and the word of the Lord in your mouth [is] true.


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And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, and appear before Ahab, and I will bring rain upon the face of the earth.


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And it came to pass when Jezabel had killed the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah took a hundred prophets, and hid them by fifties in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.


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And Ahab said to Obadiah, Come, and let us go through the land, and to the fountains of water, and to the brooks, if by any means we may find grass, and may save the horses and mules, and so they will not perish.


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And they made a division of the way between them to pass through it; Ahab went one way, and Obadiah went by another way alone.


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And Obadiah was alone in the road; and Elijah came alone to meet him. And Obadiah made haste, and fell upon his face, and said, My lord Elijah, are you [indeed] he?


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And Obadiah said, What sin have I committed, that you give your servant into the hand of Ahab to slay me?


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[As] the Lord your God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek you; and if they said, He is not [here], then has he set fire to the kingdom and its territories, because he has not found you.


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And it shall come to pass when I shall have departed from you, that the Spirit of the Lord shall carry you to a land which I know not, and I shall go in to tell the matter to Ahab, and he will not find you, and he will slay me; yet your servant fears the Lord from his youth.


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Has it not been told to you my lord, what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the Lord, how that I hid a hundred men of the prophets of the Lord, by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?


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And it came to pass when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to Elijah, Are you he that perverts Israel?


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And Elijah said, I do not pervert Israel; but it is you and your father's house, in that you forsake the Lord your God, and you have gone after the Baals.


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And now send, gather to me all Israel to Mount Carmel, and the four hundred and fifty prophets of shame, and the four hundred prophets of the groves, that eat [at] Jezebel's table.


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And Elijah drew near to them all. And Elijah said to them, How long will you halt on both feet? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him. And the people answered not a word.


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And Elijah said to the people, I alone am left, the prophet of the Lord; and the prophets of Baal [are] four hundred and fifty men, and the prophets of the groves [are] four hundred.


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Let them give us two bulls, and let them choose one for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire [on] the wood: and I will dress the other bull, but put no fire on it.


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Then you call loudly on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord my God, and it shall come to pass that the God who shall answer by fire, He [is] God. And all the people answered and said, The word which you have spoken [is] good.


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And Elijah said to the prophets of shame, Choose to yourselves one bull, and dress it first, for you [are] many; and call on the name of your god; but apply no fire.


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And they took the bull and dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning till noon, and said, hear us, O Baal, hear us. And there was no voice, neither was there hearing, and they ran up and down on the alter which they had made.


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And it was noon, and Elijah the Tishbite mocked them, and said, Call with a loud voice, for he is a god; for he is meditating, or else perhaps he is engaged in business, or perhaps he is asleep, and needs to be awakened.


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And they cried with a loud voice, and cut themselves according to their custom with knives and lancets until the blood gushed out upon them.


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And they prophesied until the evening came. And it came to pass as it was the time of the offering of the sacrifice, that Elijah the Tishbite spoke to the prophets of the abominations, saying, Stand by for the present, and I will offer my sacrifice. And they stood aside and departed.


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And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of Israel, as the Lord spoke to him, saying, Israel shall be your name.


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And he built up the stones in the name of the Lord, and repaired the altar that had been broken down; and he made a trench that would hold two measures of seed round about the altar.


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And he piled the cleft wood on the altar which he [had] made, and divided the whole burnt offering, and laid [it] on the wood, and laid [it] in order on the altar, and said, Fetch me four pitchers of water, and pour [it] on the whole burnt offering, and on the wood. And they did so.


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And he said, Do it a second time. And they did it a second time. And he said, Do it a third time. And they did it a third time.


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And Elijah cried aloud to the heavens, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, answer me, O Lord, answer me this day by fire, and let all this people know that You are the Lord, the God of Israel, and I [am] Your servant, and for Your sake I have done these works.


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Hear me, O Lord, hear me, and let this people know that You are the Lord God, and [that] You have turned back the heart of this people.


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Then fire fell from the Lord out of heaven, and devoured the whole burnt offerings, and the wood and the water that was in the trench, and the fire licked up the stones and the earth.


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And Elijah said to the people, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon, and he executed them there.


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And Ahab went up to eat and to drink; and Elijah went up to Carmel, and stooped to the ground, and put his face between his knees,


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and said to his servant, Go up, and look toward the sea. And the servant looked, and said, There is nothing. And Elijah said, Go again, seven times.


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And the servant went again seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, that behold, a little cloud like the sole of a man's foot brought water; and he said, Go up, and say to Ahab, make ready your chariot, and go down, lest the rain overtake you.


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And it came to pass in the meanwhile, that the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab wept, and went to Jezreel.


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And the hand of the Lord [was] upon Elijah, and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to Jezreel.


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And Ahab told Jezebel his wife all that Elijah [had] done, and how he [had] slain the prophets with the sword.


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And Jezebel sent to Elijah, and said, If you are Elijah and I am Jezebel, God do so to me and more also, if I do not make your life by this time tomorrow as the life of one of them!


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And Elijah feared, and rose, and departed for his life. And he came to Beersheba, [to] the land of Judah, and he left his servant there.


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And he himself went a day's journey in the wilderness, and came and sat under a juniper tree; and asked concerning his life that he might die, and said, Let it be enough now, O Lord, take my life from me, I pray, for I am no better than my fathers.


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And he lay down and slept there under the tree. And behold, someone touched him, and said to him, Arise and eat.


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And Elijah looked, and behold, at his head there was a cake of meal and a jar of water; and he arose, and ate and drank, and returned and laid down.


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And the Angel of the Lord returned again, and touched him, and said to him, Arise and eat, for the journey [is] too great for you.


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And he arose, and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food for forty days and forty nights, to Mount Horeb.


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And he entered there into a cave, and rested there. And behold, the word of the Lord [came] to him, and He said, What are you [doing] here, Elijah?


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And Elijah said, I have been very jealous for the Lord Almighty, because the children of Israel have forsaken You; they have dug down Your altars, and have slain Your prophets with the sword; and I alone am left, and they seek my life, to take it.


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And He said, You shall go forth tomorrow, and shall stand before the Lord in the mount; behold, the Lord will pass by. And behold, a great [and] strong wind tore into the mountains, and crushed the rocks before the Lord; [but] the Lord [was] not in the wind. And after the wind [there was] an earthquake; [but] the Lord [was] not in the earthquake.


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And after the earthquake [there was] a fire; [but] the Lord [was] not in the fire. And after the fire [there was] the voice of a gentle breeze.


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And it came to pass when Elijah heard, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went forth and stood in the cave. And behold, a voice [came] to him and said, What are you [doing] here, Elijah?


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And Elijah said, I have been very jealous for the Lord Almighty; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, and they have overthrown Your altars, and have slain Your prophets with the sword! And I alone am left, and they seek my life, to take it.


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And the Lord said to him, Go, return, and you shall come into the way of the Wilderness of Damascus; and you shall go and anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.


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And Jehu the son of Nimshi shall you anoint to be king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat shall you anoint to be prophet in your place.


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And it shall come to pass that whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall slay; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall slay.


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And you shall leave in Israel seven thousand men, all the knees which had not bowed themselves to Baal, and every mouth which had not worshipped him.


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And he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, and he was ploughing with oxen; [there were] twelve yoke before him, and he was with the twelve, and he passed by to him, and cast his mantle upon him.


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And Elisha left the cattle, and ran after Elijah and said, I will kiss my father, and follow after you. And Elijah said, Return, for I have done [a work] for you.


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And he returned from following him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slaughtered them, and boiled them with the instruments of the oxen, and gave to the people, and they ate. And he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered to him.


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And the son of Hadad gathered all his forces, and went up and besieged Samaria, [he] and thirty-two kings with him, and all [his] horses and chariots; and they went up and besieged Samaria, and fought against it.


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And the king of Israel answered and said, As you have said, my lord, O king, I am yours, and all mine [as well].


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And the messengers came again, and said, Thus says the son of Hadad: I sent to you, saying, You shall give me your silver and your gold, and your wives and your children.


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For at this time tomorrow, I will send my servants to you, and they shall search your house, and the houses of your servants, and it shall be that all the desirable objects of their eyes on which they shall lay their hands, they shall take [them].


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And the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Take notice now and consider, that this man seeks mischief; for he has sent to me concerning my wives, and concerning my sons an concerning my daughters; I have not kept back from him my silver and my gold.


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And he said to the messengers of the son of Hadad, Say to your master, All things that you have sent to your servant about at first I will do; but this thing I shall not be able to do. And the men departed, and carried back the answer to him.


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And the son of Hadad sent to him, saying, So do God to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for foxes to all the people, even my infantry.


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And the king of Israel answered and said, Let it be sufficient; let not the humpbacked boast as he that is upright.


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And it came to pass when he returned him this answer, he and all the kings with him were drinking in tents. And he said to his servants, Form a trench. And they made a trench against the city.


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And behold, a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel, and said, Thus says the Lord: Have you seen this great multitude? Behold, I give it this day into your hands, and you shall know that I [am] the Lord.


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And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus says the Lord: by the young men of the heads of the districts. And Ahab said, Who shall begin the battle? And he said, You.


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And Ahab numbered the young men the heads of the districts, and they were two hundred and thirty. And afterwards he numbered the people, [even] every man fit for war, seven thousand.


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And he went forth at noon, and the son of Hadad was drinking [and] getting drunk in Succhoth, he and the kings, [even] thirty-two kings, his allies.


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And the young men the heads of the districts went forth first; and they sent and reported to the king of Syria, saying, There are men come forth out of Samaria.


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And he said to them, If they come forth peaceably, take them alive; and if they come forth to war, take them alive;


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and let not the young men the heads of the districts go forth of the city. And the force that was behind them


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killed each one the man next to him; and each one a second time killed the man next to him. And Syria fled, and Israel pursued them; and the son of Hadad, the king of Syria, escaped on the horse of a horseman.


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And the king of Israel went forth, and took all the horses and the chariots, and attacked [the enemy] with a great slaughter in Syria.


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And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said, Strengthen yourself, and observe, and see what you shall do; for in the spring of the year the son of Hadad king of Syria shall come up against you.


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And the servants of the king of Syria said, The God of Israel [is] a God of mountains, and not a God of valleys; therefore has he prevailed against us; but if we should fight against them in the plain, verily we shall prevail against them.


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And we will give you [another] army according to the army that was destroyed, and cavalry according to the cavalry, and chariots according to the chariots, and we will fight against them in the plain, and we shall prevail against them. And he hearkened to their voice, and did so.


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And it came to pass at the return of the year, that the son of Hadad reviewed Syria, and went up to Aphek to war against Israel.


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And the children of Israel were numbered, and came to meet them. And Israel encamped before them as two little flocks of goats, but Syria filled the land.


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Then the man of God came, and said to the king of Israel, Thus says the Lord: Because Syria has said, The Lord God of Israel [is] a God of the hills, and He [is] not a God of the valleys, therefore will I give this great army into your hand, and you shall know that I [am] the Lord.


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And they encamped one over against the other before them for seven days. And it came to pass on the seventh day that the battle drew on, and Israel attacked Syria, [even] a hundred thousand footmen in one day.


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And the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and the wall fell upon twenty-seven thousand men that were left. And the son of Hadad fled, and entered into an inner chamber, into a closet.


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And he said to his servants, I know that the kings of Israel are merciful kings: let us now put sackcloth upon our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and let us go forth to the king of Israel, if by any means he will save our souls alive.


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So they put sackcloth upon their loins, and put ropes upon their heads, and said to the king of Israel, Your servant the son of Hadad says, Let our souls live, I pray. And he said, Does he yet live? He is my brother.


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And the men divined, and offered drink offerings; and they caught the word out of his mouth, and said, Your brother the son of Hadad. And he said, Go in and fetch him. And the son of Hadad went out to him, and they caused him to go up to him into the chariot.


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And he said to him, The cities which my father took from your father I will restore to you; and you shall make streets for yourself in Damascus, as my father made streets in Samaria; and I will let you go with a covenant. And he made a covenant with him, and let him go.


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And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his neighbor by the word of the Lord, Strike me. And the man would not strike him.


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And he said to him, Because you have not hearkened to the voice of the Lord, therefore behold, as you depart from me, a lion shall kill you. And he departed from him, and a lion found him, and killed him.


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And the prophet went and stood before the king of Israel by the road, and bound his eyes with a bandage.


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And it came to pass as the king passed by, that he cried aloud to the king, and said, Your servant went out to war, and behold, a man brought [another] man to me, and said to me, Guard this man; and if he should by any means escape, then your life shall go for his life, or you shall pay a talent of silver.


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And it came to pass, that your servant looked round this way and that way, and the man was gone. And the king of Israel said to him, Behold, you have also destroyed snares [set] for me.


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And he hastened to take away the bandage from his eyes; and the king of Israel recognized him, that he was one of the prophets.


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And he said to him, Thus says the Lord: Because you have allowed this man appointed to destruction to escape out of your hand, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.


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And Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, Give me your vineyard, and I will have it for a garden of herbs, for it [is] near my house; and I will give you another vineyard better than [that] one; or if it please you, I will give you money, the price of this your vineyard, and I will have it for a garden of herbs.


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And the spirit of Ahab was troubled, and he lay down upon his bed, and covered his face, and ate no bread.


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And Jezebel his wife went in to him, and spoke to him, [saying], Why [is] your spirit troubled, and [why] do you eat no bread?


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And he said to her, Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite, saying, Give me your vineyard for money; or if you will, I will give you another vineyard for it; and he said, I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.


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And Jezebel his wife said to him, Do you now thus act [this way, being] king over Israel? Arise, and eat bread, and be your own [master], and I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.


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And she wrote a letter in the name of Ahab, and sealed it with his seal, and sent the letter to the elders, and to the freemen who dwelt with Naboth.


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And it was written in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth in a chief place among the people.


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And set two men, sons of transgressors, before him, and let them testify against him, saying, He blasphemed God and the king: and let them lead him forth, and stone him, and let him die.


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And the men of his city, the elders, and the nobles who dwelt in his city, did as Jezabel sent to them, and as it had been written in the letters which she sent to them.


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And two men, sons of transgressors, came in, and sat opposite him, and bore witness against him, saying, You have 6blasphemed God and the king. And they led him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, and he died.


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And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard [it], that she said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, who would not sell it to you; for Naboth is not alive, for he is dead.


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And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth the Jezreelite was dead, that he tore his clothes, and put on sackcloth. And it came to pass afterward, that Ahab arose and went down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.


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Arise, and go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria, for he [is] in the vineyard of Naboth, for he has gone down there to take possession of it.


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And you shall speak to him, saying, Thus says the Lord: Forasmuch as you have slain and taken possession, therefore thus says the Lord, In every place where the swine and the dogs have licked the blood of Naboth, there shall the dogs lick your blood; and the harlots shall wash themselves in your blood.


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And Ahab said to Elijah, Have you found me, O my enemy? And he said, I have found [you]; because you have wickedly sold yourself to work evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger;


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behold, I bring evil upon you; and I will kindle a fire after you, and I will utterly destroy every male of Ahab, and him that is shut up and him that is left in Israel.


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And I will make your house as the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and as the house of Baasha son of Ahijah, because of the provocations in which you have provoked [Me], and caused Israel to sin.


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Him that is dead of Ahab in the city shall the dogs eat, and him that dies in the field of Ahab shall the birds of the sky eat.


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But Ahab [did] wickedly, in that he sold himself to do that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as his wife Jezebel led him astray.


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And he did very abominably in following after the abominations, according to all that the Amorite did, whom the Lord utterly destroyed from before the children of Israel.


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And because of the word, Ahab was pierced with sorrow before the Lord, and he both went weeping, and tore his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his body, and fasted; he put on sackcloth also in the day that he smote Naboth the Jezreelite, and went his way.


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Have you seen how Ahab has been pricked [to the heart] before Me? I will not bring on the evil in his days, but in his son's days will I bring on the evil.


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And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to the king of Israel.


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And the king of Israel said to his servants, Do you know that Ramoth Gilead [is] ours, and we are slow to take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?


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And Jehoshaphat said, As I [am], so [are] you also; as my people, [so are] your people; as my horses, [so are] your horses. And Jehoshaphat king of Judah said to the king of Israel, Please inquire of the Lord today.


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And the king of Israel gathered all the prophets together, about four hundred men. And the king said to them, Shall I go up to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I refrain? And they said, Go up, for the Lord will surely give [it] into the hands of the king.


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And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Is there not [still] a prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of the Lord by him?


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And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is one man here [for us] to inquire of the Lord by; but I hate him, for he does not speak good of me, but only evil; Micaiah son of Imlah. And Jehoshaphat king of Judah said, Let not the king say such things!


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And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat, each on his throne, armed in the gates of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.


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And Zedekiah son of Chenaanah made for himself iron horns, and said, Thus says the Lord: With these you shall push the Syrians, until they are consumed.


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And all the prophets prophesied in like manner, saying, Go up to Ramoth Gilead, and [the thing] shall prosper, and the Lord shall deliver it and the king of Syria into your hands.


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And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, Behold now, all the prophets speak good [things] with one mouth concerning the king; let now your words be like the words of one of them, and speak good things.


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And he came to the king. And the king said to him, Micaiah, shall I go up to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I refrain? And he said, Go up, for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.


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And the king said to him, How often must I adjure you, that you speak truth to me in the name of the Lord?


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And he said, Not so. I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains as a flock without a shepherd. And the Lord said, [Is] not God [the] Lord of these? Let each one return to his home in peace.


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And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Did I not say to you that this man does not prophesy good to me, for [he speaks] nothing but evil?


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And Micaiah said, Not so, [it is] not I: hear the word of the Lord: I saw the God of Israel sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven stood about Him on His right hand and on His left.


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And the Lord said, Who will deceive Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall in Ramoth Gilead? And one spoke one way, and another [spoke] another way.


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And the Lord said to him, In what way? And he said, I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, You shall deceive him; yea, and you shall prevail: go forth, and do so.


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And now, behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets, and the Lord has spoken evil against you.


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And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, What sort of a spirit of the Lord [has] spoken in you?


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And Micaiah said, Behold, you shall see in that day, when you shall go into an innermost chamber to hide yourself there.


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and tell Joash the king's son to put this [fellow] in prison, and to feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction, until I return in peace.


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And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle, and you put on my robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.


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And the king of Syria had charged the thirty-two captains of his chariots, saying, Fight not [against] small or great, but against the king of Israel only.


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And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat king of Judah, that they said, this seems [to be] the king of Israel. And they compassed him about to fight [against] him; and Jehoshaphat cried out.


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And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw that this was not the king of Israel, that they returned from him.


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And one drew a bow with a good aim, and struck the king of Israel between the lungs and the breastplate. And he said to his charioteer, Turn your hands, and carry me away out of the battle, for I am wounded.


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And the war was turned in that day, and the king was standing on the chariot, against Syria from morning till evening; and he shed the blood out of his wound, into the bottom of the chariot, and died at evening, and the blood ran out of the wound into the bottom of the chariot.


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And the herald of the army stood at sunset, saying, Let every man go to his own city and his own land,


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And they washed the chariot at the fountain of Samaria; and the swine and the dogs licked up the blood, and the harlots washed themselves in the blood, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke.


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And the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he built, and all the cities which he built, behold, [are] not these things written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?


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And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa reigned over Judah. In the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel Jehoshaphat began to reign.


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[He was] thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name [was] Azuba daughter of Shilhi.


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And he walked in all the way of Asa his father: he turned not from it, even from doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord. Only he took not away [any] of the high places; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places.


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And the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his mighty deeds, whatever he did, behold, [are] not these things written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?


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And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried by his fathers in the City of David his father, and Jehoram his son reigned in his place.


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And Ahaziah son of Ahab reigned over Israel in Samaria: in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Ahaziah son of Ahab reigned over Israel in Samaria two years.


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And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of Ahab his father, and in the way of Jezebel his mother, and in the sins of the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin.


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And he served the Baals and worshipped them, and provoked the Lord God of Israel, according to all that had been done before him.


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[Now] Ahaziah fell through the lattice that was in his upper chamber in Samaria, and was sick. And he sent messengers, and said to them, Go and inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover of this my sickness. And they went to inquire of him.


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And an angel of the Lord called Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, and go to meet the messengers of Ahaziah king of Samaria, and you shall say to them, [Is it] because there is no God in Israel, [that] you go to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? But [it shall] not [be] so.


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For thus says the Lord: The bed on which you have gone up, you shall not come down from it, for you shall surely die. And Elijah went, and said [thus] to them.


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And they said to him, A man came up to meet us, and said to us, Go, return to the king that sent you, and say to him, Thus says the Lord: [Is it] because there is no God in Israel, [that] you go to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? [It shall] not [be] so: the bed on which you have gone up, you shall not come down from it, for you shall surely die.


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So they returned and reported to the king as Elijah said. And he said to them, What [was] the manner of the man who went up to meet you, and spoke to you these words?


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And they said to him, [He was] a hairy man, and girded with a leather belt about his loins. And he said, This is Elijah the Tishbite.


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And he sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty [men]. And he went up to him; and behold, Elijah sat on the top of a mountain. And the captain of fifty spoke to him, and said, O man of God, the king has called you, come down.


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And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, And if I [am] a man of God, fire shall come down out of heaven, and devour you and your fifty [men]. And fire came down out of heaven, and devoured him and the fifty.


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And the king sent a second time to him another captain of fifty, and his fifty. And the captain of fifty spoke to him, and said, O man of God, thus says the king, Come down quickly.


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And Elijah answered and spoke to him, and said, If I [am] a man of God, fire shall come down out of heaven, and devour you and your fifty. And fire came down out of heaven, and devoured him and his fifty.


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And the king sent yet again a captain and his fifty. And the third captain of fifty came, and knelt on his knees before Elijah, and entreated him, and spoke to him and said, O man of God, let my life, and the life of these fifty your servants, be precious in your eyes.


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Behold, fire came down from heaven, and devoured the two first captains of fifty; and now, I pray, let my life be precious in your eyes.


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And the Angel of the Lord spoke to Elijah, and said, Go down with him, be not afraid of them. And Elijah rose up, and went down with him to the king.


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And Elijah spoke to him, and said, Thus says the Lord: Why have you sent messengers to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? [It shall] not [be] so; the bed on which you have gone up, you shall not come down from it, for you shall surely die.


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And the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, behold, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? And Jehoram son of Ahab reiged over Israel in Samaria twelve years, [beginning] in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, only not as his brethren, nor as his mother; and he removed the pillars of Baal which his father made, and broke them in pieces; only he was joined to the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who led Israel to sin; he departed not from them. And the Lord was very angry with the house of Ahab.


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And it came to pass, when the Lord was about to take Elijah with a whirlwind into heaven, that Elijah and Elisha went out of Gilgal.


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And Elijah said to Elisha, Stay here, please; for God has sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said, [As] the Lord lives and your soul lives, I will not leave you; so they came to Bethel.


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And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came to Elisha, and said to him, Do you know that the Lord this day is going to take away your master from over you? And he said, Yes, I know [it]; be silent.


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And Elijah said to Elisha, Stay here, please; for the Lord has sent me to Jericho. And he said, [As] the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. And they came to Jericho.


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And the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, Do you know that the Lord this day is going to take away your master from over you? And he said, Yes, I know [it]; hold your peace.


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And Elijah said to him, Stay here please, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan. And Elisha said, [As] the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. And they both went on.


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And fifty men of the sons of the prophets [went also], and they stood opposite afar off; and both stood on [the bank] of the Jordan.


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And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and struck the water, and the water was divided on this side and on that side, and they both went over on dry ground.


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And it came to pass while they were crossing over, that Elijah said to Elisha, Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken up from you. And Elisha said, Let there be a double [portion] of your spirit upon me.


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And Elijah said, You have asked a hard thing: if you shall see me when I am taken up from you, then shall it be so to you; and if not, it shall not be [so].


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And it came to pass as they were going, they went on talking; and behold, a chariot of fire [appeared,] with horses of fire, and it separated the two of them; and Elijah was taken up in a whirlwind into heaven.


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And Elisha saw, and cried, Father, father, the chariot of Israel, and its horseman! And he saw him no more. And he took hold of his garments, and tore them into two pieces.


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And he took up the mantle of Elijah, which fell from off him upon Elisha; and Elisha returned, and stood upon the brink of the Jordan;


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and he took the mantle of Elijah, which fell from off him, and struck the water, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? And he struck the waters, and they were divided this way and that; and Elisha went over.


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And the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho on the opposite side saw him, and said, The spirit of Elijah has rested upon Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed down before him to the ground.


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And they said to him, Behold now, [there are] with your servants fifty men of strength: let them go now, and seek your master: perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up, and cast him into the Jordan, or on one of the mountains, or on one of the hills. And Elisha said, You shall not send [them].


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And they pressed him until he was ashamed; and he said, Send [them]. And they sent fifty men, and sought [him for] three days, and found him not.


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And the men of the city said to Elisha, Behold, the situation of the city [is] good, as [our] lord sees; but the waters [are] bad, and the ground barren.


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And Elisha said, Bring me a new pitcher, and put salt in it. And they took [one], and brought [it] to him.


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And Elisha went out to the spring of the waters, and cast in the salt there, and said, Thus says the Lord: I have healed these waters; there shall be no more death there or barrenness.


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And he went up there to Bethel. And as he was going up by the road, there came up also little children from the city, and mocked him, and said to him, Go up, baldhead, go up.


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And he turned after them, and saw them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And behold, there came out two bears out of the woods, and they mauled forty-two children among them.


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Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign in Israel in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years.


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And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, only not as his father, nor as his mother; and he removed the pillars of Baal which his father had made.


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Only he adhered to the sin of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin; he departed not from it.


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And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepbreeder, and he rendered to the king of Israel in the beginning [of the year], a hundred thousand lambs, and a hundred thousand rams, with the wool.


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And it came to pass, after the death of Ahab, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.


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And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab has rebelled against me: will you go with me against Moab to war? And he said, I will go up: you are as I [am], [and] I am as you; as my people, so [are] your people, as my horses, so [are] your horses.


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And the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom; and they marched on that roundabout route for seven days; and there was no water for the army, and for the cattle that went with them.


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And the king of Israel said, Alas! That the Lord should have called the three kings on their way, to give them into the hand of Moab.


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And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire of the Lord by him? And one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, [There is] here Elisha son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.


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And Jehoshaphat said, He has the word of the Lord. And the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and the king of Edom went down to him.


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And Elisha said to the king of Israel, What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father, and the prophets of your mother. And the king of Israel said to him, Has the Lord called the three kings to deliver them into the hands of Moab?


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And Elisha said, [As] the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, unless I regarded the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not have looked on you, nor seen you.


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And now fetch me a harpist. And it came to pass, as the harpist played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.


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For thus says the Lord: You shall not see wind, neither shall you see rain, yet this valley shall be filled with water, and you and your flocks and your cattle shall drink.


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And you shall smite every strong city, and you shall cut down every good tree, and you shall stop all wells of water, and spoil every good piece [of land] with stones.


