Rulers (Kings) 2

Rulers (Kings) 2

     1[1-4] Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.Ahaziah fell down through the lattice in his upstairs room that was in Samaria, and was sick; and he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go, ask of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I’ll recover of this sickness.”But the angel of Yahweh said to Elijah, the Tishbite, “Get up, go up to meet the messengers of the Ruler of Samaria, and tell them, ‘Is it because there’s no God in Israel, that you go to ask of Baal Zebub, the false god of Ekron?’         So now Yahweh says, ‘You won’t get up from the bed where you’re at, but will truly die.’” Elijah left.

     [5-8] The messengers went back to him, and he said to them, “Why have you come back?” They said to him, “Someone came to meet us, saying to us, ‘Go, turn back to the Ruler who sent you, and tell him, Yahweh says, Is it because there’s no God in Israel, that you send to ask of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron?’ so you won’t get up from the bed where you’re at, but will truly die.’”              He said to them, “What kind of man was it who came to meet you, and told you these words?”   They answered him, “He was a hairy man, and had a belt of leather around his waist.” He said, “It’s Elijah, the Tishbite.”

 [9-14] Then the Ruler sent to him a captain of 50 with his troop. He went up to him; and he was sitting on the top of the hill. He said to him, “Follower of God, the Ruler has said, ‘Come down.’”Elijah answered to the captain of 50, “If I am a follower of God, let fire come down from the sky, and burn up you and your troop. Fire came down from the sky, and burned up him and his troop. Again he sent to him another captain of 50 and his troop. He said to him, “Follower of God, the Ruler has said, ‘Come down quickly.’” Elijah answered them, “If I am a follower of God, let fire come down from the sky, and burn up you and your troop. The fire of God came down from the sky, and burned up him and his troop.Again he sent the captain of a third 50 with his troop. The third captain of 50 went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, saying to him, “Follower of God, please let my life, and the life of these 50, your followers, be precious to you. See, fire came down from the sky, and burned up the two former captains of 50 with their troops; but now let my life be precious to you.”

     [15-18] The angel of Yahweh said to Elijah, “Go down with him; don’t be scared of him.” He got up, and went down with him to the Ruler.He said to him, “Yahweh says, ‘Because you’ve sent messengers to ask of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron, is it because there’s no God in Israel to ask?’ So you won’t get up from the bed where you’re at, but will truly die.” So he died as Yahweh had said which Elijah had told them. Jehoram began to rule in his place in the 2nd year of Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, Ruler of Judah; because he had no son.Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Israel.

 

     2[1-6] When Yahweh was about to take up Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven, Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.Elijah said to Elisha, “Please wait here, for Yahweh has sent me as far as Bethel.” Elisha said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I won’t leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.The descendants of the preachers who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, saying to him, “Do you know that Yahweh will take away your boss from you today?” He said, “Yes, I know it; hold your peace.”         Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please wait here, for Yahweh has sent me to Jericho.” He said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I won’t leave you.” So they came to Jericho. The descendants of the preachers who were at Jericho came to Elisha, saying to him, “Do you know that Yahweh will take away your boss from you today?” He answered, “Yes, I know it. Hold your peace.” Elijah said to him, “Please wait here, for Yahweh has sent me to the Jordan.” He said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I won’t leave you.” So they went on together.

[7-11] Fifty of the descendants of the preachers went, and stood watching them very far away; and they two stood by the Jordan.Elijah took his cape, and folded it together, and hit the water, and it divided here and there, so that they two went over on dry ground. When they had gone over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask me what I should do for you, before I’m taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please put double your spirit  on me.”He said, “You’ve asked a hard thing; but if you see me when I’m taken from you, it will be so to you; but if not, it won’t be.” As they still went on, and talked, there appeared a war vehicle of fire, and horses of fire, which separated them; and Elijah went up by a tornado into heaven.

     [12-17] Elisha saw it, and he cried, “My father, my father, the war vehicles of Israel and its riders!” He saw him no more; and he grabbed his own clothes, and tore them in half.Then he took up the cape of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of the Jordan.He took the cape of Elijah that fell from him, and hit the water, saying, “Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah?” and when he also had hit the water, it divided here and there; and Elisha went over.When the descendants of the preachers who were at Jericho which were close by saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah is on Elisha.” They came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.They said to him, “See now, there are with your followers 50 soldiers; let them go, we ask, and look for your boss, in case the Spirit of Yahweh has taken him up, and thrown him on some mountain, or into some valley. He said, “You won’t send them.”When they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send them.” So they sent the 50 soldiers; and they searched three days, but didn’t find him.

     [18-25] They came back to him while he stayed at Jericho; and he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t go?’”The people of the city said to Elisha, “We ask, the situation of this city is pleasant, as you see; but the water is bad, and the women miscarry. He said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” They brought it to him.He came to the creek, and threw salt in it, saying, “Yahweh says, ‘I’ve healed these waters; there won’t be anymore death or miscarriages in them.”So the waters were healed until today, just like Elisha had said.He went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up by the road, some teenagers came out of the city and mocked him, saying to him, “Go up, you  old baldy; go up, you baldhead.” He looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the Name of Yahweh. Then two mama bears came out of the woods, and killed 42 of those young people.He went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he went back to Samaria.

 

     3[1-5] Now Jehoram, son of Ahab, began to rule over Israel in Samaria in the 18^th year of Jehoshaphat, Ruler of Judah, and ruled 12 years. He did what Yahweh said was evil, but not like his father and mother, because he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made.But he stuck to the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin; he didn’t stop doing it.     Now Mesha, Ruler of Moab, was a sheep breeder; and he gave to the Ruler of Israel the wool of 100,000 lambs, and of 100,000 rams.But when Ahab was dead, the Ruler of Moab rebelled against the Ruler of Israel.

     [6-12] Ruler Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time, and called all Israel. He went and sent to Jehoshaphat the Ruler of Judah, saying, “The Ruler of Moab has rebelled against me; will you go with me against Moab to fight?” He said, “I’ll go; I’m as you are, My people as Your people, my horses as your horses.” He said, “Which way will we go?” He answered, “The road to the countryside of Edom.”So the Ruler of Israel, the Ruler of Judah, and the Ruler of Edom went; and they made a trip of seven days’ journey; and there was no water for the troops, nor for the animals that followed them.The Ruler of Israel said, “Ah! for Yahweh has called these three Rulers together to give them into the power of Moab.”But Jehoshaphat said, “Isn’t there here a preacher of Yahweh, that we may ask of Yahweh by him?” One of the leaders of Israel ‘s workers answered, “Elisha of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.” Jehoshaphat said, “The word of Yahweh is with him.” So the Ruler of Israel, Jehoshaphat, and the Ruler of Edom went down to him.

     [13-19] Elisha said to the Ruler of Israel, “What have I to do with you?” Go to the preachers of your father and mother. The Ruler of Israel said to him, “No, because Yahweh has called these three Rulers together to give them into the power of Moab.”             Elisha said, “As Yahweh, the God of All Creation lives, before whom I stand, truly were it not that I think of the presence of Jehoshaphat, the Ruler of Judah, I wouldn’t look toward you, nor see you.But now bring me a minstrel. When the minstrel played, the hand of Yahweh came on him.He said, “Yahweh says, ‘Make this valley full of trenches.’ Yahweh says, ‘You won’t see wind, nor will you see rain; still the valley will be filled with water, and you’ll drink, both you and your livestock and your animals.’  This is only a little thing to Yahweh, who will also give the Moabites to you. You’ll fight every protected city, and every choice city, and will cut down every good tree, and stop up all the creeks of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.”

     [20-23] In the morning, about the time of making the offering, water came from Edom, and the country was filled with water.               Now when all the Moabites heard that the Rulers had come up to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all who were old enough to be able to put on armor, and upward, and stood on the border.They got up early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water next to them as red as blood; and they said, “This is blood; the Rulers are truly destroyed, and they’ve fought each other; So now, Moab, to the stuff.”

     [24-27] When they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites got up and fought the Moabites, so that they ran before them; and they went forward into the land killing the Moabites. They went down to the cities; and on every good piece of land they threw stones, and filled it; and they stopped up all the creeks of water, and cut down all the good trees, until in Kir Hareseth they only left its stones; but the men armed with slings went around it, and fought it.When the Ruler of Moab saw that the battle was too severe for him, he took with him 700 soldiers to break through to the Ruler of Edom; but they couldn’t do it. Then he took his oldest son who would have ruled in his place, and offered him for a burnt offering on the wall. There was great anger against Israel; and they left from him, and went back to their own land.

 

     4[1-6] Now a certain woman, a preacher’s wife, came crying to Elisha, saying, “Your follower, my husband, is dead; and you know that he respected Yahweh; and the creditor has come to take my two children to be workers.”Elisha said to her, “What can I do for you? Tell me; what do you have in the house?” She said, “I don’t have anything in the house, except a jar of oil.”Then he said, “Go, borrow empty jars from all your neighbors, and don’t borrow just a few.Thengo in and shut the door on you and your sons, and pour out the oil you have into all those jars; and set aside what’s full.” So she went from him and shut the door on her and her sons; they brought the jars to her and she poured out.When the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another jar.” He said to her, “There isn’t another jar” and the oil stopped.Then she came and told the follower of God and he said, “Go, sell the oil, and pay your debt, and you and your sons live off the rest.”    

     [8-16] One day, Elisha passed to Shunem, where there was a great woman; and she tried to get him to eat. So as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat.She said to her husband, “See, I know that this is a holy follower of God, that passes by us continually.Please,let’s make a little room on the wall; and let’s put a bed, a table, a seat, and a lamp stand there for him; and when he comes to us, he’ll turn in there.” One day, when he came there, he turned into the room and lay there.He said to Gehazi, his worker, “Call this Shunammite.” When he had called her, she stood before him.He said to him, “Say now to her, “See, you’ve been careful for us with all this care; what’s to be done for you? Would you be spoken for to the Ruler, or to the captain of the troops?” She answered, “I live among my own people.”He said, “What then is to be done for her?” Gehazi answered, “Most certainly she has no son, and her husband is old.”He said, “Call her.” When he had called her, she stood in the door.He said, “At this season, when the time comes round, you’ll hold a son.” She said, “No, sir, follower of God, don’t lie to your servant.”

     [17-24] The woman got pregnant, and had a son at that season, when the time came round, as Elisha had said to her.When the child was grown, one day he went out to his father to the reapers.He said to his father, “My head, my head.” He said to his worker, “Carry him to his mother.”When he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees until noon, and then died.She went up and laid him on the bed of the follower of God, and shut the door on him, and went out.She called to her husband, saying, “Please send me one of the workers, and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the follower of God, and come back.”He said, “Why will you go to him today? It’s neither a new moon nor a Seventh Day.” She said, “It will be alright.”Then she saddled a donkey, saying to her worker, “Drive, and go forward; don’t slacken off the riding for me, unless I tell you.”

