Septuagint (Greek Old Testament)

So when he was there, and had called them of his nation together, and set the priests before the altar, he sent for them that were of the tower,

and shewed them vile Nicanor's head, and the hand of that blasphemer, which with proud brags he had stretched out against the holy temple of the Almighty.

And when he had cut out the tongue of that ungodly Nicanor, he commanded that they should give it by pieces unto the fowls, and hang up the reward of his madness before the temple.

So every man praised toward the heaven the glorious Lord, saying, Blessed be he that hath kept his own place undefiled.

He hanged also Nicanor's head upon the tower, an evident and manifest sign unto all of the help of the Lord.

And they ordained all with a common decree in no case to let that day pass without solemnity, but to celebrate the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which in the Syrian tongue is called Adar, the day before Mardocheus' day.

Thus went it with Nicanor: and from that time forth the Hebrews had the city in their power. And here will I make an end.

And if [I have done] well, and as is fitting the story, it is that which I desired: but if slenderly and meanly, it is that which I could attain unto.

For as it is hurtful to drink wine or water alone; and as wine mingled with water is pleasant, and delighteth the taste: even so speech finely framed delighteth the ears of them that read the story. And here shall be an end.

And Josias held the feast of the passover in Jerusalem unto his Lord, and offered the passover the fourteenth day of the first month;

having set the priests according to their daily courses, being arrayed in long garments, in the temple of the Lord.

And he spake unto the Levites, the holy ministers of Israel, that they should hallow themselves unto the Lord, to set the holy ark of the Lord in the house that king Solomon the [son] of David had built:

[and said], Ye shall no more bear the ark upon your shoulders: now therefore serve the Lord your God, and minister unto his people Israel, and prepare you after your families and kindreds,

according as David the king of Israel prescribed, and according to the magnificence of Solomon his son: and standing in the temple according to the several dignity of the families of you the Levites, who minister in the presence of your brethren the children of Israel,

offer the passover in order, and make ready the sacrifices for your brethren, and keep the passover according to the commandment of the Lord, which was given unto Moses.

And unto the people that was found [there] Josias gave thirty thousand lambs and kids, and three thousand calves: these things were given of the king's allowance, according as he promised, to the people, to the priests and to the Levites.

And Helkias, Zacharias, and Syelus, the governors of the temple, gave to the priests for the passover two thousand and six hundred sheep, and three hundred calves.

And Jeconias, and Samaias, and Nathanael his brother, and Assabias, and Ochiel, and Joram, captains over thousands, gave to the Levites for the passover five thousand sheep, [and] seven hundred calves.

And when these things were done, the priests and Levites, having the unleavened bread, stood in very comely order according to the kindreds,

and according to the several dignities of the fathers, before the people, to offer to the Lord, as it is written in the book of Moses: and thus [did they] in the morning.

And they roasted the passover with fire, as appertaineth: as for the sacrifices, they sod them in brass pots and pans with a good savour,

and set them before all the people: and afterward they prepared for themselves, and for the priests their brethren, the sons of Aaron.

For the priests offered the fat until night: and the Levites prepared for themselves, and the priests their brethren, the sons of Aaron.

The holy singers also, the sons of Asaph, were in their order, according to the appointment of David, to wit, Asaph, Zacharias, and Jeduthun, who was of the king's retinue.

Moreover the porters [were] at every gate; it was not lawful for any to go from his ordinary service: for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.

Thus were the things that belonged to the sacrifices of the Lord accomplished in that day, that they might hold the passover,

and offer sacrifices upon the altar of the Lord, according to the commandment of king Josias.

So the children of Israel which were present held the passover at that time, and the feast of sweet bread seven days.

And such a passover was not kept in Israel since the time of the prophet Samuel.

Yea, all the kings of Israel held not such a passover as Josias, and the priests, and the Levites, and the Jews, held with all Israel that were found dwelling at Jerusalem.

In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josias was this passover kept.

And the works of Josias were upright before his Lord with an heart full of godliness.

As for the things that came to pass in his time, they were written in former times, concerning those that sinned, and did wickedly against the Lord above all people and kingdoms, and how they grieved him exceedingly, so that the words of the Lord rose up against Israel.