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And it came to pass in the morning, when the sacrifice was offered, that behold, waters came from the way of Edom, and the land was filled with water.


text:
And all Moab heard that the three kings had come up to fight against them. And they cried out on every [side, even] all that were girded with a belt, and they said, Lo! And stood upon the border.


text:
And they rose early in the morning, and the sun rose upon the waters, and the Moabites saw the water on the opposite side red as blood.


text:
And they said, This [is] the blood of the sword; and the kings have fought, and each man has killed his neighbor; now then to the spoils, O Moab!


text:
And they entered into the camp of Israel; and Israel arose and attacked the Moabites, and they fled from before them; and they went on and attacked Moab as they went.


text:
And they razed the cities, and cast every man his stone on every good piece [of land] and filled it; and they stopped every well, and cut down every good tree, until they left [only] the stones of the wall cast down; and the slingers surrounded [the land], and attacked it.


text:
And the king of Moab saw that the battle prevailed against him; and he took with him seven hundred men that drew the sword, to cut through to the king of Edom, and they could not.


text:
And he took his eldest son whom he had designed to reign in his place, and offered him up for a whole burnt offering on the walls. And there was a great indignation against Israel; and they departed from him, and returned to their land.


text:
And one of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, saying, Your servant my husband is dead; and you know that your servant feared the Lord; and the creditor has come to take my two sons to be his servants.


text:
And Elisha said, What shall I do for you? Tell me what you have in the house. And she said, Your servant has nothing in the house, except oil that I anoint myself with.


text:
And he said to her, Go, borrow for yourself vessels from of all your neighbors, [even] empty vessels; borrow not a few.


text:
And you shall go in and shut the door upon you and upon your sons, and you shall pour forth into these vessels, and remove that which is filled.


text:
And she departed from him, and shut the door upon herself and upon her sons. They brought the vessels near to her, and she poured in until the vessels were filled.


text:
And she said to her sons, Bring me another vessel. And they said to her, There is no more vessels. And the oil ceased.


text:
And she came and told the man of God. And Elisha said, Go, sell the oil, and you shall pay your debts, and you and your sons shall live from the remaining oil.


text:
Now it happened one day that Elisha passed over to Shunem, and [there was] a great lady there, and she constrained him to eat bread. And it came to pass as often as he went into [the city, that] he turned aside to eat there.


text:
And the woman said to her husband, See now, I know that this [is] a holy man of God who comes over continually to us.


text:
Let us now make for him an upper chamber, a small place; and let us put a bed there for him, and a table, and a stool, and a lamp; and it shall come to pass that when he comes in to us, he shall turn in there.


text:
And it happened one day that he went in there, and turned aside into the upper chamber, and lay there.


text:
And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call me this Shunammite. So he called her, and she stood before him.


text:
And he said to him, Say now to her, Behold, you have taken all this trouble for us; what should I do for you? Have you any request [to make] to the king, or to the captain of the army? And she said, I dwell in the midst of my people.


text:
And he said to Gehazi, What must we do for her? And Gehazi his servant said, Indeed she has no son, and her husband [is] old.


text:
And Elisha said to her, At this time [next year], as the season [is], you [shall be] alive, and embrace a son. And she said, No, my lord, do not lie to your servant.


text:
And the woman conceived, and bore a son at the very time, as the season was, being alive, as Elisha said to her.


text:
that he said to his father, My head, my head. And [his father] said to a servant, carry him to his mother.


text:
And she carried him up and laid him on the bed of the man of God; and she shut the door upon him, and went out.


text:
And she called her husband, and said, Send now for me one of the young men, and one of the donkeys, and I will ride quickly to the man of God, and return.


text:
And he said, Why are you going to him today? It is neither new moon, nor the Sabbath. And she said, [It is] well.


text:
And she saddled the donkey, and said to her servant, Be quick, proceed: spare not on my account to ride, unless I shall tell you. Go, and you shall proceed, and come to the man of God, to Mount Carmel.


text:
And she rode and came to the man of God to the mountain. And it came to pass when Elisha saw her coming, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, that Shunammite comes.


text:
Now run to meet her, and you shall say, [Is it] well with you? [Is it] well with your husband? [Is it] well with the child? And she said, [It is] well.


text:
And she came to Elisha to the mountain, and laid hold of his feet; and Gehazi drew near to thrust her away. And Elisha said, Let her alone, for her soul [is] much grieved in her, and the Lord has hidden [it] from me, and has not told [it] to me.


text:
And Elisha said to Gehazi, Gird up your loins, and take my staff in your hand, and go: if you meet any man, you shall not greet him, and if a man greet you, you shall not answer him; and you shall lay my staff on the child's face.


text:
And the mother of the child said, [As] the Lord lives and [as] your soul lives, I will not leave you. And Elisha arose, and went after her.


text:
And Gehazi went on before her, and laid his staff on the child's face; but there was neither voice nor any hearing. So he returned to meet him, and told him, saying, The child has not awakened.


text:
And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands, and bowed himself upon him, and the flesh of the child grew warm.


text:
And he returned, and walked up and down in the house. And he went up, and bowed himself on the child seven times, and the child opened his eyes.


text:
And Elisha cried out to Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her, and she came in to him. And Elisha said, Take your son.


text:
And the woman went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed down to the ground; and she took her son, and went out.


text:
And Elisha returned to Gilgal. And a famine [was] in the land; and the sons of the prophets sat before him. And Elisha said to his servant, Set on the great pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.


text:
And he went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a vine in the field, and gathered of it wild gourds, and filled his garment; and he cast them into the caldron of stew, for they knew not what they were.


text:
And he poured it out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, when they were eating of the stew, that behold, they cried out, and said, [There is] death in the pot, O man of God! And they could not eat.


text:
And he said, Take meal, and cast it into the pot. And Elisha said to his servant Gehazi, Pour out for the people, and let them eat. And there was no longer there any hurtful thing in the pot.


text:
And there came a man over from Baal Shalisha, and brought to the man of God twenty barley loaves and cakes of figs, of the firstfruits. And he said, Give to the people, and let them eat.


text:
And his servant said, Why should I set this before a hundred men? And he said, Give to the people, and let them eat; for thus says the Lord: They shall eat and [have some] left over.


text:
Now Naaman, the captain of the army of Syria, was a great man before his master, and highly respected, because by him the Lord had given deliverance to Syria, and the man was mighty in strength, [but] [he was] a leper.


text:
And the Syrians went forth in small bands, and took captive out of the land of Israel a young girl; and she waited on Naaman's wife.


text:
And she said to her mistress, O that my lord were before the prophet of God in Samaria; then he would heal him from his leprosy.


text:
And the king of Syria said to Naaman, Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel. And he went, and took in his hand ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of clothing.


text:
And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now then, as soon as this letter shall reach you, behold, I have sent to you my servant Naaman, and you shall heal him from his leprosy.


text:
And it came to pass, when the king of Israel read the letter, [that] he tore his clothes, and said, [Am] I God, [able] to kill and to make alive, that this [man] sends to me to heal a man of his leprosy? Consider, however, and see that this [man] seeks an occasion against me.


text:
And it came to pass, when Elisha heard that the king of Israel had tore his clothes, that he sent to the king of Israel, saying, Why have you torn your clothes? Let Naaman come to me, and let him know that there is a prophet in Israel.


text:
And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh shall return to you, and you shall be cleansed.


text:
But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, Behold, I said to myself, He will by all means come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of his God, and lay his hand upon the place, and heal the leprosy.


text:
[Are] not the Abanah and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not go and wash in them, and be cleansed? And he turned and went away in a rage.


text:
And his servants came near and said to him, [Suppose] the prophet had spoken a great thing to you, would you not perform it? Yet he has but said to you, Wash, and be cleansed.


text:
So Naaman went down, and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of Elisha; and his flesh returned to him as the flesh of a little child, and he was cleansed.


text:
And he and all his company returned to Elisha, and he came and stood before him, and said, Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth, save only in Israel; and now receive a blessing from your servant.


text:
And Elisha said, [As] the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will not take [anything]. And he pressed him to take [something]; but he would not.


text:
And Naaman said, Well then, if not, let there be given to your servant the load [of a] yoke of mules; and you shall give me of the red earth; for your servant will no longer offer whole burnt offerings or sacrifice to other gods, but only to the Lord by [reason of] this thing.


text:
And let the Lord be propitious to your servant when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he shall lean on my hand, and I shall bow down in the house of Rimmon, when he bows down in the house of Rimmon; even let the Lord be merciful to your servant in this matter.


text:
And Gehazi the servant of Elisha said, Behold, my Lord has spared this Syrian Naaman, so as not to take of his hand what he has brought; as the Lord lives, I will surely run after him, and take something from him.


text:
So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And Naaman saw him running after him, and turned back from his chariot to meet him.


text:
And [Gehazi] said, All is well: my master has sent me, saying, Behold, now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from Mount Ephraim; please give them a talent of silver, and two changes of clothes.


text:
And [Naaman] said, Take two talents of silver. And he took two talents of silver in two bags, and two changes of clothing, and put them upon two of his servants, and they bore them before him.


text:
And he came to a secret place, and took them from their hands, and laid them up in the house, and dismissed the men.


text:
From where [have you come], Gehazi? And Gehazi said, Your servant has not been anywhere. And Elisha said to him, Did not my heart go with you, when the man returned from his chariot to meet you? And now you have received silver, and now you have received clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, menservants, and maidservants.


text:
The leprosy also of Naaman shall cleave to you, and to your seed forever. And he went out from his presence leprous, like snow.


text:
And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell before you is too narrow for us.


text:
Let us go to the Jordan, and take from there every man a beam, and make for ourselves a habitation there.


text:
And behold, one was cutting down a beam, and the axe head fell into the water. And he cried out, Alas, master; and it was hidden.


text:
And the man of God said, Where did it fall? And he showed him the place. And he broke off a stick, and threw it in there, and the iron came to the surface.


text:
And the king of Syria was at war with Israel. And he consulted with his servants, saying, I will encamp in such a place.


text:
And Elisha sent to the king of Israel, saying, Take heed that you pass not by that place, for the Syrians are hidden there.


text:
And the king of Israel sent to the place which Elisha mentioned to him, and he was watchful there, not just once or twice.


text:
And the mind of the king of Syria was very much disturbed concerning this thing. And he called his servants, and said to them, Will you not tell me who betrays me to the king of Israel?


text:
And one of his servants said, None, my Lord, O king, but Elisha the prophet that is in Israel reports to the king of Israel all the words that you speak in your bedroom.


text:
And he said, Go, see where this man [is], and I will send and take him. And they sent word to him, saying, Behold, [he is] in Dothan.


text:
And he sent horses there, and chariots, and a great army. And they came by night, and compassed about the city.


text:
And the servant of Elisha rose up early and went out; and behold, an army compassed the city, and horses and chariots. And the servant said to him, O master, what shall we do?


text:
And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, open the eyes of the servant, I pray, and let him see. And the Lord opened his eyes, and he saw. And behold, the mountain [was] full of horses, and there were chariots of fire round about Elisha.


text:
And they came down to him; and he prayed to the Lord, and said, Strike this people, I pray, with blindness. And He struck them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha.


text:
And Elisha said to them, This [is] not the city, and this [is] not the way: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek. And he led them away to Samaria.


text:
And it came to pass when they entered into Samaria, that Elisha said, O Lord, open their eyes, and let them see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw; and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.


text:
And he said, You shall not kill them, unless you would kill those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow--set bread and water before them, and let them eat and drink, and depart to their master.


text:
And he set before them a great feast, and they ate and drank. And he dismissed them and they departed to their master. And the bands of Syria came no longer into the land of Israel.


text:
And it came to pass after this, that the son of Hadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up, and besieged Samaria.


text:
And there was a great famine in Samaria. And behold, they besieged it, until a donkey's head was [valued] at fifty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung at five pieces of silver.


text:
And the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, and a woman cried to him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.


text:
And he said to her, Unless the Lord help you, how shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the winepress?


text:
And the king said to her, What is [the matter] with you? And the woman said to him, This [woman] said to me, Give your son, and we will eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.


text:
So we boiled my son, and ate him. And I said to her on the next day, Give your son, and let us eat him; but she has hidden her son.


text:
And it came to pass, when the king of Israel heard the words of the woman, [that] he tore his clothes; and he passed by on the wall, and the people saw sackcloth upon his flesh.


text:
And Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him; and [the king] sent a man before him. [But b]efore the messenger came to him, [Elisha] said to the elders, Do you see that this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? See, as soon as the messenger has come, shut the door, and forcibly detain him at the door: [is] not the sound of his master's feet behind him?


text:
While he was yet speaking with them, behold, a messenger came to him. And he said, Behold, this evil [is] of the Lord; why should I wait for the Lord any longer?


text:
Then Elisha said, Hear the word of the Lord; Thus says the Lord: As at this time tomorrow a measure of fine flour [shall be sold] for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gates of Samaria.


text:
And the officer on whose hand the king rested answered Elisha and said, Behold, [if] the Lord would make floodgates in heaven, might this thing be? And Elisha said, Behold, you shall see with your eyes, but shall not eat thereof.


text:
And there were four leprous men by the gate of the city; and one said to his neighbor, Why do we sit here until we die?


text:
If we should say, Let us go into the city, then [there is] famine in the city, and we shall die there; and if we sit here, then we shall die. Now then come, and let us fall upon the camp of the Syrians: if they should take us alive, then we shall live; and if they should put us to death, then we shall [only] die.


text:
And they rose up while it was yet night, to go into the camp of the Syrians; and they came into a part of the Syrian camp, and behold, there [was] no man there.


text:
For the Lord had made the Syrian army to hear a sound of chariots, and a sound of horses, [even] the sound of a great army. And [each] man said to his fellow, Now has the king of Israel hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of Egypt, to come against us.


text:
And they arose and fled while it was yet dark, and left their tents, and their horses, and their donkeys in the camp, as they were, and fled for their lives.


text:
And these lepers entered a little way into the camp, and went into one tent, and ate and drank, and took silver and gold and clothing from there; then they came back and returned there, and entered into another tent, and took from there [also], and went and hid [the spoil].


text:
And [one] man said to his neighbor, We are not doing [right]; this day is a day of glad tidings, and we hold our peace, and are waiting till the morning light, and shall find mischief; now them come, and let us go into [the city], and report to the house of the king.


text:
So they went and cried toward the gate of the city, and reported to them, saying, We went into the camp of the Syrians, and behold, there is not there a man, nor voice of man, only horses tied up and donkeys, and their tents as they were.


text:
And the king rose up by night, and said to his servants, I will now tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry, and they have gone forth from the camp and hidden themselves in the field, saying, They will come out of the city, and we shall catch them alive, and go into the city.


text:
And one of his servants answered and said, Let them now take five of the horses that were left, which were left here; behold, they are the number left to all the multitude of Israel; and we will send there and see.


text:
So they took two horsemen. And the king of Israel sent after the king of Syria, saying, Go, and see.


text:
And they went after them, even to the Jordan. And behold, all along the road was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their panic. And the messengers returned, and brought word to the king.


text:
And the people went out, and plundered the camp of the Syrians. And a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord, and two measures of barley for a shekel.


text:
And the king appointed the officer on whose hand the king leaned [to have charge] over the gate; and the people trampled on him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God [had] said, who spoke when the messenger came down to him.


text:
So it came to pass as Elisha had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley [shall be sold] for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel; and it shall be as at this time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria.


text:
And the officer answered Elisha, and said, Behold, [if] the Lord makes floodgates in heaven, shall this thing be? And Elisha said, Behold, you shall see [it] with your eyes, but you shall not eat thereof.


text:
And Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he [had] restored to life, saying, Arise and go, you and your household, and sojourn wherever you may sojourn; for the Lord has called for a famine upon the land; indeed it will come upon the land [for] seven years.


text:
And the woman arose, and did according to the word of Elisha, both she and her house; and they sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years.


text:
And it came to pass after the expiration of the seven years, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines to the city, and came to cry to the king for her house and for her land.


text:
And the king spoke to Gehazi the servant of Elisha the man of God, saying, Please tell me of all the great things that Elisha has done.


text:
And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored to life the dead son, behold, the woman whose son Elisha restored to life [came] crying to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this [is] the woman, and this [is] her son, whom Elisha restored to life.


text:
And the king asked the woman, and she told him. And the king appointed her a eunuch, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field from the day that she left the land until now.


text:
And Elisha came to Damascus; and the king of Syria the son of Hadad was ill, and they brought him word, saying, The man of God has come here.


text:
And the king said to Hazael, Take in your hand a present, and go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the Lord by him, saying, Shall I recover of this my disease?


text:
And Hazael went to meet him, and he took a present in his hand, and all the good things of Damascus, forty camel-loads, and came and stood before him, and said to Elisha, Your son the son of Hadad, the king of Syria, has sent me to you to inquire, saying, Shall I recover of this my disease?


text:
And Elisha said, Go, say, You shall certainly live; yet the Lord has showed me that he shall surely die.


text:
And Hazael said, Why does my lord weep? And he said, Because I know all the evil that you will do to the children of Israel: you will utterly destroy their strongholds with fire, and you will slay their choice men with the sword, and you will dash their infants [against the ground], and their women with child you will rip up.


text:
And Hazael said, Who is your servant? A dead dog, that he should do this thing? And Elisha said, The Lord has shown me that you [shall] rule over Syria.


text:
And he departed from Elisha, and went in to his master; and he said to him, What did Elisha say to you? And he said, He said to me, You shall surely live.


text:
And it came to pass on the next day that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and put it on his face, and he died. And Hazael reigned in his place.


text:
In the fifth year of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, and while Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.


text:
And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab; for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.


text:
But the Lord would not destroy Judah for David His servant's sake, as He said he would give a light to him and to his sons continually.


text:
And Jehoram went up to Zair, and all the chariots that were with him. And it came to pass after he had arisen, that he attacked Edom who compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots; and the people fled to their tents.


text:
And the rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, behold, are not these written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?


text:
So Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of his father David; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.


text:
Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem; and the name of his mother [was] Athaliah, daughter of Omri king of Israel.


text:
And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as did the house of Ahab.


text:
And he went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of the Syrians in Ramoth Gilead; and the Syrians wounded Joram.


text:
Then King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds with which they wounded him in Ramoth, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah son of Jehoram went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.


text:
And Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets, and said to him, Gird up your loins, and take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth Gilead.


text:
And you shall enter there, and there you shall see Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi. And you shall go in and make him rise up from among his brethren, and shall bring him into a secret chamber.


text:
And you shall take the flask of oil, and pour [it] on his head, and say, Thus says the Lord: I have anointed you king over Israel. And you shall open the door and flee, and do not delay.


text:
And he went in, and behold, the captains of the army were sitting; and he said, I have a message for you, O captain. And Jehu said, To which one of us? And he said, To you, O captain.


text:
And he arose, and went into the house, and he poured the oil upon his head, and said to him, Thus says the Lord God of Israel: I have anointed you to be king over the people of the Lord, even over Israel.


text:
And you shall utterly destroy the house of Ahab your master from before Me, and shall avenge the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord, at the hand of Jezebel,


text:
and at the hand of the whole house of Ahab; and you shall utterly cut off from the house of Ahab every male, and him that is shut up and left in Israel.


text:
And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and as the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah.


text:
And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her. And he opened the door, and fled.


text:
And Jehu went forth to the servants of his master, and they said to him, [Is] all well? Why has this madman come to you? And he said to them, You know the man, and his babble.


text:
And they said, Lie! Tell us now. And Jehu said to them, Thus and thus he spoke to me. And he said, Thus says the Lord: I have anointed you to be king over Israel.


text:
And when they heard it, they made haste, and every man took his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew the trumpet, and said, Jehu is king.


text:
So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram, and Joram was defending Ramoth Gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Syria.


text:
And King Joram had returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him, in his war with Hazael king of Syria. And Jehu said, If your heart is with me, let there not go forth out of the city one fugitive to go and report to Jezreel.


text:
And Jehu rode and advanced, and came down to Jezreel, for Joram king of Israel was getting healed in Jezreel of the arrow-wounds in which the Syrians [had] wounded him in Ramoth in the war with Hazael king of Syria; for he [was] strong, and a mighty man. And Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to see Joram.


text:
And there went up a watchman upon the tower of Jezreel, and saw the dust [made by] Jehu as he approached. And he said, I see dust. And Joram said, Take a horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, Peace.


text:
And there went a horseman to meet them, and said, Thus says the king, Peace. And Jehu said, What have you to do with peace? Turn behind me. And the watchman reported, saying, The messenger came up to them, but has not returned.


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And he sent another horseman, and he came to him, and said, Thus says the king, Peace. And Jehu said, What have you to do with peace? Turn behind me.


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And the watchman reported, saying, He came up to them, but has not returned; and the driver drives like Jehu the son of Nimshi, for it is with furious [haste].


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And Joram said, Make ready. And one made ready the chariot. And Joram the king of Israel went forth, and Ahaziah king of Judah, each in his chariot, and they went to meet Jehu, and found him on the property of Naboth the Jezreelite.


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And it came to pass when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, [Is it] peace, Jehu? And Jehu said, How [can it be] peace, as long as [there are] the harlotries of your mother Jezebel, and her abundant witchcrafts?


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And Jehu bent his bow with his full strength, and struck Joram between his arms, and his arrow went out at his heart, and he sank down upon his knees.


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And [Jehu] said to Bidkar his chief officer, Cast him into the portion of ground of Naboth the Jezreelite, for you and I remember, [as we were] riding on chariots after Ahab his father, that the Lord took up this burden against him, [saying],


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Surely, I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, says the Lord; and I will recompense him on this property, says the Lord. Now then, I pray, take him up and cast him into the plot [of ground], according to the word of the Lord.


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But when Ahaziah king of Judah saw [it], he fled by the way of Beth Haggan. And Jehu pursued after him, and said, [Slay] him also. So one shot him in the chariot at the Ascent of Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo, and died there.


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And his servants put him on a chariot, and brought him to Jerusalem, and they buried him in his tomb in the City of David.


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Now when Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel has heard [of it], and colored her eyes, and adorned her head, and looked out through the window.


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And he lifted up his face toward the window, and saw her, and said, Who are you? Come down with me. And two eunuchs looked down towards him.


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And he said, Throw her [down]. And they threw her [down], and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses; and they trampled on her.


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And [Jehu] went in and ate and drank, and said, Look after this cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king's daughter.


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And they went to bury her; but they found no more of her but the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands.


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And they returned and told him. And he said, [It is] the word of the Lord, which He spoke by the hand of Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall the dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel.


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And the carcass of Jezebel shall be as dung on the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel, so that they shall not say, [This is] Jezebel.


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And Ahab [had] seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote a letter, and sent it into Samaria to the rulers of Samaria, and to the elders, and to the guardians of [the children of] Ahab, saying,


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Now then, as soon as this letter shall have reached you, whereas [there are] with you the sons of your master, and with you chariots and horses, and strong cities, and arms,


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choose the best and fittest among your master's sons, and set him on the throne of his father, and fight for the house of your master.


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So those that were over the house, and those that were over the city, and the elders and the guardians sent to Jehu, saying, We also [are] your servants, and whatsoever you shall say to us we will do; we will not make [any] man king; we will do that which is right in your eyes.


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And Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying, If you [are] for me, and hearken to my voice, take the heads of the men your master's sons, and bring [them] to me at this time tomorrow in Jezreel. Now the sons of the king were seventy men; these great men of the city brought them up.


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And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons and killed them, [all] seventy men, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him at Jezreel.


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And a messenger came and told [him], saying, They have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said, Lay them [in] two heaps by the door of the gate until morning.


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And morning came, and he went forth and stood, and said to all the people, You are righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and killed him, but who killed all these?


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See now that there shall not fall to the ground anything of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spoke against the house of Ahab, for the Lord has performed all that He spoke of by the hand of His servant Elijah.


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So Jehu killed all that were left of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his acquaintances, and his priests, so as not to leave him [any] remnant.


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And Jehu found the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who [are] you? And they said, We [are] the brethren of Ahaziah, and we have come down to greet the sons of the king, and the sons of the queen.


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And he said, Take them alive. And they killed them at Beth Eked, forty-two men: he left not a man of them.


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And he went from there and found Jehonadab the son of Rechab [coming] to meet him. And he greeted him, and Jehu said to him, Is your heart right with my heart, as my heart [is] with your heart? And Jehonadab said, It is. And Jehu said, If it is then, give me your hand. And he gave him his hand, and he took him up with him into the chariot.


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And he said to him, Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord. And he caused him to sit in his chariot.


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And he entered into Samaria, and he killed all that were left of Ahab in Samaria, until he had utterly destroyed him, according to the word of the Lord, which He spoke to Elijah.


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And Jehu gathered all the people and said to them, Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu shall serve him much.


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Now then, call all the prophets of Baal, call all his servants and his priests to me; let not a man be wanting: for I have a great sacrifice [to offer] to Baal; everyone who shall be missing shall die. But Jehu acted deceptively, that he might destroy the servants of Baal.


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And Jehu sent throughout all Israel, saying, Now then let all [Baal's] servants, and all his priests, and all his prophets [come], let none be lacking: for I am going to offer a great sacrifice. Whosoever shall be missing shall not live. So all the servants of Baal came, and all his priests, and all his prophets: there was not one left who came not. And they entered into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other.


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And he said to the man who was over the house of the wardrobe, Bring forth a robe for all the servants of Baal. And the keeper of the robes brought forth to them.


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And Jehu and Jehonadab the son of Rechab entered into the house of Baal, and said to the servants of Baal, Search, and see whether there is among you any of the servants of the Lord, or only the servants of Baal, by themselves.


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And he went in to offer sacrifices and whole burnt offerings. And Jehu set for himself eighty men outside, and said, Every man who shall escape of the men whom I bring into your hand, the life of him [that spares him] shall go for his life.


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And it came to pass, when he had finished offering the whole burnt offering, that Jehu said to the footmen and to the officers, Go in and kill them; let not a man of them escape. So they struck them down with the edge of the sword, and the footmen and the officers cast [the bodies] forth, and went to the city of the house of Baal.


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Nevertheless Jehu departed not from following the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who led Israel to sin: [these were] the golden heifers in Bethel and in Dan.


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And the Lord said to Jehu, Because of all your deeds in which you have acted well in doing that which was right in My eyes, according to all things which you have done to the house of Ahab, [as they were] in My heart, your sons to the fourth generation shall sit upon the throne of Israel.


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But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart: he departed not from following the sins of Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin.


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In those days the Lord began to cut Israel short; and Hazael conquered them in every coast of Israel;


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from the Jordan eastward all the land of Gilead belonging to the Gadites, of Gad and that of Reuben, and of Manasseh, from Aroer, which is on the brink of the Brook of Arnon, and Gilead and Bashan.


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And the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, and the wars which he engaged, [are] not these things written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?


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And Jehu slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his place.


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And Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, and she destroyed all the royal heirs.


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And Jehosheba daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of her brother, and stole him from among the king's sons that were put to death, and hid him and his nurse in the bedchamber from the face of Athaliah, and he was not slain.


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And he remained with her, hid in the house of the Lord, [for] six years. And Athaliah reigned over the land.


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And in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and took the captains of hundreds-of the bodyguards and the escorts- and brought them to him into the house of the Lord, and made a covenant of the Lord with them, and adjured them, and Jehoiada showed them the king's son.


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Let a third part of you go in [on] the Sabbath day, and keep the watch of the king's house in the porch; and another third at the gate of Sur, and a third at the gate behind the footmen; and keep guard of the house.


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And there [shall be] two parties among you, even everyone that goes out on the Sabbath, and they shall keep the guard of the Lord's house before the king.


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And surround the king on all sides, every man with his weapon in his hand, and he that goes into the ranges shall die. And they shall be with the king in his going out and in his coming in.


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And the captains of hundreds did all the things that the wise Jehoiada commanded; and they took each his men, both those that went in on the Sabbath day, and those that went out on the Sabbath day, and went in to Jehoiada the priest.


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And the priest gave to the captains of hundreds the swords and spears of King David that were in the house of the Lord.


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And the footmen stood each with his weapon in his hand from the right corner of the house to the left corner of the house, [by] the altar and the house round about the king.


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And he brought forth the king's son, and put the crown on him and [gave him] the Testimony; and they made him king, and anointed him, and they clapped [their] hands and said, Long live the king!


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And Athaliah heard the sound of the people running, and she went in to the people to the house of the Lord.


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And she looked, and behold, the king stood near a pillar according to custom; and the singers and the trumpeters were before the king and all the people of the land, rejoicing and sounding with trumpets. And Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, Treason! Treason!


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And Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of hundreds who were over the army, and said to them, Take her outside under guard, [and] he that goes in after her shall certainly die by the sword. For the priest said, Let her not, however, be slain in the house of the Lord.


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And they laid hands upon her, and went in by the way of the horses' entrance into the house of the Lord, and she was slain there.


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And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people, that they should be the Lord's people; also between the king and the people.


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And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal and tore it down, and completely broke in pieces his altars and his images, and they slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed overseers over the house of the Lord.


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And he took the captains of the hundreds, and the bodyguards and the escorts, and all the people of the land, and brought down the king out of the house of the Lord; and they went in by the way of the gate of the footmen of the king's house, and seated him there on the throne of the kings.


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And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was at rest: and they slew Athaliah with the sword in the house of the king.


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Joash began to reign in the seventh year of Jehu, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Zibiah of Beersheba.


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And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days that Jehoiada the priest instructed him.


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Only there were not [any] of the high places removed, and the people still sacrificed there, and burned incense on the high places.


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And Joash said to the priests, [As for] all the money of the holy things that are brought into the house of the Lord, the money of valuation, [as] each man brings the money of valuation, all the money which any man may feel disposed to bring into the house of the Lord,


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let the priests take it to themselves, every man from [the proceeds of] his sale: and they shall repair the breaches of the house in all [places] wheresoever a breach shall be found.


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And it came to pass in the twenty-third year of King Joash the priests [had] not repaired the breaches of the house.


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And King Joash called Jehoiada the priest, and the [other] priests, and said to them, Why have you not repaired the breaches of the house? Now then receive no [more] money from your sales, for you shall give it to [repair the] breaches of the house.


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And the priests consented to receive no more money of the people, and not to repair the breaches of the house.


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And Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in its lid, and set it by the altar in the house of a man [belonging to] the house of the Lord, and the priests that kept the door put all the money [there] that was found in the house of the Lord.


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And it came to pass, when they saw that [there was] much money in the chest, that the king's scribe and the high priest went up, and they tied up and counted the money that was found in the house of the Lord.


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And they gave the money that had been collected into the hands of them that wrought the works, the overseers of the house of the Lord; and they gave it out to the carpenters and to the builders that worked in the house of the Lord,


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and to the masons, and to the hewers of stone, to purchase timber and hewn stone to repair the breaches of the house of the Lord, for all that was spent on the house of the Lord, to repair [it].


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However there were not to be made for the house of the Lord silver plates, studs, bowls, or trumpets, any vessel of gold or vessel of silver, of the money that was brought into the house of the Lord,


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Also they took no account of the men into whose hands they gave the money to give to the workmen, for they acted faithfully.