     [25-31] So she went, and came to the follower of God to Mount Carmel. When the follower of God saw her very far away, he said to Gehazi his worker, “See, yonder is the Shunammite; please run now to meet her, and ask her, “Is it well with you? is it well with your husband? is it well with the child?” She answered, “It’s well.”When she came to the follower of God to the hill, she caught hold of his feet. Gehazi came close to throw her away; but the follower of God said, “Let her alone because her soul is troubled within her; and Yahweh has hid it from me, and hasn’t told me.”Then she said, “Did I ask for a son of you, sir? Didn’t I say, ‘Don’t mislead me?’”Then he said to Gehazi, “Put on your belt, and take my walking stick in your hand, and go your way; if you meet anyone, don’t say hello to him; and if anyone says hello to you, don’t answer him back; and lay my walking stick on the face of the child.”The mother of the child said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I won’t leave you.” He got up, and followed her.Gehazi went on before them, and laid the walking stick on the face of the child; but there was no voice, nor hearing. So he went back to meet him, and told him, saying, “The child hasn’t awakened.       

     [32-37] When Elisha had come into the house, the child was dead, and laid on his bed.He went in and shut the door on them both, and prayed to Yahweh.He went up, and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, and his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself on him; and the body of the child grew warm.Then he got up, and walked in the room once back and forth; then he went and stretched himself out on him; and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.He called Gehazi, saying, “Call the Shunammite.” So he called her. When she had come in to him, he said, “Get your son.”Then she went in, and fell at his feet, bowing herself to the ground; and she took up her son, and went out.

     [38-41] Elisha came again to Gilgal. There was a drought in the land; and the families of the preachers were sitting before him; and he said to his worker, “Put on the big pot, and boil a stew for the families of the preachers.One went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered his lap full of wild gourds, and came and shred them into the pot of stew because they didn’t recognize them.So they dished out for the people to eat., and as they were eating the stew, they shouted, saying, “Follower of God, there’s death in the pot.” They couldn’t eat it.But he said, “Then bring meal.” He threw it into the pot and said, “Pour it for the people, that they may eat,” and there was no harm in the pot.

     [42-44] Someone came from Baal Shalishah, and brought the follower of God bread of the firstfruits, 20 loaves of barley bread, and fresh ears of grain in his sack. He said, “Give it to the people, that they may eat.”His worker said, “What, should I put this before a hundred people? But he said, “Give it to the people, that they may eat, because Yahweh says, ‘They’ll eat and have some left over.’”So he set it before them, and they ate, and had some left, as Yahweh had told them.

 

     5[1-6] Now Naaman, captain of the troops of the Ruler of Syria was a great man with his boss, and honorable, because by him, Yahweh had given victory to Syria; he was also a very brave soldier, but he was a leper.The Syrians had gone out in troops, and had taken a young girl away prisoner out of the land of Israel; and she waited on Naaman’s wife.She said to her mistress, I wish that sir were with the preacher who is in Samaria! Then he would heal him of his skin disease. Someone went in, and told his leader, saying, This and this said the girl who is of the land of Israel.The Ruler of Syria said, “Go now, and I’ll send a letter to the Ruler of Israel.” He left, and took with him 750 lbs. of silver, and 6,000 gold coins, and ten changes of clothing.      He brought the letter to the Ruler of Israel, saying, “Now when this letter comes to you, I’ve sent Naaman, my soldier to you, that you may heal him of his skin disease.”

 [7-10] When the Ruler of Israel had read the letter, he tore his clothes, saying, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends to me to heal someone of a skin disease? But think about it, I ask, and see how he’s looking for a quarrel against me.              When Elisha, the follower of God, heard that the Ruler of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the Ruler, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, and he’ll know that there’s a preacher in Israel.”So Naaman came with his horses and with his war vehicles, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your skin will come back to you, and you’ll be well.”

  [11-13] But Naaman was angry, and went away, saying, “See, I thought he would at least come out to me, and stand, and call on the Name of Yahweh God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal me.”Aren’t Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them, and be healed? So he turned and went away in great anger.             His workers came, saying to him, “Sir, if the preacher had bid you do some great thing, wouldn’t you have done it? How much more then, when he only says to you, “Wash, and be healed?”

     [14-19] Then he went down, and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, as the follower of God had said; and his skin came again like the skin of a little child, and he was well. He went back to the follower of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him; and he said, “See now, I know that there’s no god in all the earth, but in Israel; So now, please take a present from Your follower.” But he said, “As Yahweh lives, before whom I stand, I’ll take nothing from you.” He urged him to take it; but he refused.Naaman said, “If not, still, please let there be given to your follower two mules’ loads of earth because your follower will from here on out offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice to other gods, but to Yahweh only. In this thing Yahweh will forgive your follower; when my boss goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, Yahweh will forgive your follower in this thing.”He said to him, “Go in peace.” So he left from him, going a little way.

     [20-27] But Gehazi, the worker of Elisha, the follower of God, thought, “My boss has spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not receiving at his hands what he brought; so as Yahweh lives, I’ll run after him, and take something from him.”So Gehazi chased after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running after him, he got down from the war vehicle to meet him, saying, “Is everything okay?”He said, “Everything is okay.” My boss has sent me, saying, “See, just now there have come to me from the hillsides of Ephraim, two young people of the descendants of the preachers; please give them 75 lbs.  of silver, and two changes of clothing.” Naaman said, “Be pleased to take 150 lbs.. He urged him, and tied 150 lbs. of silver in two bags with two changes of clothing, and gave it to two of his workers; and they walked with it before him.When he came to the hill, he took it from their hand, and put it in the house; and he let the men go, and they left.But he went in and stood before his boss. Elisha said to him, “Where have you come from, Gehazi?” He said, “Your follower went no where.”               He said to him, “Didn’t my heart go with you, when the man turned from his war vehicle to meet you? Is it a time to receive money and clothes, and olive groves and vineyards, and sheep and cows, and male and female workers?So the skin disease of Naaman will stick to you, and to your descendants forever. He went out from him with leprosy, as white as snow.

 

     6[1-7] The descendants of the preachers said to Elisha, “See now, the place where we live before you is too small for us. Let us go, we ask, to the Jordan, and everyone take a beam there, and let us make a place there, where we may live.” He answered, “Go.”One said, “Be pleased, I ask, to go with your followers.” He answered, “I’ll go.”So he went with them. When they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood.But as one was cutting a beam, the axe head fell into the water; and he shouted, saying, “Ah, boss!” because it was borrowed.The follower of God said, “Where did it fall?” He showed him the place. Elisha cut down a stick, and threw it in there, and made the iron float. He said, “ Get it.” So he reached out his hand, and took it.

     [8-13] Now the Ruler of Syria was warring against Israel; and he counseled with his people, saying, “My camp will be in such and such a place.”The follower of God sent to the Ruler of Israel, saying, “Beware that you not pass such a place because the Syrians are coming down there.The Ruler of Israel sent to the place which the follower of God told him and warned him of; and he saved himself there, not once nor twice.The heart of the Ruler of Syria was very troubled for this thing; and he called his workers, saying to them, “Show me which of us is for the Ruler of Israel?”One of his workers said, “No, sir, O Ruler; but Elisha, the preacher who is in Israel, tells the Ruler of Israel the words that you speak in private.”He said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him. It was told him, saying, “He is in Dothan.”

     [14-19] So he sent horses, and war vehicles there, and a great troop; and they came by night, and surrounded the city.      When the worker of the follower of God had gotten up early, and gone out, an army with horses and war vehicles was around the city. His worker said to him, “Ah, my boss! What will we do?”He answered, “Don’t be scared because those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”Elisha prayed, saying, “Yahweh, Please open his eyes, that he may see.” Yahweh opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw that the mountain was full of horses and war vehicles of fire around Elisha.When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to Yahweh, saying, “Please strike this people with blindness.” So God made them blind according to the word of Elisha.Elisha said to them, “This isn’t the way, nor is this the city; follow me, and I’ll bring you to the one for whom you look.” He led them to Samaria.

     [20-23] When they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, “Yahweh, give these men their sight, that they may see.” Yahweh gave them their sight, and they saw that they were in the midst of Samaria.The Ruler of Israel said to Elisha, “When he saw them, “Preacher, should I fight them? Should I fight them?”He answered, “Don’t fight them; would you fight those whom you’ve taken prisoner with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their leader.”He made a great meal for them; and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their leader. The troops of Syria didn’t come into the land of Israel anymore.

     [24-29] After this, Benhadad, Ruler of Syria gathered all his troops, and went up, and surrounded Samaria.There was a great lack of food in Samaria; and they surrounded it, until a donkey’s head was sold for 80 silver coins, and a pint of dove’s waste for five silver coins.As the Ruler of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman shouted to him, saying, “Help, sir, O Ruler.”       He said, “If Yahweh doesn’t help you, how can I help you, either out of the place of harvest, or out of the winepress?” The Ruler said to her, “What’s the matter?” She answered, “This woman said to me, “Give your child, that we may eat today, and we’ll eat my child tomorrow.”So we boiled my child, and ate; and I said to her on the next day, “Give your child, that we may eat; and she has hid hers’.”

 [30-33] When the Ruler heard what the woman said, he tore his clothes in grief (now he was passing by on the wall); and the people looked, and he had mourning clothes inside on his skin.Then he said, “God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha of Shaphat will stay on him today.”But Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him; and the Ruler sent someone from before him; but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, “See how this murderer has sent to cut off my head? When the messenger comes, shut the door, and lock it against him; his leader is right behind him!”While he was still talking to them, the messenger came down to him, followed by the Ruler, who said, “See, this evil is of Yahweh; why should I wait for Yahweh to help us any longer?”

 

      7[1-4] Elisha said, “Listen to the word of Yahweh; Yahweh says, ‘Tomorrow about this time, 6 bushels of fine flour and 12 bushels of barley will be sold for a silver dollar, in the gate of Samaria.” Then the captain on whose hand the Ruler leaned answered the follower of God, saying, “If Yahweh should make windows in heaven, could this really happen?” Elisha said, “You’ll see it with your eyes, but you won’t eat it.”Now there were four men who had a skin disease at the entrance of the gate; and they said to each other, “Why do we sit here until we die?If we say we’ll go into the city, then there is a lack of food in the city, and we’ll die there; and if we sit here we will still die. So come, and let’s go to the troops of the Syrians; if they save us alive we’ll live; and if they kill us, we’ll only die.”

     [5-8] They got up in the dusk, to go to the camp of the Syrians; and when they had come to the edge of the camp of the Syrians, there was no one there.Yahweh had made the troops of the Syrians to hear a noise of war vehicles, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great troop; and they said to each other, “The Ruler of Israel has hired against us the Rulers of the Hittites and the Egyptians, to come against us.”So they got up and ran in the dusk, and left their tents, their horses and donkeys, and left the camp just as it was, and ran for their life.When the sick men came to the edge of the camp, they went into one tent, and ate and drank, and carried away silver, gold, and clothes, and went and hid it; and they came back, and went into another tent, and took stuff from there also, and went and hid it.

