The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

But because of the ambassadours of the princes of Babel, which sent vnto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the lande, God left him to trie him, and to knowe all that was in his heart.

Concerning the rest of the actes of Hezekiah, and his goodnesse, beholde, they are written in the vision of Ishiah the Prophet, the sonne of Amoz, in the booke of the Kings of Iudah and Israel.

So Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buryed him in the highest sepulchre of the sonnes of Dauid: and all Iudah and the inhabitants of Ierusalem did him honour at his death: and Manasseh his sonne reigned in his stead.

Manasseh was twelue yeere olde, when he beganne to reigne, and he reigned fiue and fiftie yeere in Ierusalem:

And he did euill in the sight of the Lord, like the abominations of the heathen, who the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.

For he went backe and built the hie places, which Hezekiah his father had broken downe: and he set vp altars for Baalim, and made groues, and worshipped all the hoste of the heauen, and serued them.

Also he built altars in the house of the Lord, whereof the Lord had saide, In Ierusalem shall my Name be for euer.

And he built altars for all the hoste of the heauen in the two courtes of the house of the Lord.

And he caused his sonnes to passe through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom: he gaue him selfe to witchcraft and to charming and to sorcerie, and he vsed them that had familiar spirits, and soothsayers: hee did very much euill in the sight of the Lord to anger him.

He put also the carued image, which he had made, in the house of God: whereof God had said to Dauid and to Salomon his sonne, In this house and in Ierusalem, which I haue chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my Name for euer,

Neither will I make the foote of Israel to remooue any more out of the lande which I haue appointed for your fathers, so that they take heede, and do all that I haue commanded them, according to the Lawe and statutes and iudgements by the hande of Moses.

So Manasseh made Iudah and the inhabitants of Ierusalem to erre, and to doe worse then the heathen, whome the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel.

And the Lord spake to Manasseh and to his people, but they would not regarde.

Wherefore the Lord brought vpon them the captaines of the hoste of the King of Asshur, which tooke Manasseh and put him in fetters, and bound him in chaines, and caryed him to Babel.

And when he was in tribulation, he prayed to the Lord his God, and humbled him selfe greatly before the God of his fathers,

And prayed vnto him: and God was entreated of him, and heard his prayer, and brought him againe to Ierusalem into his kingdome: then Manasseh knewe that the Lord was God.

Nowe after this he built a wall without the citie of Dauid, on the Westside of Gihon in the valley, euen at the entrie of the fish gate, and compassed about Ophel, and raised it very hie, and put captaines of warre in all the strong cities of Iudah.

And he tooke away the strange gods and the image out of the house of the Lord, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord, and in Ierusalem, and cast them out of the citie.

Also he prepared the altar of the Lord, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings, and of thankes, and commanded Iudah to serue the Lord God of Israel.

Neuerthelesse the people did sacrifice stil in the hie places, but vnto the Lord their God.

Concerning the rest of the actes of Manasseh, and his prayer vnto his God, and the words of the Seers, that spake to him in ye Name of the Lord God of Israel, beholde, they are written in the booke of the Kings of Israel.

And his prayer and how God was intreated of him, and all his sinne, and his trespasse, and the places wherein he built hie places, and set groues and images (before he was humbled) behold, they are written in the booke of the Seers.

So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his owne house: and Amon his sonne reigned in his stead.

Amon was two and twentie yeere olde, when he began to reigne, and reigned two yeere in Ierusalem.

But he did euill in the sight of the Lord, as did Manasseh his father: for Amon sacrificed to all the images, which Manasseh his father had made, and serued them,

And he humbled not him selfe before the Lord, as Manasseh his father had humbled himselfe: but this Amon trespassed more and more.

And his seruants conspired against him, and slewe him in his owne house.

But the people of the land slewe all them that had conspired against King Amon: and the people of the land made Iosiah his sonne King in his steade.

Iosiah was eight yeere olde when hee began to reigne, and he reigned in Ierusalem one and thirtie yeere.

And he did vprightly in the sight of ye Lord, and walked in the wayes of Dauid his father, and bowed neither to the right hand nor to the left.

And in the eight yeere of his reigne (when he was yet a childe) he began to seeke after the God of Dauid his father: and in the twelft yeere he began to purge Iudah, and Ierusalem from the hie places, and the groues, and the carued images, and molten images:

And they brake downe in his sight the altars of Baalim, and hee caused to cut downe the images that were on hie vpon them: he brake also the groues, and the carued images, and the molten images, and stampt them to pouder, and strowed it vpon the graues of them that had sacrificed vnto them.

Also he burnt the bones of the Priests vpon their altars, and purged Iudah and Ierusalem.

And in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, euen vnto Naphtali, with their maules they brake all round about.

And when he had destroyed the altars and the groues, and had broken and stamped to pouder the images, and had cut downe all the idoles throughout all the land of Israel, hee returned to Ierusalem.

Then in the eightenth yere of his reigne, when hee had purged the lande and the Temple, he sent Shaphan the sonne of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the gouernour of the citie, and Ioah the sonne of Ioahaz the recorder, to repaire the house of the Lord his God.