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Money for a sin offering, and money for a trespass offering, whatever happened to be brought into the house of the Lord, went to the priests.


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Then went up Hazael king of Syria, and fought against Gath, and took it. And Hazael set his face to go against Jerusalem.


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And Joash king of Judah took all the holy things which Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah, his fathers, and the kings of Judah [had] consecrated, and what he himself had dedicated, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the Lord's house and the king's house, and he sent [them] to Hazael king of Syria; and he went up from Jerusalem.


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And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, behold, [are] not these things written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?


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And his servants rose up and formed a conspiracy, and killed Joash in the house of Millo that is in Silla.


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And Jozachar the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, struck him, and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in the City of David. And Amaziah his son reigned in his place.


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In the twenty-third year of Joash son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign in Samaria, [and he reigned] seventeen years.


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And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked after the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who led Israel to sin; he departed not from them.


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And the Lord was very angry with Israel, and delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of the son of Hadad son of Hazael, all their days.


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And Jehoahaz pleaded with the Lord, and the Lord hearkened to him, for He saw the affliction of Israel, because the king of Syria afflicted them.


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And the Lord gave deliverance to Israel, and they escaped from under the hand of Syria. And the children of Israel dwelt in their tents as before.


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Only they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who led Israel to sin: they walked in them; moreover the grove also remained in Samaria.


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Whereas there was not left any army to Jehoahaz, except fifty horsemen and ten chariots, and ten thousand infantry; for the king of Syria had destroyed them, and they made them as dust for trampling.


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And the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his mighty acts, [are] not these things written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?


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And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Joash his son reigned in his place.


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In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz began to reign over Israel in Samaria, [and reigned] sixteen years.


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And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord; he departed not from all the sin of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who led Israel to sin, [but] he walked in them.


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And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, and his mighty acts which he performed together with Amaziah king of Judah, [are] not these written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?


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And Joash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat upon his throne, and he was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.


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Now Elisha was sick with the sickness of which he died [from]. And Joash king of Israel went down to him, and wept over his face, and said, [My] father, [my] father, the chariots of Israel, and their horseman!


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And he said to the king, Put your hand on the bow. And Joash put his hand upon [it]. And Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands.


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And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. And Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And [Elisha] said, The arrow of the Lord's deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria; and you shall smite the Syrians in Aphek until you have consumed them.


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And Elisha said to him, Take a bow and some arrows. And he took them. And [he] said to the king of Israel, Strike the ground. And the king struck three times, and he stopped.


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And the man of God was grieved at him, and said, If you had struck five or six times, then you would have struck Syria till you had consumed them; but now you shall strike Syria [only] three times.


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Then Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites came into the land, at the beginning of the year.


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And it came to pass as they were burying a man, that behold, they saw a band [of men], and they cast the man into the grave of Elisha. And as soon as he touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood up on his feet.


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And the Lord had mercy and compassion upon them, and had regarded them, because of His covenant with Abraam, Isaac, and Jacob; and the Lord would not destroy them, and did not cast them out from His presence.


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And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz returned, and took the cities out of the hand of the son of Hadad, the son of Hazael, which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father in the war: three times did Joash defeat him, and he recovered the cities of Israel.


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In the second year of Joash the son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash the king of Judah began to reign.


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He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.


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And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not as David his father: he did according to all things that his father Joash did.


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Only he removed not the high places; as yet the people sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places.


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And it came to pass when the kingdom was established in his hand, that he killed his servants that had slain his father the king.


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But he killed not the sons of those that had slain him; according as it is written in the book of the Law of Moses, as the Lord gave commandment, saying, The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, and the children shall not be put to death for the fathers; but everyone shall die for his own sins.


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He killed ten thousand of the Edomites in the Valley of Salt, and took Sela in the war, and called its name Joktheel to this day.


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Then Amaziah sent messengers to Joash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face.


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And Joash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give your daughter to my son for a wife; and the wild beasts of the field that were in Lebanon passed by and trod down the thistle.


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You have attacked and wounded Edom, and your heart has lifted you up: stay at home and glorify yourself; for why are you quarrelsome to your hurt? So [both] you and Judah with you will fall.


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Nevertheless Amaziah hearkened not. So Joash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face in Beth Shemesh of Judah.


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And Joash king of Israel took Amaziah the son of Johoash the son of Ahaziah, in Beth Shemesh; and he came to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, [beginning] at the gate of Ephraim as far as the Corner Gate, four hundred cubits.


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And he took the gold and the silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king's house, and the hostages, and returned to Samaria.


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And the rest of the acts of Joash, [even] all that he did in his might, how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are not these things written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?


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And Joash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his place.


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And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived fifteen years after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel.


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And the rest of the acts of Amaziah, and all that he did, [are] not these written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?


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And they formed a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; and they sent after him to Lachish, and killed him there.


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And they brought him upon horses; and he was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers in the City of David.


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And all the people of Judah took Azariah, and he was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah.


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In the fifteenth year of Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam son of Joash began to reign over Israel in Samaria, [and reigned] forty-one years.


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And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. He departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who led Israel to sin.


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He recovered the coast of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which He spoke by His servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet of Gath Hepher.


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For the Lord saw [that] the affliction of Israel [was] very bitter, and that they were few in number, straitened and in want, and destitute, and Israel had no helper.


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And the Lord said that He would not blot out the seed of Israel from under heaven; so He delivered them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.


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And the rest of the acts of Jeroboam and all that he did, and his mighty deeds, which he achieved in war, and how he recaptured for Israel, from Damascus and Hamath, [all that belonged] to Judah, [are] not these things written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?


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And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zechariah his son reigned in his place.


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In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah the son of Amaziah king of Judah began to reign.


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He was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem.


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And he did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all things that Amaziah his father did.


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Only he took not away [any] of the high places; for the people still sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places.


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And the Lord plagued the king, and he was leprous till the day of his death; and he reigned in a separate house. And Jotham the king's son [was] over the household, judging the people of the land.


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And the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, [are] not these written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?


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And Azariah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the City of David. And Jotham his son reigned in his place.


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In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in Samaria,[and reigned] six months.


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And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord, as his fathers had done. He departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.


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And Shallum the son of Jabesh, [and others] conspired against him, and they struck him [in] Keblam and killed him, and he reigned in his place.


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And the rest of the acts of Zechariah, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.


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[This was] the word of the Lord which He spoke to Jehu, saying, Your sons of the fourth generation shall sit upon the throne of Israel. And it was so.


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And Shallum the son of Jabesh reigned. And in the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Shallum began to reign in Samaria.[He reigned] a full month.


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And Menahem the son of Gadi went up out of Tirzah and came to Samaria, and struck Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and killed him.


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And the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy wherein he was engaged, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.


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Then Menahem attacked both Tipsah and all that were in it, and its borders extending beyond Tipsah, because they opened not to him. And he attacked it, and ripped up the women with child.


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In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem the son of Gadi began to reign over Israel in Samaria, [and reigned] ten years.


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In his days Pul king of the Assyrians went up against the land: and Menahem gave to Pul a thousand talents of silver to aid him with his power.


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And Menahem raised the silver [by a tax] upon Israel, even on every mighty man in wealth, to give to the king of the Assyrians; fifty shekels [were levied] on each man; and the king of the Assyrians departed, and remained not there in the land.


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And the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, behold, are not these written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?


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In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, [and reigned] two years.


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And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. He departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.


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And Pekah the son of Remaliah, his officer, conspired against him, and struck him in Samaria, in the front of the king's house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him [there were] fifty men of the four hundred. And he killed him, and reigned in his place.


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And the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.


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In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, [and reigned] twenty years.


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And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord. He departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who led Israel to sin.


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In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser king of the Assyrians came, and took Ijon, Abel, Beth Maachah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, [even] all the land of Naphtali, and carried them away to the Assyrians.


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And Hoshea son of Elah formed a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and struck him and killed him, and reigned in his place, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Azariah.


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And the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, these [are] written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.


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In the second year of Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham the son of Azariah king of Judah began to reign.


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He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Jerusha, daughter of Zadok.


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And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all things that his father Azariah did.


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Nevertheless he took not away the high places; for the people still sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places. He built the Upper Gate of the Lord's house.


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And the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, [are] not these written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?


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And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David his father. And Ahaz his son reigned in his place.


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In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.


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Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God faithfully, as David his father [had done].


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And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel; indeed, he made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel.


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And he sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places, and upon the hills, and under every shady tree.


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Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel went up against Jerusalem to war, and besieged Ahaz, but could not prevail [against him].


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At that time Rezin king of Syria captured Elath for Syria, and drove out the Jews from Elath, and the Edomites came to Elath, and dwelt there to this day.


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And Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-Pileser king of the Assyrians, saying, I am your servant and your son: come up, deliver me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, who are rising up against me.


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And Ahaz took the silver and the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the Lord, and of the king's house, and sent gifts to the king.


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And the king of the Assyrians hearkened to him. And the king of the Assyrians went up to Damascus and took it, and removed the inhabitants, and killed King Rezin.


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And King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of the Assyrians at Damascus. And he saw an altar at Damascus. And King Ahaz sent the pattern of the altar, and its proportions, and all its workmanship to Urijah the priest.


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And Urijah the priest built the altar, according to all [the directions] which King Ahaz sent from Damascus.


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and offered his whole burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering, and poured out the blood of his peace offerings on the bronze altar that was before the Lord.


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And he brought forward [the one] before the house of the Lord from between the altar and the house of the Lord, and he set it openly by the side of the altar northward.


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And King Ahaz charged Urijah the priest, saying, Offer upon the great altar the whole burnt offering in the morning, and the meat offering in the evening, and the whole burnt offering of the king and his meat offering, and the whole burnt offering of all the people and their meat offering, and their drink offering; and you shall pour all the blood of the whole burnt offering, and all the blood of [any other] sacrifice upon it; and the bronze altar shall be for me in the morning.


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And King Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them, and took down the sea from the bronze oxen that were under it, and set it upon a base of stone.


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And he made a base for the throne in the house of the Lord, and he turned the king's entrance outside in the house of the Lord because of the king of the Assyrians.


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And the rest of the acts of Ahaz, even all that he did, [are] not these written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?


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And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David. And Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.


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In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah began to reign in Samaria, [and he reigned] nine years.


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Shalmaneser king of the Assyrians came up against him; and Hoshea became his servant, and paid him tribute.


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And the king of the Assyrians found iniquity in Hoshea, in that he sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and brought not a tribute to the king of the Assyrians in that year. And the king of the Assyrians besieged him, and bound him in the prison house.


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And the king of the Assyrians went up against all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it [for] three years.


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In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of the Assyrians took Samaria, and carried Israel away to the Assyrians, and settled them in Halah and in Habor, [near] the River of Gozan, and [in] the mountains of the Medes.


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For it came to pass that the children of Israel [had] transgressed against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and they feared other gods,


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and walked in the statutes of the nations which the Lord cast out before the face of the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, as many as did [such things],


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and [in those] of the children of Israel, as many as secretly practiced customs, not as [they should have done], against the Lord their God;


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and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city, and they made for themselves pillars and groves on every high hill, and under every shady tree.


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And they burned incense there on all the high places, as the nations [did] whom the Lord removed from before them, and dealt with familiar spirits, and they carved [images] to provoke the Lord to anger.


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And they served the idols, of which the Lord said to them, You shall not do this thing [against] the Lord.


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And the Lord testified against Israel and against Judah, even by the hand of all His prophets, [and] of every seer, saying, Turn from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and My ordinances, and all the law which I commanded your fathers, [and] all that I sent to them by the hand of My servants the prophets.


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And they kept not any of His testimonies which He charged them; and they walked after vanities, and became vain, and after the nations round about them, concerning which the Lord had charged them not to do accordingly.


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They forsook the commandments of the Lord their God, and made themselves graven images, [even] two heifers, and they made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.


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And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and practiced divinations and soothsaying, and sold themselves to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him.


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And the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of His sight; and there was none left but the tribe of Judah alone.


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Even Judah as well kept not the commandments of the Lord their God, but they walked according to the customs of Israel which they practiced, and rejected the Lord.


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And the Lord was angry with the whole seed of Israel, and troubled them, and gave them into the hand of them that spoiled them, until He cast them out of His presence.


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Forasmuch as Israel revolted from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king; and Jeroboam drew Israel away from following the Lord, and led them to sin a great sin.


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And the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he committed; they departed not from it,


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until the Lord removed Israel from His presence, as the Lord spoke by all His servants the prophets; and Israel was removed from off their land to the Assyrians to this day.


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And the king of Assyria brought from Babylon the men of Cuthah, [and men] from Ava, and from Hamath and Sepharvaim, and they were settled in the cities of Samaria in the place of the children of Israel. And they inherited Samaria, and were settled in its cities.


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And it was so at the beginning of their establishment there, [that] they feared not the Lord, and the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them.


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And they spoke to the king of the Assyrians, saying, The nations whom you have removed and substituted in the cities of Samaria [for the Israelites], know not the manner of the God of the land; and He has sent the lions against them, and behold, the [lions] are killing them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land.


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And the king of the Assyrians commanded, saying, Bring some [Israelites] there, and let them go and dwell there, and they shall teach them the manner of the God of the land.


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And they brought one of the priests whom they had removed from Samaria, and he settled in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the Lord.


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But the nations each made their own gods, and put them in the house of the high places which the Samaritans [had] made, each nation in the cities in which they dwelt.


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And the men of Babylon made Soccoth Benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergel, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,


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and the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the [inhabitants] of Sepharvaim [did evil] when they burned their sons in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.


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And they feared the Lord, yet they established their abominations in the houses of the high places which they made in Samaria, each nation in the city in which they dwelt. And they feared the Lord, and they made for themselves priests of the high places, and sacrificed for themselves in the house of the high places.


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And they feared the Lord, yet served their own gods, according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away.


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Until this day they did according to their manner: they feared [the Lord], and they did according to their customs, and according to their manner, and according to the law, and according to the commandment which the Lord commanded the sons of Jacob, whose name He made Israel.


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And the Lord made a covenant with them, and commanded them, saying, You shall not fear other gods, neither shall you worship them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them;


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but only to the Lord, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great strength, and with an outstretched arm: Him shall you fear, and Him shall you worship; to Him shall you sacrifice.


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You shall observe continually the ordinances and the judgments and the law and the commandments which He wrote for you to do; and you shall not fear other gods.


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So these nations feared the Lord, and served their graven images: even their sons and their son's sons do to this day, even as their fathers did.


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And it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, [that] Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.


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He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Abi, daughter of Zechariah.


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And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David did.


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He removed the high places, and broke in pieces the pillars, and utterly destroyed the groves, and the bronze serpent which Moses made, because until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it; and he called it Nehushtan.


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He trusted in the Lord God of Israel. And after him there was none like him among the kings of Judah, nor among those that were before him.


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And he held fast to the Lord, he departed not from following Him; and he kept His commandments, as many as He commanded Moses.


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And the Lord was with him; and he was wise in all that he undertook. And he revolted from the king of the Assyrians, and served him not.


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He struck the Philistines, [even] to Gaza, and to the border of it, from the tower of the watchmen even to the strong city.


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And it came to pass in the fourth year of King Hezekiah (this is the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel), [that] Shalmaneser king of the Assyrians came up against Samaria, and besieged it.


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And he took it at the end of three years, in the sixth year of Hezekiah, (this [is] the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, when Samaria was taken).


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And the king of the Assyrians carried away the Samaritans to Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor, [by] the River Gozan, and [in] the mountains of the Medes;


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because they hearkened not to the voice of the Lord their God, and transgressed His covenant, in all things that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded, and hearkened not [to them], nor did [them].


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And in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of the Assyrians came up against the strong cities of Judah, and took them.


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And Hezekiah king of Judah sent messengers to the king of the Assyrians to Lachish, saying, I have offended; depart from me: whatsoever you shall lay upon me, I will bear. And the king of Assyria laid upon Hezekiah king of Judah [a tribute of] three hundred talents of silver, and thirty talents of gold.


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And Hezekiah gave all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king's house.


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At that time Hezekiah cut off [the gold from] the doors of the temple, and [from] the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah [had] overlaid with gold, and gave it to the king of the Assyrians.


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And the king of the Assyrians sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah with a strong force against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem, and stood by the aqueduct of the upper pool, which is by the way of the fuller's field.


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And they cried out to Hezekiah. And Eliakim the son of Hilkiah the steward, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, came out to them,


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and Rabshakeh said to them, Say now to Hezekiah, Thus says the king, the great king of the Assyrians: What confidence [is] this in which you trust?


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You have said, (but [they are] mere words) [I have] counsel and strength for war. Now then, in whom do you trust, that you have revolted from me?


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See now, are you trusting for yourself on this broken staff of reed, [even] upon Egypt? Whosoever shall lean upon it, it shall even go into his hand, and pierce it: so [is] Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust on him.


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And whereas you have said to me, We trust on the Lord God: [is] not this He, whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, and has said to Judah and Jerusalem, You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?


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Now therefore, I urge you, make an agreement with my lord the king of the Assyrians, and I will give you two thousand horses, if you shall be able on your part to set riders upon them.


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How then will you turn away the face of one petty governor, from among the least of my master's servants, seeing that you trust on Egypt for chariots and horsemen for yourself.


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And now have we come up without the Lord against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.


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And Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebna, and Joah said to Rabshakeh, Speak now to your servants in the Syrian language, for we understand it; and speak not with us in the Jewish language; and why do you speak in the ears of the people that are on the wall?


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And Rabshakeh said to them, Has my master sent me to your master, and to you, to speak these words? [Has he] not [sent me] to the men who sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own water together with you?


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And Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jewish language, and spoke, and said, Hear the words of the great king of the Assyrians:


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thus says the king: Let not Hezekiah encourage you with words: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand.


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And let not Hezekiah cause you to trust on the Lord, saying, The Lord will certainly deliver us; this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of the Assyrians; hearken not to Hezekiah.


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For thus says the king of the Assyrians: Gain my favor, and come forth to me, and every man shall drink [of the wine] of his own vine, and every man shall eat of his own fig tree, and shall drink water out of his own cistern;


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until I come and remove you to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, and bread and vineyards, a land of olive oil and honey, and you shall live and not die; and do not hearken to Hezekiah, for he deceives you, saying, The Lord shall deliver you.


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Have the gods of the nations in any way delivered each their own land out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians?


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Where is the god of Hamath, and of Arpad? Where is the god of Sepharvaim and Hena and Ivah? Indeed, have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?


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Who [is there] among all the gods of the countries, who have delivered their countries out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?


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But [the men] were silent, and answered him not a word; for [there was] a commandment of the king, saying, You shall not answer him.


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And Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, the steward, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder came in to Hezekiah, having torn their clothes; and they reported to him the words of Rabshakeh.


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And it came to pass when King Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, and put on sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord.


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And he sent Eliakim the steward, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, clothed with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz.


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And they said to him, Thus says Hezekiah: This day [is] a day of tribulation and rebuke and provocation; for the children have come to the birth, but the mother has no strength.


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Perhaps the Lord your God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master has sent to reproach the living God, and to revile Him with the words which the Lord your God has heard; and you shall offer [your] prayer for the remnant that is found.


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And Isaiah said to them, Thus shall you say to your master, Thus says the Lord: Be not afraid of the words which you have heard, wherewith the servants of the king of the Assyrians have blasphemed [Me].


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Behold, I shall send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a report, and shall return to his own land; and I will overthrow him with the sword in his own land.


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So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah; for he heard that he [had] departed from Lachish.


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And he heard concerning Tirhakah king of the Ethiopians, saying, Behold, he has come forth to fight with you. And he returned, and sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,


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Let not your God on whom you trust encourage you, saying, Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hands of the king of the Assyrians.


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Behold, you have heard all that the kings of the Assyrians have done in all the lands, to waste them utterly-and shall you be delivered?


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Have any of the gods of the [other] nations delivered them, whom my fathers destroyed: Gozan and Haran and Rezeph and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar?


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Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad? And where is the king of the city of Sepharvaim, and of Hena, and Ivah?


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And Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it. And he went up to the house of the Lord, and Hezekiah spread it before the Lord,


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and said, O Lord God of Israel, that dwells over the cherubim, You are the only God in all the kingdoms of the earth; You have made heaven and earth.


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Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear: open Your eyes and see, O Lord; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God.


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and have cast their gods into the fire: because they are no gods, but the works of men's hands, wood and stone; and they have destroyed them.


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And now, O Lord our God, deliver us out of his hand, and all the kingdoms of the earth shall know that You alone [are] the Lord God.


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And Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus says the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel: I have heard your prayer to Me concerning Sennacherib king of the Assyrians.


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This [is] the word which the Lord has spoken against him; The virgin daughter of Zion has made light of you, and mocked you; the daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you.


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Whom have you reproached, and whom have you reviled? And against whom have you lifted up your voice, and raised your eyes on high? [Is it] [not] against the Holy One of Israel?


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By your messengers you have reproached the Lord, and have said, I will go up with the multitude of my chariots, to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and I have cut down the height of his cedar, [and] his choice cypresses; and I have come into the midst of the forest and of Carmel.


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I have refreshed [myself], and have drunk strange waters, and I have dried up with the sole of my foot all the rivers of the fortified places.


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I have brought about [the matter], I have brought it to a conclusion; and it has come to the destruction of the bands of warlike prisoners, [even of] strong cities.


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And they that dwelt in them were weak in hand, they quaked and were confounded, they became [as] grass of the field, or [as] the green herb, the grass [growing on] houses, and that which is trodden down by him that stands [upon it].


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Because you were angry against Me, and your fierceness has come up into My ears, therefore will I put My hooks in your nostrils, and My bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way in which you came.


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And this shall be a sign to you: eat this year the things that grow of themselves, and in the second year the things which spring up. And in the third year [let there be] sowing and reaping, and planting of vineyards, and eat their fruits.


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And he shall increase him that has escaped of the house of Judah, and the remnant [shall strike] the root beneath, and it shall produce fruit above.


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For from Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and he that escapes from Mount Zion: the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this.


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[Is it] not so? Thus says the Lord concerning the king of the Assyrians: He shall not enter into this city, and he shall not shoot an arrow there, neither shall a shield come against it, neither shall he heap a mound against it.


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By the way in which he comes, by it shall he return, and he shall not enter into this city, says the Lord.


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And I will defend this city as with a shield, for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David.


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And it came to pass at night that the Angel of the Lord went forth, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and eighty-five thousand. And they rose early in the morning, and behold, [these were] all dead corpses.


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And it came to pass, while he was worshipping in the house of Nisrosh his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons killed him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.


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In those days Hezekiah was sick, [even] unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came in to him, and said to him, Thus says the Lord, Give charge to your household; [for] you shall die, and not live.


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O Lord, remember, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in Your eyes. And Hezekiah wept with a great weeping.


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Turn back, and you shall say to Hezekiah the ruler of My people, Thus says the Lord God of your father David: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you; on the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord.


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And I will add to your days fifteen years; and I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians, and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David.


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And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, What [is] the sign that the Lord will heal me, and I shall go up to the house of the Lord on the third day?


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And Isaiah said, This [is] the sign from the Lord, that the Lord will perform the word which He has spoken, the shadow [of the dial] shall advance ten degrees; [or] if it should go back ten degrees [this would also be the sign].


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And Hezekiah said, [It is] a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees; but let the shadow return ten degrees backward on the dial.


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At that time Merodoch Baladan, son of Baladan king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, because he had heard that Hezekiah was sick.


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And Hezekiah rejoiced at them, and showed all the house of his spices, the silver and the gold, the spices and the fine oil, and the armory, and all that was found in his treasures; there was nothing which Hezekiah did not show them in his house, and in all his dominion.


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And Isaiah the prophet went in to King Hezekiah, and said to him, What did these men say to you? And where did they come from? And Hezekiah said, they came to me from a distant land, from Babylon.


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And he said, What did they see in your house? And he said, They saw all things that [are] in my house: there was nothing in my house which I did not show them; moreover, all that was in my treasuries as well.


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Behold, the days are coming that all things that are in your house shall be taken, and all that your fathers have treasured up to this day [shall be carried] to Babylon; and there shall not fail a word which the Lord has spoken.


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And as for your sons which shall come forth of you, which you shall beget, [the enemy] shall take them, and they shall be eunuchs in the house of the king of Babylon.


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And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, Good [is] the word of the Lord which He has spoken: [only] let there be peace in my days.


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And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and all that he made, the fountain and the aqueduct, and [how] he brought water into the city, [are] not these things written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?


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Manasseh [was] twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name [was] Hephzibah.


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And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations which the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel.


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And he built again the high places, which Hezekiah his father [had] demolished, and set up an altar to Baal, and made groves as Ahab king of Israel [had made]; and worshipped the whole host of heaven, and served them.


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And he built an altar in the house of the Lord, whereas [God] had said, In Jerusalem I will place My name.


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And he caused his sons to pass through the fire, and practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and made groves, and multiplied wizards, so as to do that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.


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And he set up the graven image of the grove in the house of which the Lord said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house and in Jerusalem which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I even place My name forever.


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And I will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I gave to their fathers, [even of those] who shall keep all that I commanded, according to all the commandments which My servant Moses commanded them.


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But they hearkened not; and Manasseh led them astray to do evil in the sight of the Lord, beyond the nations whom the Lord utterly destroyed from before the children of Israel.


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Forasmuch as Manasseh the king of Judah has wrought all these evil abominations, beyond all that the Amorites did who lived before [him], and has led Judah also into sin by their idols,


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[it shall] not [be] so. Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Behold, I bring calamities upon Jerusalem and Judah, so that both the ears of everyone that hears shall tingle.


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And I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measure of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab; and I will wipe Jerusalem as a jar is wiped, and turned upside down in the wiping.


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And I will reject the remnant of My inheritance, and will deliver them into the hands of their enemies; and they shall be for a plunder and for a spoil to all their enemies;


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forasmuch as they have done wickedly in My sight, and have provoked Me from the day that I brought out their fathers out of Egypt, even to this day.


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Moreover Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, until he filled Jerusalem [with it] from one end to the other, beside his sins with which he caused Judah to sin, in doing evil in the eyes of the Lord.


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And the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and all that he did, and his sin which he sinned, [are] not these things written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?


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And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his house, [even] in the garden of Uzza; and Amon his son reigned in his place.


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Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name [was] Meshullemeth, daughter of Haruz of Jotbah.


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And he walked in all the way in which his father walked, and served the idols which his father served, and worshipped them.


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And the people of the land killed all that had conspired against King Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah king in his place.


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And the rest of the acts of Amon, [even] all that he did, behold, [are] not these written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?


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Josiah [was] eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name [was] Jedidah, daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath.


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And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the ways of David his father; he turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.


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And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, in the eighth month, that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam the scribe, to the house of the Lord, saying,


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Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, and take account of the money that is brought into the house of the Lord, which they that keep the door have collected of the people.


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And let them give it into the hand of the workmen that are appointed in the house of the Lord. And he gave it to the workmen in the house of the Lord, to repair the breaches of the house,


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[even] to the carpenters, builders, and masons, [and] also to purchase timber and hewn stones, to repair the breaches of the house.


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Only they did not call them to account for the money that was given to them, because they dealt faithfully.


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And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.


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And he went from the house of the Lord to the king, and reported the matter to the king, and said, Your servants have collected the money that was found in the house of the Lord, and have given it into the hand of the workmen that are appointed in the house of the Lord.


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And Shaphan the scribe spoke to the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest has given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.


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And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, that he tore his clothes.


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And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achobor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying,


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Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for all the people, and for all Judah, and concerning the words of this book that has been found; for the wrath of the Lord that has been kindled against us [is] great, because our fathers hearkened not to the words of this book, to do according to all the things written concerning us.


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So Hilkiah the priest went, and Ahikam, Achobor, Shaphan, and Asaiah, to Huldah the prophetess, the mother of Shallum, son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; and she dwelt in Jerusalem in Masena; and they spoke to her.


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Thus says the Lord: Behold, I bring evil upon this place, and upon them that dwell in it, [even] all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read:


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because they have forsaken Me, and burnt incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me with the works of their hands; therefore My wrath shall burn forth against this place, and shall not be quenched.


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And to the king of Judah that sent you to inquire of the Lord-thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord God of Israel: [As for] the words which you have heard;


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because your heart was softened, and you were humbled before [Me], when you heard all that I spoke against this place, and against the inhabitants of it, that it should be utterly destroyed and accursed, and you tore your clothes, and wept before Me; I also have heard, says the Lord.


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It shall not be so. [Therefore], behold, I [will] add you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your tomb in peace, and your eyes shall not see [any] among all the evils which I bring upon this place.


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So they reported the word to the king. and the king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem to himself.


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And the king went up to the house of the Lord, and every man of Judah, and all who dwelt in Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people small and great; and he read in their ears all the words of the Book of the Covenant that was found in the house of the Lord.


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And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His ordinances with all [his] heart and with all [his] soul, to confirm the words of this covenant; [even] [all] the things written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.


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And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and those that kept the door, to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and all the host of heaven, and he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and took the ashes of them to Bethel.