     [9-13] Then they said to each other, We aren’t doing right. Today is a day of good news, and we haven’t told anyone; if we wait until the morning light, we will be punished; So come, let’s go and tell the Ruler’s household.So they came and called to the guard of the city; and they told them, saying, “We came to the camp of the Syrians, and there was no one there, nor the voice of a human being, but the horses and donkeys were tied up, and the tents were left just as they were.He called the doorkeepers; and they told it to the Ruler’s household inside.The Ruler got up in the night, saying to his workers, “I’ll tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we’re hungry; so they’ve gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, ‘When they come out of the city we’ll take them alive, and get into the city.’”One of his workers answered, “Please let some take five of the horses that are left in the city (they’re just as the people of Israel who are left in it; they’re just as the people of Israel, who are as good as dead); and let’s go and see.”

[14-20] So they took two war vehicles with horses; and the Ruler sent after the troops of the Syrians, saying, “Go and see.”They followed them to the Jordan; and all the road was full of clothes and pots, which the Syrians had thrown away in their hurry. The messengers went back, and told the Ruler.The people went out, and took everything from the camp of the Syrians. So 6 bushels of fine flour and 12 bushels of barley was sold for a silver dollar, as Yahweh had said.The Ruler put the captain on whose hand he leaned in charge of the gate; and the people trampled on him in the gate, and he died as the follower of God had said,  when the Ruler came down to him.It happened just as the follower of God had said to the Ruler, 12 bushels of barley and 6 bushels of fine flour will be sold for a silver dollar tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria; and the captain had answered the follower of God, saying, “If Yahweh made windows in heaven, could this really happen?” and just as he said, “You’ll see it with your eyes, but won’t eat it;  it happened to him because the people trampled on him in the gate, and he died.

 

     8[1-6] Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had brought back to life, “Get up, and go you and your household, and stay wherever you can stay because Yahweh has called for a famine; and it will also come on the land seven years.”       The woman did what the follower of God told her; and she went with her household, and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years. At the end of seven years, the woman went back out of the land of the Philistines; and she came to cry to the Ruler for her house and land. Now the Ruler was talking with Gehazi the worker of the follower of God, saying, “Please tell me all the great things that Elisha has done.As he was telling the Ruler how he had brought back to life him who was dead, the woman whose son he had brought back to life, cried to the Ruler for her house and land. Gehazi said, “O Ruler, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha brought back to life.” When the Ruler asked the woman, she told him. So the Ruler told an official, saying, “Give back what was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land until now.”

     [7-15] Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad, the Ruler of Syria, was sick; and it was told him, saying, The follower of God is here.The Ruler said to Hazael, “Take a present in your hand, and go, meet the follower of God, and ask of Yahweh by him, saying, ‘Will I recover of this sickness?’”So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, some of everything good of Damascus, 40 camels’ loads, and came and stood before him, saying, “Benhadad, Ruler of Syria, has sent me to you, saying, ‘Will I recover of this sickness?’” Elisha said to him, “Go, tell him, ‘You’ll truly recover; But Yahweh has shown me that he’ll truly die.’”He looked straight at him, until he was ashamed; and the follower of God began to cry.Hazael said, “Why do you cry, sir?” He answered, “Because I know the evil that you’ll do to the people of Israel; you’ll set on fire their forts, and you’ll kill their soldiers, and will cut in pieces their babies, and rip up their pregnant women.” Hazael said, “But what am I, who am nothing but a dog, that I could do this great thing?” Elisha answered, “Yahweh has shown me that you’ll be Ruler over Syria.”  Then he left from Elisha, and came to his boss; who said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” He answered, “He told me that you’ll truly recover.”On the next day, he took the cover, and dipped it in water, and put it on his face, and smothered him to death; and Hazael ruled in his place.

     [16-22] In the fifth year of Joram, son of Ahab, Ruler of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then Ruler of Judah, Jehoram of Jehoshaphat, Ruler of Judah, began to rule.     He was 32 years old when he began to rule, and ruled eight years in Jerusalem.                He did like the Rulers of Israel, as did the house of Ahab, because he had the daughter of Ahab as wife; and he did what Yahweh said was evil. But Yahweh wouldn’t destroy Judah, for David, God’s follower’s sake, as he promised him to give to him a lamp for his children always.In his days, Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a Ruler over themselves.             Then Joram crossed over to Zair, and all his war vehicles with him; and he got up by night, and fought the Edomites who surrounded him, and the leaders of the war vehicles; and the people ran to their tents.So Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah until today. Then Libnah revolted at the same time.               

     [23-29] The rest of the acts of Joram, and what he did, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Judah. Joram died, and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David; and Ahaziah, his son, ruled in his place.In the 12^th year of Joram, son of Ahab, Ruler of Israel, Ahaziah, son of Jehoram, Ruler of Judah, began to rule.Ahaziah was22 years old when he began to rule, and ruled one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri, Ruler of Israel.             He did like the house of Ahab, and did what Yahweh said was evil, as did the house of Ahab, because he was the son-in-law of the house of Ahab.He went with Joram to war against Hazael, Ruler of Syria, at Ramoth Gilead; and the Syrians wounded Joram.Ruler Joram went back to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael. Ahaziah, Ruler of Judah, went down to see Joram in Jezreel, because he was sick.

 

     9[1-10] Elisha, the preacher, called one of the descendants of the preachers, saying to him, “Put on your belt, and take this bottle of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth Gilead.When you get there, look for Jehu, son of Jehoshaphat, of Nimshi, and go in, and make him leave from among his family, and carry him to an inner room.Then take the bottle of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, ‘Yahweh says, I’ve anointed you Ruler over Israel.’ Then open the door, and run, and don’t wait.” So the young preacher went to Ramoth Gilead. When he came, the troop leaders were sitting; and he said, “I have an errand to you, captain.” Jehu said, “To which of us all?” He said, “To you, captain.” He got up, and went into the house; and he poured the oil on his head, saying to him, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘I’ve anointed you Ruler over the people of Yahweh, over all Israel. You’ll fight the house of Ahab, your boss, that I may avenge the blood of My followers, the preachers, and the blood of all the followers of Yahweh, at the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab will die; and I’ll put an end to every boy from Ahab, both him who is shut up and him who is free in Israel.I’ll make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam, of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha, of Ahijah.The dogs will eat Jezebel in the part of Jezreel, and there won’t be anyone to bury her.” He opened the door and ran.

     [11-15] Then Jehu came out to the workers of his leader; and one said to him, “Is everything okay? Why did this crazy person come to you?” He said to them, “You know the man and what he said.” They said, “That’s not true; tell us now.” He said, “This and this he said to me, and Yahweh says, ‘I’ve anointed you Ruler over Israel.’” Then they hurried, and took their clothes, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew the horn, saying, “Jehu is Ruler.”So Jehu, son of Jehoshaphat, of Nimshi, schemed against Joram. (Now Joram was keeping Ramoth Gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael, Ruler of Syria; but Ruler Joram had gone back to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him when he fought with Hazael.) Jehu said, “If this be your minds, then let no one escape and go out of the city, to go to tell it in Jezreel.”

[16-20] So Jehu rode in a war vehicle, and went to Jezreel because Joram lay there. Ahaziah, Ruler of Judah, had come down to see Joram.Now the guard was standing on the tower in Jezreel, and he saw the group of Jehu as he came, saying, “I see a group.” Joram said, “Send a rider to meet them, and ask, “Do you come in peace?” So there went someone on horseback to meet him, saying, “The Ruler asks, ‘Do you come in peace?’” Jehu said, “What do you have to do with peace? Get behind me.” The guard said, “The messenger came to them, but he isn’t coming back.” Then he sent out a second one on horseback who came to them, saying, “The Ruler asks, ‘Do you come in peace?’” Jehu answered, “What do you have to do with peace? Get behind me.” The guard said, “He came to them, and isn’t coming back; and the driving is like that of Jehu of Nimshi, because he drives furiously.”

     [21-28] Joram said, “Get ready.” They got ready his war vehicle. Joram, Ruler of Israel, and Ahaziah, Ruler of Judah, went out in their war vehicles to meet Jehu, and reached him in the land of Naboth, the Jezreelite.When Joram saw Jehu, he said, “Do you come in peace, Jehu?” He answered, “What peace, so long as the whoring of your mother Jezebel and her witchcraft continues?”Joram turned his hands, and ran, saying to Ahaziah, “There is treason, Ahaziah.”Jehu drew his bow with all his strength, and hit Joram between his arms; and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his war vehicle.Then Jehu said to Bidkar, his captain, “Take him and throw him in the field of Naboth, the Jezreelite, because remember when you and I rode together after Ahab his father, what Yahweh said about him; ‘Truly I’ve seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons,’ says Yahweh; ‘and I’ll punished you in this place,’ says Yahweh. So now take and throw him into that plot of ground, as Yahweh has said. But when Ahaziah, the Ruler of Judah, saw this, he ran by the road of the garden house. Jehu followed after him, saying, Shoot him also in the war vehicle; and they shot him at the rise of Gur, which is by Ibleam. He ran to Megiddo, and died there.His workers carried him in a war vehicle to Jerusalem, and buried him in his grave with his ancestors in the city of David.

     [29-36] In the 11^th year of Joram of Ahab, Ahaziah began to rule over Judah.When Jehu had come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard it; and she put on her makeup, and fixed her hair, putting on her crown, and looked out the window.As Jehu went in the gate, she said, “Had Zimri peace, who murdered his boss?” He looked up to the window, saying, “Who is on my side?” Two or three eunuchs looked out at him.He said, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down; and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses; and he trampled her under foot.When he had come in, he ate and drank; and he said, Go take care of that accursed woman, and bury her because she is a Ruler’s daughter.”They went to bury her; but they found nothing left of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands.So they came back, and told him. He said, “This is the word of Yahweh, Who said by his worker Elijah, the Tishbite, ‘In Jezreel, the dogs will eat the body of Jezebel; and the body of Jezebel will be as waste on the ground in Jezreel, so that they won’t be able to say, “This is Jezebel.”

 

     10[1-5] Now Ahab had 70 sons in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters, and sent them to Samaria to the Rulers of Jezreel, all the elders, and to those who brought up the children of Ahab, saying, “Now as soon as this letter comes to you, seeing your boss’s sons are with you, and there are with you war vehicles and horses, a protected city also, and armor; look out the best and strongest of your boss’s sons, and set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your boss’s house.” But they were very afraid, saying, “See, the two Rulers didn’t face him; how then will we stand?” Those who were over the household, and those who were over the city, the elders also, and those who brought up the children sent to Jehu, saying, “We’re your followers, and will do what you tell us; we won’t make anyone Ruler; you do whatever you see is good.

     [6-10] Then he wrote a second letter to them, saying, “If you’re on my side, and if you’ll listen to Me, take the heads of your boss’s sons, and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time. Now the Ruler’s sons, being 70 persons, were with the leaders of the city who brought them up.When the letter came to them, they took all 70 of the Ruler’s sons, and killed them, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him to Jezreel.A messenger came, and told him, saying, “They’ve brought the heads of the Ruler’s sons.” He said, “Lay them in two piles at the entrance of the gate until the morning. In the morning, he went out, and stood saying to all the people, “You’re good people; see, I schemed against my boss, and killed him; but who killed all these? Know now that nothing of the word of Yahweh, which Yahweh said about the house of Ahab will fail because Yahweh has done what we were told by God’s follower Elijah.”