And when they came to Hilkiah the hie Priest, they deliuered ye money that was brought into the house of God, which the Leuites that kept the doore, had gathered at the hand of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and of all the residue of Israel, and of all Iudah and Beniamin, and of the inhabitantes of Ierusalem.

And they put it in the hands of them that should doe the worke and had the ouersight in the house of the Lord: and they gaue it to the workemen that wrought in the house of ye Lord, to repaire and amend the house.

Euen to the workemen and to the builders gaue they it, to bye hewed stone and timber for couples and for beames of the houses, which the Kings of Iudah had destroyed.

And the men did the worke faithfully, and the ouerseers of them were Iahath and Obadiah the Leuites, of the children of Merari, and Zechariah, and Meshullam, of the children of the Kohathites to set it forward: and of the Leuites all that could skill of instruments of musike.

And they were ouer the bearers of burdens, and them that set forwarde all the workemen in euery worke: and of the Leuites were scribes, and officers and porters.

And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the Priest found the booke of the Lawe of the Lord giuen by the hand of Moses.

Therefore Hilkiah answered and sayde to Shaphan the chaceler, I haue found the booke of the Law in the house of the Lord: and Hilkiah gaue the booke to Shaphan.

And Shaphan caried the booke to the King, and brought the King worde againe, saying, All that is committed to the hand of thy seruants, that do they.

For they haue gathered the money that was found in the house of the Lord, and haue deliuered it into the handes of the ouerseers, and to the handes of the workemen.

Also Shaphan ye chanceler declared to the King, saying, Hilkiah the Priest hath giuen mee a booke, and Shaphan read it before the King.

And when the King had heard the wordes of the Lawe, he tare his clothes.

And the King commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the sonne of Shaphan, and Abdon the sonne of Micah, and Shaphan the chanceler, and Asaiah the Kings seruant, saying,

Goe and enquire of the Lord for me, and for the rest in Israel and Iudah, concerning the wordes of this booke that is founde: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is fallen vpon vs, because our fathers haue not kept the worde of the Lord, to doe after all that is written in this booke.

Then Hilkiah and they that the King had appoynted, went to Huldah the Prophetesse ye wife of Shallum, the sonne of Tokhath, the sonne of Hasrah keeper of the wardrobe (and she dwelt in Ierusalem within the colledge) and they communed hereof with her.

And shee answered them, Thus sayth the Lord God of Israel, Tell yee the man that sent you to me,

Thus saith the Lord, Beholde, I will bring euill vpon this place, and vpon the inhabitantes thereof, euen all the curses, that are written in the booke which they haue read before the King of Iudah:

Because they haue forsaken me, and burnt incense vnto other gods, to anger mee with al the workes of their hands, therefore shall my wrath fall vpon this place, and shall not be quenched.

But to the King of Iudah, who sent you to enquire of the Lord, so shall ye say vnto him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The words which thou hast heard, shall come to passe.

But because thine heart did melt, and thou didest humble thy selfe before God, when thou heardest his wordes against this place and against the inhabitantes thereof, and humbledst thy selfe before mee and tarest thy clothes, and weptest before mee, I haue also heard it, sayth the Lord.

Beholde, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt bee put in thy graue in peace, and thine eyes shall not see all the euill, which I will bring vpon this place, and vpon the inhabitants of the same. Thus they brought ye King word againe.

Then the King sent and gathered all the Elders of Iudah and Ierusalem.

And the King went vp into the house of the Lord, and all the men of Iudah, and the inhabitants of Ierusalem, and the Priests and the Leuites, and all the people from the greatest to the smallest, and hee read in their eares all the wordes of the booke of the couenant that was found in the house of the Lord.

And the King stood by his pillar, and made a couenant before the Lord, to walke after the Lord, and to keepe his commandements, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soule, and that he would accomplish the wordes of the couenant written in the same booke.

And he caused all that were found in Ierusalem, and Beniamin to stande to it: and the inhabitants of Ierusalem did according to the couenant of God, euen the God of their fathers.

So Iosiah tooke away al the abominations out of all the countreis that perteined to the children of Israel, and compelled all that were found in Israel, to serue the Lord their God: so all his dayes they turned not backe from the Lord God of their fathers.

Moreouer Iosiah kept a Passeouer vnto the Lord in Ierusalem, and they slewe the Passeouer in the fourtenth day of the first moneth.

And he appointed the Priestes to their charges, and incouraged them to the seruice of the house of the Lord,

And he sayd vnto the Leuites that taught all Israel and were sanctified vnto the Lord, Put the holy Arke in the house which Salomon the sonne of Dauid King of Israel did build: it shalbe no more a burden vpon your shoulders: serue now the Lord your God and his people Israel,

And prepare your selues by the houses of your fathers according to your courses, as Dauid the King of Israel hath written, and according to the writing of Salomon his sonne,

And stande in the Sanctuarie according to the deuision of the families of your brethren the children of the people, and after the deuision of the familie of the Leuites:

So kill the Passeouer and sanctifie your selues, and prepare your brethren that they may doe according to the worde of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

Iosiah also gaue to the people sheepe, lambs and kiddes, all for the Passeouer, euen to all that were present, to the nomber of thirtie thousand, and three thousande bullocks: these were of the Kings substance.