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And he burned the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah [had] appointed (and they burned incense in the high places and in the cities of Judah, and the places around about Jerusalem); and those that burned incense to Baal, and to the sun, and to the moon, and to Mazuroth, and to the whole host of heaven.


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And he carried out the grove from the house of the Lord to the Brook Kidron, and burned it at the Brook Kidron, and reduced it to powder, and cast its powder on the tombs of the sons of the people.


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And he pulled down the house of the sodomites that were by the house of the Lord, where the women wove tents for the grove.


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And he brought up all the priests from the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests burned incense, from Geba even to Beersheba; and he pulled down the house of the gates that was by the door of the gate of Joshua the ruler of the city, on a man's left hand at the gate of the city.


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Only the priests of the high places went not up to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, for they only ate leavened bread in the midst of their brethren.


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And he defiled Topheth which is in the valley of the Son of Hinnom, [constructed] for a man to cause his son or his daughter to pass through fire to Molech.


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And he burned the horses which the king of Judah had given to the sun in the entrance of the house of the Lord, by the treasury of Nathan the king's eunuch, in the suburbs; and he burned the chariot of the sun with fire.


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And the altars that were on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the Lord, did the king pull down and forcibly remove from there, and cast their dust into the Brook of Kidron.


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And the king defiled the house that was before Jerusalem, on the right hand of the Mount of Mosthath, which Solomon king of Israel built to Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and to Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and to Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon.


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And he broke in pieces the pillars, and utterly destroyed the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men.


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Also the high altar in Bethel, which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, even that high altar he tore down, and broke in pieces the stones of it, and reduced it to powder, and burnt the grove.


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And Josiah turned aside, and saw the tombs that were there in the city, and sent, and took the bones out of the tombs, and burned them on the altar, and defiled it, according to the word of the Lord which the man of God spoke, when Jeroboam stood by the altar at the feast; and he turned and raised his eyes to the tomb of the man of God that spoke these words.


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And he said, What [is] that mound which I see? And the men of the city said to him, [It is the grave of] the man of God that came out of Judah, and uttered these things which you have done upon the altar of Bethel.


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And he said, Let him alone; let no one disturb his bones. So his bones were spared, together with the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria.


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Moreover Josiah removed all the houses of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel made to provoke the Lord, and did to them all that he did in Bethel.


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And he sacrificed all the priests of the high places that were there on the altars, and burned the bones of men upon them, and returned to Jerusalem.


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And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in the Book of the Covenant.


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Such a Passover as this had not been kept from the days of the judges who judged Israel, even all the days of the kings of Israel, and of the kings of Judah.


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Moreover Josiah removed the sorcerers and the wizards and the spiritists and the idols, and all the abominations that had been set up in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might keep the words of the law that were written in the book, which Hilkiah the priest had found in the house of the Lord.


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There was no king like him before him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his strength, according to all the Law of Moses; and after him there rose none like him.


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Nevertheless the Lord turned not from the fierceness of His great anger, wherewith He was wroth in His anger against Judah, because of the provocations, with which Manasseh provoked Him.


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And the Lord said, I will also remove Judah from My presence, as I removed Israel, and I will reject this city which I have chosen, [even] Jerusalem, and the house [of] which I said, My name shall be there.


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And the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, [are] not these things written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?


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And in his days Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt went up against the king of the Assyrians, to the River Euphrates; and Josiah went out to meet him. And Necho killed him in Megiddo when he saw him.


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And his servants carried him dead from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his tomb. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in the place of his father.


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Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem; and his mother's name [was] Hamutal, daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.


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And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done.


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And Pharaoh Necho removed him to Riblah in the land of Hamath, so that he should not reign in Jerusalem; and he imposed a tribute on the land, a hundred talents of silver, and a hundred talents of gold.


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And Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim son of Josiah king of Judah over them, in the place of his father Josiah, and he changed his name [to] Jehoiakim, and he took Jehoahaz and brought him to Egypt, and he died there.


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And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; but he assessed the land to give the money at the command of Pharaoh: they gave the silver and the gold, [each] man according to his assessment, together with the people of the land to give to Pharaoh Necho.


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Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name [was] Zebudah, daughter of Pedaiah of Rummah.


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In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant [for] three years. And [then] he turned and revolted against him.


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And the Lord sent [raiding] bands of Chaldeans against him, and bands of Syrians, and bands of Moabites, and bands of Ammonites, and sent them into the land of Judah to prevail [against it], according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by His servants the prophets.


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Moreover it was the purpose of the Lord concerning Judah, to remove them from His presence, because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did.


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Moreover he shed innocent blood, and filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord would not pardon [it].


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And the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, behold, [are] not these written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?


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And the king of Egypt came no more out of his land, for the king of Babylon took away all that belonged to the king of Egypt, from the river of Egypt as far as the River Euphrates.


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Jehoiachin [was] eighteen years old when he began to reign, an he reigned three months in Jerusalem; and his mother's name [was] Nehushta, daughter of Elnathan, of Jerusalem.


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And Jehoiachin king of Judah came forth to the king of Babylon, he and his servants, and his mother, and his princes, and his eunuchs; and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.


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And he brought forth from there all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house, and he cut up all the golden vessels which Solomon the king of Israel [had] made in the temple of the Lord, according to the word of the Lord.


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And he carried away [the inhabitants of] Jerusalem, and all the captains, and the mighty men, taking captive ten thousand prisoners, and every craftsmen and smith; and only the poor of the land were left.


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And he carried Jehoiachin away to Babylon, and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his eunuchs; and he carried away the mighty men of the land into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.


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And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and one thousand craftsmen and smiths; all [were] mighty [men] fit for war; and the king of Babylon carried them captive to Babylon.


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Zedekiah [was] twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name [was] Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah.


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For it was according to the Lord's anger against Jerusalem and on Judah, until He cast them out of His presence, that Zedekiah revolted against the king of Babylon.


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And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, [that] Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, came against Jerusalem; and he encamped against it, and built a mound against it.


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And the city was broken up, and all the men of war went forth by night, by the way of the gate between the walls (this is [the gate] of the king's garden). And the Chaldeans [were set] against the city round about; and [the king] went by the way of the plain.


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And the force of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was dispersed from about him.


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And they took the king, and brought him to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and he pronounced judgment upon him.


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And he killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in fetters, and brought him to Babylon.


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And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month (this [is] the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, who stood before the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.


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And he burned the house of the Lord, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every house did the captain of the guard burn.


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And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard removed the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the men who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude.


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And the Chaldeans broke to pieces the bronze pillars that were in the house of the Lord, and the bases, and the bronze sea that was in the house of the Lord, and carried its brass to Babylon.


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And the caldrons, and the shovels, and the bowls, and the censers, and all the bronze vessels with which they ministered with, he took.


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Two pillars, and one sea, and the bases which Solomon made for the house of the Lord; there was no weight of the brass of all the vessels.


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The height of one pillar [was] eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it was of brass. And the height of the chapiter was three cubits: the border, and the pomegranates on the chapiter round about were all of brass; and so it was with the second pillar with its border.


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And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the high priest, and Zephaniah the second in order, and the three doorkeepers.


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And they took out of the city one eunuch who was commander of the men of war, and five men that saw the face of the king, that were found in the city, and the secretary of the commander-in-chief, who took account of the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land that were found in the city.


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And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.


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And the king of Babylon struck them and killed them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away from his land.


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And [as for] the people that were left in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon left, over them he set Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan.


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And all the captains of the army, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had [thus] appointed Gedaliah; and they came to Gedaliah, to Mizpah, both Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan son of Careah, and Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.


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And Gedaliah swore to them and their men, and said to them, Fear not the incursion of the Chaldeans; dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.


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And it came to pass in the seventh month [that] Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the royal family came, and ten men with him, and he struck and killed Gedaliah, [him] and the Jews and the Chaldeans that were with him in Mizpah.


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And all the people, great and small rose up, [they] and the captains of the forces, and went into Egypt; because they were afraid of the Chaldeans.


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And it came to pass in the thirty-seventh year of the carrying away of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, [that] Evil-Merodach king of Babylon, in the [first] year of his reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him out of his prison house.


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And he spoke kindly to him, and set his throne above the thrones of the kings that were with him in Babylon;


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And his portion, a continual portion, was given to him out of the house of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.


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And the sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raamah, Sabtecha. And the sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan.


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And these [are] their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael [was] Nabajoth, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,


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And the sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine, [were] Zimram, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. And the sons of Jokshan [were] Dedan, and Sheba.


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And the sons of Midian [were] Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah; all these [were] the sons of Keturah.


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The sons of Shobal [were] Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. And the sons of Zibeon [were] Ajah and Anah.


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And Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad reigned in his place, who attacked Midian in the field of Moab. And the name of his city [was] Avith.


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And Baal-Hanan died, and Hadad son of Bedad reigned in his place; and the name of his city [was] Pai.


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The sons of Judah [were] Er, Onan, and Shelah. [These] three were born to him of the daughter of Shua the Canaanite woman. And Er, the firstborn of Judah, [was] wicked before the Lord, and He killed him.


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And their sisters [were] Zeruiah and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah [were] Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, three.


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And Caleb the son of Hezron took Azubah to wife, by Jerioth. Now these [were] her sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon.


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And after this Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, and he took her when he was sixty-five years old; and she bore him Segub.


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And he took Geshur and Aram, the towns of Jair from them; [with] Kenath and its towns, sixty cities. All these [belonged to] the sons of Machir the father of Gilead.


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And after the death of Hezron, Caleb came to Ephrathah; and the wife of Hezron [was] Abijah; and she bore him Ashur the father of Tekoa.


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And the sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron [were] Ram, the firstborn, and Bunah, Oren, and Ozem his brother.


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And the son of Appaim [was] Ishi; and the son of Ishi [was] Sheshan; and the son of Sheshan [was] Ahlai.


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Now Sheshan had no sons, but daughters. And Sheshan had an Egyptian servant, and his name [was] Jarha.


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And the sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel [were] Mesha his firstborn, he [is] the father of Ziph; and the sons of Mareshah the father of Hebron.


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She also bore Shaaph the father of Madmannah, and Sheva the father of Machbenah, and the father of Gibea. And the daughter of Caleb [was] Achsah.


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These were the sons of Caleb: the sons of Hur the firstborn of Ephrathah [were] Shobal the father of Kirjath Jearim,


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and the Shumathites, the Aethalim, the Miphithim, the Hesamathim, and the Hemasaraim; from these went forth the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites.


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The sons of Salma [were] Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth Beth Joab, and half of the family of Malathi, Esari.


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The families of the scribes dwelling in Jabez [were] the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and the Suchathites, these [were] the Kenites that came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab.


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Now these were the sons of David that were born to him in Hebron: the firstborn [was] Amnon, [born] of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess.


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The third, Absalom, the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith.


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Six were born to him in Hebron; and he reigned there seven years and six months; and he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem.


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And these were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon- four by Bathshua the daughter of Ammiel.


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All [these were] the sons of David, besides the sons of the concubines, and [there was also] Tamar their sister.


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And the sons of Josiah [were] Johanan the firstborn, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum.


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And the sons of Pedaiah [were] Zerubbabel and Shimei; and the sons of Zerubbabel [were] Meshullam, Hananiah, and Shelomith [was] their sister,


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And the sons of Hananiah [were] Pelatiah and Jeshaiah his son, Rephaiah his son, Arnan his son, Obadiah his son, [and] Shechaniah his son.


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And the son of Shechaniah [was] Shemaiah. And the sons of Shemaiah [were] Hattush, Joel, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat, six [in all].


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And the sons of Elioenai [were] Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani, seven [in all].


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and Reaiah his son. And Shoball begot Jahath; and Jahath begot Ahumai and Lahad. These [were] the generations of the Zorathites.


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And these [were] the sons of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. And their sister's name [was] Hazelelponi.


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And Penuel [was] the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah: these [are] the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem.


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And Naarah bore to him Ahuzzam, Hepher and Temeni, and Haahashtari: all these [were] the sons of Naarah.


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Now Jabez was more famous than his brethren; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, I have born [him] as a sorrowful one.


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And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, O that You would indeed bless me, and enlarge my coasts, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would make me know that You will not grieve me! And God granted him all that he asked.


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And Eshton [begot] Beth-Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, the founder of the city of Nahash the brother of Eselom the Kenezite: these [were] the men of Rechah.


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And the sons of Kenaz [were] Othniel and Seraiah. And the sons of Othniel [were] Hathath and Meonothai,


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and Meonothai begot Ophrah, and Seraiah begot Joab, the father of Ge Harashim, for they were craftsmen.


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And the sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh [were] Iru, Elah, and Naam; and the son of Elah [was] Kenaz.


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And the sons of Ezrah [were] Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon; and [Mered's wife] begot Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.


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And his wife Jehudijah bore Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Sochoh, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah; and these [are] the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took.


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And the sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham the father of Keilah, [were] Garmi, and Eshtemoa the Maachathite.


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And the sons of Shimon [were] Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan, and Tilon; and the sons of Ishi [were] Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth.


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The sons of Shelah the son of Judah [were] Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of the linen workers of the house of Ashbea.


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And Jokim, and the men of Chozeba, and Joash; Saraph, who dwelt in Moab, and he changed their names to Abederin and Athukiim.


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These [are] the potters who dwelt in Netaim and Gederah with the king; they grew strong in his kingdom, and dwelt there.


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Shimei [had] sixteen sons, and six daughters; and his brethren had not many sons, neither did all their families multiply as the sons of Judah.


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Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susim, and Beth Biri; these [were] their cities until [the time of] King David.


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And all their villages [were] round about these cities, as far as Baal: this [was] their possession, and their distribution:


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Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah-


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these went by the names of princes in their families, and they increased abundantly in their fathers' households.


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And they went till they came to Gedor, to the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their cattle.


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And they found abundant and good pastures, and the land before them [was] wide, and [there was] peace and quietness; for [there were] some of the children of Ham who dwelt there before.


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And these who are written by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and they attacked the people's houses, and the Mineans whom they found there, and utterly destroyed them until this day. And they dwelt in their place, because [there was] pasture there for their cattle.


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And some of them, [even] of the sons of Simeon, went to Mount Seir, [even] five hundred men; and Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, sons of Ishi, [were] their rulers.


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And the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he [was] the firstborn; but because of his going up to his father's couch, [his father] gave his blessing to his son Joseph, [even] the son of Israel; and he was not reckoned as firstborn;


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for Judah [was] very mighty even among his brethren, and one was to be a ruler out of him: but the blessing [was] Joseph's).


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his son Baal, whom Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria carried away captive; he [is] the chief of the Reubenites.


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And his brethren in his family, in their distribution according to their generations: the chief, Jeiel, and Zechariah.


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And Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel; he dwelt in Aroer, and even to Nebo, and Baal Meon.


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And he dwelt eastward to the borders of the wilderness, from the River Euphrates; for they had much cattle in the land of Gilead.


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And in the days of Saul they made war [with the Hagrites]; and they fell into their hands, all of them dwelling in their tents eastward of Gilead.


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And their brethren according to the houses of their fathers [were:] Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jachan, Zia, and Eber, seven [in all].


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These [were] the sons of Abihail the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz,


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[who was] the brother of the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, [he was] chief of the house of their families.


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They dwelt in Gilead, in Bashan, and in their villages, and [in] all the country round about Sharon to the border.


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The numbering of [them] all took place in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.


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The sons of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, of mighty men, bearing shields and sword, and bending the bow, and skilled in war, [were] forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty, going forth to battle.


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and they prevailed against them; and the Hagrites were given into their hands, [they] and all their tents, for they cried to God in the battle, and He hearkened to them, because they trusted on Him.


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And they took captive their store; five thousand camels, two hundred and fifty thousand sheep, two thousand donkeys, and a hundred thousand men.


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For many fell slain, because the war [was] of God. And they dwelt in their place until the captivity.


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And the half-tribe of Manasseh dwelt from Bashan to Baal, Hermon and Senir, and [to] Mount Hermon; and they increased in Lebanon.


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And these were the heads of the houses of their families: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, mighty men of valor, men of renown, heads of the houses of their families.


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But they rebelled against the God of their fathers, and went a-whoring after the gods of the nations of the land, whom God had cast out from before them.


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And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, and carried away Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, and to the river of Gozan, until this day.


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And the children of Amram [were] Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. And the sons of Aaron [were] Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.


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The sons of Merari [were] Mahli and Mushi: and these [were] the families of Levi, according to their families.


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And these [were the men] whom David set over the service of the singers in the house of the Lord when the ark was at rest.


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And they ministered in front of the tabernacle of witness, [playing] on instruments, until Solomon built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem; and they stood according to their order for their services.


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And these [were the men] that stood, and their sons, of the sons of Kohath: Heman the psalm singer, son of Joel, the son of Samuel,


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And the sons of Merari their brethren on the left hand [were] Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch,


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And their brethren according to the houses of their fathers, [were] the Levites who were appointed to all the work of ministration of the tabernacle of the house of God.


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And Aaron and his sons [were] to burn incense on the altar of whole burnt offerings, and on the altar of incense, for all the ministry [in] the Holy of Holies, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all things that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded.


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And these [are] their residences in their villages, in their coasts, to the sons of Aaron, to their family the Kohathites; for they had the lot.


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And to the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of refuge, [even] Hebron, and Libnah and her suburbs round about, Selna and her suburbs, Eshtemoa and her suburbs,


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And of the tribe of Benjamin: Geba and her suburbs, Alemeth and her suburbs, and Anathoth and her suburbs. All their cities [were] thirteen cities according to their families.


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And to the sons of Kohath that were left of their families, [there were given] out of the tribe, [namely], out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, by lot, ten cities.


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And to the sons of Gershon according to their families [there were given] thirteen cities of the tribe of Issachar, of the tribe of Asher, of the tribe of Naphtali, and of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.


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And to the sons of Merari according to their families [there were given], by lot, twelve cities of the tribe of Reuben, of the tribe of Gad,[and] of the tribe of Zebulun.


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And they gave by lot out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, and out of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, these cities which they call by name.


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And [to the members] of the families of the sons of Kohath there were also given the cities of their borders out of the tribe of Ephraim.


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And they gave them the cities of refuge, Shechem and her suburbs in Mount Ephraim, Gezer and her suburbs,


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And of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Aner and her suburbs, and Bileam and her suburbs, to the sons of Kohath that were left, according to [each] family.


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To the sons of Gershon from the families of the half-tribe of Manasseh [they gave] Golan of Bashan and her suburbs, and Ashtaroth and her suburbs.


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And of the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee and her suburbs, Hammon and her suburbs, and Kirjathaim and her suburbs.


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To the sons of Merari that were left, [they gave] out of the tribe of Zebulun: Rimmon and her suburbs, and Tabor and her suburbs.


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And beyond the Jordan, Jericho west of the Jordan, [they gave] out of the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the wilderness and her suburbs, Jahzah and her suburbs,


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And the sons of Tola [were] Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Jibsam, and Shemuel, chiefs of their fathers' houses [belonging to] Tola, men of might according to their generations; their number in the days of David [was] twenty-two thousand six hundred.


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And the son of Uzzi [was] Izrahiah, and the sons of Izrahiah [were] Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Ishiah, five [in all], all rulers.


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And with them, according to their generations, according to the houses of their families, [were men] mighty to set [armies] in array for war, thirty-six thousand, for they had multiplied [their] wives and children.


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And their brethren among all the families of Issachar, also mighty men, [were] eighty-seven thousand- [this was] the number of them all.


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And the sons of Bela [were] Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri- five [in all]; heads of houses of families, mighty men; and their number [was] twenty-two thousand and thirty-four.


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And the sons of Becher [were] Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jerimoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth. All these [were] the sons of Becher.


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And their number according to their generations, ([they were] chiefs of their fathers' houses, men of might), [was] twenty thousand and two hundred.


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And the son of Jediael [was] Bilhan, and the sons of Bilhan [were] Jeush, Benjamin, and Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tharshish, and Ahishahar.


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All these [were] the sons of Jediael, chiefs of their families, men of might, seventeen thousand two hundred, going forth to war with might.


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The descendants of Manasseh: Asriel, whom his Syrian concubine bore; and she bore to him also Machir the father of Gilead.


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And Machir took a wife for Huppim and Shuppim, and his sister's name was Maachah; and the name of the second [son] was Zelophehad; and to Zelophehad were born daughters.


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And Maachah the wife of Machir bore a son, and called his name Peresh; and his brother's name [was] Sheresh; his sons [were] Ulam and Rakem.


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And the son of Ulam [was] Bedan. These [were] the sons of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.


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And the sons of Ephraim [were] Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eladah his son, Tahath his son,


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Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead. And the men of Gath who were born in the land killed them, because they went down to take their cattle.


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And he went in to his wife, and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Beriah, because, [he said], he was afflicted in my house.


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And his daughter [was] Sheerah, and he was among them that were left, and he built Beth Horon the Upper and the Lower. And the descendants of Ozan [were] Sheerah,


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And their possession and their dwelling [were] Bethel and her towns, to the east Naaran, to the west Gezer and her towns, and Shechem and her towns, as far as Gaza and her towns.


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And as far as the borders of the sons of Manasseh, Beth Shean and her towns, Taanach and her towns, Megiddo and her towns, Dor and her towns. In this the children of Joseph the son of Israel dwelt.


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All these [were] the sons of Asher, all heads of families, choice, mighty men, chief leaders. Their number for battle array [was] twenty-six thousand men.


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These [were] the sons of Ehud, who were the heads of families of them that dwell in Geba, and who forced them to move to Manahath:


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And Shaharaim begot [children] in the plain of Moab, after that he had sent away Hushim and Baara his wives.


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and Beriah and Shema, these [were] heads of families among the inhabitants of Aijalon, and they drove out the inhabitants of Gath.


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And Mikloth begot Shimeah; for these dwelt in Jerusalem in the presence of their brethren, with their brethren.


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And Ner begot Kish, and Kish begot Saul, and Saul begot Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-Baal.


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And Azel [had] six sons, and these [were] their names: Azrikam his firstborn, then Ishmael, Sheariah, Abdia, Hanan, and Asa: all these [were] the sons of Azel.


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And the sons of Eshek his brother [were] Ulam his firstborn, then Jeush the second, and Eliphelet the third.


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And the sons of Ulam were mighty men, bending the bow, and multiplying sons and grandsons, a hundred [and] fifty. All these [were] of the sons of Benjamin.


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And [this is] all Israel, [even] their enrollment; and these [are] written down in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah, with the [names of them] that were carried away to Babylon for their transgressions.


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And those that dwelt before in their possessions in the cities of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the appointed ones.


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And there dwelt in Jerusalem some of the children of Judah, and of the children of Benjamin, and of the children of Ephraim, and Manasseh.


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And Uthai the son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, son of the sons of Perez, the son of Judah.


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and Ibneiah son of Jeroham, and Elah: these [are] the sons of Uzzi, the son of Michri; Meshullam, son of Shephatiah, son of Reuel, son of Ibnijah;


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and their brethren according to their generations, nine hundred and fifty-six; all the men [were] heads of families according to the houses of their fathers.


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Azaria the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the officer over the house of God;


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and Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pashur, son of Malchijah, Maasai son of Adiel, son of Jahzerah, son of Meshullam, son of Meshillemith, son of Immer;


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and their brethren, chiefs of their families, a thousand seven hundred and sixty, mighty [men] for the work of the ministration of the house of God.


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And of the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari;


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Obadiah, son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah son of Asa, son of Elkanah, who dwelt in the villages of the Netophathites.


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And [he was stationed] there in the king's gate eastward; these [are] the gates of the companies of the sons of Levi.


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And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren belonging to the house of his father, the Korahites [were] over the works of the service, keeping the watches of the tabernacle, and their fathers over the camp of the Lord, keeping the entrance.


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All the chosen porters in the gates [were] two hundred and twelve, these [were] in their courts, [this was] their distribution: these David and Samuel the seer established in their charge.


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And these and their sons [were] over the gates in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the tabernacle, to keep watch.


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For four strong [men] have the charge of the gates; and the Levites were over the chambers, and they keep watch over the treasures of the house of God.


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For the charge [was] upon them, and these [were] charged with the keys to open the doors of the temple every morning.


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And [some] of them [were appointed] over the vessels of service, that they should carry them in by number, and carry them out by number.


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And [some] of them [were] appointed over the furniture, and over all the holy vessels, and over the fine flour, the wine, the oil, the frankincense, and the spices.


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And Mattithiah of the Levites, (he [was] the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite) [was set] in charge over the sacrifices of meat offerings of the pan belonging to the high priest.


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And Banaiah the Kohathite[was set] over the showbread, from among his brethren, to prepare it every Sabbath.


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And these [were] the singers, heads of families of the Levites, [to whom were] established daily courses, for they were employed in the services day and night.


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These [were] the heads of the families of the Levites according to their generations; these chiefs dwelt in Jerusalem.


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And Mikloth begot Shimeam. And these dwelt in the midst of their brethren in Jerusalem, [even] in the midst of their brethren.


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And Azel had six sons, and these [were] their names: Azrikam his firstborn, then Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, Hanan, and Asa: these [were] the sons of Azel.


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Now the Philistines warred against Israel; and they fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in Mount Gilboa.


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And the Philistines pursued after Saul, and after his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.


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And the battle prevailed against Saul, and the archers hit him with bows and arrows, and they were wounded by the archers.


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And Saul said to his armor-bearer, Draw your sword, and pierce me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and mock me. But his armor-bearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. So Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.


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And all the men of Israel that were in the valley saw that Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, and they left their cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.


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And it came to pass on the next [day] that the Philistines came to strip the slain, and they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.


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And they stripped him, and took his head and his armor, and sent them into the land of the Philistines round about, to proclaim the glad tidings to their idols, and to the people.


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And all the mighty men rose up from Gilead, and they took the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, and they brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.


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So Saul died for his transgressions, wherein he transgressed against God, against the word of the Lord, forasmuch as he kept [it] not, because Saul inquired of a wizard to seek [counse]l, and Samuel the prophet answered him;


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and he sought not the Lord. Therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom to David the son of Jesse.


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And in times past, when Saul was king, you were the one that led Israel in and out, and the Lord of Israel said to you, You shall feed My people Israel, and you shall be ruler over Israel.


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And all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the Lord. And they anointed David to be king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord by Samuel.


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And the king and his men went to Jerusalem (this [is] Jebus); and there the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, said to David,


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And David said, Whoever first smites the Jebusite, even he shall be chief and captain. And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and became chief.


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And these [are] the chiefs of the mighty men, whom David had, who strengthened [themselves] with him in his kingdom, with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel.


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And this [is] the list of the mighty [men] of David: Jashobeam, son of a Hachmonite, first of the thirty; he drew his sword once against three hundred, whom he killed at one time.


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He was with David in Pasdammim, and the Philistines were gathered there to battle, and [there was] a portion of the field full of barley; and the people fled before the Philistines.


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And he stood in the midst of the portion, and rescued it, and attacked the Philistines; and the Lord wrought a great deliverance.


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And three of the thirty chiefs went down to the rock to David, to the cave of Adullam, and the camp of the Philistines [was] in the giants' valley.


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And David longed, and said, Who will give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, that is in the gate?


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And the three broke through the camp of the Philistines, and they drew water out of the well that was in Bethlehem, which was in the gate, and they took it, and came to David. But David would not drink it, and poured it out to the Lord, and said,


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God forbid that I should do this thing- shall I drink the blood of these men with their lives? For with [the peril of] their lives they brought it. So he would not drink it. These things were done by the three mighty [men].


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And Abishai the brother of Joab, he was chief of [another] three; he drew his sword against three hundred [men] at one time and killed them; and he had a name among the [second] three.


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He was more famous than the two [others] among the three, and he was chief [ove]r them; yet he reached not to the [first] three.


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And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was the son of a valiant man; many [were] his acts for Kabzeel; he struck two lion-like men of Moab, and he went down and killed a lion in a pit on a snowy day.


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And he killed an Egyptian, a great man five cubits [hig]h; and in the hand of the Egyptian [there was] a spear like a weavers' beam; and Benaiah went down to him with a staff, and took the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with his own spear.


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He was distinguished beyond the thirty, yet he reached not to the [first] three. And David set him over his family.


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And the mighty [men] of the forces [were] Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,


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And these [are] those that came to Ziklag, when he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish; and these [were] among the mighty, aiding [him] in war,


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and [using] the bow with the right hand and with the left, and slingers with stones, and [shooters] with bows. Of the brethren of Saul of Benjamin,


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the chief [was] Ahiezer, then Joash son of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth, Berachah, and Jehu of Anathoth;


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Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty; [and] Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad the Gederathite;


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And from Gad these separated themselves to David from the wilderness, strong mighty men of war, bearing shields and spears, and their faces [were as] the faces of lions, and they were as nimble as gazelles upon the mountains in speed:


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These [were] chiefs of the army of the sons of Gad, the least one commander of a hundred, and the greatest one of a thousand.


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These [are] the [men] that crossed over the Jordan in the first month, and it had overflowed all its banks; and they drove out all the inhabitants of the valleys, from the east to the west.