     [11-14] So Jehu fought what was left of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, all his great men, his best friends, and his preachers until none were left. He left and went to Samaria. As he was at the shearing house of the shepherds in the way,Jehu met with the brothers of Ahaziah, Ruler of Judah, saying, “Who are you?” They answered, “We’re the brothers of Ahaziah; and we go down to meet the people of the Ruler and the queen.”He said, “Take them alive.” They took them alive, and killed them at the pit of the shearing house, he killed all 42 soldiers, leaving none of them.        

     [15-19] When he had left there, he came up on Jehonadab, son of Rechab, coming to meet him; and he greeted him, asking him, “Is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart?” Jehonadab answered, “It is. If it’s so, give me your hand.” He gave him his hand and took him up to him into the war vehicle.He said, “Come with me, and see my passion for Yahweh.” So they made him ride in his war vehicle.When he came to Samaria, he fought all who were left to Ahab in Samaria, until he had destroyed them, as Yahweh told them by Elijah.Jehu gathered all the people together, saying to them, “Ahab worshiped Baal only a little; but Jehu will serve him much. So now call to me all the preachers of Baal, all his worshippers, and all his preachers; let no one be missing because I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal; whoever is missing won’t live. But Jehu was secretly planning to destroy all the worshippers of Baal.

     [20-29] Jehu said, “Dedicate a solemn assembly for Baal.” They called for it.Jehu sent through all Israel; and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there wasn’t anyone left that didn’t come. They came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other.He said to the one who was over the robes, “Bring out the robes for all the worshippers of Baal.” He brought them out.Jehu and Jehonadab, son of Rechab, went into the house of Baal; and he said to the worshippers of Baal, “Search and make sure that there aren’t here with you any of the workers of Yahweh, but only the worshippers of Baal.”They went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had put 80 soldiers outside, saying, “If anyone whom I bring to you escapes, those who let him go will give their life for his.” As soon as he had finished making the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard and captains, “Go in and kill them; let no one escape.” They stabbed them with the blade of a sword; and the guard and the captains threw them out, and went to the city of the house of Baal.They brought out the pillars that were in the house of Baal, and burned them.They broke down the pillar of Baal and the house of Baal and made it a public toilet until today.So Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.But from the sins of Jeroboam of Nebat with which he made Israel to sin, Jehu didn’t stop doing them, that is, the golden calves that were in Bethel and Dan.    

     [30-36] Yahweh said to Jehu, “Because you’ve done well in doing what’s right to Me, and have done to the house of Ahab like what was in My heart, your sons of the fourth generation will sit on the throne of Israel.”But Jehu wasn’t careful to follow the law of Yahweh, the God of Israel, with all his heart; he didn’t stop the sins of Jeroboam, with which he made Israel to sin.            In those days, Yahweh began to take land from Israel; and Hazael fought them in all the borders of Israel; from the Jordan going east, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the valley of the Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and what he did, and all his strength, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Israel.Jehu died; and they buried him in Samaria. Jehoahaz, his son, ruled in his place. Jehu ruled over Israel in Samaria for 28 years.

 

     11[1-3] Now when Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she got up and killed all the royal family.    But Jehosheba, the daughter of Ruler Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash, son of Ahaziah, and hid him from among the Ruler’s sons who were killed, both him and his nurse, and put them in the bedroom; and they hid him from Athaliah, so that he wasn’t killed; He was hid with her in the Place of Worship of Yahweh for six years. Athaliah ruled over the land.

     [4-8] In the 7^th year, Jehoiada sent for the captains over hundreds of the soldiers of the guard, and brought them to him into the Place of Worship of Yahweh; and he made an agreement with them, and made them make a promise in the Place of Worship of Yahweh, and showed them the Ruler’s son. He told them, “This is what you’ll do; a third of you who come in on the Seventh Day, will be guards of the Ruler’s house; a third will be guards at the gate Sur; and a third at the gate behind the guard; so you’ll keep watch of the house, and be a barrier. The two companies of you, all who go out on the Seventh Day, will keep watch of the Place of Worship of Yahweh around the Ruler. You’ll surround the Ruler with your weapons in hand; and those who come within the ranks, let them be killed; and be with the Ruler when he goes out, and when he comes in.”

     [9-12] The captains over hundreds did what Jehoiada, the preacher, said; and they each took their guards, those who were to come in on the Seventh Day, with those who were to go out on the Seventh Day, and came to Jehoiada.The preacher gave the spears and shields that had been Ruler David’s, which were in the Place of Worship of Yahweh to the captains over hundreds.The guard stood with their weapons in hand, from the right to the left side of the house, along by the altar and the house, surrounding the Ruler.Then he brought out the Ruler’s son, and put the crown on him, and gave him the Word of God; and they made him Ruler, and anointed him; and they clapped their hands, saying, “Long live the Ruler.”

     [13-16] When Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the Place of Worship of Yahweh; and when she looked, the Ruler stood by the pillar, as the way was, and the captains and the horns by the Ruler; and all the people of the land were happy and blew horns. Then Athaliah tore her clothes, and shouted, “Treason! treason!”Jehoiada, the preacher, told the captains of hundreds who were set over the troops, “Have her go between the ranks; and whoever follows her kill her.” The preacher said, “Don’t let her be killed in the Place of Worship of Yahweh.”       So they made way for her; and she went by the road of the horses’ entry to the Ruler’s house; and there she was killed.

     [17-21] Jehoiada made an agreement between Yahweh and the Ruler and the people, that they should be Yahweh’s people; between the Ruler also and the people.All the people of the land went to the house of Baal, and broke it down; they completely broke the altars and images in pieces, and killed Mattan, the preacher of Baal before the altars. The preacher set officials over the Place of Worship of Yahweh.He took the captains over hundreds, and the soldiers of the guard, and all the people of the land; and they brought the Ruler down from the Place of Worship of Yahweh, and came by the road of the gate of the guard to the Ruler’s house. He sat on the throne of the Rulers. So all the people of the land were happy, and the city was quiet. They killed Athaliah with the sword at the Ruler’s house.Joash was seven years old when he began to rule.

 

     12[1-5] In the 7^th year of Jehu, Joash began to rule, and ruled 40 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba.Joash did what Yahweh said was right all his days in which Jehoiada, the preacher, taught him.    But the places of false worship weren’t taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the places of false worship.Joash said to the preachers, “All the money that is dedicated that is brought into the Place of Worship of Yahweh, in tax money that is owed, and all the money that anyone plans to give and brings into the Place of Worship of Yahweh, let the preachers take it, each from their people; and they’ll fix whatever is broken of the house, wherever anything broken is found.

     [6-10] But in the 23^rd year of Ruler Joash, the preachers hadn’t fixed what was broken of the house.Then Ruler Joash called for Jehoiada, the preacher, and for the other preachers, saying to them, “Why don’t you fix what’s broken of the house? So now, take no more money for your people, but give it to fix whatever’s broken of the house.The preachers agreed to take no more money for their people, but to use it to fix what was broken of the house.But Jehoiada took a chest, and had a hole put in the lid, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as you come into the Place of Worship of Yahweh; and the preachers who kept the doorway put in it all the money that was brought into the Place of Worship of Yahweh.It was planned when they saw that the money filled the chest, that the Ruler’s secretary and the lead preacher came, and they put the money in bags and counted what was taken from the Place of Worship of Yahweh.

     [11-16] They gave the money that was counted to those who did the work, who had the oversight of the Place of Worship of Yahweh; and they paid it out to the woodworkers and builders, who worked on the Place of Worship of Yahweh,and to the stone builders and stonecutters, and for buying wood and hewn stone to fix what was broken of the Place of Worship of Yahweh, and for what was planned for the house to fix it. But cups of silver, snuffers, bowls, horns, any pots of gold, or pots of silver weren’t made of the money that was brought into the Place of Worship of Yahweh; but they gave that to those who did the work, and built with it the Place of Worship of Yahweh.Besides this, they didn’t ask an accounting from the men into whose hand they gave the money to give to those who did the work because they did what was right.The money for the sin and guilt offerings wasn’t brought into the Place of Worship of Yahweh; it was given to the preachers.   

     [17-21] Then Hazael, Ruler of Syria, went and fought against Gath, and took it; and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.Joash, Ruler of Judah, took all the holy things that Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his ancestors, Rulers of Judah, had dedicated, and his own holy things, and all the gold that was in the treasures of the Place of Worship of Yahweh, and the Ruler’s house, and sent it to Hazael; and he went away from Jerusalem.Now the rest of the acts of Joash, and what he did, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Judah.  His workers made a plan, and killed Joash at the house of Millo on the road that goes down to Silla. Jozacar of Shimeath, and Jehozabad of Shomer, his workers, killed him; and they buried him with his ancestors in the city of David; and Amaziah, his son, ruled in his place.

 

     13[1-9] In the 23^rd year of Joash, son of Ahaziah, Ruler of Judah, Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, began to rule over Israel in Samaria, and ruled 17 years. He did what Yahweh said was evil, and followed the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin; he didn’t stop doing it.Yahweh was angry at Israel, and handed them over to Hazael, Ruler of Syria, and into the power of Benhadad, son of Hazael, continually.Jehoahaz begged Yahweh, and Yahweh listened to him and saw how the Ruler of Syria abused Israel.(Yahweh gave Israel a hero, so that they came out from under the power of the Syrians; and the people of Israel lived in peace as before.But they didn’t stop doing the sins of the house of Jeroboam with which he made Israel to sin, but followed it; and left the Asherah (wooden idol used for worship of Astarte, Canaanite fertility goddess, the wife of Baal) also in Samaria.)Yahweh God only left Jehoahaz 50 riders, ten war vehicles, and 10,000 foot soldiers because the Ruler of Syria killed them, and made them like dust in the wind.Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and what he did, and his strength, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Israel.Jehoahaz died; and they buried him in Samaria; and Joash his son ruled in his place.

[10-13] In the 37^th year of Joash, Ruler of Judah, Joash, son of Jehoahaz began to rule over Israel in Samaria, and ruled 16 years.He did what Yahweh said was evil; he didn’t stop doing all the sins of Jeroboam of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin; but he followed in it.Now the rest of the acts of Joash, and what he did, and his strength with which he fought against Amaziah, Ruler of Judah, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Israel.Joash died; and Jeroboam sat on his throne; and Joash was buried in Samaria with the Rulers of Israel.

     [14-19] Now Elisha was sick with the sickness of which he died; and Joash, Ruler of Israel came down to him, and cried over him, saying, “My father, my father, the war vehicles of Israel and its riders!”Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows;” and he took a bow and arrows.He said to the Ruler of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow;” and he put his hand on it. Elisha laid his hands on the Ruler’s hands and said, “Open the east window;” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot;” and he shot. He said, “Yahweh’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria because you’ll fight the Syrians in Aphek, until you’ve killed them all.”He said, “Take the arrows;” and he took them. He said to the Ruler of Israel, “Hit on the ground;” and he hit three times, and stopped.The follower of God was angry with him, saying, “You should have hit five or six times; then you would have fought Syria until you had destroyed it, but now you’ll fight Syria but three times.”