Now after all these acts of Josias it came to pass that Pharaoh the king of Egypt came to raise war at Carcamys upon Euphrates: and Josias went out against him.

But the king of Egypt sent to him, saying, What have I to do with thee, O king of Judea?

I am not sent out from the Lord God against thee; for my war is upon Euphrates: and now the Lord is with me, yea the Lord is with me hasting me forward: depart from me, and be not against the Lord.

Howbeit Josias did not turn back his chariot from him, but undertook to fight with him, not regarding the words of the prophet Jeremy spoken by the mouth of the Lord:

but joined battle with him in the plain of Mageddo, and the princes came against king Josias.

Then said the king unto his servants, Carry me away out of the battle; for I am very weak. And immediately his servants took him away out of the battle.

Then gat he up upon his second chariot; and being brought back to Jerusalem died, and was buried in his father's sepulchre.

And in all Jewry they mourned for Josias, yea, Jeremy the prophet lamented for Josias, and the chief men with the women made lamentation for him unto this day: and this was given out for an ordinance to be done continually in all the nation of Israel.

These things are written in the book of the stories of the kings of Judah, and every one of the acts that Josias did, and his glory, and his understanding in the law of the Lord; and the things that he had done before, and the things now recited, are reported in the book of the kings of Israel and Judea.

And the people took Joachaz the son of Josias, and made [him] king instead of Josias his father when he was twenty and three years old.

And he reigned in Judea and in Jerusalem three months: and then the king of Egypt deposed him from reigning in Jerusalem.

And he set a tax upon the land of an hundred talents of silver and one talent of gold.

The king of Egypt also made king Joacim his brother king of Judea and Jerusalem.

And he bound Joacim and the nobles: but Zaraces his brother he apprehended, and brought him out of Egypt.

Five and twenty years old was Joacim when he was made king in the land of Judea and Jerusalem; and he did evil before the Lord.

Wherefore against him Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon came up, and bound him with a chain of brass, and carried him into Babylon.

Nabuchodonosor also took of the holy vessels of the Lord, and carried them away, and set them in his own temple at Babylon.

But those things that are recorded of him, and of his uncleanness and impiety, are written in the chronicles of the kings.

And Joacim his son reigned in his stead: he was made king being eighteen years old;

and reigned but three months and ten days in Jerusalem; and did evil before the Lord.

So after a year Nabuchodonosor sent and caused him to be brought into Babylon with the holy vessels of the Lord.

And made Sedecias king of Judea and Jerusalem, when he was one and twenty years old; and he reigned eleven years:

and he did evil also in the sight of the Lord, and cared not for the words that were spoken unto him by the prophet Jeremy from the mouth of the Lord.

And after that king Nabuchodonosor had made him to swear by the name of the Lord, he forswore himself, and rebelled; and hardening his neck, and his heart, he transgressed the laws of the Lord God of Israel.

The governors also of the people and of the priests did many things against the laws, and passed all the pollutions of all nations, and defiled the temple of the Lord, which was sanctified in Jerusalem.

Nevertheless the God of their fathers sent by his messenger to call them back, because he spared them and his tabernacle also.

But they had his messengers in derision; and, in the day that the Lord spake unto them, they made a sport of his prophets:

so far forth, that he, being wroth with his people for their great ungodliness, commanded the kings of the Chaldees to come up against them;

who slew their young men with the sword, yea, even within the compass of their holy temple, and spared neither young man nor maid, old man nor child, among them; for he delivered all into their hands.

And they took all the holy vessels of the Lord, both great and small, with the vessels of the ark of God, and the king's treasures, and carried them away into Babylon.

As for the house of the Lord, they burnt it, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem, and set fire upon her towers:

and as for her glorious things, they never ceased till they had consumed and brought them all to nought; and the people that were not slain with the sword he carried into Babylon:

who became servants to him and his children, till the Persians reigned, to fulfil the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremy:

until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths, the whole time of her desolation shall she rest, until the full term of seventy years.

In the first year of Cyrus king of the Persians, that the word of the Lord might be accomplished, that he had promised by the mouth of Jeremy;

the Lord raised up the spirit of Cyrus the king of the Persians, and he made proclamation through all his kingdom, and also by writing,

saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of the Persians; The Lord of Israel, the most high Lord, hath made me king of the whole world,

and commanded me to build him an house at Jerusalem in Jewry.