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And David went out to meet them, and said to them, If you have come peaceably to me, let my heart be at peace with you; but if [you have come] to betray me to my enemies unfaithfully, [may] the God of your fathers look upon it, and bring judgment.


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And the Spirit came upon Amasai, a captain of the thirty, and he said, Go, David, son of Jesse, you and your people. Peace, peace be to you, and peace to your helpers, for your God has helped you. And David received them, and made them captains of the forces.


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And [some] came to David from Manasseh, when the Philistines came against Saul to war. And he helped them not, because the captains of the Philistines took counsel, saying, With the heads of those men will he return to his master Saul.


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When David was going to Ziklag, those from Manasseh who defected to him were Adnah, Jozabath, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai.


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And they fought on the side of David against a troop, for they [were] all men of might; and they were commanders in the army, [because] of [their] might.


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And these [are] the names of the commanders of the army, who came to David to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him according to the word of the Lord.


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And Zadok, a young [man] mighty in strength, and [there were] twenty-two leaders of his father's house.


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And of the sons of Benjamin, the brethren of Saul, three thousand; and still the greater part of them kept the guard of the house of Saul.


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And of the sons of Ephraim, twenty thousand eight hundred mighty men, famous in the houses of their fathers.


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And of the half-tribe of Manasseh, eighteen thousand, even [those] who were named by name, to make David king.


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And of the sons of Issachar having wisdom with regard to the times, knowing what Israel should do, two hundred; and all their brethren with them.


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And of Zebulun they that went out to battle, with all weapons of war, [were] fifty thousand to help David, not weak-handed.


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And of Naphtali a thousand captains, and with them [men] with shields and spears, thirty-seven thousand.


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And from the country beyond the Jordan, from Reuben, and the Gadites, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh, a hundred and twenty thousand, with all weapons of war.


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All these [were] men of war, setting [the army] in battle array, with a peaceful mind [towards him], and they came to Hebron to make David king over all Israel. And the rest of Israel [were of] one mind to make David king.


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And their neighbors, as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought to them upon camels, donkeys, mules, and upon calves, victuals, meal, cakes of figs, raisins, wine, and oil, calves and sheep abundantly, for [there was] joy in Israel.


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And David took counsel with the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, [and with] every commander.


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And David said to the whole congregation of Israel, If it [seem]s good to you, and it should be prospered by the Lord our God, let us send to our brethren that are left in all the land of Israel, and let the priests the Levites who are with them in the cities of their possession [come], and let them be gathered to us.


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And let us bring over to us the ark of our God; for men have not inquired [at] it since the days of Saul.


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And all the congregation said that they would do thus; for the saying was right in the eyes of all the people.


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So David assembled all Israel, from the borders of Egypt even to the entering in of Hamath, to bring in the ark of God from the city of Jearim.


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And David brought it up. And all Israel went up to the City of David, which belonged to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of the Lord God who sits between the cherubim, where His name is proclaimed.


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And they set the ark of God on a new wagon [brought] out of the house of Abinadab. And Uzza and his brethren drove the wagon.


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And David and all Israel [were] playing before the Lord with all their might, and [that] together with singers, and with harps, and with lutes, with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.


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And they came as far as the threshing floor. And Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark, because the bull had moved it from [its place].


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And the Lord was very angry with Uzza, and struck him there, because of his stretching forth his hand upon the ark. And he died there before God.


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And David was dispirited, because the Lord [had] made a breach on Uzza. And he called that place the Breach of Uzza until this day.


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So David brought not the ark home to himself into the City of David, but he turned it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.


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And the ark of God abode in the house of Obed-Edom for three months; and God blessed Obed-Edom and all that he had.


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AndHiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar timbers, and masons, and carpenters, to build a house for him.


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And David knew that the Lord [had] designed him to be king over Israel; because his kingdom was highly exalted, on account of His people Israel.


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And these [are] the names of those that were born, who were [born] to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,


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And the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel. And all the Philistines went up to seek David. And David heard [it], and went out to meet them.


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And David inquired of God, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? And will You deliver them into my hand? And the Lord said to him, Go up, and I will deliver them into your hands.


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And he went up to Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there. And David said, God has broken through [my] enemies by my hand like a breach of water; therefore he called the name of that place, the Breach of Perazim.


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And David inquired of God again. And God said to him, You shall not go after them; turn away from them, and you shall come upon them near the pear trees.


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And it shall be, when you shall hear the sound of their tumult in the tops of the pear trees, then you shall go into the battle; for God has gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.


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And he did as God commanded him. And he drove back the army of the Philistines from Gibeon to Gezer.


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And the name of David was [famous] in all the land; and the Lord put the terror of him on all the nations.


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And [David] made for himself houses in the City of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God, and made a tent for it.


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Then said David, It is not [lawful for any] to bear the ark of God, but the Levites; for the Lord has chosen them to bear the ark of the Lord, and to minister to Him forever.


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And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the Lord to the place which he [had] prepared for it.


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And David called Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and the Levites, Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab,


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and said to them, You [are] the heads of the families of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, and you shall carry up the ark of the God of Israel, [to the place] which I have prepared for it.


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For because you were not [ready] at the first, our God made a breach upon us, because we sought Him not according to the ordinance.


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And the sons of the Levites took the ark of God, (as Moses commanded by the word of God according to the Scripture) upon their shoulders with poles.


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And David said to the chiefs of the Levites, Set your brethren the singers with musical instruments, lutes, harps, and cymbals, to sound aloud with a voice of joy.


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So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; Asaph the son of Berechiah [was one] of his brethren; and Ethan the son of Kushaiah was of the sons of Merari their brethren;


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and with them their brethren of the second rank [were] Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Elipheleh, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, the porters.


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Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with lutes, according to Alamoth.


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Mattithiah, Elipheleh, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps of Sheminith, to make a loud noise.


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Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, were sounding with trumpets before the ark of God. And Obed-Edom and Jehiah [were] doorkeepers for the ark of God.


text:
So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains of thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant from the house of Obed-Edom with gladness.


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And it came to pass when God strengthened the Levites bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that they sacrificed seven calves and seven rams.


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And David [was] clothed with a fine linen robe, and all the Levites [who were] bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the band of singers; also upon David [there was] a robe of fine linen.


text:
And all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of a horn, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, playing loudly on lutes and harps.


text:
And the ark of the covenant of the Lord arrived, and came to the City of David; and Michal the daughter of Saul looked down through the window, and saw King David dancing and playing, and she despised him in her heart.


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So they brought in the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tabernacle which David pitched for it; and they offered whole burnt offerings and peace offerings before God.


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And David finished offering up whole burnt offerings and peace offerings, and blessed the people in the name of the Lord.


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And he divided to every man of Israel (both men and women), to [every] man one baker's loaf, and a cake.


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And he appointed before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, Levites to minister [and] lift up the voice, and to give thanks and praise the Lord God of Israel.


text:
Asaph [was] the chief, and next to him Zechariah, [then] Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, and Obed-Edom; and Jeiel sounded with musical instruments, lutes [and] harps, and Asaph with cymbals.


text:
And Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests [sounded] continually with trumpets before the ark of the covenant of God in that day.


text:
Sing [songs] to Him, and sing hymns to Him, relate to all [people] His wonderful deeds, which the Lord has wrought.


text:
Give to the Lord the glory [due] His name; take gifts and offer [them] before Him, and worship the Lord in His holy courts.


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Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth exalt; and let them say among the nations, The Lord reigns.


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And thus say, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us, and rescue us from among the heathen, that we may praise Your holy name, and glory in Your praises.


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Blessed [be] the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting. And all the people shall say, Amen. So they praised the Lord.


text:
And they left there Asaph and his brethren before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to minister before the ark continually, according to the service of each day; from day to day.


text:
And Obed-Edom and his brethren [were] sixty-eight [in number]; and Obed-Edom the son of Jeduthen, and Hosah, [were] to be gatekeepers.


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And [they appointed] Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the Lord in the high place in Gibeon,


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to offer up whole burnt offerings continually morning and evening, and according to all things written in the law of the Lord, which He commanded the children of Israel by Moses the servant of God.


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And with him [were] Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest chosen out by name to praise the Lord, for His mercy [endures] forever.


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And with them [there were] trumpets and cymbals to sound aloud, and musical instruments for the songs of God; and the sons of Jeduthun [were] at the gate.


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And it came to pass as David dwelt in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Behold, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord [is] under [curtains] of skins.


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For I have not dwelt in a house from the day that I brought up Israel until this day, but I have been in a tabernacle and a tent,


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in all places through which I have gone with all Israel; did I ever speak to [any] one tribe of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, [Why is it] that you have not built Me a house of cedar?


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And now thus shall you say to My servant David, Thus says the Lord Almighty: I took you from the sheepfold, from following the flocks, to be a ruler over My people Israel;


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and I was with you in all places that you went, and I destroyed all your enemies from before you, and I made for you a name according to the name of the great ones that are upon the earth.


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And I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and I will plant him, and he shall dwell by himself, and shall no longer be anxious; and the son of iniquity shall no longer afflict him, as at the beginning,


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and from the days when I appointed judges over My people Israel. Also I have humbled all your enemies, and I will increase you, and the Lord shall build you a house.


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And it shall come to pass when your days shall be fulfilled, and you shall sleep with your fathers, that I will raise up your seed after you, which shall be of your loins, and I will establish his kingdom.


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I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to Me a son; and My mercy will I not withdraw from him, as I withdrew [it] from them that were before you.


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And I will establish him in My house and in his kingdom forever; and his throne shall be set up forever.


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And King David came and sat before the Lord, and said, Who am I, O Lord God? And what [is] my house, that You have loved me forever?


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And these things were little in Your sight, O God; You have also spoken concerning the house of Your servant for a long time to come, and You have looked upon me as a man looks upon his fellow, and have exalted me, O Lord God.


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O Lord, there is none like You, and there is no God beside You, according to all things which we have heard with our ears.


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Neither is there another nation upon the earth [such] as Your people Israel, whereas God led him in the way, to redeem a people for Himself, to make for Himself a great and glorious name, to cast out nations from before Your people, whom You have redeemed out of Egypt.


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And You have appointed Your people Israel as a people to Yourself forever; and You, O Lord, became a God to them.


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And now, O Lord, let the word which You have spoken to Your servant, and concerning his house, be confirmed forever, and do as You have spoken.


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And let Your name [be] established and magnified forever, [men] saying, Lord, Lord, Almighty God of Israel; and [let] the house of Your servant David [be] established before You.


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For You, O Lord my God, have revealed to the ear of Your servant that You will build him a house; therefore Your servant has found a willingness to pray before You.


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And now, O Lord, You Yourself are God, and You have spoken these good things concerning Your servant.


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And now You have begun to bless the house of Your servant, so that it should continue forever before You; for You, O Lord, have blessed [it], and [may] You bless [it] forever.


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And it came to pass afterwards, that David attacked the Philistines, and routed them, and took Gath and its villages out of the hand of the Philistines.


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And David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah of Hamath, as he was going to establish power toward the River Euphrates.


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And David took of them a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand infantry [men]. And David hamstrung all the chariot [horses], but he left a hundred chariots among them.


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And the Syrians came from Damascus to help Hadadezer king of Zobah; and David killed of the Syrian [army] twenty-two thousand men.


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And David put a garrison in Syria near Damascus; and they became tributary servants to David. And the Lord delivered David wherever he went.


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And David took the golden shields that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.


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And David took very much bronze out of Tibhath and out of the chief cities of Chun; of this Solomon made the bronze sea, and the pillars, and the bronze vessels.


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And he sent Hadoram his son to King David to ask how he was, and to congratulate him because he had fought against Hadadezer, and had defeated him; for Tou was the enemy of Hadadezer.


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And all the golden and silver and bronze vessels, even these King David consecrated to the Lord, with the silver and the gold which he took from all the nations; from Edom, Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek.


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And he put garrisons in the valley; and all the Edomites became David's servants, and the Lord delivered David wherever he went.


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And Zadok son of Ahitub, and Abimelech son of Abiathar [were] the priests; and Shavsha [was] the scribe;


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and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada [was] over the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and the sons of David were the chief deputies of the king.


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And it came to pass after this, [that] Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place.


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And David said, I will act kindly toward Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father acted kindly towards me. And David sent messengers to console with him over the death of his father. So the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him.


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And the chiefs of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Is it to honor your father before you, that David has sent comforters to you? Have not his servants come to you that they might search the city, and to spy out the land?


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And Hanun took the servants of David, and shaved them, and cut off half of their garments as far as their tunic, and sent them away.


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And there came men to report to David concerning the men. And he sent to meet them, for they were greatly disgraced. And the king said, Dwell in Jericho until your beards have grown, and return.


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And the children of Ammon saw that the people of David were ashamed, and Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen out of Syria of Mesopotamia, and out of Syria Maacah, and from Zobah.


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And they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people; and they came and encamped before Medeba. And the children of Ammon assembled out of their cities, and came to fight.


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And the children of Ammon came forth, and set themselves in array for battle by the gate of the city; and the kings that had come forth encamped by themselves in the plain.


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And Joab saw that they were fronting [him,] to fight against him before and behind, and he chose [some] out of all the young men of Israel, and they set themselves in array against the Syrians.


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And the rest of the people he gave into the hand of his brother Abishai, and they set themselves in array against the children of Ammon.


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And he said, If the Syrians should prevail against me, then shall you deliver me; and if the children of Ammon should prevail against you, then I will deliver you.


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Be of good courage, and let us be strong, for our people, and for the cities of our God; and the Lord shall do what [is] good in His eyes.


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So Joab and the people that were with him set themselves in battle array against the Syrians, and they fled from them.


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And the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians fled, and they also fled from before Abishai, and from before Joab his brother, and they came to the city; and Joab came to Jerusalem.


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And the Syrians saw that Israel had defeated them, and they sent messengers, and they brought out the Syrians from beyond the river; and Shophach the commander-in-chief of the forces of Hadadezer [was] before them.


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And it was told David. And he gathered all Israel, and crossed over the Jordan, and came upon them, and set the battle in array against them. So David set [his army] in array to fight against the Syrians, and they fought against him.


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And the Syrians fled from before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand [riders in] chariots, and forty thousand infantry [men], and he slew Shophach the commander-in-chief of the forces.


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And the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated before Israel, and they made peace with David and served him. And the Syrians would no longer help the children of Ammon.


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And it came to pass at the return of the year, at the [time of the] going forth of kings [to war], that Joab gathered the whole force of the army, and they ravaged the land of the children of Ammon; and he came and besieged Rabbah. But David abode in Jerusalem. And Joab defeated Rabbah and destroyed it.


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And David took the crown of Molchom their king off his head, and the weight of it was found [to be] a talent of gold, and on it were precious stones; and it was [placed] on the head of David. And he brought out the spoils of the city, [which were] very great.


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And he brought out the people that were in it, and sawed them in half with saws, and [cut them] with iron axes, and with harrows. And thus David did to all the children of Ammon. And David and all his people returned to Jerusalem.


text:
And it came to pass afterward that there was again war with the Philistines in Gezer. Then Sibbechai the Hushathite killed Sippai of the sons of the giants, and laid him low.


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And there [was] war again with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, and the wood of his spear [was] as a weavers' beam.


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And there was again war in Gath, and there was a man of extraordinary size, and his fingers [and toes were] six on each hand and foot, twenty-four [total.] And he was descended from the giants.


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These were born to Rapha in Gath; all four were giants, and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.


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And King David said to Joab and to the captains of the forces, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, and bring me [the account], and I shall know their number.


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And Joab said, May the Lord add to His people a hundredfold as many as they [are now], and [le]t the eyes of my lord the king see [it.] All [are] the servants of my lord. Why does my lord seek this thing? [Do it not], lest it become a sin to Israel.


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Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab, and Joab went out and passed through all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.


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And Joab gave the number of the mustering of the people to David. And all Israel was one million one hundred thousand men that drew the sword. And the sons of Judah [were] four hundred and seventy thousand men that drew the sword.


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And David said to God, I have sinned exceedingly, in that I have done this thing; and now, I pray, remove the sin of Your servant; for I have been exceedingly foolish.


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Go and speak to David, saying, Thus says the Lord: I bring three things upon you: choose one of them for yourself, and I will do it to you.


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either three years of famine, or that you should flee three months from the face of your enemies, and the sword of your enemies [shall be employed] to destroy you, or that the sword of the Lord and pestilence [should be] three days in the land, and the angel of the Lord [shall be] destroying in all the inheritance of Israel. And now consider what I shall answer to Him that sent the message.


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And David said to Gad, They are very hard for me, even [all] the three: let me fall now into the hands of the Lord, for His mercies [are] very abundant, and let me not fall by any means into the hands of man.


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And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. And as he was destroying, the Lord saw, and relented of the disaster, and said to the angel that was destroying, Let it suffice; withhold your hand. And the angel of the Lord stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.


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And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord, standing between earth and heaven, and his sword was drawn in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem. And David and the elders clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.


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And David said to God, [Was it] not I [that] gave orders to number the people? And I am the guilty one; I have greatly sinned; but these sheep, what have they done? O Lord God, let Your hand be upon me, and upon my father's house, and not on Your people for destruction, O Lord!


text:
And the angel of the Lord told Gad to tell David, that he should go up to erect an altar to the Lord, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.


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And Ornan turned and saw the king; and he hid himself and his four sons with him. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.


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And David came to Ornan, and Ornan came forth from the threshing floor, and bowed down to David with his face to the ground.


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And David said to Ornan, Give me your place of the threshing floor, and I will build upon it an altar to the Lord: give it to me for its worth in money, and the plague shall cease from [among] the people.


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And Ornan said to David, Take it to yourself, and let my lord the king do what is right in his eyes: see, I have given the calves for a whole burnt offering, and the plough for wood, and the wheat for a grain offering; I have given all.


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And King David said to Ornan, No, but I will surely buy it for its worth in money- for I will not take your property for the Lord, to offer a whole burnt offering to the Lord without cost [to myself].


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And David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered up whole burnt offerings and peace offerings. And he cried to the Lord, and He answered him by fire out of heaven on the altar of whole burnt offerings, and [the fire] consumed the whole burnt offering.


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At that time when David saw that the Lord answered him in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he also sacrificed there.


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And the tabernacle of the Lord which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of whole burnt offerings, [were] at that time in the high place at Gibeon.


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And David could not go before it to inquire of God; for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord.


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And David said, This is the house of the Lord God, and this [is] the altar for whole burnt offering for Israel.


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And David gave orders to gather all the strangers that were in the land of Israel; and he appointed stone hewers to hew polished stones to build the house to God.


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And David prepared much iron for the nails of the doors and the gate; the hinges also and bronze in abundance, there was no weighing [of it].


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And cedar trees without number; for the Sidonians and the Tyrians brought cedar trees in abundance to David.


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And David said, My son Solomon [is] a tender child, and the house [for me] to build to the Lord [is] for superior magnificence for a name and for a glory through all the earth; I will make preparation for it. And David prepared abundantly before his death.


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And David said to Solomon, [My] child, it was in my heart to build a house to the name of the Lord God.


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But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, You have shed blood abundantly, and have carried on great wars; you shall not build a house to My name, because you have shed much blood upon the earth before Me.


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Behold, a son shall be born to you, he shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about; for his name [shall be] Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days.


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He shall build a house to My name; and he shall be a son to Me, and I will be a Father to him; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom in Israel forever.


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And now, my son, the Lord shall be with you, and prosper [you]; and you shall build a house to the Lord your God, as He spoke concerning you.


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Only may the Lord give you wisdom and prudence, and strengthen you over Israel, both to keep and to do the law of the Lord your God.


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Then will He prosper [you], if you take heed to do the commandments and judgments which the Lord commanded Moses for Israel; be courageous and strong; fear not, nor be terrified.


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And behold, I according to my poverty have prepared for the house of the Lord a hundred thousand talents of gold, and a million talents of silver, and bronze and iron without measure, for it is abundant; and I have prepared timber and stones; and you therefore add to these.


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And [of them that are] with you, add to the multitude of workmen; [let there be] artificers and masons, and carpenters, and every skillful [workman] in every work;


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in gold and silver, bronze and iron, [of which] there is no number. Arise and begin working, and the Lord [be] with you.


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[Is] not the Lord with you? And He has given you rest round about, for He has given into your hands the inhabitants of the land; and the land is subdued before the Lord, and before His people.


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Now set your hearts and souls to seek after the Lord your God; arise, and build a sanctuary to your God, to carry in the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the Lord.


text:
And the Levites numbered [themselves] from thirty years old and upward; and their number by their polls amounted to thirty-eight thousand men.


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Of the overseers over the works of the house of the Lord [there were] twenty-four thousand, and [there were] six thousand scribes and judges;


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and four thousand gatekeepers, and four thousand to praise the Lord with instruments which he made to praise the Lord.


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The sons of Shimei [were] Shelomith, Haziel, and Haran, three [in all]: these [were] the chiefs of the families of Laadan.


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And to the sons of Shimei [were] Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah: these [were] the four sons of Shimei.


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And Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not multiply sons, and they became [only] one reckoning according to the house of their father.


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The sons of Amram [were] Aaron and Moses; and Aaron was appointed for the consecration of the most holy things, he and his sons forever, to burn incense before the Lord, to minister and bless in His name forever.


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And the sons of Eliezer were Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah were very greatly multiplied.


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[Of] the sons of Hebron, Jeriah [was] the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.


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And Eleazar died, and he had no sons, but daughters. And the sons of Kish, their brethren, took them [as wives].


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These [are] the sons of Levi according to the houses of their fathers; chiefs of their families according to their numbering, according to the number of their names, according to their polls, doing the works of service of the house of the Lord, from twenty years old and upward.


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For David said, The Lord God of Israel has given rest to His people, and has taken up His abode in Jerusalem forever.


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For by the last words of David was the number of the Levites [taken] from twenty years old and upward.


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For he appointed them to wait on Aaron, to minister in the house of the Lord, over the courts, and over the chambers, and over the purification of all the holy things, and over the works of the service of the house of God;


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and for the showbread, and for the fine flour of the meat offering, and for the unleavened cakes, and for the fried cake, and for the dough, and for every measure;


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and [to be] over all the whole burnt offerings that were offered up to the Lord on the Sabbaths, and at the new moons, and at the feasts, by number, according to the order [given] to them, continually before the Lord.


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And they are to keep the charge of the tabernacle of witness, and the charge of the holy place, and the charges of the sons of Aaron their brethren, to minister in the house of the Lord.


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And Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and they had no sons, so Eleazar and Ithamar the sons of Aaron ministered as priests.


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And David distributed them, even Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their numbering, according to their service, according to the houses of their fathers.


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And there were found [among] the sons of Eleazar more chiefs of the mighty ones, than of the sons of Ithamar. And he divided them, sixteen heads of families to the sons of Eleazar, eight according to [their] families to the sons of Ithamar.


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And he divided them according to their lots, one with the other; for there were those who had charge of the holy things, and those who had charge of the [house] of the Lord among the sons of Eleazar, and among the sons of Ithamar.


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And Shemaiah the son of Nethanel, the scribe, [of the family] of Levi, wrote them down before the king, and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar [were present]; and the heads of the families of the priests and the Levites, each of a household [were assigned], one to Eleazar, and one to Ithamar.


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This [is] their numbering according to their service to go into the house of the Lord, according to their appointment by the hand of Aaron their father, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded [him].


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[Of] the sons of Hebron, [Jeriah was the chief,] Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth.


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And the sons of Mushi [were] Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth. These [were] the sons of the Levites according to the houses of their families.


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And they also received lots as their brethren the sons of Aaron before the king; Zadok also, and Ahimelech, and the chiefs of the families of the priests and of the Levites, principal heads of families, even as their younger brethren.


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And King David and the captains of the army appointed to their services the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who [should] prophesy with harps, lutes, and cymbals; and their number was according to their polls serving in their ministrations.


text:
The sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah; the sons of Asaph [were] next [to] the king.


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To Jeduthun [were reckoned] the sons of Jeduthun, Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six after their father Jeduthun, sounding loudly on the harp thanksgiving and praise to the Lord.


text:
To Heman [were reckoned] the sons of Heman, Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth.


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All these [were] the sons of Heman the king's chief player in the praises of God, to lift up the horn. And God gave to Heman fourteen sons, and three daughters.


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All these sang hymns with their father in the house of God, with cymbals, lutes, and harps, for the service of the house of God, near the king, and Asaph, and Jeduthun, and Heman.


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And the number of them after their brethren, those instructed to sing to God, everyone that understood [singing] was two hundred and eighty-eight.


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And they also cast lots for the daily courses, for the great and the small [of them], of the perfect ones and the learners.


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And the first lot of his sons and of his brethren came forth to Asaph the son of Joseph, [namely], Gedaliah; the second Heneia, his sons and his brethren [being] twelve.


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And for the divisions of the gates: the sons of the Korahites [were] Meshelemiah, of the sons of Asaph.


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And Meshelemiah's firstborn son [was] Zechariah, the second Jadiael, the third Zebadiah, the fourth Jathniel,


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And to Obed-Edom [there were born] sons, Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sacar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth,


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And to Shemaiah his son were born the sons of his firstborn, chiefs over the house of their father, for they were mighty.


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The sons of Shemaiah [were] Othni, Rephael, Obed, Elzabad, and Achiud, mighty men, [along with] Elihu, Sabachia, and Isbacom.


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All [these were] of the sons of Obed-Edom, they and their sons and their brethren, doing mightily in service; sixty-two in all [were born] to Obed-Edom.


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And to Hosah of the sons of Merari [there were born] sons, keeping the dominion; though he was not the firstborn, yet his father made him chief of the second division.


text:
Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth; all these [were] the sons and brethren of Hosah, thirteen.


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To these [were assigned] the divisions of the gates, to the chiefs of the mighty men the daily courses, even their brethren, to minister in the house of the Lord.


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And they cast lots for the small as well as for the great, for the several gates, according to their families.


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And the lot for the east gate fell to Shelemiah, and Zechariah; the sons of Soaz cast lots for Milchiah and the lot came out northward.


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[They gave the lot] for the second to Hosah westward, after the gate of the chamber by the ascent, watchman opposite watchman.


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Eastward [were] six [watchmen] in the day; northward four by the day; southward four by the day; and two at the Esephim,


text:
to relieve guard, also for Hosah westward after the chamber gate, three. [There was] a ward over against the ward of the ascent eastward, six [men] in a day, and four for the north, and four for the south, and at the Esephim two to relieve guard, and four by the west, and two to relieve guard at the pathway.


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And the Levites their brethren [were] over the treasures of the house of the Lord, and over the treasures of the hallowed things.


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These [were] the sons of Laadan, the sons of the Gershonite: to Laadan [belonged] the heads of the families; [the son] of Laadan the Gershonite [was] Jehieli.


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The sons of Jehieli [were] Zetham and Joel; brethren [who were] over the treasures of the house of the Lord.


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This Shelomith and his brethren [were] over all the sacred treasures, which David the king and the heads of families consecrated, [and] the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, and princes of the host,


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things which he took out of cities and from the spoils, and consecrated some of them, so that the building of the house of God should not need [supplies];


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and over all the holy things of God dedicated by Samuel the prophet, and Saul the son of Kish, and Abner the son of Ner, and Joab the son of Zeruiah, whatsoever they sanctified [was] by the hand of Shelomith and his brethren.


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For the Izharites, Chenaniah, and [his] sons [were over] the outward ministration over Israel, to record and to judge.


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For the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his brethren, a thousand and seven hundred mighty men, [were] over the charge of Israel beyond the Jordan westward, for all the service of the Lord and work of the king.


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Of the [family] of Hebron Jerijah [was] chief, even of the Hebronites according to their generations, according to their families. In the fortieth year of his reign they were numbered, and there were found mighty men among them in Jazer of Gilead.


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And his brethren [were] two thousand seven hundred mighty men, chiefs of their families, and King David set them over the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, for every ordinance of the Lord, and business of the king.


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Now the sons of Israel according to their number, heads of families, captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, and scribes ministering to the king, and for every affair of the king according to [their] divisions, [for] every ordinance of coming in and going out monthly, for all the months of the year, one division of them [was] twenty-four thousand.


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And over the first division of the first month [was] Jashobeam the son of Zabdiel; in his division [were] twenty-four thousand.


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And over the division of the second month [was] Dodai an Ahohite, and over his division [was] Mikloth also chief; and in his division [were] twenty-four thousand, chief men of the army.


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The third for the third month [was] Benaiah the son of Jehoiada the chief priest; and in his division [were] twenty-four thousand.


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This Benaiah [was] more mighty than the thirty, and over the thirty; and Ammizabad his son [was] over his division.


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The fourth for the fourth month [was] Asahel the brother of Joab, and Zebadiah his son, and his brethren; and in his division [were] twenty-four thousand.


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The fifth chief for the fifth month [was] Shamhuth the Izrahite; and in his division [were] twenty-four thousand.


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The sixth for the sixth month [was] Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite; and in his division [were] twenty-four thousand.


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The seventh for the seventh month [was] Helez of Pelonite of the children of Ephraim; and in his division [were] twenty-four thousand.


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The eighth for the eighth month [was] Sibbechai the Hushathite, [belonging] to Zarai: and in his division [were] twenty-four thousand.