     [20-25] Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the troops of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming of the new year.As they were burying him, they saw a troop; and they threw a body into the grave of Elisha; and as soon as the body touched the bones of Elisha, the man revived, and stood up.Hazael, Ruler of Syria, abused Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.But Yahweh was graceful to them, and had compassion on them, and showed respect to them, because of the promised agreement with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and wouldn’t destroy them, nor did God throw them away yet.Hazael died; and Benhadad his son ruled in his place.Joash, son of Jehoahaz, took again from Benhadad, son of Hazael, the cities which he had taken from Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times Joash fought him, and took back the cities of Israel.

 

     14[1-6] Amaziah, son of Joash, Ruler of Judah, began to rule in the 2^nd year of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, Ruler of Israel.He was 25 years old when he began to rule, and ruled 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin from Jerusalem.           He did what Yahweh said was right, still not like David his ancestor; he did like what Joash, his father, had done.             The places of false worship weren’t taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the places of false worship. As soon as the country was put in his control, he killed his workers who had killed the Ruler, his father; but the families of the murderers he didn’t put to death; like what’s written in the book of The Law of Moses, as Yahweh had told them, saying, “The fathers won’t be killed for the children, nor the children killed for the fathers; but everyone will die for their own sin.”

     [7-10] He killed 10,000 of Edom in the Valley of Salt, and took Sela by war, and called its name Joktheel, until today.          Then Amaziah sent messengers to Joash, son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, Ruler of Israel, saying, “Come, let’s face each other.” Joash, the Ruler of Israel, sent to Amaziah, Ruler 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; and a wild animal passed by that was in Lebanon, and trampled the thistle.You’ve truly fought Edom, and your heart has lifted you up; You have your glory; stay at home. Why should you mess with trouble and fall, you, and Judah with you?”

     [11-15] But Amaziah wouldn’t listen. So Joash, Ruler of Israel, went up; and he and Amaziah, Ruler of Judah, faced each other at Beth Shemesh, in Judah.Judah was beaten by Israel; and they all ran home.Joash, Ruler of Israel, took Amaziah, Ruler of Judah, son of Joash, son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, 600 feet in length.He took all the gold and silver, and all the pots that were found in the Place of Worship of Yahweh, and in the treasures of the Ruler’s house, hostages also, and went back to Samaria.      Now the rest of the acts of Joash, which he did, and his strength, and how he fought with Amaziah, Ruler of Judah, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Israel.

     [16-20] Joash died, and was buried in Samaria with the Rulers of Israel; and Jeroboam, his son, ruled in his place.             Amaziah, son of Joash, Ruler of Judah, lived after the death of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, Ruler of Israel, 15 years.Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Judah.They came together against him in Jerusalem; and he ran to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish, and killed him there.They brought him on horses; and he was buried at Jerusalem with his ancestors in the city of David.

     [21-25] All the people of Judah took Azariah, who was 16 years old, and made him Ruler in place of his father, Amaziah.He built Elath, and gave it back to Judah, after the Ruler died.In the 15^th year of Amaziah, son of Joash, Ruler of Judah, Jeroboam, son of Joash, Ruler of Israel, began to rule in Samaria, and ruled 41 years.He did what Yahweh said was evil; he didn’t stop doing all the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.    He gave back the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the sea of the Arabah, as Yahweh, the God of Israel, had said  by his worker Jonah, son of Amittai, the preacher, who was of Gath Hepher.

     [26-29] For Yahweh saw the trouble of Israel was very hard because there was no one, whether imprisoned or free, to help Israel. Yahweh wouldn’t wipe out the name of Israel from under heaven, but saved them by the hand of Jeroboam, son  of Joash. Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and what he did, and his strength, how he fought, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath, which had belonged to Judah, for Israel, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Israel.        Jeroboam died along with the Rulers of Israel; and Zechariah, his son, ruled in his place.

 

     15[1-7] Azariah, son of Amaziah, Ruler of Judah, began to rule in the 27^th year of Jeroboam, Ruler of Israel. He was 16 years old when he began to rule, and ruled 52 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah from Jerusalem.He did what Yahweh said was right, like what his father, Amaziah, had done.But the places of false worship weren’t taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the places of false worship.Yahweh made the Ruler a leper to the day of his death, who lived in a separate house. Jotham, the Ruler’s son, was over the household, judging the people of the land.   Now the rest of the acts of Azariah, and what he did, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Judah. Azariah died; and they buried him with his ancestors in the city of David; and Jotham, his son, ruled in his place.

     [8-16] In the 38^th year of Azariah, Ruler of Judah, Zechariah, son of Jeroboam, ruled over Israel in Samaria six months.      He did what Yahweh said was evil, as his ancestors had done; he didn’t stop doing the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.  Then Shallum, son of Jabesh, schemed against him, and fought him before the people, and killed him, and ruled in his place.Now the rest of the acts of Zechariah are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Israel.This was the word of Yahweh, which was said to Jehu, saying, “Your sons to the fourth generation will sit on the throne of Israel.” Shallum, son of Jabesh, began to rule in the 39^th year of Uzziah, Ruler of Judah, and ruled for a month in Samaria.Menahem of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria, and fought Shallum of Jabesh in Samaria, and killed him, and ruled in his place.Now the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his scheme, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Israel.Then Menahem fought Tiphsah, and all who were in it, and its borders, from Tirzah; because they didn’t open to him, so he fought it; and all the women in it who were pregnant he ripped open.

     [17-22] Menahem, son of Gadi, began to rule over Israel in the 39^th  year of Azariah, Ruler of Judah, and ruled ten years in Samaria.He did what Yahweh said was evil; he didn’t stop all his days from doing the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.Pul, the Ruler of Assyria, came against the land; and Menahem gave Pul 750,000 lbs.. of silver, that he would be with him to confirm the countries in his hand.Menahem taxed Israel, all the people of great wealth, of each one 50 silver coins, to give to the Ruler of Assyria. So the Ruler of Assyria turned back, and didn’t stay there in the land.Now the rest of the acts of Menahem, and what he did, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Israel.Menahem died; and Pekahiah, his son, ruled in his place. 

     [23-26] Pekahiah, son of Menahem, began to rule over Israel in Samaria in the 50^th  year of Azariah, Ruler of Judah, and ruled two years.He did what Yahweh said was evil; he didn’t stop doing the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.Pekah, son of Remaliah, his captain, schemed against him, and fought him in Samaria, in the tower of the Ruler’s house, with Argob and Arieh and 50 of the Gileadites; and he killed him, and ruled in his place. Now the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and what he did, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Israel.

     [27-31] Pekah, son of Remaliah began to rule over Israel in Samaria in the 52^nd year of Azariah, Ruler of Judah, and ruled 20 years.He did what Yahweh said was evil; he didn’t stop doing the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.In the days of Pekah, Ruler of Israel, Tiglath Pileser, Ruler of Assyria, came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee,  all the land of Naphtali; and he took them prisoner to Assyria. Hoshea, son of Elah, came together against Pekah, and fought him, and killed him, and ruled in his place, in the 20^th year of Jotham, son of Uzziah.Now the rest of the acts of Pekah, and what he did, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Israel.  

     [32-38] Jotham, son of Uzziah, Ruler of Judah, began to rule in the 2^nd year of Pekah, son of Remaliah, Ruler of Israel.He was 25 years old when he began to rule, and ruled 16 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.He did what Yahweh said was right like what his father Uzziah had done.But the places of false worship weren’t taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense in the places of false worship. He built the upper gate of the Place of Worship of Yahweh.Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and what he did, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Judah.In those days, Yahweh began to send Rezin, the Ruler of Syria, and Pekah, son of Remaliah, against Judah.Jotham died, and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David; and Ahaz, his son, ruled in his place.

 

     16[1-5] In the 17^th year of Pekah, son of Remaliah, Ahaz, son of Jotham, Ruler of Judah, began to rule.Ahaz was20 years old when he began to rule, and ruled 16 years in Jerusalem; and he didn’t do what Yahweh God said was right, like David his father.         But he did like the Rulers of Israel, yes, and sacrificed his son in the fire, according to the horrible sins of the nations, whom Yahweh threw out from before the people of Israel.He sacrificed and burnt incense in the places of false worship, and on the hills, and under evergreen trees.Then Rezin, Ruler of Syria, and Pekah, son of Remaliah, Ruler of Israel, came up to Jerusalem to fight; and they surrounded Ahaz, but couldn’t overcome him.

     [6-11] At that time, Rezin got Elath back for Syria, and drove the Jews away from it; the Syrians came and lived in Elath, until today.So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath Pileser, Ruler of Assyria, saying, I’m your follower and as your son; come up, and save me from the Ruler of Syria, and from the Ruler of Israel, who are fighting against me.Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the Place of Worship of Yahweh, and in the treasures of the Ruler’s house, and sent it for a present to the Ruler of Assyria.The Ruler of Assyria listened to him; and went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried its people prisoner to Kir, and killed Rezin.Ruler Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath Pileser, and saw the altar that was at Damascus; and Ruler Ahaz sent to Urijah, the preacher, the design of the altar, and its plan, according to all its workmanship.Urijah built an altar; like what Ruler Ahaz had sent from Damascus, making it for the coming of Ruler Ahaz from Damascus.

     [12-16] When the Ruler had come from Damascus, he saw the altar, and came, and offered on it.  He made his burnt offering and his meal offering, and poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, on the altar.The brass altar, which was before Yahweh, he brought from the forefront of the house, from between his altar and the Place of Worship of Yahweh, and put it on the north side of his altar.Ruler Ahaz told Urijah, the preacher, “On the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, the evening meal offering, and the Ruler’s burnt offering, and meal offering with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, their meal offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle on it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice; but the brass altar will be for me to pray on.”SoUrijah did what Ruler Ahaz told him.            

     [17-20] Ruler Ahaz took the borders of the bases, and took the bowl from off them, and took down the sea from off the brass cows that were under it, and put it on a pavement of stone.The covered walkway for the Seventh Day that they had built in the house, and the Ruler’s entry outside, he took from the Place of Worship of Yahweh, because of the Ruler of Assyria.Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Judah.Ahaz died, and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David; and Hezekiah, his son, ruled in his place.

 

     17[1-4] Hoshea, son of Elah, began to rule in Samaria over Israel in the 12^th year of Ahaz, Ruler of Judah, and ruled nine years.He did what Yahweh said was evil, still not as the Rulers of Israel who were before him.Shalmaneser, Ruler of Assyria, came to fight against him; and Hoshea became his subject, and brought him taxes.The Ruler of Assyria caught Hoshea making plans against him, because he had sent messengers to the Ruler of Egypt, and offered no taxes to the Ruler of Assyria, as he had done each year; so the Ruler of Assyria shut him up in prison.