And his princes offred willingly vnto the people, to the Priests and to the Leuites: Hilkiah, and Zechariah, and Iehiel, rulers of the house of God, gaue vnto the Priests for the Passeouer, euen two thousand and sixe hundreth sheepe, and three hundreth bullockes.

Conaniah also and Shemaiah and Nethaneel his brethren, and Hashabiah and Ieiel, and Iozabad, chiefe of the Leuites gaue vnto the Leuites for the Passeouer, fiue thousand sheepe, and fiue hundreth bullockes.

Thus the seruice was prepared, and the Priests stoode in their places, also the Leuites in their orders, according to the Kings commandement:

And they slewe the Passeouer, and the Priests sprinkled the blood with their handes, and the Leuites flayed them.

And they tooke away from the burnt offering to giue it according to the deuisions of the families of the children of the people, to offer vnto the Lord, as it is written in the booke of Moses, and so of the bullockes.

And they rosted the Passeouer with fire, according to ye custome, but the sanctified things they sod in pots, pannes, and cauldrons, and distributed them quickely to all the people.

Afterwarde also they prepared for them selues and for the Priestes: for the Priestes the sonnes of Aaron were occupied in offering of burnt offrings, and the fat vntill night: therefore the Leuites prepared for them selues, and for the Priests the sonnes of Aaron.

And the singers the sonnes of Asaph stoode in their standing according to the commandement of Dauid, and Asaph, and Heman, and Ieduthun the Kings Seer: and the porters at euery gate, who might not depart from their seruice: therefore their brethren the Leuites prepared for them.

So all the seruice of the Lord was prepared the same day, to keepe the Passeouer, and to offer burnt offerings vpon the altar of the Lord, according to the commandement of King Iosiah.

And the children of Israel that were present, kept the Passeouer the same time, and the feast of the vnleauened bread seuen dayes.

And there was no Passeouer kept like that, in Israel, from the dayes of Samuel the Prophet: neyther did all the Kings of Israel keepe such a Passeouer as Iosiah kept, and the Priestes and the Leuites, and all Iudah, and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Ierusalem.

This Passeouer was kept in the eighteenth yeere of the reigne of Iosiah.

After all this, when Iosiah had prepared the Temple, Necho King of Egypt came vp to fight against Carchemish by Perath, and Iosiah went out against him.

But he sent messengers to him, saying, What haue I to doe with thee, thou King of Iudah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house of mine enemie, and God commanded me to make haste: leaue of to come against God, which is with me, least he destroy thee.

But Iosiah would not turne his face from him, but changed his apparel to fight with him, and hearkened not vnto the wordes of Necho, which were of the mouth of God, but came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.

And the shooters shot at king Iosiah: then the King saide to his seruants, Cary me away, for I am very sicke.

So his seruants tooke him out of that charet, and put him in the seconde charet which he had, and when they had brought him to Ierusalem, he dyed, and was buryed in the sepulchres of his fathers: and all Iudah and Ierusalem mourned for Iosiah.

And Ieremiah lamented Iosiah, and al singing men and singing women mourned for Iosiah in their lamentations to this day, and made the same for an ordinance vnto Israel: and beholde, they be written in the lamentations.

Concerning the rest of the actes of Iosiah and his goodnesse, doing as it was written in the Lawe of the Lord,

And his deedes, first and last, behold, they are written in the booke of the Kings of Israel and Iudah.

Then the people of the lande tooke Iehoahaz the sonne of Iosiah, and made him king in his fathers steade in Ierusalem.

Iehoahaz was three and twentie yeere old when he began to reigne, and he reigned three moneths in Ierusalem.

And the King of Egypt tooke him away at Ierusalem, and condemned the lande in an hundreth talents of siluer, and a talent of gold.

And the King of Egypt made Eliakim his brother King ouer Iudah and Ierusalem, and turned his name to Iehoiakim: and Necho tooke Iehoahaz his brother, and caryed him to Egypt.

Iehoiakim was fiue and twentie yeere old, when he began to reigne, and he reigned eleuen yeere in Ierusalem, and did euill in the sight of the Lord his God.

Against him came vp Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel, and bounde him with chaines to cary him to Babel.

Nebuchadnezzar also caryed of the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babel, and put them in his temple at Babel.

Concerning the rest of the actes of Iehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was founde vpon him, behold, they are written in the booke of the Kings of Israel and Iudah, and Iehoiachin his sonne reigned in his stead.

Iehoiachin was eight yeere olde when he beganne to reigne, and he reigned three moneths and ten dayes in Ierusalem, and did euill in the sight of the Lord.

And when the yeere was out, King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babel with the precious vessels of the house of the Lord, and he made Zedekiah his brother King ouer Iudah and Ierusalem.

Zedekiah was one and twentie yeere olde, when he beganne to reigne, and reigned eleuen yeere in Ierusalem.

And he did euill in the sight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himselfe before Ieremiah the Prophet at the commandement of the Lord,