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The ninth for the ninth month [was] Abiezer of Anathoth, of the land of Benjamin; and in his division [were] twenty-four thousand.


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The tenth for the tenth month [was] Maharai the Netophathite, [belonging] to Zarai; and in his division [were] twenty-four thousand.


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The eleventh for the eleventh month [was] Benaiah of Pirath, of the sons of Ephraim; and in his division [were] twenty-four thousand.


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The twelfth for the twelfth month [was] Heldai the Netophathite, [belonging] to Othniel; and in his division [were] twenty-four thousand.


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And over the tribes of Israel, the chief for Reuben [was] Eliezer the son of Zichri; for Simeon, Shephatiah the son of Maachah;


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for the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead, Iddo the son of Zechariah; for the sons of Benjamin, Jaasiel the son of Abner;


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But David took not their number from twenty years old and under, because the Lord said that he would multiply Israel as the stars of the heaven.


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And Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number the people, but did not finish the work, for wrath came upon Israel; and the number was not recorded in the book of the chronicles of King David.


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And over the king's treasures [was] Azmaveth the son of Adiel; and over the treasures in the country, and in the towns, and in the villages, and in the towers, [was] Jehonathan the son of Uzziah.


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And over the fields [was] Shimei the Ramathite; and over the treasures of wine in the fields [was] Zabdi the son of Sephni.


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And over the olive trees, and over the sycamores in the plain country [was] Baal-Hanan the Gederite; and over the stores of oil [was] Joash.


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And over the oxen that fed in Sharon [was] Satrai the Sharonite; and over the oxen in the valleys [was] Shaphat the son of Adlai.


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And over the sheep [was] Jaziz the Hagrite. All these [were] superintendents of King David's property.


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And Jehonathan, David's uncle on his father's side, [was] a counselor, a wise man; and Jehiel the son of Hachmoni [was] with the king's sons.


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And after Ahithophel was Jehoiada the son of Benaiah, then Abiathar; and Joab [was] the king's commander-in-chief.


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And David assembled all the chief [men] of Israel, the chief of the judges, and all the chief [men] of the courses [of attendance] on the person of the king, and the captains of thousands and hundreds, and the treasurers, and the masters of his property, and of his sons, together with the eunuchs, and the mighty men, and the warriors of the army, at Jerusalem.


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And David stood in the midst of the assembly, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people. It was in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and a place for the feet of our Lord, and I prepared [materials] suitable for the building;


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but God said, You shall not build Me a house to call My name upon it, for you are a man of war, and have shed blood.


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Yet the Lord God of Israel chose me out of the whole house of my father to be king over Israel forever; and He chose Judah as the kingly [house], and out of the house of Judah [He chose] the house of my father; and among the sons of my father He preferred me, that I should be king over all Israel.


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And of all my sons, (for the Lord has given me many sons) He has chosen Solomon my son, to set him on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.


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And God said to me, Solomon your son shall build My house and My court; for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be to him a Father.


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And I will establish his kingdom forever, if he continues to keep My commandments, and My judgments, as [it is] this day.


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And now [I charge you] before the whole assembly of the Lord, and in the audience of our God, keep and seek all the commandments of the Lord our God, that you may inherit the good land, and leave it for your sons to inherit after you forever.


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And now, [my] son Solomon, know the God of your fathers, and serve Him with a perfect heart and a willing soul; for the Lord searches all hearts, and knows every thought: if you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you should forsake Him, He will forsake you forever.


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And David gave Solomon his son the plan of the temple, and its buildings, and its treasuries, and its upper chambers, and the inner store rooms, and the place of the atonement,


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and the plan which he had in his mind of the courts of the house of the Lord, and of all the chambers round about, [designed] for the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the holy things, and of the chambers for resting;


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and [the plan] of the courses of the priests and Levites, for all the work of the service of the house of the Lord, and of the stores of vessels for ministration of the service of the house of the Lord.


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He gave him likewise the weight of the tables of showbread, of each table of gold, and likewise of the [tables of] silver.


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Also of the flesh-hooks, and vessels for drink offering, and golden bowls. And the weight of the gold and silver [articles], and censers, [and] bowls, according to the weight of each.


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And he showed him the weight [of the utensils] of the altar of incense, [which was] of pure gold, and the plan of the chariot of the cherubim that spread out their wings, and overshadowed the ark of the covenant of the Lord.


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David gave all to Solomon in the Lord's handwriting, according to the knowledge given to him of the work of the pattern.


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And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong, and of good courage, and do [it]: fear not, neither be terrified; for the Lord my God [is] with you; He will not forsake you, and will not fail you, until you have finished all the work of the service of the house of the Lord. And behold the pattern of the temple, even His house, and its treasury, and the upper chambers, and the inner store rooms, and the place of propitiation, and the plan of the house of the Lord.


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And see, [here are] the courses of the priests and Levites for all the service of the house of the Lord, and [there shall be] with you [men] for every workmanship, and everyone of ready skill in every art; also the chief men and all the people, [ready] for all your commands.


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And David the king said to all the congregation, Solomon my son, whom the Lord has chosen, [is] young and tender, and the work [is] great; for [it is] not for man, but for the Lord God.


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I have prepared according to all [my] might for the house of my God, gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, onyx stones, and costly and variegated stones for setting, and every precious stone, and much Parian [marble].


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Moreover, because I took pleasure in the house of my God, I have gold and silver which I have procured for myself, and behold, I have given them to the house of my God over and above, beyond what I have prepared for the holy house.


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Three thousand talents of gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of fine silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the sanctuary;


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[for you to use] the gold for [things of] gold, and the silver for things of silver, and for every work by the hand of the artificers. And who is willing to dedicate himself in work this day for the Lord?


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Then the heads of families, and the princes of the children of Israel, and the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, and the overseers of the works, and the king's builders, offered willingly.


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And they gave for the works of the house of the Lord five thousand talents of gold, and ten thousand gold [pieces], and ten thousand talents of silver, and eighteen thousand talents of bronze, and a hundred thousand talents of iron.


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And those who had [precious] stones gave them into the treasuries of the house of the Lord by the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite.


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And the people rejoiced because of the willingness, for they offered willingly to the Lord with a full heart; and King David rejoiced greatly.


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And King David blessed the Lord before the congregation, saying, Blessed are You, O Lord God of Israel, our Father, from everlasting and to everlasting.


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Yours, O Lord, [is] the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the might; for You are Lord of all things that are in heaven and upon the earth; before Your face every king and nation is troubled.


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From You [come] wealth and glory. You, O Lord, rule over all, the Lord of all dominion, and in Your hand [is] strength and rule; and [You are] almighty with Your hand to increase and establish all things.


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But who am I, and what [is] my people, that we have been able to be thus forward [in offering] to You? For all things [are] Yours, and of Your own have we given You,


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for we are strangers before You, and sojourners, as all our fathers [were]; our days upon the earth [are] as a shadow, and there is no remaining.


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O Lord our God, as for all this abundance which I have prepared that a house should be built to Your holy name, it is of Your hand, and all [is] Yours.


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And I know, O Lord, that You are He that searches the hearts, and You love righteousness. I have willingly offered all these things in simplicity of heart. And now I have seen with joy Your people, who are present here, willingly offering to You.


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O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel our fathers, preserve these things in the thoughts of the heart of Your people forever, and direct their hearts toward You.


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And to Solomon my son give a good heart, to perform Your commandments, and [to observe] Your testimonies, and Your ordinances, and to accomplish the building of Your house.


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And David said to the whole congregation, Bless the Lord our God! And all the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and they bowed the knee and worshipped the Lord, and [bowed down] to the king.


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And David sacrificed to the Lord, and offered up whole burnt offerings to the Lord on the morning after the first day, a thousand calves, a thousand rams, a thousand lambs, and their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel.


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And they ate and drank joyfully that day before the Lord. And they made Solomon the son of David king a second time, and anointed him king before the Lord, and Zadok to the priesthood.


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And Solomon sat upon the throne of his father David, and was highly honored; and all Israel obeyed him.


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And the Lord magnified Solomon over all Israel, and gave him royal glory, such as was not upon any king before him.


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And he died in a good old age, full of days, in wealth, and glory; and Solomon his son reigned in his place.


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And the rest of the acts of David, the former and the latter, are written in the history of Samuel the seer, and in the history of Nathan the prophet, and in the history of Gad the seer,


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concerning all his reign, and his power, and the times which went over him, and over Israel, and over all the kingdoms of the earth.


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And Solomon the son of David was established over his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him, and increased him exceedingly.


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And Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the captains of thousands, and to the captains of hundreds, and to the judges, and to all the rulers over Israel, even the heads of the families;


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and Solomon and all the congregation went to the high place that was in Gibeon, where God's tabernacle of witness was, which Moses the servant of the Lord made in the wilderness.


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But David had brought up the ark of God out of the city of Kirjath Jearim; for David had prepared a place for it, for he had pitched a tabernacle for it in Jerusalem.


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And the bronze altar which Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur had made, was there before the tabernacle of the Lord. And Solomon and the congregation inquired [of the Lord] there.


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And Solomon brought [sacrifices] there to the bronze altar that was before the Lord in the tabernacle, and offered upon it a thousand whole burnt offerings.


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And Solomon said to God, You have dealt very mercifully with my father David, and have made me king in his place.


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And now, O Lord God, let Your name be established upon David my father; for You have made me king over a people as numerous [as] the dust of the earth.


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Now give me wisdom and understanding, I pray, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who shall judge this, Your great people?


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And God said to Solomon, Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for great wealth, nor glory, nor the life of your enemies, and you have not asked for long life; but have asked for yourself wisdom and understanding, that you might judge My people, over whom I have made you king;


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I give you this wisdom and understanding; and I will give you wealth, and riches, and glory, so that there shall not have been [any] like you among the kings before you, neither shall there be such after you.


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And Solomon came from the high place that was in Gibeon to Jerusalem, [from] before the tabernacle of witness, and reigned over Israel.


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And Solomon collected chariots and horsemen; and he had fourteen hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; and he set them in the cities of chariots, and the people [were] with the king in Jerusalem.


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And the king made silver and gold in Jerusalem [to be] as stones, and cedars in Judea as sycamores in the plain for multitude.


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And Solomon imported horses from Egypt, and the charge of the king's merchants for going [was as follows], and they traded,


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and went and brought out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred [pieces] of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty [pieces] of silver. And so they brought for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, by their means.


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And Solomon gathered seventy thousand men that bore burdens, and eighty thousand hewers of stone in the mountain, and [there were] three thousand six hundred superintendents over them.


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And Solomon sent to Hiram king of Tyre, saying, Whereas you dealt [favorably] with David my father, and sent him cedars to build for himself a house to dwell in,


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behold, I also his son am building a house to the name of the Lord my God, to consecrate it to Him, to burn incense before Him, and [to offer] showbread continually, and to offer up whole burnt offerings continually morning and evening, and on the Sabbaths, and at the new moons, and at the feasts of the Lord our God: this [is] a perpetual [statute] for Israel.


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And the house which I am building [is to be] great: for the Lord our God [is] great beyond all gods.


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And who will be able to build Him a house? For the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain His glory. And who am I, that I should build Him a house, except only to burn incense before Him?


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And now send me a man wise and skilled to work in gold, and in silver, and in bronze, and in iron, and in purple, and in scarlet, and in blue, and one that knows how to grave together with the craftsmen who are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, which materials my father David prepared.


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And send me from Lebanon cedar wood, and wood of juniper, and pine; for I know that your servants are skilled in cutting timber in Lebanon: and behold, your servants shall go with my servants,


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to prepare timber for me in abundance; for the house which I am building [must be] great and glorious.


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And behold, I have given freely to your servants that work and cut the wood, grain for food, [even] twenty thousand measures of wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand measures of wine, and twenty thousand measures of oil.


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And Hiram king of Tyre answered in writing, and sent to Solomon, saying, Because the Lord loved His people, He made you king over them.


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And Hiram said, Blessed [be] the Lord God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who has given to King David a wise son, and one endowed with knowledge and understanding, who shall build a house for the Lord, and a house for his kingdom.


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(his mother [was] of the daughters of Dan, and his father [was] a Tyrian), skilled to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in stones and wood; and to weave with purple, and blue, and fine linen, and scarlet; and to engrave, and to understand every device, whatsoever you shalt give him [to do] with your craftsmen, and the craftsmen of my lord David your father.


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And now, the wheat and the barley and the oil and the wine, which my lord mentioned, let him send to his servants.


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And we will cut timber out of Lebanon according to all your needs, and we will bring it on rafts to the Sea of Joppa, and you shall bring it to Jerusalem.


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And Solomon gathered all the foreigners that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering with which David his father numbered them; and there were found a hundred and fifty-three thousand six hundred.


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And he made of them seventy thousand burden-bearers, and eighty thousand hewers of stone, and three thousand six hundred taskmasters over the people.


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And Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared to his father David, in the place which David had prepared in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.


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And thus Solomon began to build the house of God: the length in cubits-even the first measurement from end to end, was sixty cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits.


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And the porch in front of the house, its length in front of the breadth of the house [was] twenty cubits, and its height a hundred and twenty cubits: and he gilded it within with pure gold.


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And he lined the great house with cedar wood, and gilded it with pure gold, and carved upon it palm trees and chains.


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And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty; and he gilded it with gold of the gold from Parvaim.


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And he gilded the house, and its [inner] walls, and the doorposts, and the roofs, and the doors with gold; and he carved cherubim on the walls.


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And he built the Holy of Holies, its length was according to the front [of the other house], the breadth of the house [was] twenty cubits, and the length twenty cubits; and he gilded [it] with pure gold for cherubim, to [the amount of] six hundred talents.


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And the weight of the nails, [even] the weight of each was fifty shekels of gold; and he gilded the upper chamber with gold.


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And the wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits in length; and one wing of five cubits touched the wall of the house. And the other wing of five cubits touched the wing of the other cherub.


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And the wings of these cherubim expanded were of the length of twenty cubits; and they stood upon their feet, and their faces were toward the house.


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Also he made in front of the house two pillars, in height thirty-five cubits, and their chapters of five cubits.


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And he made chains, [as] in the oracle, and put [them] on the heads of the pillars; and he made a hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains.


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And he set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right hand and the other on the left. And he called the name of the one on the right hand 'Stability,' and the name of the one on the left 'Strength.'


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And he made a bronze altar, the length of it twenty cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits, and the height ten cubits.


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And he made the molten sea, in diameter ten cubits, entirely round, and the height of it five cubits, and the circumference thirty cubits.


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And beneath it the likeness of calves, they compassed it round about: ten cubits compass the laver round about, they cast the calves two rows in their casting,


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wherein they made them twelve calves- three looking northwards, three westwards, three southwards, and three eastwards; and the sea was upon them above, [and] their hind parts were inward.


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And its thickness was a handbreadth, and its brim as the brim of a cup, graven with flowers of lilies, holding three thousand measures; and he finished [it].


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And he made ten lavers, and set five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them the instruments of the whole burnt offerings, and to rinse [the vessels] in them; and the sea [was] for the priests to wash in.


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And he made the ten golden lampstands according to their pattern, and he put them in the temple, five on the right hand, and five on the left.


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And he made ten tables, and put them in the temple, five on the right hand, and five on the left. And he made a hundred golden bowls.


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Also he made the priests' court, and the great court, and doors to the court, and their panels [were] overlaid with bronze.


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And Huram made the fleshhooks and the firepans, and the grate of the altar, and all its instruments. And Hiram finished doing all the work which he wrought for King Solomon in the house of God:


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two pillars, and upon them an embossed work for the chapiters on the heads of the two pillars, and two nets to cover the heads of the chapiters which are on the heads of the pillars;


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and four hundred golden bells for the two nets, and two rows of pomegranates in each net, to cover the two embossed rims of the chapiters which are upon the pillars.


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and the foot-baths, and the buckets, and the caldrons, and the fleshhooks, and all their furniture (which Hiram made, and brought to King Solomon in the house of the Lord) of pure bronze.


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In the country round about the Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground in the house of Succoth, and between [that and] Zeredah.


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And Solomon made all the vessels of the house of the Lord, and the golden altar, and the tables, and upon them [were to be] the loaves of showbread;


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also the lampstands, and the lamps to give light according to the pattern, and in front of the oracle, of pure gold.


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And their snuffers, and their lamps [were made], and [he made] the bowls, and the censers, and the fire-pans, of pure gold.


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And [there was] the inner door of the house [opening] into the Holy of Holies, and [he made] the inner doors of the temple of gold. So all the work which Solomon wrought for the house of the Lord was finished.


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And Solomon brought in the holy things of his father David, the silver, the gold, and the [other] vessels, and put them in the treasury of the house of the Lord.


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Then Solomon assembled all the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, [even] the leaders of the families of the children of Israel, to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David (this [is] Zion).


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and the tabernacle of witness, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle; and the priests and the Levites brought it up.


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And King Solomon, and all the elders of Israel, and the religious of them, and they of them that were gathered before the ark, [were] sacrificing calves and sheep, which could not be numbered or reckoned for multitude.


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And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord into its place, into the oracle of the house, [even] into the Holy of Holies, under the wings of the cherubim.


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And the cherubim stretched out their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark, and its poles above.


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And the poles projected, and the heads of the poles were seen from the holy place in front of the oracle, they were not seen outside. And they are there to this day.


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There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets which Moses placed [there] in Horeb, which God gave in covenant with the children of Israel, when they went out of the land of Egypt.


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And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place (for all the priests that were found were sanctified, they were not [then] arranged according to their daily course),


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that all the singing Levites [assigned] to the sons of Asaph, to Heman, to Jeduthun, and to his sons, and to his brethren, of them that were clothed in linen garments, with cymbals and lutes and harps, [were] standing before the altar, and with them a hundred and twenty priests, blowing trumpets.


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And there was one voice in the trumpeting and in the psalm singing, and in the loud utterance with one voice to give thanks and praise the Lord. And when they raised their voice together with trumpets and cymbals, and instruments of music, and said, Give thanks to the Lord, for [He is] good, for His mercy [endures] forever. Then the house was filled with the cloud of the glory of the Lord.


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And the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.


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And the king turned his face, and blessed all the congregation of Israel. And all the congregation of Israel stood by.


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And he said, Blessed [be] the Lord God of Israel; He has even fulfilled with His hands as He spoke with His mouth to my father David, saying,


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From the day when I brought up My people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city of all the tribes of Israel, to build a house that My name should be there; neither did I choose a man to be a leader over My people Israel.


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But I have chosen Jerusalem that My name should be there; and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.


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And it came into the heart of David my father, to build a house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.


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But the Lord said to my father David, Whereas it came into your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it came into your heart.


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Nevertheless you shall not build the house; for your son who shall come forth out of your loins, he shall build the house for My name.


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And the Lord has confirmed this word, which He spoke; and I have been raised up in the place of my father David, and I sit upon the throne of Israel as the Lord said, and I have built the house for the name of the Lord God of Israel;


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And he stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread out his hands.


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For Solomon [had] made a bronze scaffold, and set it in the midst of the court of the sanctuary; the length of it [was] five cubits, and the breadth of it five cubits, and the height of it three cubits. And he stood upon it, and fell upon his knees before the whole congregation of Israel, and spread abroad his hands toward heaven,


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and said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven, or on the earth; keeping covenant and mercy with Your servants that walk before You with [their] whole heart.


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Even as You have kept [them] with Your servant David my father, as You have spoken to him in words- you have both spoken with Your mouth, and have fulfilled [it] with Your hands, as it is this day.


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And now, Lord God of Israel, keep with Your servant David my father the things which You have spoken to him, saying, There shall not fail you a man before Me sitting on the throne of Israel, if only your sons will take heed to their way to walk in My law, as you have walked before Me.


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And now, Lord God of Israel, let Your word be confirmed, I pray, which You have spoken to Your servant David.


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For will God indeed dwell with men upon the earth? If the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You, what then is this house which I have built?


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Yet You shall have respect to the prayer of Your servant, and to my petition, O Lord God, so as to hearken to the petition and the prayer which Your servant prays before You this day;


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so that Your eyes should be open over this house by day and by night, towards this place, whereon You said that Your name should be called, so as to hear the prayer which Your servant prays towards this house.


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And You shall hear the supplication of Your servant, and of Your people Israel, whatsoever prayers they shall make towards this place, and You shall hearken in Your dwelling place out of heaven; yea, You shall hear, and be merciful.


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If a man sin against his neighbor, and he bring an oath upon him so as to make him swear, and he should come and swear before the altar in this house;


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then shall You hearken out of heaven, and do, and judge Your servants, to recompense the transgressor, and to return his ways upon his head, and to justify the righteous, to recompense him according to his righteousness.


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And if Your people Israel should be put to the worse before the enemy, if they should sin against You, and [then] turn and confess to Your name, and pray and make supplication before You in this house;


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then shall You hearken out of heaven and shall be merciful to the sins of Your people Israel, and You shall restore them to the land which You gave to them and to their fathers.


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When heaven is restrained, and there is no rain, because they shall have sinned against You, and [when] they shall pray towards this place, and praise Your name, and shall turn from their sins, because You shall afflict them;


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then shall You hearken from heaven, and You shall be merciful to the sins of Your servants, and of Your people Israel; for You shall show them the good way in which they shall walk; and You shall send rain upon Your land, which You gave to Your people for an inheritance.


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If there should be famine upon the land, if there should be death, a pestilent wind and blight; if there should be locusts and caterpillars, and if the enemy should harass them before their cities; in whatever plague and whatever distress [they may be];


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then whatever prayer and whatever supplication shall be made by any man and all Your people Israel, if a man should know his own plague and his own sickness, and should spread forth his hands toward this house;


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then shall You hear from heaven, out of Your prepared dwelling place, and shall be merciful, and shall recompense to the man according to his ways, as You shall know his heart; for You alone know the heart of the children of men;


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that they may reverence all Your ways all the days which they live upon the face of the land, which You gave to our fathers.


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And every stranger who is not himself of Your people Israel, and who shall come from a distant land because of Your great name, and Your mighty hand, and Your outstretched arm; when they shall come and worship toward this place-


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then shall You hearken out of heaven, out of Your prepared dwelling place, and shall do according to all that the stranger shall call upon You for; that all the nations of the earth may know Your name, and that they may fear You, as Your people Israel [do], and that they may know that Your name is called upon this house which I have built.


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And if Your people shall go forth to war against their enemies by the way by which You shall send them, and shall pray to You toward this city which You have chosen, and [toward] the house which I have built to Your name;


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Whereas if they shall sin against You, (for there is no man who will not sin) and You shall smite them, and deliver them up before their enemies, and they that take them captive shall carry them away into a land of enemies, to a land far off or near;


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and [if] they shall repent in their land where they were carried captive, and shall also turn and make supplication to You in their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have transgressed, we have wrought unrighteously;


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and [if] they shall turn to You with all their heart and all their soul in the land of them that carried them [away] captive, and shall pray toward their land which You gave to their fathers, and the city which You have chosen, and the house which I built to Your name-


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then shall You hear out of heaven, out of Your prepared dwelling place, their prayer and their supplication, and You shall execute justice, and shall be merciful to Your people that sinned against You.


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And now, O Lord, I pray, let Your eyes be opened, and Your ears be attentive to the petition [made in] this place.


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And now, O Lord God, arise into Your resting place, You, and the ark of Your strength; let Your priests, O Lord God, clothe themselves with salvation, and Your sons rejoice in prosperity.


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And when Solomon had finished praying, then the fire came down from heaven, and devoured the whole burnt offerings and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house.


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And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord at that time, for the glory of the Lord filled the house.


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And all the children of Israel saw the fire descending, and the glory of the Lord was upon the house; and they fell upon their face to the ground on the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord; for [it is] good [to do so], because His mercy [endures] forever.


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And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand calves, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.


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And the priests were standing at their watches, and the Levites with instruments of music of the Lord, belonging to King David, to give thanks before the Lord, for His mercy [endures] forever, with the hymns of David, by their ministry: and the priests were blowing the trumpets before them, and all Israel was standing.


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And Solomon consecrated the middle of the court that was in the house of the Lord; for he offered there the whole burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, for the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not sufficient to receive the whole burnt offerings, and the meat offerings, and the fat.


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And Solomon kept the feast at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly, from the entering in of Hamath, and as far as the river of Egypt.


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And on the eighth day he kept a solemn assembly; for he kept a feast of seven days as the dedication of the altar.


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And on the twenty-third day of the seventh month he dismissed the people to their tents, rejoicing, and with a glad heart, because of the good deeds which the Lord had done to David, and to Solomon, and to Israel His people.


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So Solomon finished the house of the Lord, and the king's house. And in whatever Solomon wished in his heart to do in the house of the Lord and in his own house, he prospered.


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And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him, I have heard your prayer, and I have chosen this place to Myself for a house of sacrifice.


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If I should restrain the heaven and there should be no rain, and if I should command the locust to devour the trees, and if I should send pestilence upon My people;


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then if My people, on whom My name is called, should repent, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, I also will hear from heaven, and I will be merciful to their sins, and I will heal their land.


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And now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name should be there forever; and My eyes and My heart shall be there always.


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And if you will walk before Me as David your father [did], and will do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep My ordinances and My judgments;


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then will I establish the throne of your kingdom, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, There shall not fail you a man ruling in Israel.


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But if you should turn away, and forsake My ordinances and My commandments, which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them;


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then will I remove them from the land which I gave them; and this house which I have consecrated to My name I will remove out of My sight, and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all nations.


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And [as for] this lofty house, everyone that passes by it shall be amazed, and shall say, Why has the Lord done [thus] to this land, and to this house?


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And [men] shall say, Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they attached themselves to other gods, and worshipped them, and served them; and therefore He has brought upon them all this evil.


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And it came to pass after twenty years, in which Solomon built the house of the Lord, and his own house,


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that Solomon rebuilt the cities which Hiram had given to Solomon, and caused the children of Israel to dwell in them.


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And he built Beth Horon the Upper, and Beth Horon the Lower, strong cities-they had walls, gates, and bars;


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and Baalath, and all the strong cities which Solomon had, and all his chariot cities, and cities of horsemen, and all things that Solomon desired according to his desire of building, in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all his kingdom.


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[As for] all the people that were left of the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel,


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but were of the children of them whom the children of Israel destroyed not, that were left after them in the land, even them did Solomon make tributaries to this day.


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But Solomon did not make any of the children of Israel servants in his kingdom; for behold, [they were] warriors and rulers, and mighty [men], and captains of chariots and horsemen.


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And these are the chiefs of the officers of King Solomon, two hundred and fifty overseeing the work among the people.


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And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh from the City of David to the house which he had built for her; for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the City of David, the king of Israel, for [the place] is holy into which the ark of the Lord has entered.


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Then Solomon offered up to the Lord whole burnt offerings on the altar which he had built to the Lord before the temple,


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according to the daily rate, to offer up [sacrifices] according to the commandments of Moses, on the Sabbaths, and at the new moons, and at the feasts, three times in the year, at the feast of unleavened bread, and at the feast of weeks, and at the feast of tabernacles.


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And he established, according to the order of his father David, the courses of the priests, and [that] according to their public ministrations. And the Levites [were appointed] over their charges, to praise and minister before the priests according to the daily order. And the porters were appointed according to their courses to the different gates; for thus [were] the commandments of David the man of God.


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They transgressed not the commandments of the king concerning the priests and the Levites with regard to everything else, and with regard to the treasures.


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Now all the work had been prepared from the day when the foundation was laid, until Solomon finished the house of the Lord.


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And Hiram sent ships by the hand of his servants, and servants skilled in naval affairs; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and brought from there four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and they came to King Solomon.


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Now the queen of Sheba heard [of] the name of Solomon, and she came to Jerusalem with a very large entourage, to test Solomon with hard questions, and [she had] camels bearing spices in abundance, and gold, and precious stones. And she came to Solomon, and told him all that was in her mind.


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And Solomon answered all her questions; and there passed not a word from Solomon which he told her not.


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and the food on his tables, and the sitting of his servants, and the standing of his ministers, and their garments; and his cupbearers, and their apparel; and the whole burnt offerings which he offered up in the house of the Lord; and she marveled.


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And she said to the king, [It was] a true report which I heard in my land concerning your words, and concerning your wisdom.


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Yet I believed not the reports until I came, and my eyes saw; and behold, the half of the abundance of your wisdom was not told me! You have exceeded the report which I heard.


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Blessed [are] your men, blessed [are] these your servants, who stand before you continually, and hear your wisdom.


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Blessed be the Lord your God, who took pleasure in you, to set you upon His throne for a king, to the Lord your God; forasmuch as the Lord your God loved Israel to establish them forever, therefore He has set you over them for a king, to execute judgment and justice.


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And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices in very great abundance, and precious stones; and there were not [any where else] such spices as those which the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.


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And the servants of Solomon and the servants of Hiram brought gold to Solomon out of Ophir, and pine timber, and precious stones.


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And the king made of the pine timber steps to the house of the Lord, and to the king's house, and harps and lutes for the singers; and such were not seen before in the land of Judah.