     [5-12] Then the Ruler of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and surrounded it for three years.In the 9^th year of Hoshea, the Ruler of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, because the people of Israel had sinned against Yahweh their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of the Ruler of Egypt, and had worshiped other gods, and followed the laws of the nations, whom Yahweh threw out from before the people of Israel, and the laws of the Rulers of Israel, which they had made.The people of Israel secretly did things that weren’t right against Yahweh their God; and they built places of false worship in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the protected city; and they set up pillars and false fertility gods, the Asherim, on every high hill, and under evergreen trees; and they burnt incense in all the places of false worship, as did the nations whom Yahweh threw out before them; and they did sinful things to make Yahweh very angry; and they served false gods, of which Yahweh had said to them, “Don’t do this thing.”

     [13-17] Still, Yahweh spoke to Israel and Judah, by every preacher, saying, “Turn from your evil ways, and keep My words and My laws, according to all the law which I told your ancestors, and which I sent to you by My followers, the preachers.                 They wouldn’t listen though, but became stubborn, like the neck of their ancestors, who didn’t believe in Yahweh their God.        They rejected God’s laws and judgments, which were given them, and the promised agreement that God made with their ancestors; and they followed false gods, and became useless, and followed the nations that were around them, about whom Yahweh had told them that they shouldn’t do like them.They left all the words of Yahweh their God, and made false gods, the two golden calves, and made an Asherah (wooden idol used for worship of Astarte, Canaanite fertility goddess, the wife of Baal), and worshiped all the stars of the sky, and served Baal.They made their sons and daughters be sacrifices in the fire, and used witchcraft and cast spells, and sold themselves to do what Yahweh said was evil, to make God angry.

     [18-23] So Yahweh was very angry with Israel, and took them away; there was no one left but the family group of Judah only.           Also Judah didn’t keep the words of Yahweh their God, but followed the laws of Israel which they made.               Yahweh threw out all the people of Israel, and troubled them, and handed them over to raiders, until he had thrown them all out of God’s presence.God tore Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam, son of Nebat, Ruler; and Jeroboam stopped Israel from following Yahweh, and made them sin a great sin.            The people of Israel followed all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they didn’t stop doing them; until Yahweh took Israel out of the presence of God, as all God’s followers, the preachers, had told them. So Israel was carried away out of their own land to Assyria until today.

      [24-29] The Ruler of Assyria brought men from Babylon (Iraq, Iran), Cuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the people of Israel; and they took Samaria, and lived in its cities.So when they first began to live there, they didn’t respect Yahweh; so Yahweh sent lions on them, which killed some of them.              So they said to the Ruler of Assyria, “The nations which you’ve carried away, and placed in the cities of Samaria, don’t know the law of the God of the land, who has sent lions on them, and they kill them, because they don’t know the law of the God of the land.   Then the Ruler of Assyria told them, “Carry one of the preachers, whom you brought from there; and let them go and live there, and let him teach them the law of the God of the land.So one of the preachers, whom they had carried away from Samaria came and lived in Bethel, and taught them how they should worship Yahweh.But every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the places of false worship which the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities where they lived.

     [30-33] The people of Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the people of Cuth made Nergal, the people of Hamath made Ashima, the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burnt their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the false gods of Sepharvaim.So they worshiped Yahweh, and made preachers for themselves for all the places of false worship, who made sacrifices for them in the places of false worship.So they worshiped Yahweh, and served their own gods, after the way of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.

     [34-41] Today they do what they did before; they don’t respect Yahweh, neither do they follow God’s judgments, or rules, or after the law or the word which Yahweh told the people of Jacob, whom God named Israel; with whom Yahweh had made an agreement, and told them, “Don’t worship other gods, nor bow down to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them; but only Yahweh, Who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm. Worship and bow yourselves down to Yahweh God, and sacrifice to Me only; and follow the judgments and rules, and the law and word, which I wrote for you, keep and do them forever; and don’t fear other gods; and don’t forget the promised agreement that I’ve made with you; don’t fear other gods; but show respect to Yahweh your God; and I’ll save you from all your enemies.”But they didn’t listen, and they did what they did before.So these nations worshiped Yahweh, and served their false gods; their children and their grandchildren, did as their ancestors did, and so they do today.

 

     18[1-8] Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, Ruler of Judah, began to rule in the 3^rd year of Hoshea, son of Elah, Ruler of Israel. He was 25 years old when he began to rule, and ruled 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi, the daughter of Zechariah.      He did what Yahweh said was right, like what David his ancestor had done.He took down the places of false worship, and broke the pillars, and cut down the Asherah (wooden idol used for worship of Astarte, Canaanite fertility goddess, the wife of Baal); and he broke in pieces the brass serpent that Moses had made, because to those days, the people of Israel burned incense to it; and called it Nehushtan.He trusted in Yahweh, the God of Israel; so that after him, no one among all the Rulers of Judah was like him, nor anyone before him.For he held on to Yahweh and never stopped following God, but kept God’s words, which Yahweh told Moses. Yahweh was with him; wherever he came he did well; and he rebelled against the Ruler of Assyria, and didn’t serve him.                 He fought the Philistines to Gaza and its borders, from the watchtower to the protected city.

     [9-12] In the 4^th year of Ruler Hezekiah, which was the 7^th year of Hoshea, son of Elah, Ruler of Israel, Shalmaneser, Ruler of Assyria, came up against Samaria, and surrounded it and at the end of three years they took it. In the 6^th year of Hezekiah, which was the 9^th year of Hoshea, Ruler of Israel, Samaria was taken. The Ruler of Assyria carried Israel away to Assyria, and put them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,because they didn’t obey Yahweh their God, but sinned against the promised agreement that Moses, the follower of Yahweh, had told them, and wouldn’t listen to it, nor do it.

     [13-17] Now in the 14^th year of Ruler Hezekiah, Sennacherib, Ruler of Assyria, came up against all the protected cities of Judah, and took them.Hezekiah, Ruler of Judah, sent to the Ruler of Assyria, to Lachish, saying, “I’ve offended you; go away and whatever you tell me I’ll do.” The Ruler of Assyria sent to Hezekiah, Ruler of Judah, 22,500 lbs.. of silver and 2,250 lbs.. of gold.Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the Place of Worship of Yahweh, and in the treasures of the Ruler’s house.                At that time, Hezekiah took the gold from off the doors of the Place of Worship of Yahweh, and from the pillars which Hezekiah, Ruler of Judah, had covered, and gave it to the Ruler of Assyria. The Ruler of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to Ruler Hezekiah with a great troop to Jerusalem. They went up to Jerusalem.  When they had come up, they stood by the tunnel of the upper pool, which is in the highway of Fuller’s Field.

     [18-27] When they had called to the Ruler, Eliakim, son of Hilkiah, came out to them, who was over the household, and Shebnah, the secretary, and Joah, son of Asaph, the recorder.          Rabshakeh said to them, “Tell Hezekiah, The great Ruler, the Ruler of Assyria, says, “What is this in which you trust? You say (but they’re useless words), ‘There is counsel and strength for the war.’ Now on whom do you trust, that you’ve rebelled against me?Now, see, you trust on the walking stick of this broken reed, Egypt; and if anyone leans on it , it will go into his hand, and pierce it; so the Ruler of Egypt is to all who trust on him.      But if you tell me, “We trust in Yahweh, our God; isn’t that the One whose places of worship and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You’ll worship before this altar in Jerusalem?’So now, promise allegiance to my boss, the Ruler of Assyria, and I’ll give you 2,000 horses, if you’re able on your part to put riders on them.How can you turn away the face of a captain of the least of my boss’s workers, and put your trust on Egypt for war vehicles and for riders?             Am I now come up without Yahweh against this place to destroy it? Yahweh said to me, ‘Go up against this land, and destroy it.’” Then  Eliakim, son of Hilkiah, Shebnah, and Joah said to Rabshakeh, “Please speak to us in the Syrian language because we understand it; and don’t speak with us in the Jews’ language, in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” But Rabshakeh said to them, “Hasn’t my boss sent me to your boss, and to you, to speak these words? Hasn’t he sent me to those who sit on the wall, who will eat and drink their own waste along with you?”

     [28-37] Then Rabshakeh stood, and shouted in the Jews’ language, saying, “Listen to the great Ruler of Assyria.The Ruler says, “Don’t let Hezekiah mislead you because he won’t be able to save you out of his hand; nor let Hezekiah make you trust in Yahweh, saying, ‘Yahweh will truly save us, and this city won’t be given into the power of the Ruler of Assyria.’         Don’t listen to Hezekiah because the Ruler of Assyria says, “Make peace with me, and come out to me; and everyone will eat of his own vine and fig tree, and everyone will drink the water of his own well; Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey, that you may live, and not die; and don’t listen to Hezekiah, when he says to you, ‘Yahweh will save us.’Have any of the gods of the nations ever saved their land from the Ruler of Assyria?Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they saved Samaria from me?Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have saved their country from me, that Yahweh could save Jerusalem from me?” But the people held their peace, and answered not a word because the Ruler said, “Don’t answer him.”Then Eliakim, who was over the household, Shebna, the secretary, and Joah, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.

 

     19[1-7] When Ruler Hezekiah heard it, he tore off his clothes, and put on mourning clothes, and went into the Place of Worship of Yahweh.He sent Eliakim, who was over the household, Shebna, the secretary, and the elders of the preachers, wearing mourning clothes, to Isaiah, the preacher, son of Amoz.They said to him, “Hezekiah says, “Today is a day of trouble, punishment, and rejection because the children have come to the birth, and there isn’t strength to deliver.It may be that Yahweh, your God, will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom the Ruler of Assyria, his boss, has sent to defy the living God, and will punish the words which Yahweh your God has heard. So pray for those that are left.So the workers of Ruler Hezekiah came to Isaiah.Isaiah said to them, “Tell your boss, ‘Yahweh says, Don’t be scared of the words that you’ve heard, with which the soldiers of the Ruler of Assyria have disrespected me. See, I’ll put a spirit in him, and he’ll hear news, and will go back to his own land; and I’ll cause him to fall in war in his own land.” 

     [8-13] So Rabshakeh went back, and found the Ruler of Assyria warring against Libnah because he had heard that he had left from Lachish.When he heard of Tirhakah, Ruler of Ethiopia, “See, he is come out to fight against you, he sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying, “Tell Hezekiah, Ruler of Judah, ‘Don’t let your God in whom you trust mislead you, saying, Jerusalem won’t be given into the power of the Ruler of Assyria.See, you’ve heard what the Rulers of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them completely; so will you be saved?Have the gods of the nations saved them, which my ancestors have destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden that were in Telassar?             Where are the Rulers of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?”

[14-19] Hezekiah got the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; then he went up to the Place of Worship of Yahweh, and spread it before God.Hezekiah prayed before Yahweh, saying, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, Who sits above the cherubim (angelic winged creatures), You alone are God, of all the countries of the earth; You’ve made heaven and earth.Listen, Yahweh, and hear; open your eyes, Yahweh, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib with which he has sent him to defy the living God.It’s true, Yahweh, the Rulers of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands, and have thrown their gods into the fire because they were not gods, but only the work of men’s hands, made out of wood and stone; so they’ve destroyed them.So now, Yahweh, our God, save us, I pray, out of his hand, that all the countries of the earth may know that You, Yahweh, are God alone.”