If therefore there be any of you that are of his people, let his Lord be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem that is in Judea, and build the house of the Lord of Israel: for he is the Lord that dwelleth in Jerusalem.

Whosoever then dwell in the places about, let them help him, those, I say, that are his neighbours, with gold, and with silver,

with gifts, with horses, and with cattle, and other things, which have been set forth by vow, for the temple of the Lord at Jerusalem.

Then the chief of the families of Judea and of the tribe of Benjamin stood up; the priests also, and the Levites, and all they whose mind the Lord had moved to go up, and to build an house for the Lord at Jerusalem,

and they that dwelt round about them, and helped them in all things with silver and gold, with horses and cattle, and with very many free gifts of a great number whose minds were stirred up thereto.

King Cyrus also brought forth the holy vessels which Nabuchodonosor had carried away from Jerusalem, and had set up in his temple of idols.

Now when Cyrus king of the Persians had brought them forth, he delivered them to Mithridates his treasurer:

and by him they were delivered to Sanabassar the governor of Judea.

And this was the number of them; A thousand golden cups, and a thousand of silver, censers of silver twenty-nine, vials of gold thirty, and of silver two thousand four hundred and ten, and a thousand other vessels.

So all the vessels of gold and of silver, which were carried away, were five thousand four hundred threescore and nine.

These were brought back by Sanabassar, together with them of the captivity, from Babylon to Jerusalem.

But in the time of Artaxerxes king of the Persians Belemus, and Mithridates, and Tabellius, and Rathumus, and Beeltethmus, and Samellius the secretary, with the rest that were in commission with them, dwelling in Samaria and other places, wrote unto him against them that dwelt in Judea and Jerusalem this letter following;

To king Artaxerxes our lord, Thy servants, Rathumus the storywriter, and Samellius the scribe, and the rest of their council, and the judges that are in Celosyria and Phenice.

Be it now known to the lord the king, that the Jews that are come up from you to us, being come into Jerusalem, that rebellious and wicked city, do build the marketplaces, and repair the walls of it, and do lay the foundation of the temple.

Now if this city and the walls thereof be made up again, they will not only refuse to give tribute, but also rebel against kings.

And forasmuch as the things pertaining to the temple are now in hand, we think it meet not to neglect such a matter,

but to speak unto our lord the king, to the intent that, if it be thy pleasure, it may be sought out in the books of thy fathers:

and thou shalt find in the chronicles what is written concerning these things, and shalt understand that that city was rebellious, troubling both kings and cities:

and that the Jews were rebellious, and raised always wars therein; for the which cause even this city was made desolate.

Wherefore now we do declare unto thee, O lord the king, that if this city be built again, and the walls thereof set up anew, thou shalt from henceforth have no passage into Celosyria and Phenice.

Then the king wrote back again to Rathumus the storywriter, to Beeltethmus, to Semellius the scribe, and to the rest that were in commission, and dwellers in Samaria and Syria and Phenice, after this manner;

I have read the epistle which ye have sent unto me: therefore I commanded to make diligent search, and it hath been found that that city was from the beginning practising against kings;

and the men therein were given to rebellion and war: and that mighty kings and fierce were in Jerusalem, who reigned and exacted tributes in Celosyria and Phenice.

Now therefore I have commanded to hinder those men from building the city, and heed to be taken that there be no more done in it;

and that those wicked workers proceed no further to the annoyance of kings.

Then king Artaxerxes his letters being read, Rathumus, and Semellius the scribe, and the rest that were in commission with them, removing in haste toward Jerusalem with a troop of horsemen and a multitude of people in battle array, began to hinder the builders; and the building of the temple in Jerusalem ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of the Persians.

Now when Darius reigned, he made a great feast unto all his subjects, and unto all his household, and unto all the princes of Media and Persia,

and to all the governors and captains and lieutenants that were under him, from India unto Ethiopia, in the hundred twenty and seven provinces.

And when they had eaten and drunken, and being satisfied were gone home, then Darius the king went into his bedchamber, and slept, and soon after awaked.