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And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she requested, even [much more than] she brought to King Solomon. And she returned to her [own] land.


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And the weight of the gold that was brought to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold,


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besides what the men who were regularly appointed and the merchants brought, and all the kings of Arabia and princes of the land: all brought gold and silver to King Solomon.


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And King Solomon made two hundred shields of hammered gold; there were six hundred [shekels] of pure gold to one shield.


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And three hundred buckles of hammered gold; [the weight] of three hundred gold shekels went to one buckler. And the king placed them in the house of the Forest of Lebanon.


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And [there were] six steps to the throne, riveted with gold, and elbows on either side of the seat of the throne, and two lions standing by the elbows;


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and twelve lions standing there on the six steps on each side. There was not the like in any [other] kingdom.


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And all King Solomon's vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the Forest of Lebanon were covered with gold: silver was not regarded as anything in the days of Solomon.


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For a ship went for the king to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram. Once every three years vessels came from Tarshish to the king, laden with gold, silver, ivory, and apes.


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And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.


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And everyone brought their gifts-silver vessels and golden vessels, clothing, myrrh, spices, horses and mules, a set rate every year.


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And Solomon had four thousand mares for chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; and he put them in the chariot cities, and with the king in Jerusalem.


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And he ruled over all the kings from the river, even to the land of the Philistines, and to the borders of Egypt.


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And the king made gold and silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars as the sycamore trees in the plain for abundance.


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And the rest of the acts of Solomon, the first and the last, behold, these are written in the words of Nathan the prophet, and in the words of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Joel the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat.


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And Solomon fell asleep, and they buried him in the City of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.


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And it came to pass when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard [it], (now he was in Egypt, for he had fled there from the face of King Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt) that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt.


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Your father made our yoke grievous. Now then, abate [somewhat] of your father's grievous rule, and of his heavy yoke which he put upon us, and we will serve you.


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And King Rehoboam assembled the elders that stood before his father Solomon in his lifetime, saying, How do you counsel [me] to return an answer to this people?


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And they spoke to him, saying, If you would this day befriend this people, and be kind to them, and speak to them good words, then will they be your servants forever.


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But he forsook the advice of the old men, who took counsel with him, and he took counsel with the young men who had been brought up with him, who stood before him.


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And he said to them, What do you advise that I should answer this people, who spoke to me, saying, Ease [somewhat] of the yoke which your father laid upon us?


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And the young men that had been brought up with him spoke to him, saying, Thus shall you speak to the people that spoke to you, saying, Your father made our yoke heavy, therefore lighten [some of it] for us; thus shall you say: My little finger [shall be] thicker than my father's loins.


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And whereas my father chastised you with a heavy yoke, I will also add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, and I will chastise you with scorpions.


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And Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had spoken, saying, Return to me on the third day.


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and spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.


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And the king hearkened not to the people, for there was a change [of their minds] from God, saying, The Lord has confirmed His word, which he spoke by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and [concerning] all Israel;


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for the king did not hearken to them. And the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David, or [what] inheritance [have we] in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel! See now to your own house, O David! So all Israel went to their tents.


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But the men of Israel, even those who dwelt in the cities of Judah, [remained] and made Rehoboam king over them.


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And King Rehoboam sent Hadoram to them, who was over the tribute. And the children of Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. And King Rehoboam hastened to mount [his] chariot, [and] to flee to Jerusalem.


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And Rehoboam came to Jerusalem. And he assembled Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand young men fit for war, and he waged war with Israel to recover the kingdom to Rehoboam.


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Thus says the Lord: You shall not go up, and you shall not war against your brethren: return, everyone to his house; for this thing is from Me. And they hearkened to the word of the Lord, and returned from going against Jeroboam.


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And he fortified them with walls, and placed in them captains, and stores of provisions, oil and wine,


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shields and spears in every city, and he fortified them very strongly, and he had Judah and Benjamin on his side.


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For the Levites left the tents of their possession, and went to Judah to Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them so that they should not minister to the Lord.


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And he made for himself priests of the high places, and for the idols, and for the vanities, and for the calves which Jeroboam made.


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And he cast out from the tribes of Israel those who set their heart to seek the Lord God of Israel. And they came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers.


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And they strengthened the kingdom of Judah; and [Judah] strengthened Rehoboam the [son] of Solomon for three years, for he walked three years in the ways of David and Solomon.


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And Rehoboam took to himself for a wife, Mahalath daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and Abihail daughter of Eliah the son of Jesse.


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And afterwards he took to himself Maachah, granddaughter of Absalom; and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.


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And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and all his concubines; for he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines. And he begot twenty-eight sons, and sixty daughters.


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And he made Abijah the son of Maachah chief, [even] a leader among his brethren, for he intended to make him king.


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And he was exalted beyond all his [other] sons in all the coasts of Judah and Benjamin, and in the strong cities; and he gave them provisions in great abundance; and he desired many wives.


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And it came to pass when the kingdom of Rehoboam was established, and when he had grown strong, [that] he forsook the commandments of the Lord, and all Israel with him.


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And it came to pass in the fifth year of the reign of Rehoboam, [that] Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had sinned against the Lord,


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with twelve hundred chariots, and sixty thousand horses. And there was no number of the multitude that came with him from Egypt: Libyans, [the] Sukkiim, and [the] Ethiopians.


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And Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah that were gathered to Jerusalem for fear of Shishak, and said to them, Thus says the Lord: You have left Me, and I will leave you in the hand of Shishak.


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And when the Lord saw that they repented, then the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have repented; I will not destroy them, but I will set them in safety for a little while, and My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem.


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Nevertheless they shall be servants, and know My service, and the service of the kings of the earth.


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So Shishak king of Egypt went up against Jerusalem, and took the treasures that were in the house of the Lord, and the treasures that were in the king's house: he took all, and he took the golden shields which Solomon had made.


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And King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place. And Shishak set over him captains of footmen, as keepers of the gate of the king.


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And it came to pass, when the king went into the house of the Lord, the guards and the footmen went in, and those that returned to meet the footmen.


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And when he repented, the anger of the Lord turned from him, and did not destroy him utterly; for there were good things in Judah.


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So King Rehoboam strengthened [himself] in Jerusalem, and reigned. And Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, in the city which the Lord chose out of all the tribes of the children of Israel, to call His name there; and his mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess.


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And the acts of Rehoboam, the first and the last, behold, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and Iddo the seer, with his achievements?


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And Rehoboam made war with Jeroboam all [his] days. And Rehoboam died with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David; and Abijah his son reigned in his place.


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He reigned three years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Maachah, daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.


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And Abijah set the battle in array with an army, with mighty men of war, [even] four hundred thousand mighty men. And Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand, [they were] mighty warriors of the army.


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And Abijah rose up from Mount Zemaraim, which is in Mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel:


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[Is it] not for you to know that the Lord God of Israel has given a king over Israel forever to David, and to his sons, by a covenant of salt?


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But Jeroboam the [son] of Nebat, the servant of Solomon [the son] of David, has risen up, and has revolted from his master.


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And there are gathered to him pestilent men, transgressors, and he has risen up against Rehoboam the [son] of Solomon, while Rehoboam was young and fearful in heart, and he withstood him not.


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And now you profess to resist the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David, and you [are] a great multitude, and with you are golden calves, which Jeroboam made you, as gods.


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Did you not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make for yourselves priests of the people of any [other] land? Whoever came to consecrate himself with a calf of the herd and seven rams, he then became a priest to that which is no god.


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But we have not forsaken the Lord our God, and His priests, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, ministers unto the Lord; and in their daily courses


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they sacrifice to the Lord whole burnt offerings, morning and evening, and compound incense, and [set] the showbread on the pure table; and [there is] the golden lampstand, and the lamps for burning, to light in the evening; for we keep the charge of the Lord God of our fathers; but you have forsaken Him.


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And behold, the Lord and His priests are with us at our head, and the signal trumpets to sound an alarm over us. Children of Israel, fight not against the Lord God of our fathers; for you shall not prosper.


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Now Jeroboam had caused an ambush to come round upon him from behind; and he [himself] was before Judah, and the ambush behind.


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And Judah looked back, and behold, the battle [was] against them, ahead and behind. And they cried to the Lord, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.


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And the men of Judah shouted. And it came to pass, when the men of Judah shouted, that the Lord struck Jeroboam and Israel before Abijah and Judah.


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And Abijah and his people struck them with a great slaughter; and there fell slain of Israel five hundred thousand mighty men.


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So the children of Israel were brought low in that day, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they trusted on the Lord God of their fathers.


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And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and he took from him the cities, Bethel and her towns, and Jeshanah and her towns, and Ephron and her towns.


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And Jeroboam did not recover strength again all the days of Abijah. And the Lord struck him, and he died.


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But Abijah strengthened himself, and took to himself fourteen wives, and he begot twenty-two sons, and sixteen daughters.


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And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his deeds, and his sayings, are written in the book of the prophet Iddo.


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And Abijah rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David; and Asa his son reigned in his place. In the days of Asa the land of Judah had rest for ten years.


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And he removed the altars of the strange [gods], and the high places, and broke the pillars in pieces, and cut down the groves;


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and he told Judah to seek earnestly the Lord God of their fathers, and to perform the law and the commandments.


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fortified cities in the land of Judah; for the land was quiet, and he had no war in these years; for the Lord gave him rest.


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And he said to Judah, Let us fortify these cities, and make walls, and towers, and gates, and bars; we shall prevail over the land, for as we have sought out the Lord our God, He has sought out us, and has given us rest round about, and prospered us.


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And Asa had a force of armed men bearing shields and spears in the land of Judah, [even] three hundred thousand, and in the land of Benjamin two hundred and eighty thousand targeteers and archers; all these were mighty warriors.


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And Zerah the Ethiopian went out against them, with a force of a million, and three hundred chariots; and came to Mareshah.


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And Asa cried to the Lord his God, and said, O Lord, it is not impossible with You to save by many or by few: strengthen us, O Lord our God; for we trust in You, and in Your name we have come up against this great multitude. O Lord our God, let not man prevail against You.


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And Asa and his people pursued them to Gerar; and the Ethiopians fell, so that they could not recover themselves; for they were crushed before the Lord, and before His army; and they took many spoils.


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And they destroyed their towns roundabout Gerar; for the terror of the Lord was upon them; and they plundered all their cities, for they had much spoil.


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Also they destroyed the tents of cattle, and the Alimazons, and took many sheep and camels, and returned to Jerusalem.


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And he went out to meet Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin, and said, Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord [is] with you, while you are with Him; and if you seek Him out, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.


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And Israel [has been] a long time without the true God, and without a priest to expound [the truth], and without the law.


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And in that time there is no peace to one going out, or to one coming in, for the terror of the Lord is upon all that inhabit the land.


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And nation shall fight against nation, and city against city; for God has confounded them with every [kind of] affliction.


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And when [Asa] heard these words, and the prophesy of Oded the prophet, then he strengthened himself, and cast out the abominations from all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and from the cities which Jeroboam possessed, in Mount Ephraim, and he renewed the altar of the Lord, which was before the temple of the Lord.


text:
And he assembled Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers that dwelt with him, of Ephraim, and of Manasseh, and of Simeon; for many of Israel were joined to him, when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.


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And they sacrificed to the Lord in that day of the spoils which they brought, seven hundred calves and seven thousand sheep.


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And they entered into a covenant, that they should seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul.


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And that whoever should not seek the Lord God of Israel should die, whether young or old, whether man or woman.


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And all Judah rejoiced concerning the oath; for they swore with all their heart, and they sought Him with all their desires, and He was found of them. And the Lord gave them rest round about.


text:
And he removed Maachah his mother from being priestess to Asherah; and he cut down the idol, and burned it in the Brook of Kidron.


text:
But they removed not the high places; they still existed in Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.


text:
And he brought in the holy things of David his father, and the holy things of the house of God, silver, and gold, and vessels.


text:
And in the thirty-eighth year of the reign of Asa, the king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, so as not to allow any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.


text:
And Asa took silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the Lord, and of the king's house, and sent [them] to the son of Hadad king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying,


text:
Make a covenant between me and you, and between my father and your father: behold, I have sent you gold and silver. Come, turn away Baasha king of Israel from me, and let him depart from me.


text:
And the son of Hadad hearkened to King Asa, and sent the captains of his army against the cities of Israel. And they attacked Ijon, Dan, and Abel Maim, and all the country round about Naphtali.


text:
And it came to pass when Baasha heard [it, that] he left off building Ramah, and put a stop to his work.


text:
Then King Asa took all Judah, and took the stones of Ramah, and its timber, [with] which Baasah [had] built; and he built with them Geba and Mizpah.


text:
And at that time Hanani the prophet came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him, Because you have trusted on the king of Syria, and did not trust on the Lord your God, therefore the army of Syria has escaped out of your hand.


text:
Were not the Ethiopians and Libyans a great force, in courage, in horsemen, and in great numbers? And did He not deliver them into your hands, because you trusted in the Lord?


text:
For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout all the earth, to strengthen every heart that is perfect toward Him. In this you have done foolishly; henceforth there shall be war with you.


text:
And Asa was angry with the prophet, and put him in prison, for he was angry at this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at that time.


text:
And behold, the acts of Asa, the first and the last, [are] written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.


text:
And Asa was diseased [in] his feet in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, until he was very ill, but in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians.


text:
And they buried him in the tomb which he had dug for himself in the City of David, and they laid him on a bed, and filled [it] with spices and [all] kinds of perfumes of the apothecaries; and they made for him a very great funeral.


text:
And he put garrisons in all the strong cities of Judah, and appointed captains in all the cities of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken.


text:
And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, for he walked in the first ways of his father, and did not seek to idols;


text:
but he sought the Lord God of his father, and walked in the commandments of his father, and not according to the works of Israel.


text:
And the Lord prospered the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah gave gifts to Jehoshaphat; and he had great wealth and glory.


text:
And his heart was exalted in the way of the Lord; and he removed the high places and the groves from the land of Judah.


text:
And in the third year of his reign, he sent his chief men and his mighty men, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethaneel and Michaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah.


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And with them [were] the Levites, Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tobadonijah, Levites, and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests.


text:
And they taught in Judah, and [there was] with them the Book of the Law of the Lord, and they passed through the cities of Judah, and taught the people.


text:
And the terror of the Lord was upon all the kingdoms of the land round about Judah, and they made no war against Jehoshaphat.


text:
And [some] of the Philistines brought to Jehoshaphat gifts, and silver, and presents; and the Arabians brought him seven thousand seven hundred rams.


text:
And Jehoshaphat increased in greatness exceedingly, and built fortresses in Judea, and strong cities.


text:
And he had many works in Judea. And the mighty men of war, [the men] of strength, [were] in Jerusalem.


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And this [is] their number according to the houses of their fathers; even the captains of thousands in Judah [were]: Adnah the chief, and with him mighty men of strength, three hundred thousand.


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And after him Amasiah the [son] of Zichri, who was zealous for the Lord; and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of strength.


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And out of Benjamin [there was] a mighty man of strength, even Eliada, and with him two hundred thousand archers and targeteers.


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And Jehoshaphat had yet great wealth and glory, and he connected himself by marriage with the house of Ahab.


text:
And he went down after some years to Ahab in Samaria. And Ahab slaughtered for him sheep and calves, in abundance, and for the people with him, and he much desired him to go up with him to Ramoth of the country of Gilead.


text:
And Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Will you go with me to Ramoth of the country of Gilead? And he said to him, As I [am], so also [are] you, as your people, [so] also [are] my people with you for the war.


text:
And the king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, Shall I go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I refrain? And they said, Go up, and God shall deliver [it] into the hands of the king.


text:
And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man by whom to inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, for he does not prophesy concerning me for good, for all his days [are] for evil: this [is] Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say such things!


text:
And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, and clothed in their robes, sitting in the open space at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.


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And Zedekiah son of Chenaanah made for himself iron horns, and said, Thus says the Lord: With these you shall thrust Syria until they are destroyed.


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And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth Gilead, and you shall prosper; and the Lord shall deliver it into the hands of the king.


text:
And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, Behold, the prophets have spoken favorably concerning the king with one mouth; therefore, please let your words be as [the words] of one of them, and speak good things.


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And he came to the king, and the king said to him, Micaiah, shall I go up to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I refrain? And he said, Go up, and you shall prosper, and they shall be given into your hands.


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And the king said to him, How often shall I solemnly charge you that you speak to me nothing but truth in the name of the Lord?


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And he said, I saw Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep without a shepherd. And the Lord said, These have no commander; let each return to his home in peace.


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And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, [See,] did I not say to you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?


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But he said, Not so. Hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven stood by on His right hand and on His left.


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And the Lord said, Who will deceive Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up, and fall in Ramoth Gilead? And one spoke this way, and another spoke that way.


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And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will deceive him. And the Lord said, How?


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And he said, I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And [the Lord] said, You shall deceive [him], and shall prevail: go forth, and do so.


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And now, behold, the Lord has put a false spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, and the Lord has spoken evil against you.


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Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah drew near, and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said to him, By what way did the Spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you?


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And Micaiah said, Behold, you shall see in that day, when you shall go from chamber to chamber to hide yourself.


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And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the captain, the king's son;


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and you shall say, Thus said the king: Put this fellow into the prison house, and let him eat the bread of affliction, and [drink] the water of affliction, until I return in peace.


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And Micaiah said, If you do at all return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me. And he said, Hear, all you people.


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And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Disguise me, and I will enter into the battle; and you put on my robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself, and entered into the battle.


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Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that were with him, saying, Fight neither against small nor great, but only against the king of Israel.


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And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel. And they compassed him round about to fight against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord delivered him; and God turned them away from him.


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And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned away from him.


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And a man drew a bow with a good aim, and struck the king of Israel between the lungs and the breastplate. And he said to the charioteer, Turn your hand, drive me out of the battle, for I am wounded.


text:
And the battle turned in that day; and the king of Israel remained on the chariot against Syria until evening, and died at sunset.


text:
And Jehu the prophet, the son of Hanani went out to meet him, and said to him, King Jehoshaphat, do you help a sinner, or act friendly towards one hated of the Lord? Therefore has wrath come upon you from the Lord.


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Nevertheless [some] good things have been found in you, forasmuch as you did remove the groves from the land of Judah, and you directed your heart to seek after the Lord.


text:
And Jehoshaphat dwelt in Jerusalem. And he again went out among the people from Beersheba to Mount Ephraim, and turned them back to the Lord God of their fathers.


text:
And he said to the judges, Take good heed what you do: for you judge not for man, but for the Lord, and with you are matters of judgment.


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And now let the fear of the Lord be upon you, and be wary, and do [your duty]; for there is no unrighteousness with the Lord our God, neither [is it for Him] to respect persons, or to take bribes.


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Moreover Jehoshaphat appointed in Jerusalem some of the priests and Levites, and heads of houses of Israel, for the judgment of the Lord, and to judge the inhabitants of Jerusalem.


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And he charged them, saying, Thus shall you do in the fear of the Lord, in truth and with a perfect heart.


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Whatsoever man of your brethren that dwell in their cities [shall bring] the cause that comes before you, between blood [and] blood, and between precept and commandment, and ordinances and judgments, you shall even decide for them; so they shall not sin against the Lord, and there shall not be wrath upon you, and upon your brethren. Thus you shall do, and you shall not sin.


text:
And behold, Amariah the priest is head over you in every matter of the Lord; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael is head over the house of Judah in every matter of the king; and the scribes and Levites are before you: be strong and active, and the Lord shall be with the good.


text:
And it came about after this, [that] the children of Moab and the children of Ammon, and with them [some] of the Mineans, came up against Jehoshaphat to battle.


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And they came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, A great multitude is coming against you from Syria, from beyond the sea; and behold, they are in Hazazon Tamar, which is En Gedi.


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And Jehoshaphat was alarmed, and set his face to seek the Lord earnestly, and he proclaimed a fast in all Judah.


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And Judah gathered themselves together to seek after the Lord; even from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.


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And Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah in Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, in front of the new court.


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And he said, O Lord God of my fathers, are not You God in heaven above, and are not You Lord of all the kingdoms of the nations? And [is there] not in Your hand the might of dominion, and there is no one who can resist You?


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Are not You the Lord that destroyed the inhabitants of this land before the face of Your people Israel, and gave it to Your beloved seed of Abraham forever?


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If there should come upon us evils, sword, judgment, pestilence, [or] famine, we will stand before this house, and before You, (for Your name [is] upon this house) and we will cry to You because of the affliction, and You shall hear, and deliver.


text:
And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, with regard to whom You did not permit Israel to pass through their border, when they had come out of the land of Egypt, (for they turned away from them, and did not destroy them)-


text:
yet now, behold, they make attempts against us, to come forth to cast us out from our inheritance which You have given to us.


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O Lord our God, will You not judge them? For we have no strength to resist this great multitude that has come against us; and we know not what we shall do to them, but our eyes are toward You.


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Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the [son] of Zechariah, of the sons of Benaiah, of the sons of Jeiel, of the sons of Matthaniah the Levite, of the sons of Asaph, in the assembly.


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And he said, Hear, all Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat; Thus says the Lord to you, even you: Fear not, neither be alarmed, before all this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.


text:
Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you shall find them at the extremity of the river of the Wilderness of Jeruel.


text:
It is not for you to fight. Understand these things, and see the deliverance of the Lord with you, Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, neither be afraid to go forth tomorrow to meet them; and the Lord shall be with you.


text:
And Jehoshaphat bowed with his face [to the ground] with all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, [and] they fell before the Lord, to worship the Lord.


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And the Levites of the children of Kohath, and [those] of the sons of Korah, rose up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high.


text:
And they rose early in the morning and went out to the Wilderness of Tekoa. And as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and cried, and said, Hear me, O Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem; put your trust in the Lord God, and your trust shall be honored; trust in His prophet, and you shall prosper.


text:
And he took counsel with the people, and set appointed men to sing psalms and praises, to give thanks, and sing the holy songs of praise in going forth before the army. And they said, Give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy [endures] forever.


text:
And when they began the praise and thanksgiving, the Lord caused the children of Ammon to fight against Moab, and [the inhabitants of] Mount Seir that came out against Judah; and they were defeated.


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Then the children of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, to destroy and consume them. And when they had made an end of [destroying] the inhabitants of Seir, they rose up against one another so that they were utterly destroyed.


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And Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, and looked, and saw the multitude, and behold, [they were] all fallen dead upon the earth; not one escaped.


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And Jehoshaphat and his people went out to plunder them, and they found much cattle, and furniture, and spoils, and precious things. And they plundered them, and they were three days gathering the spoil, for it was abundant.


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And it came to pass on the fourth day they were gathered to the Valley of Blessing; for there they blessed the Lord. Therefore they called the name of the place the Valley of Blessing, until this day.


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And all the men of Judah returned to Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat led them with great joy; for the Lord gave them joy over their enemies.


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And they entered into Jerusalem with lutes and harps and trumpets, [going] into the house of the lord.


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And the terror of the Lord was upon all the kingdoms of the land, when they heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel.


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And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah, being thirty-five years [old] when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Azubah, daughter of Shilhi.


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And he walked in the ways of his father Asa, and turned not aside from doing that which was right in the sight of the Lord.


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Nevertheless the high places still remained; and as yet the people did not direct their heart to the Lord God of their fathers.


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And the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, the first and the last, behold, they are written in the history of Jehu [the son] of Hanani, who wrote the book of the kings of Israel.


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And afterwards Jehoshaphat king of Judah entered into an alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel, (now this was an unrighteous man)


text:
by acting [with] and going to him, to build ships to go to Tarshish. And he built ships in Ezion Geber.


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But Eliezer the [son] of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has broken your work, and your vessels have been wrecked. And they could not go to Tarshish.


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And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David; and Jehoram his son reigned in his place.


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And he had brothers, the six sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azaryahu, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these [were] the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Judah.


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And their father gave them many gifts, silver and gold and arms, together with fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, for he [was] the firstborn.


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And Jehoram entered upon his kingdom, and strengthened himself, and killed all his brothers with the sword, and also [others] of the princes of Israel.


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Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he succeeded to his kingdom, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.


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And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab; for a daughter of Ahab was his wife; and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.


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Nevertheless the Lord would not utterly destroy the house of David, because of the covenant which He made with David, and as He said to him that He would give a light to him and his sons forever.


text:
And Jehoram went with the princes, and all the cavalry with him. And it came to pass that he arose by night, and attacked Edom that compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots, and the people fled to their tents.


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And Edom revolted from Judah until this day. Then Libnah at that time revolted from [under] his hand, because he forsook the Lord God of his fathers.


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For he built high places in the cities of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit harlotry, and led Judah astray.


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And there came to him [a message] in writing from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus says the Lord God of your father David: Because you have not walked in the way of your father Jehoshaphat, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,


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but have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and have caused Judah and its inhabitants in Jerusalem to play the harlot, as the house of Ahab caused [Israel] to play the harlot, and you have slain your brethren, the sons of your father, who were better than yourself.


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Behold, the Lord shall strike you with a great plague among your people, and your sons, and your wives, and all your possessions;


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and you [shall be afflicted] with a grievous disease, with a disease of the bowels, until your bowels shall fall out day by day with the sickness.


text:
So the Lord stirred up the Philistines against Jehoram, and the Arabians, and those who bordered on the Ethiopians;


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and they went up against Judah, and prevailed against them, and took away all the possessions which they found in the house of the king, and his sons, and his daughters; and there was no son left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.


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And it continued from day to day. And after two years had passed by, his bowels fell out with the disease, and he died by a grievous distemper. And his people performed no funeral, like the funeral of his fathers.


text:
He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he departed without honor, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.


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And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Jehoahaz his youngest son king in his place, for the band of robbers that came against them, even the Arabians and the Alimazonians, had slain all the elder ones. So Jehoahaz son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned.


text:
Jehoahaz began to reign when he was twenty years old, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri.


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And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord as the house of Ahab [had done]; for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction.


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And he walked in their counsels, and he went with Jehoram son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria to Ramoth Gilead. And the archers struck Joram.


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And Joram returned to Jezreel to be healed of the wounds wherewith the Syrians smote him in Ramoth, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab at Jezreel because he was sick.


text:
And destruction from God came upon Ahaziah in [his] coming to Jehoram; for when he had come, Jehoram went out with him against Jehu the son of Nimshi, the anointed of the Lord against the house of Ahab.


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And it came to pass, when Jehu was taking vengeance on the house of Ahab, that he found the princes of Judah and the brethren of Ahaziah, ministering to Ahaziah, and he slew them.


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And he gave orders to seek for Ahaziah. And they took him while he was healing his wounds in Samaria, and they brought him to Jehu, and he killed him. And they buried him, for they said, He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with all his heart. So there was none in the house of Ahaziah to secure their power in the kingdom.


text:
And Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, and she arose and destroyed all the royal heirs in the house of Judah.


text:
But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and rescued him secretly out of the midst of the sons of the king that were put to death, and she placed him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath daughter of King Jehoram, sister of Ahaziah, wife of Jehoida the priest, hid him, and she [even] hid him from Athaliah, and she did not slay him.


text:
And in the eighth year Jehoiada strengthened [himself], and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jehoram, Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, Azariah the son of Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zechariah, with him unto the house of the Lord.


text:
And they went round about Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and heads of the families of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.


text:
And all the congregation of Judah made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he showed them the king's son, and said to them, Lo, let the king's son reign, as the Lord said concerning the house of David.


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Now this [is] the thing which you shall do. Let a third part of you, [even] of the priests and of the Levites, enter in on the Sabbath, even into the gates of the entrances;


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and let a third part be in the house of the king; and another third at the middle gate. And all the people in the courts of the Lord's house.


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And let no one enter into the house of the Lord except the priests and the Levites, and the servants of the Levites; they shall enter in, because they are holy; and let all the people keep the watch of the Lord.


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And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man's weapon in his hand; and whoever [else] goes into the house shall die; but they shall be with the king when he goes out, and when he comes in.


text:
And the Levites and all Judah did according to all that the priest Jehoiada commanded them, and they took each his men from the beginning of the Sabbath to the end of the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss the courses.


text:
And Jehoiada gave to the men the swords, and the shields, and the arms, which [had] belonged to King David, in the house of God.


text:
And he set the whole people, every man with his arms, from the right side of the house to the left side of the altar and the house, over against the king round about.


text:
And he brought out the king's son, and put on him the crown and the Testimony, and Jehoiada the priest and his sons proclaimed him king, and anointed him, saying, Long live the king!


text:
And Athaliah heard the sound of the people running, and acknowledging and praising the king; and she went in to the king into the house of the Lord.


text:
And she looked, and behold, the king [stood] in his place, and the princes and trumpets were at the entrance, and the princes were round the king. And all the people of the land rejoiced, and sounded the trumpets, and there were the singers singing with instruments, and singing hymns of praise. So Athaliah tore her clothes, and cried, you surely are plotting against [me]!


text:
And Jehoiada the priest went forth and charged the captains of hundreds, even the captains of the army, and said to them, Thrust her forth outside the house, [and whoever] follows her, and let her be slain with the sword. For the priest said, Let her not be slain in the house of the Lord.


text:
So they brought her [outside]; and she went through the horsemen's gate of the house of the king, and they killed her there.


text:
And Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and the people and the king, that the people should be the Lord's.


text:
And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal and they tore it down, and its altars, and they ground his images to powder, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before his altars.


text:
And Jehoiada the priest committed the works of the house of the Lord into the hand of the priests and Levites, and he re-established the courses of the priests and Levites which David appointed over the house of the Lord, and [he appointed them] to offer whole burnt offerings to the Lord, as it is written in the law of Moses, with gladness, and with songs by the hand of David.


text:
And the porters stood at the gates of the house of the Lord, that no one unclean in any respect should enter in.


text:
And he took the heads of families, and the mighty men, and the chiefs of the people, and all the people of the land, and they conducted the king into the house of the Lord. And he went through the inner gate into the king's house, and they seated the king on the throne of the kingdom.


text:
Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba.


text:
And he gathered the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out into the cities of Judah, and collect money from all Israel to repair the house of the Lord from year to year, and make haste to speak [of it]. But the Levites hastened not.


text:
And King Joash called Jehoiada the chief, and said to him, Why have you not looked after the Levites, so that they should bring from Judah and Jerusalem that which was prescribed by Moses the man of God, when he assembled Israel at the tabernacle of witness?


text:
For Athaliah was a transgressor, and her sons tore down the house of God; for they offered the holy things of the house of the Lord to the Baals.