  [20-28] Then Isaiah, son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Yahweh, the God of Israel says, “Since you’ve prayed to me against Sennacherib, Ruler of Assyria, I’ve heard you.”This is the word that Yahweh has said about him; “The virgin daughter of Zion has hated you and made fun of you; the daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you.Whom have you defied and disrespected? and against whom have you lifted up your voice and your eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.By your messengers you’ve defied Yahweh, and have said, ‘With the number of my war vehicles I’ll come up to the height of the mountains, to the innermost parts of Lebanon; and I’ll cut down its tall cedars, and its best fir trees; and I’ll go into its farthest lodging place, the forest of its fruitful field. I’ve dug and drunk strange waters, and with the sole of my feet I’ll dry up all the rivers of Egypt.’Haven’t you heard how I’ve made it long ago, and formed it in ancient times? Now I’ve done it, that it would be yours to lay waste protected cities into piles of ruins.So their people had little power, they were troubled and confused; they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as grain dried up before it’s grown.But I know when you sit down, when you go out, when you come in, and when you rage against Me.Because of your raging against Me, and because I’ve heard your bragging, I’ll put my hook in your nose, and my bridle in your lips, and I’ll turn you back by the way by which you came.              

     [29-37] This will be the sign to you; You’ll eat this year what grows by itself, and in the 2nd year what comes of it; and in the third year you’ll plant and harvest, and plant vineyards, and eat their fruit.Then what’s left of the house of Judah will again take root downward, and make fruit upward.For out of Jerusalem, out of Mount Zion, those who are left will escape; the passion of Yahweh will do this.’So Yahweh says about the Ruler of Assyria, ‘He won’t come to this city, nor shoot an arrow there, neither will he come before it with shield, nor throw up a mound against it. By the way that he came, he’ll go back, and he won’t come into this city, says Yahweh.I’ll defend this city to save it, for My own sake, and for My follower David’s sake.’”That night, the angel of Yahweh came, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians 185,000; and when the people got up early in the morning, these were all dead bodies.So Sennacherib, Ruler of Assyria left, and went back, and stayed at Nineveh. As he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch, his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Esarhaddon, his son, ruled in his place.

 

     20[1-10] In those days, Hezekiah was sick and dying. Isaiah, the preacher, son of Amoz, came saying to him, “Yahweh says, ‘Set your house in order because you’ll die, and not live.’”Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed to Yahweh, saying, “Remember now, Yahweh, I pray, how I’ve followed You in truth and with a good conscious, and have done what’s good to You.” Hezekiah cried very hard.Before Isaiah had gone out into the middle of the city, the word of Yahweh came to him, saying, “Turn back, and tell Hezekiah, the head of My people, ‘Yahweh, the God of David your ancestor, says, “I’ve heard your prayer, I’ve seen your tears; I’ll heal you; on the third day you’ll go up to the Place of Worship of Yahweh.     I’ll add to your days 15 years; and I’ll save you and this city from the Ruler of Assyria; and I’ll defend this city for My own sake, and for My follower David’s sake.”Isaiah said, “Take a cake of figs.” They took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What will be the sign that Yahweh will heal me, and that I’ll go up to the Place of Worship of Yahweh the third day?”Isaiah said, “This will be the sign to you from Yahweh, that Yahweh will do what God has said; Will the shadow go forward, or go back ten steps?”Hezekiah answered, “It’s easy for the shadow to go forward ten steps; so let the shadow go backward ten steps.”

[11-15] Isaiah prayed to Yahweh; and God brought the shadow ten steps backward, by which it had gone down on the dial of Ahaz. At that time, Berodach Baladan, son of Baladan, Ruler of Babylon (Iraq, Iran), sent letters and a present to Hezekiah because he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.                Hezekiah listened to them, and showed them all his precious things in his house, the silver, gold, spices, and the precious oil, and the house of his armor, and whatever was found in his treasures; there wasn’t anything in his house, nor in all his land, that Hezekiah didn’t show them.Then Isaiah, the preacher, came to Ruler Hezekiah, saying to him, “What did these men say? and from where did they come to you?” Hezekiah said, “They’ve come from another country, from Babylon.”He said, “What have they seen in your house?” Hezekiah answered, “They’ve seen everything in my house; there isn’t anything among my treasures that I haven’t shown them.”

     [16-21]  Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Listen to the word of Yahweh. The day is coming that both what’s in your house and what your ancestors have laid up in store until today, will be carried away to Babylon; nothing will be left, says Yahweh.Of your sons who I will come from you, whom you’ll father, they’ll take away; and they’ll be eunuchs in the house of the Ruler of Babylon.”              Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of Yahweh is good, which you’ve said.” Besides this, he said, “Won’t there be peace and truth in my days?”Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his strength, and how he made the pool, and the tunnel and brought water into the city, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Judah.Hezekiah died; and Manasseh his son ruled in his place.

 

     21[1-3] Manasseh was 12 years old when he began to rule, and ruled 55 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzibah.He did what Yahweh said was evil, after the horrible sins of the nations whom Yahweh threw out before the people of Israel.For he built again the places of false worship which Hezekiah, his father, had destroyed; and he put up altars for Baal, and made an Asherah (wooden idol used for worship of Astarte, Canaanite fertility goddess, the wife of Baal), as did Ahab, Ruler of Israel, and worshiped all the stars of the sky, and served them.

     [4-9] He built altars in the Place of Worship of Yahweh, of which Yahweh said, ”I’ll put My Name in Jerusalem.”He built altars for all the stars of the sky in the two courts of the Place of Worship of Yahweh. He sacrificed his son in the fire, and practiced witchcraft, and cast spells, and dealt with those who had evil spirits, and with those who practice witchcraft; he did what Yahweh said was very evil, to make God angry.He set the false god Asherah that he had made in the house of which Yahweh said to David and Solomon his son, “I’ll put My Name forever in this house, and in Jerusalem, which I’ve chosen out of all the family groups of Israel; I won’t cause the feet of Israel to wander anymore out of the land which I gave their ancestors, if only they’ll do like what I’ve told them, and keep all the law that my follower Moses told them.But they didn’t listen; and Manasseh seduced them to do what’s evil more than did the nations whom Yahweh destroyed before the people of Israel.

     [10-16] Yahweh said,  by his workers the preachers, “Because Manasseh, Ruler of Judah, has done these horrible sins, and has done evil above what the Amorites did, who were before him, and has made Judah also to sin with his false gods; so Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, “See, I bring such evil on Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears about it, both his ears will tingle.                 I’ll stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab; and I’ll wipe Jerusalem as someone wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down.I’ll throw away what’s left of My inheritance, and put them into the power of their enemies; and they’ll be plundered by all their enemies; because they’ve done what’s evil to me, and have made Me very angry, since the day their ancestors came out of Egypt, even until today.Besides this, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to the other; Besides this, he sinned with the sin which he made Judah to sin, in doing what Yahweh said was evil.

     [17-26] Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and what he did, and his sin that he sinned, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Judah.Manasseh died, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza; and Amon, his son, ruled in his place.Amon was 22 years old when he began to rule, and ruled two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah.He did what Yahweh said was evil, as did Manasseh, his father.         He did all the sins that his father did, and served the false gods that his father served, and worshiped them; and he left Yahweh, the God of his ancestors, and didn’t follow the way of Yahweh.The workers of Amon schemed against him, and put the Ruler to death in his own house.But the people of the land killed all those who had schemed against Ruler Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah, his son, Ruler in his place.Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are written in The Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Judah.He was buried in his grave in the garden of Uzza; and Josiah, his son, ruled in his place.

 

     22[1-7] Josiah was eight years old when he began to rule, and ruled 31 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah, son of Bozkath. He did what Yahweh said was right, and walked in all the way of David his ancestor, and didn’t turn away in any way. In the 18^th year of Ruler Josiah, the Ruler sent Shaphan, son of Azaliah of Meshullam, the secretary, to the Place of Worship of Yahweh, saying, “Go up to Hilkiah, the lead preacher, that he may count the money which is brought into the Place of Worship of Yahweh, which the keepers of the doorway have gathered of the people; and let them give it to the workers who have the oversight of the Place of Worship of Yahweh; and let them give it to the workers who are in the Place of Worship of Yahweh, to fix whatever’s broken of the house, to the woodworkers,  the builders, and the stone builders, and for buying wood and hewn stone to fix the house.But they didn’t ask an accounting of the money that was given to them because they did what was right.

     [8-13]Hilkiah, the lead preacher said to Shaphan the secretary, I’ve found the Book of the Law in the Place of Worship of Yahweh. Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.Shaphan, the secretary, came to the Ruler, and brought the Ruler word again, saying, “Your followers have emptied out the money that was found in the house, and have given it to the workers who have the oversight of the Place of Worship of Yahweh.” Shaphan, the secretary, told the Ruler, saying, “Hilkiah, the preacher, has given me a book.” Shaphan read it to the Ruler.When the Ruler had heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes.The Ruler told Hilkiah, the preacher, and Ahikam, son of Shaphan, and Achbor, son of Micaiah, and Shaphan, the secretary, and Asaiah, the Ruler’s worker, saying, “Go, ask of Yahweh for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, about the words of this book that is found because Yahweh’s anger is great, that has begun against us, because our ancestors haven’t listened to the words of this book, to do what is written about us.”

[14-20] So Hilkiah, the preacher, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah, the preacher, the wife of Shallum, son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe, who lived in Jerusalem in the second quarter; and they talked with her.She said to them, “Yahweh, the God of Israel says, ‘Tell the people who sent you to me, ‘Yahweh says, I’ll bring evil on this place, and its people, all the words of the book which the Ruler of Judah has read.Because they’ve left me, and have burned incense to other gods, to make Me angry with all that they do, so my anger will begin against this place, and it won’t be stopped. But to the Ruler of Judah, who sent you to ask of Yahweh, tell him, ‘Yahweh, the God of Israel says,  “About the words which you’ve heard,because your heart was tender, and you humbled  yourself before Yahweh when you heard what I said against this place, and against its people, that they should become as nothing and be punished, and have torn your clothes, and cried before Me; I also have heard you, says Yahweh.So, I’ll gather you to your ancestors, and you’ll go to your grave in peace, and you won’t see all the evil which I’ll bring on this place.”’” They brought back word to the Ruler.

 

     23[1-3] The Ruler sent, and they gathered to him all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.The Ruler went up to the Place of Worship of Yahweh, with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, the leading preachers, the preachers, and all the people, from the least to the greatest; and he read all the words of the Book of Promise which was found in the Place of Worship of Yahweh.The Ruler stood by the pillar and promised to Yahweh, to follow Yahweh, and to keep the word of God, and the judgments, and laws, with all his heart and soul, to prove the words of this promised agreement that were written in this book; and all the people agreed to keep the promise.

     [4-11] The Ruler told Hilkiah the lead preacher, the preachers of the second order, and the keepers of the doorway, to bring out of the Place of Worship of Yahweh all the pots that were made for Baal, and for the Asherah (wooden idol used for worship of Astarte, Canaanite fertility goddess, the wife of Baal), and for all the stars of the sky, and he burned them outside of Jerusalem in the Kidron valley, and carried their ashes to Bethel.He took away the idolatrous preachers, whom the Rulers of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the places of false worship in the cities of Judah, and around Jerusalem; those also who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, moon, and planets, and to all the stars of the sky.He brought out the Asherah from the Place of Worship of Yahweh, outside of Jerusalem, and burned it at the Kidron River, and beat it to dust, and threw its dust on the graves of the common people.He broke down the houses of the homosexuals that were in the Place of Worship of Yahweh, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah.He brought all the preachers out of the cities of Judah, and ruined the places of false worship where the preachers had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba; and he broke down the places of false worship that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua, the governor of the city, which were on the left at the gate of the city.But the preachers of the places of false worship didn’t come up to the altar of Yahweh in Jerusalem; they ate among their people.

     [10-14] He destroyed Topheth in the valley of Hinnom (a place of false worship and human sacrifice outside the western wall of Jerusalem), so that no one could make their children burn in the fire as a sacrifice to Molech.He took away the horses that the Rulers of Judah had dedicated to the sun, at the entrance of the Place of Worship of Yahweh, by the room of Nathan Melech, the official, who was in the court; and he burned their war vehicles with fire. The altars that were on the roof of the upstairs room of Ahaz, which the Rulers of Judah had made, and the altars, which Manasseh had made, in the two courts of the Place of Worship of Yahweh, the Ruler broke down, and beat them, and threw their dust into the Kidron River.         The Ruler destroyed the places of false worship that were in front of Jerusalem, which were on the right of the Mountain of Corruption, which Solomon, the Ruler of Israel, had built for Ashtoreth (Canaanite false goddess of love and war), the false god of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh, the false god of Moab, and for Milcom, the false god of the people of Ammon.He broke the pillars in pieces, and cut down the false fertility gods, the Asherim, and scattered human bones where they were. 

     [15-20] Besides this, he broke down the altar that was at Bethel, and the place of false worship, which Jeroboam of Nebat had made, who made Israel sin; and he burned the place of false worship and beat it to dust, and burned the Asherah.                As Josiah turned around, he saw the graves that were there in the mountain; and he sent, and took the bones out of the graves, and burned them on the altar, and destroyed it, as Yahweh told them, which the follower of God told them to do.Then he said, “What is that gravestone I see? The people of the city told him, It’s the grave of the follower of God, who came from Judah, and foretold these things that you’ve done against the altar of Bethel.So he said, “Leave it alone; don’t let anyone move his bones. So they left his bones alone, along with the bones of the preacher, who came out of Samaria.               Josiah also took away all the houses of the places of false worship that were in the cities of Samaria, which the Rulers of Israel had made to make Yahweh angry, and did to them what he had done in Bethel.He killed all the preachers of the places of false worship that were there, on the altars, and burned their bones on them; and he went back to Jerusalem.

[21-28] The Ruler told all the people, “Keep the Passover to Yahweh your God, as it’s written in this Book of Promise.”       Truly, there wasn’t a Passover kept like this, from the days of the judges of Israel to the days of the Rulers of Israel, nor of the Rulers of Judah. This Passover was kept for Yahweh in Jerusalem in the 18^th year of Ruler Josiah. Besides this, Josiah put to death all those with evil spirits, who practiced witchcraft, or worshiped family idols and false gods, and did all the horrible sins that were seen in the land of Judah and Jerusalem, to confirm the words of the law, written in the book that Hilkiah, the preacher, had found in the Place of Worship of Yahweh.Before Josiah, there was no Ruler like him, who turned to Yahweh with all his heart, soul, and strength, following all the Law of Moses; nor was there any like him after that.But Yahweh was still very angry at Judah, because of all the evil Manasseh had done.So Yahweh said, “I’ll destroy Judah as I’ve destroyed Israel, and I’ll throw away this city which I’ve chosen, even Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, ‘My Name will be there.’” Now the rest of the acts of Josiah are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Judah.

     [29-37] In his days, Necoh, Ruler of Egypt, went up against the Ruler of Assyria to the river Euphrates; and Ruler Josiah went against him; and Ruler Necoh killed him at Megiddo, when he had seen him.His workers carried him in a war vehicle dead from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own grave. The people of the land took Jehoahaz , son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him Ruler in his father’s place.Jehoahaz was 23 years old when he began to rule, and ruled three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah, of Libnah.He did what Yahweh said was evil, like what his ancestors had done.Ruler Necoh put him in chains at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, so that he couldn’t rule in Jerusalem; and taxed the land 7,500 lbs. of silver and 75 lbs. of gold. Ruler Necoh made Eliakim, son of Josiah, Ruler in place of Josiah, his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim; but he took Jehoahaz away; and he went to Egypt, and died there.Jehoiakim gave the silver and gold to the Ruler of Egypt; but he taxed the land to give the money that the Ruler of Egypt wanted; he took the silver and gold from the people of the land, from everyone according to what they owed, to give it to Ruler Necoh.Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he began to rule, and ruled eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zebidah, the daughter of Pedaiah, of Rumah.He did what Yahweh said was evil, like what his ancestors had done.

 

     24[1-6] In his days, Nebuchadnezzar, Ruler of Babylon (Iraq, Iran), came up, and Jehoiakim served him three years; then he turned and rebelled against him.Yahweh sent against him Chaldean, Syrian, Moabite, and Ammonite troops, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, as Yahweh had told them, Who spoke  by the preachers. Truly, at the word of Yahweh, came this on Judah, to kill them for the sins of Manasseh, and also for the innocent blood that he shed in Jerusalem; and Yahweh wouldn’t forgive it. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Rulers of Judah. So Jehoiakim died; and Jehoiachin, his son, ruled in his place.

     [7-9] The Ruler of Egypt didn’t come back out of his land anymore because the Ruler of Babylon had taken the River of Egypt to the river Euphrates that belonged to the Ruler of Egypt. Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he began to rule, and ruled in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan, from Jerusalem. He did what Yahweh said was evil, like what his father had done.

  [10-14] At that time, the workers of Nebuchadnezzar, Ruler of Babylon, came up to Jerusalem, and the city was surrounded.Ruler Nebuchadnezzar came to the city while his soldiers were taking it; and Jehoiachin, the Ruler of Judah, went out to the Ruler of Babylon, he, his mother, his soldiers, his leaders, and his officials; and the Ruler of Babylon took him in the 8^th year of his rule. He carried out all the treasures of the Place of Worship of Yahweh and the Ruler’s house, and cut in pieces all the pots of gold, which Solomon, Ruler of Israel, had made in the Place of Worship of Yahweh, as Yahweh had told them.             He carried away all Jerusalem, all the leaders, and all the strong experienced soldiers, 10,000 prisoners, and all the artists and the blacksmiths; no one was left, except the poorest of the people of the land. He carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon; and the Ruler’s mother, wives, officials, and the leaders of the land, he taken prisoner from Jerusalem to Babylon. All the people of power, 7,000 in all, and the artists and the blacksmiths 1,000 in all, even those who were strong and ready for war, the Ruler of Babylon took prisoner to Babylon.

     [17-20] The Ruler of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s father’s brother, Ruler is his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah. Zedekiah was 21 years old when he began to rule and ruled eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah, of Libnah. He did what Yahweh said was evil, like what Jehoiakim had done. It happened in Jerusalem and Judah because of Yahweh’s anger, until God had thrown them all out. Then Zedekiah rebelled against the Ruler of Babylon.

 

     25[1-7] In the 9^th year of his rule, on the 10^th day of the 10^th month (Tevet, Dec-Jan), Nebuchadnezzar, Ruler of Babylon (Iraq, Iran) came with all his troops, against Jerusalem, and camped against it; and they built forts around it.   So the city was surrounded to the 11^th year of Ruler Zedekiah.On the 9^th day of the 4^th month (Tammuz, June-July) the famine was very bad in the city, so that there was nothing for the people of the land. Then a breach was made in the city, and all the soldiers ran by night by the road of the gate between the two walls, which was by the Ruler’s garden (now the Chaldeans were around the city); and the Ruler went by the road of the Arabah.But the troops of the Chaldeans chased after the Ruler, and overtook him in the fields of Jericho; and all his troops was scattered from him.Then they took the Ruler, and carried him up to the Ruler of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment on him.They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and put him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon.

     [8-12] Now on the 7^th day in the 5^th month (Av, July-Aug ), which was the 19^th year of Ruler Nebuchadnezzar, Ruler of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, a worker of the Ruler of Babylon, to Jerusalem.He burnt the Place of Worship of Yahweh, and the Ruler’s house; and all the houses from Jerusalem, even all the great houses, he burnt with fire.All the troops of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down the walls from Jerusalem. The rest of the people who were left in the city, and those who turned away to the Ruler of Babylon, and the rest of them, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, carried away prisoner.But he left the poorest of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

     [13-17] The pillars of brass that were in the Place of Worship of Yahweh, and the bases and the brass sea that were in the Place of Worship of Yahweh, the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and carried the brass to Babylon.The pots, shovels, snuffers, spoons, and all the pots of brass with which they ministered, they took away. The fire pans, and the bowls, and what was of gold, in gold, and what was of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away.The two pillars, the sea, and the bases, which Solomon had made for the Place of Worship of Yahweh, the brass of all these pots was without weight.The height of  one pillar was 27’, and a capital of brass was on it; and the height of the capital was 4 ½’ with lattice and pomegranates around the capital, all of brass; and like these, the second pillar had lattice.

     [18-23] The captain of the guard took Seraiah, the leading preacher, and Zephaniah, the second preacher, and the three doorkeepers; and out of the city he took an official who was set over the soldiers; and five people of those who came to see the Ruler, who were found in the city; and the secretary, the captain of the troops, who called together the people of the land; and 60 men of the people of the land who were found in the city.Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took them, and brought them to the Ruler of Babylon to Riblah. The Ruler of Babylon put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away prisoner out of his land.As for the people who were left in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar, Ruler of Babylon, had left, he made Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, of Shaphan, governor over them.

[23-26] Now when all the troop leaders, and their men, heard that the Ruler of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, Ishmael of Nethaniah, Johanan of Kareah, Seraiah of Tanhumeth, the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah of the Maacathite, they and their men.Gedaliah promised them and their men, saying to them, “Don’t be scared because of the soldiers of the Chaldeans; live in the land, and serve the Ruler of Babylon, and it will be well with you.But in the 7^th month (Tishri, Sept.-Oct.), Ishmael of Nethaniah, of Elishama, of the royal family came with ten men, and killed Gedaliah, and the Jews and the Chaldeans that were with him at Mizpah. All the people, from the least to the greatest, and the troop leaders, got up and came to Egypt because they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

     [27-30] In the 37^th year of the prisoners of Jehoiachin Ruler of Judah, on the 27^th day of the 12^th month (Adar, Feb-Mar), Evilmerodach, Ruler of Babylon, in the year he began to rule, took Jehoiachin, Ruler of Judah, out of prison; and he spoke kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the Rulers, who were with him in Babylon,and changed his prison clothes. Jehoiachin ate bread before him continually all the days of his life; and for his living, a continual ration was given him by the Ruler each day, everyday of his life.