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And the king said, Let a box be made, and let it be put at the gate of the house of the Lord outside.


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And let [men] proclaim in Judah and in Jerusalem, that [the people] should bring to the Lord, as Moses the servant of God spoke concerning Israel in the wilderness.


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And all the princes and all the people gave, and brought in, and cast into the box until it was filled.


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And it came to pass, when they brought in the box to the officers of the king by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that the money was more than sufficient, then came the king's scribe, and the officer of the high priest, and emptied the box, and restored it to its place. Thus they did day by day, and collected much money.


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And the king and Jehoiada the priest gave it to the workmen employed in the service of the house of the Lord, and they hired masons and carpenters to repair the house of the Lord, also smiths and iron workers to repair the house of the Lord.


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So the workmen labored, and the works prospered in their hands, and they established the house of the Lord on its foundation, and strengthened [it].


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And when they had finished [it], they brought to the king and to Jehoiada the remainder of the money, and they made vessels for the house of the Lord, vessels of service for whole burnt offerings, and gold and silver [censers]: and they offered up whole burnt offerings in the house of the Lord continually all the days of Jehoiada.


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And Jehoiada grew old, being full of days, and he died, being a hundred and thirty years old at his death.


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And they buried him with the kings in the City of David, because he had dealt well with Israel, and with God and his house.


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And it came to pass after the death of Jehoiada, [that] the princes of Judah went in, and bowed down to the king. Then the king hearkened to them.


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And they forsook the house of the Lord God of their fathers, and served wooden images and idols. And there was wrath upon Judah and Jerusalem in that day.


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Yet He sent prophets to them, to turn them to the Lord; but they hearkened not; and He testified to them, but they obeyed not.


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And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood up above the people and said, Thus says the Lord: Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord? So shall you not prosper; for you have forsaken the Lord, and He will forsake you.


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And they conspired against him, and stoned him by command of King Joash in the court of the Lord's house.


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So Joash remembered not the kindness which his father Jehoiada had exercised towards him, but killed his son. And as he died, he said, The Lord look upon [it], and judge.


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And it came to pass after the end of the year, [that] the army of Syria went up against him, and came against Judah and Jerusalem. And they killed all the chiefs among the people, and all their spoils they sent to the king of Damascus.


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For the army of Syria came with few men, yet God gave into their hands a very large army, because they had forsaken the God of their fathers; and He brought judgments on Joash.


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And after they had departed from him, when they had left him with grievous diseases, then his servants conspired against him because of the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest, and struck him on his bed, and he died, and they buried him in the City of David, but they buried him not in the tomb of the kings.


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And they that conspired against him were Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess.


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And all his sons, and the five came to him. And the other [matters], behold, they are written in the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his place.


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Amaziah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name [was] Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.


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And it came to pass, when the kingdom was established in his hand, that he killed his servants who had slain his father the king.


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But he did not kill their sons, according to the covenant of the law of the Lord, as it is written, [and] as the Lord commanded, saying, The fathers shall not die for the children, and the sons shall not die for the fathers, but they shall die each for his own sin.


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And Amaziah assembled the house of Judah, and appointed them according to the houses of their families for captains of thousands and captains of hundreds in all Judah and Jerusalem. And he numbered them from twenty years old and upwards, and found of them three hundred thousand able to go out to war, holding spear and shield.


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And there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with you; for the Lord is not with Israel, [even] all the sons of Ephraim.


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For if you shall undertake to strengthen [yourself] with these, then the lord shall put you to flight before the enemies; for it is of the Lord both to strengthen and to put to flight.


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And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall I do [for] the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God said, The Lord can give you much more than these.


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And Amaziah separated from the army that came to him from Ephraim, that they might go away to their place; and they were very angry with Judah, and they returned to their place with great wrath.


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And Amaziah strengthened [himself], and took his people, and went to the Valley of Salt, and killed ten thousand of the children of Seir there.


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And the children of Judah took ten thousand prisoners, and they carried them to the top of the rock, and cast them headlong from the top of the rock, and they were all dashed to pieces.


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And the men of the army whom Amaziah sent back so that they should not go with him to battle, [went] and attacked the cities of Judah, from Samaria to Beth Horon; and they killed three thousand among them, and took much spoil.


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And it came to pass after Amaziah had returned from attacking Edom, that he brought home the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up for himself as gods, and bowed down before them, and he sacrificed to them.


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And the anger of the Lord came upon Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet who said to him, Why have you sought the gods of the people, which have not rescued their own people out of your hand?


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And it came to pass when the prophet was speaking to him, that he said to him, Have I made you the king's counselor? Take heed lest you be scourged! And the prophet became silent, and said, I know that [God] is disposed against you to destroy you, because you have done this thing, and have not hearkened to my counsel.


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And Amaziah king of Judah took counsel, and sent to Joash the son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, and let us look one another in the face.


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And Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give your daughter to my son as wife; but behold, your wild beasts of the field that are in Lebanon shall come. And the wild beasts did come, and trod down the thistle.


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You have said, Behold, I have defeated Edom, and your stout heart exalts you. Now stay at home; for why do you implicate yourself in mischief, that you should fall, and Judah with you?


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Nevertheless Amaziah hearkened not, for it was of the Lord to deliver him into [the enemy's] hands, because he sought after the gods of the Edomites.


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So Joash king of Israel went up; and they saw one another, he and Amaziah king of Judah, in Beth Shemesh, which is of Judah.


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Then Joash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, [son] of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, in Beth Shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem; and he pulled down [part] of the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, four hundred cubits.


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And [he took] all the gold and the silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord and with Obed-Edom, and the treasures of the king's house, and the hostages, and he returned to Samaria.


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And Amaziah the [son] of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Joash the [son] of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years.


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And the rest of the acts of Amaziah, the first and the last, behold, are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel?


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And at the time when Amaziah departed from the Lord, then they formed a conspiracy against him, and he fled from Jerusalem to Lachish. And they sent after him to Lachish, and killed him there.


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Then all the people of the land took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and they made him king in the place of his father Amaziah.


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Uzziah began to reign at the age of sixteen years, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem.


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And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Amaziah his father did.


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And he sought the Lord in the days of Zechariah, who understood the fear of the Lord; and in his days he sought the Lord, and the Lord prospered him.


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And he went out and fought against the Philistines, and pulled down the walls of Gath, and the walls of Jabneh, and the walls of Ashdod, and he built cities [near] Ashdod, and among the Philistines.


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And the Lord strengthened him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians that dwelt on the rock, and against the Meunites.


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And the Meunites gave gifts to Uzziah; and his fame spread as far as the entering in of Egypt, for he strengthened [himself] exceedingly.


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And Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem, both at the Corner Gate, and at the Valley Gate, and at the corner buttress of the wall; and he fortified them.


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And he built towers in the wilderness, and dug many wells, for he had many cattle in the low country and in the plain; and vinedressers in the mountain country and in Carmel, for he was a farmer.


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And Uzziah had a host of warriors that went out orderly to war, and returned orderly in number; and their number was [made] by the hand of Jeiel the scribe, and Maaseiah the officer, by the hand of Hananiah the king's deputy.


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and with them was a warrior force [of] three hundred thousand and seven thousand five hundred; these waged war mightily to help the king against [his] enemies.


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And Uzziah prepared for them, [even] for all the army, shields, spears, helmets, breastplates, bows, and slings for stones.


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And he made in Jerusalem machines invented by a wise contriver, to be upon the towers and upon the corners, to cast darts and great stones. And [the fame] of their preparation was heard from a great distance; for he was marvelously helped, till he became strong.


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And when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction; and he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.


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And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said to him, [It is] not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but only for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to sacrifice: Leave the sanctuary, for you have departed from the Lord; and this shall not be for glory to you from the Lord God.


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And Uzziah was angry, and in his hand [was] the censer to burn incense in the temple. And when he was angry with the priests, then the leprosy rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, over the altar of incense.


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And Azariah the chief priest, and the [other] priests, turned [to look] at him, and behold, he [was] leprous in his forehead; and they got him out of there quickly, for he also hastened to go out, because the Lord had rebuked him.


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And Uzziah the king was a leper to the day of his death, and he dwelt [as] a leper in a separate house; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord; and Jotham his son [was set] over his kingdom, judging the people of the land.


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And Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial [place] of the kings, for they said, He is a leper; and Jotham his son reigned in his place.


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Jotham [was] twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name [was] Jerushah, daughter of Zadok.


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And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah had done; but he went not into the temple of the Lord. And still the people corrupted themselves.


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He fought against the king of the children of Ammon, and prevailed against him. And the children of Ammon gave him a hundred talents of silver each year, and ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand [measures] of barley. These the king of the children of Ammon brought to him annually.


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And the rest of the acts of Jotham, and his war, and his deeds, behold, [they are] written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.


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And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David; and Ahaz his son reigned in his place.


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Ahaz was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord, as David his father.


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And [he sacrificed] to their idols in the valley of the Son of Hinnom, and passed his children through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel.


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And the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria. And [the king] attacked him, and took a great multitude of prisoners captive, and carried him to Damascus. Also [God] delivered him into the hands of the king of Israel, who defeated him with a great slaughter.


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And Pekah the son of Remeliah king of Israel, killed in Judah in one day a hundred and twenty thousand mighty men, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers.


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And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king's son, and Azrikam the chief of his house, and Elkanah the king's deputy.


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And the children of Israel took captive of their brethren three hundred thousand women, sons, and daughters, and they plundered them of much property, and brought the spoils to Samaria.


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And there was a prophet of the Lord there whose name [was] Oded. And he went out to meet the army that was coming to Samaria, and said to them, Behold, the wrath of the Lord God of your fathers [is] upon Judah, and He has delivered them into your hands, but you have killed them in wrath, and it has reached even to heaven.


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And now you talk of keeping the children of Judah and Jerusalem for servants and handmaidens. Behold, am I not with you to testify for the Lord your God?


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And now listen to me, and restore the prisoners of your brethren whom you have taken: for the fierce anger of the Lord [is] upon you.


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And the chiefs of the sons of Ephraim rose up, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, against those that came from the war,


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and said to them, You shall not bring the prisoners here to us, for whereas sin against the Lord [is already] upon us, [and] you mean to add to our sins, and to our trespass: for our sin [is] great, and the fierce anger of the Lord [is] upon Israel.


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And the men who were called by name rose up, and took hold of the prisoners, and clothed all the naked from the spoils, and gave them garments and shoes, and gave them [food] to eat, and [oil] to anoint themselves [with], and they let everyone that was weak [to ride on] donkeys, and placed them in Jericho, the city of palm trees, with their brethren; and they returned to Samaria.


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Also the Philistines had made an attack on the cities of the plain country, and the cities of the south of Judah, and had taken Beth Shemesh, and (the things in the house of the Lord, and the things in the house of the king, and of the princes, and they gave [these] to the king) Aijalon, Gederoth, Sochoh and her villages, Timnah and her villages, and Gimzo and her villages. And they dwelt there.


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For the Lord humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Judah, because he grievously departed from the Lord.


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And Ahaz took the things [that were] in the house of the Lord, and the things in the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave them to the king of Assyria; but he was no help to him,


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but only [troubled him] in his affliction. And he departed yet again from the Lord, and King Ahaz said,


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I will seek after the gods of Damascus that attack me. And he said, Forasmuch as the gods of the king of Syria themselves strengthen them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, and they will help me. But they became a stumbling block to him, and to all Israel.


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And Ahaz removed the vessels of the house of the Lord, and cut them in pieces, and shut the doors of the house of the Lord, and made for himself altars in every corner in Jerusalem.


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And in every single city in Judah he made high places to burn incense to strange gods. And they provoked the Lord God of their fathers.


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And the rest of his acts and his deeds, the first and the last, behold, [they are] written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.


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And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David; for they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel; and Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.


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And Hezekiah began to reign at the age of twenty-five years, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Abijah, daughter of Zechariah.


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


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And it came to pass, when he was established over his kingdom, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and repaired them.


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and said to them, Hear, you Levites: Now sanctify yourselves, and sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and cast out the impurity from the holy places.


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For our fathers have revolted, and done that which was evil before the Lord our God, and have forsaken Him, and have turned away their face from the tabernacle of the Lord, and have turned [their] back.


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And they have shut up the doors of the temple, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense, and have not offered whole burnt offerings in the holy [place] to the God of Israel.


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And the Lord was very angry with Judah and Jerusalem, and made them an astonishment, and a desolation, and a hissing, as you see with your eyes.


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And behold, your fathers have been smitten with the sword, and your sons and your daughters and your wives are in captivity in a land not their own, as it is even now.


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Therefore it is now in my heart to make a covenant, a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that He may turn away His fierce wrath from us.


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And now be not wanting [to your duty], for the Lord has chosen you to stand before Him to minister, and to be ministers and burners of incense to Him.


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Then the Levites rose up, Mahath the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of Kohath: and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehalelel; and of the sons of Gershon, Joah the son of Zimmah, and Joadam: these [were] the sons of Joah.


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And of the sons of Elizaphan: Shimri, and Jehiel. And of the sons of Asaph: Zechariah and Mattaniah;


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And they gathered their brethren, and they purified themselves according to the king's command by the order of the Lord, to purify the house of the Lord.


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And the priests entered into the house of the Lord, to purify [it], and they cast out all the uncleanness that was found in the house of the Lord, even into the court of the house of the Lord. And the Levites received [it] to cast into the Brook of Kidron outside.


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And [Hezekiah] began on the first day, on the new moon of the first month, to purify, and on the eighth day of the month they entered into the temple of the Lord. And they purified the house of the Lord in eight days. And on the thirteenth day of the first month they finished [the work].


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And they went in to King Hezekiah, and said, We have purified all the things in the house of the Lord, the altar of whole burnt offering, and its vessels, and the table of showbread, and its vessels;


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and all the vessels which King Ahaz polluted in his reign, in his apostasy, we have prepared and purified; behold, they are before the altar of the Lord.


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And King Hezekiah rose early in the morning, and gathered the chief men of the city, and went up to the house of the Lord.


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And he brought seven calves, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven kids of goats for a sin-offering, for the kingdom, and for the holy things, and for Israel. And he told the priests, the sons of Aaron, to go up to the altar of the Lord.


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And they killed the calves, and the priests received the blood, and poured it on the altar. And they killed the rams, and poured the blood upon the altar. Also they killed the lambs, and poured the blood on the altar.


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And they brought the goats for a sin offering before the king and the congregation, and laid their hands upon them.


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And the priests killed them, and offered their blood as a propitiation on the altar; and they made atonement for all Israel; for the king said, The whole burnt offering, and the sin offering [are] for all Israel.


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And he stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, and lutes, and harps, according to the commandment of King David, and of Gad the king's seer, and Nathan the prophet; for by the commandment of the Lord the order [was] in the hand of the prophets.


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And Hezekiah told [them] to offer up the whole burnt offering on the altar. And when they began to offer the whole burnt offering, they began to sing to the Lord, and the trumpets [accompanied] the instruments of David king of Israel.


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And all the congregation worshipped, and the psalm-singers [were] singing, and the trumpets sounding, until the whole burnt sacrifice had been completely offered.


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And King Hezekiah and the princes told the Levites to sing hymns to the Lord in the words of David, and of Asaph the prophet. And they sang hymns with gladness, and fell down and worshipped.


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Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now [that] you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, bring near and offer sacrifices of praise in the house of the Lord. And the congregation brought sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the Lord; and everyone who was ready in his heart [brought] whole burnt offerings.


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And the number of the whole burnt offerings which the congregation brought, was seventy calves, a hundred rams, and two hundred lambs: all these [were] for a whole burnt offering to the Lord.


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But the priests were few, and could not slay the whole burnt offering, so their brethren the Levites helped them, until the work was finished, and until the priests had purified themselves; for the Levites [more] zealously purified [themselves] than the priests.


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And the whole burnt offering [was] abundant, with the fat of the complete peace offering, and the drink offerings of the whole burnt sacrifice. So the service was established in the house of the Lord.


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And Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced, because God had prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly.


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And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come into the house of the Lord to Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to the Lord God of Israel.


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For the king, and the princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, designed to keep the Passover in the second month.


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For they could not keep it at that time, because a sufficient number of priests had not purified themselves, and the people were not gathered to Jerusalem.


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And they established a decree that a proclamation should go through all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that they should come and keep the Passover to the Lord God of Israel at Jerusalem; for the multitude had not done it lately according to the Scripture.


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And the posts went with the letters from the king and the princes to all Israel and Judah, according to the command of the king, saying, Children of Israel, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and bring back them that have escaped, [even] those that were left of the hand of the king of Assyria.


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And be not as your fathers and your brethren, who revolted from the Lord God of their fathers, and He gave them up to desolation, as you see.


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And now harden not your hearts, as your fathers [did]; give glory to the Lord God, and enter into His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve the Lord your God, and He shall turn away [His] fierce anger from you.


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For when you turn to the Lord, your brethren and your children shall be pitied before all that have carried them captives, and He will restore [you] to this land; for the Lord our God is merciful and gracious, and will not turn away His face from you, if we return to Him.


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So the posts went through from city to city in Mount Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun; and they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.


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But the men of Asher, and [some] of Manasseh and of Zebulun, were ashamed, and came to Jerusalem and Judah.


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And the hand of the Lord was [present] to give them one heart to come, to do according to the commands of the king and of the princes, by the word of the Lord.


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And a great multitude were gathered to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very great congregation.


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And they arose, and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all on which they burnt incense to false [gods] they tore down and cast into the Brook Kidron.


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Then they killed the Passover [lambs] on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites repented, and purified [themselves], and brought whole burnt offerings into the house of the Lord.


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And they stood at their post, according to their ordinance, according to the commandment of Moses the man of God; and the priests received the blood from the hand of the Levites.


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For a great part of the congregation was not sanctified; and the Levites were [ready] to kill the Passover for everyone who could not sanctify himself to the Lord.


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For the greatest part of the people of Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not purified [themselves], but ate the Passover contrary to the Scripture. On this account also Hezekiah prayed concerning them, saying,


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The good Lord be merciful with regard to every heart that sincerely seeks the Lord God of their fathers, and [is] not [purified] according to the purification of the sanctuary.


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And the children of Israel who were present in Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great joy; and they continued to sing hymns to the Lord daily, and the priests and the Levites [played] on instruments to the Lord.


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And Hezekiah encouraged all the Levites, and those that had good understanding of the Lord, and they completely kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days, offering peace offerings, and confessing to the Lord God of their fathers.


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And the congregation purposed together to keep another seven days. And they kept [another] seven days with gladness.


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For Hezekiah set apart for Judah, [even] for the congregation, a thousand calves and seven thousand sheep; and the princes set apart for the people a thousand calves and ten thousand sheep, and the holy things of the priests abundantly.


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And all the congregation rejoiced, the priests and the Levites, and all the congregation of Judah, and those that were present of Jerusalem, and the strangers that came from the land of Israel, and those that dwelt in Judah.


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And there was great joy in Jerusalem. From the days of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not such a feast in Jerusalem.


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Then the priests the Levites rose up and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came [up] to His holy dwelling place, [even] into heaven.


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And when all these things were finished, all Israel that were found in the cities of Judah went out, and broke in pieces the pillars, and cut down the groves, and tore down the high places and the altars out of all Judea and Benjamin, also of Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. And all Israel returned, everyone to his inheritance, and to their cities.


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And Hezekiah appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites, and the courses of each one according to his ministry, to the priests and to the Levites, for the whole burnt offering, and for the peace offering, and to praise, and to give thanks, and to minister in the gates, [and] in the courts of the house of the Lord.


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And the king's proportion out of his substance [was appointed] for the whole burnt offerings, the morning and the evening [offering], and the whole burnt offerings for the Sabbaths, and for the new moons, and for the feasts that were ordered in the Law of the Lord.


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And they told the people who dwelt in Jerusalem, to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be strong in the ministry of the house of the Lord.


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And as he gave the command, Israel brought abundantly their firstfruits of grain, wine, oil, honey, and every fruit of the field. And the children of Israel and Judah brought tithes of everything abundantly.


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And those who dwelt in the cities of Judah themselves also brought tithes of calves and sheep, and tithes of goats, and consecrated them to the Lord their God, and they brought them and laid them in heaps.


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And Azariah the priest, the chief over the house of Zadok, spoke to him, and said, From the time that the firstfruits began to be brought into the house of the Lord, we have eaten and drunk, and left even abundantly; for the Lord has blessed His people, and we have this great amount left.


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And Hezekiah told them yet farther to prepare chambers for the house of the Lord; and they prepared [them],


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and they brought there the firstfruits and the tithes faithfully. And Cononiah the Levite was superintendent over them, and Shimei his brother was next.


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And Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah and his sons, were appointed by Cononiah and Shimei his brother, as Hezekiah the king, and Azariah who was over the house of the Lord commanded.


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And Kore, the [son] of Imnah the Levite, the porter eastward, [was] over the gifts, to distribute the firstfruits of the Lord, and the most holy things,


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by the hand of Eden, Benjamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, by the hand of the priests faithfully, to give to their brethren according to the courses, to the great as well as the small;


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besides the increase of males from three years old and upward, to everyone entering into the house of the Lord, [a portion] according to a daily rate, for service in the daily courses of their order.


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This [is] the distribution of the priests according to the houses of their families; and the Levites in their daily courses from twenty years old and upward [were] in [their] order,


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to assign stations for all the increase of their sons and their daughters, for the whole number, for they faithfully sanctified the holy place.


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As for the sons of Aaron that executed the priests' office-even those from their cities, the men in each several city who were named expressly-[were appointed] to give a portion to every male among the priests, and to everyone reckoned among the Levites.


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And Hezekiah did so through all Judah, and did that which was good and right before the Lord his God.


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And in every work which he began in service in the house of the Lord, and in the law, and in the ordinances, he sought his God with all his soul, and wrought, and prospered.


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And after these things and this faithful dealing, Sennacherib king of the Assyrians came to Judah, and he encamped against the fortified cities, and intended to take them for himself.


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And Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and [that] his face [was set] to fight against Jerusalem.


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And he took counsel with his elders and his mighty [men] to stop the wells of water which were outside the city; and they helped him.


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And he collected many people, and stopped the wells of water, and the river that flowed through the city, saying, Lest the king of Assyria come, and find much water, and strengthen [himself].


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And Hezekiah strengthened [himself], and built all the wall that had been pulled down, and the towers, and another wall outside, and fortified the strong place of the City of David, and prepared arms in abundance.


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And he appointed captains of war over the people, and they were gathered to [meet] him to the open place of the gate of the valley, and he encouraged them, saying,


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Be strong and courageous, and fear not, neither be dismayed before the king of Assyria, and before all the nation that [is] with him: for [there are] more with us than with him.


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With him [are] arms of flesh, but with us [is] the Lord our God to save [us], and to fight our battle. And the people were encouraged at the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.


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And afterward Sennacherib king of the Assyrians sent his servants to Jerusalem; and [he went] himself against Lachish, and all his army with him, and sent to Hezekiah king of Judah, and to all Judah that [was] in Jerusalem, saying,


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Thus says Sennacherib king of the Assyrians: On what do you trust, that you will remain in the siege in Jerusalem?


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Does not Hezekiah deceive you, to deliver you to death and famine and thirst, saying, The Lord our God will deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?


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Is not this Hezekiah who has taken down his altars and his high places and has spoken to Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, You shall worship before this altar and burn incense upon it?


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Know you not what I and my fathers have done to all the nations of the countries? Could the gods of the nations of all the earth rescue their people out of my hand?


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Who is there among all the gods of those nations whom my fathers utterly destroyed, [worthy of trust]? Could they deliver their people out of my hand, that your God should deliver you out of my hand?


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Now then, let not Hezekiah deceive you, and let him not make you thus confident, and believe him not, for no god of any kingdom or nation is at all able to deliver his people out of my hand, or the hand of my fathers; therefore your God shall not deliver you out of my hand.


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And he wrote a letter to reproach the Lord God of Israel, and spoke concerning Him, saying, As the gods of the nations of the earth have not delivered their people out of my hand, so the God of Hezekiah shall by no means deliver His people out of my hand.


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And he cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language to the people of Jerusalem on the wall, [calling them] to assist them, and pull down [the walls], that they might take the city.


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And he spoke against the God of Jerusalem, even as against the gods of the nations of the earth, the works of the hands of men.


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And King Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz prayed concerning these things, and they cried to heaven.


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And the Lord sent an angel, and He destroyed every mighty man and warrior, and leader and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria; and he returned with shame of face to his own land and came into the house of his god. And [some] of his own offspring killed him with the sword.


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So the Lord delivered Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem out of the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria, and out of the hand of all [his enemies], and gave them rest round about.


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And many brought gifts to the Lord to Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah; and he was exalted in the eyes of all the nations after these things.


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In those days Hezekiah was sick even to death, and he prayed to the Lord. And He hearkened to him, and gave him a sign.


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But Hezekiah did not recompense the Lord according to the favor shown him, but his heart was lifted up. And wrath came upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.


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And Hezekiah humbled himself after the exaltation of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.


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And Hezekiah had wealth and very great glory. And he made for himself treasuries of gold, silver, and precious stones, also for spices and stores for arms, and for precious vessels;


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and cities for the produce of grain, wine, and oil; and stalls and mangers for every [kind of] cattle, and folds for flocks;


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and cities which he built for himself, and store of sheep and oxen in abundance, for the Lord gave him a very great store.


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The same Hezekiah stopped up the course of the water of Upper Gihon, and brought the water down straight south of the City of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works.


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Notwithstanding, in regard to the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who were sent to him, to inquire of him [concerning] the wonders which came upon the land, the Lord left him, to test him, to know what was in his heart.


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And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his kindness, behold, they are written in the prophecy of Isaiah the son of Amoz the prophet, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.


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And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in a high place among the tombs of the sons of David. And all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem gave him glory and honor at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his place.


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And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord destroyed from before the face of the children of Israel.


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And he returned and built the high places, which his father Hezekiah had pulled down, and set up images to the Baals, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.


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And he built altars in the house of the Lord, concerning which the Lord said, In Jerusalem shall be My name forever.


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He also passed his children through the fire in the valley of the Son of Hinnom; and he practiced witchcraft, divination, and sorceries, and appointed those who had divining spirits, and enchanters, and wrought abundant wickedness before the Lord, to provoke Him.


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And he set the graven [image], the molten [statue], the idol which he made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever;


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and I will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I gave to their fathers, if only they will take heed to do all things which I have commanded them, according to all the law and the ordinances and the judgments [given] by the hand of Moses.


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So Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray, to do evil beyond all the nations which the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel.


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And the Lord brought upon them the captains of the armies of the king of Assyria, and they took Manasseh in bonds, and bound him in fetters, and brought him to Babylon.


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And when he was afflicted, he sought the face of the Lord his God, and was greatly humbled before the face of the God of his fathers;


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and he prayed to Him. And He hearkened to him, and listened to his cry, and brought him back to Jerusalem to his kingdom. And Manasseh knew that the Lord, He is God.


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And afterward he built a wall outside the City of David, from the southwest southward in the valleys and at the entrance through the Fish Gate, as men go out by the gate round about, even as far as Ophel. And he raised it much, and set captains of the army in all the fortified cities in Judah.


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And he removed the strange gods, and the graven [image] out of the house of the Lord, and all the altars which he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord, and in Jerusalem, and outside the city.


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And he repaired the altar of the Lord, and offered upon it a sacrifice of peace offering and thank offering, and he told Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel.


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And the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer to God, and the words of the seers that spoke to him in the name of the God of Israel,


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behold, [they are] in the account of his prayer. And [God] hearkened to him. And all his sins, and his backslidings, and the spots on which he built the high places, and set there groves and graven images, before he repented, behold, they are written in the books of the seers.


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And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the garden of his house; and Amon his son reigned in his place.


