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1 Paralipomenon - 2 Paralipomenon


1 PARALIPOMENON
THE FIRST BOOK OF PARALIPOMENON.

1 PARALIPOMENON 1
CHAPTER I.

The genealogy of the patriarchs down to Abraham: The posterity of Abraham and of Esau.

1 Adam, *Seth, Enos,
2 Cainan, Malaleel, Jared,
3 Henoc, Mathusale, Lamech,
4 Noe, Sem, Cham, and Japheth.
5 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, Thubal, Mosoch, Thiras.
6 And the sons of Gomer: Ascenez, and Riphath, and Thogorma.
7 And the sons of Javan: Elisa and Tharsis, Cethim and Dodanim.
8 The sons of Cham: Chus, and Mesraim, and Phut, and Chaanan.
9 And the sons of Chus: Saba, and Hevila, Sabatha, and Regma, and Sabathaca.  And the sons of Regma: Saba, and Dadan.
10 Now Chus begot *Nemrod: he began to be mighty upon earth.
11 But Mesraim begot Ludim, and Anamim, and Laabim, and Nephtuim,
12 Phetrusim also, and Casluim: from whom came the Philistines and Caphtorim.
13 And Chanaan begot Sidon, his first-born; and the Hethite,
14 And the Jebusite, and the Amorrhite, and the Gergesite,
15 And the Hevite, and the Aracite, and the Sinite;
16 And the Aradian, and the Samarite, and the Hamathite.
17 The sons of Sem: *Elam, and Assur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram, and Hus, and Hul, and Gether, and Mosoch.
18 And Arphaxad begot Sale, and Sale begot Heber.
19 And to Heber were born two sons: the name of the one was Phaleg, because in his days the earth was divided; and the name of his brother was Jectan.
20 And Jectan begot Elmodad, and Saleph, and Asarmoth, and Jare,
21 And Adoram, and Huzal, and Decla,
22 And Hebal, and Abimael, and Saba,
23 And Ophir, and Hevila, and Jobab.  All these are the sons of Jectan.
24 Sem, Arphaxad, Sale,
25 Heber, Phaleg, Ragau,
26 Serug, Nachor, Thare,
27 Abram, *this is Abraham.
28 And the sons of Abraham, Isaac and Ismahel.
29 And these are the generations of them.  The first-born of *Ismahel, Nabaioth; then Cedar, and Adbeel, and Mabsam,
30 And Masma, and Duma, Massa, Hadad, and Thema,
31 Jetur, Naphis, Cedma: these are the sons of Ismahel.
32 And the sons of Cetura, Abraham's concubine, whom she bore: Zamran, Jecsan, Madan, Madian, Jesboc, and Sue.  And the sons of Jecsan, Saba, and Dadan.  And the sons of Dadan: Assurim, and Latussim, and Laomim.
33 And the sons *of Madian: Epha, and Epher, and Henoch, and Abida, and Eldaa.  All these are the sons of Cetura.
34 *And Abraham begot Isaac: and his sons were Esau and Israel.
35 The sons of *Esau: Eliphaz, Rahuel, Jehus, Ihelom, and Core.
36 The sons of Eliphaz: Theman, Omar, Sephi, Gathan, Cenez, and by Thamna, Amalec.
37 The sons of Rahuel: Nahath, Zara, Samma, Meza.
38 The sons of Seir: Lotan, Sobal, Sebeon, Ana, Dison, Eser, Disan.
39 The sons of Lotan: Hori, Homam.  And the sister of Lotan was Thamna.
40 The sons of Sobal: Alian, and Manahath, and Ebal, Sephi, and Onam.  The sons of Sebeon: Aia and Ana.  The son of Ana: Dison.
41 The sons of Dison: Hamram, and Eseban, and Jethran, and Charan.
42 The sons of Eser: Balaan, and Zavan, and Jacan.  The sons of Disan: Hus and Aran.
43 Now these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom, before there was a king over the children of Israel: Bale, the son of Beor: and the name of his city was Denaba.
44 And Bale died, and Jobab, the son of Zare, of Bosra, reigned in his stead.
45 And when Jobab also was dead, Husam, of the land of the Themanites, reigned in his stead.
46 And Husam also died, and Adad, the son of Badad, reigned in his stead; and he defeated the Madianites, in the land of Moab: and the name of his city was Avith.
47 And when Adad also was dead, Semla, of Masreca, reigned in his stead.
48 Semla also died, and Saul, of Rohoboth, which is near the river, reigned in his stead.
49 And when Saul was dead, Balanan, the son of Achobor, reigned in his stead.
50 He also died, and Adad reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Phau, and his wife was called Meetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezaab.
51 And after the death of Adad, there began to be dukes in Edom, instead of kings: duke Thamna, duke Alva, duke Jetheth,
52 Duke Oolibama, duke Ela, duke Phinon,
53 Duke Cenez, duke Theman, duke Mabsar,
54 Duke Magdiel, duke Hiram.  These are the dukes of Edom.
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*
1:  Gen. ii. 7. and iv. 25. and v. 6. 9.
10:  Gen. x. 8.
17:  Gen. x. 22. and xi. 10.
27:  Gen. xi. 26.
29:  Gen. xxv. 13.
33:  Gen. xxv. 4.
34:  Gen. xxv. 19.
35:  Gen. xxxvi. 10.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 2
CHAPTER II.

The twelve sons of Israel.  The genealogy of Juda, down to David.  Other genealogies of the tribe of Juda.

1 And *these are the sons of Israel: Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Juda, Issachar, and Zabulon,
2 Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Nephthali, Gad, and Aser.
3 The sons of *Juda: Her, Onan and Sela.  These three were born to him of the Chanaanitess, the daughter of Sue.  And Her, the first-born of Juda, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and he slew him.
4 *And Thamar, his daughter-in-law, bore him Phares and Zara.  So all the sons of Juda were five.
5 And the sons of Phares, were Hesron and Hamul.
6 And the sons also of Zara: Zamri, and Ethan, and Eman, and Chalchal, and Dara, five in all.
7 And the sons of *Charmi: Achar, who troubled Israel, and sinned by the theft of the anathema.
8 The sons of Ethan: Azarias.
9 And the sons of *Hesron that were born to him: Jerameel, and Ram, and Calubi.
10 And Ram begot Aminadab; and Aminadab begot Nahasson, prince of the children of Juda.
11 And Nahasson begot Salma, the father of Booz.
12 And Booz begot Obed, and Obed begot Isai.
13 *And Isai begot Eliab, his first-born, the second Abinadab, the third Simmaa,
14 The fourth, Nathanael, the fifth Raddai,
15 The sixth, Asom, the seventh, David.
16 And their sisters were Sarvia, and Abigail.  The sons of Sarvia: Abisai, Joab, and Asael; three.
17 And Abigail bore Amasa, whose father was Jether, the Ismahelite.
18 And Caleb, the son of Hesron, took a wife named Azuba, of whom he had Jerioth: And her sons were, Jaser, and Sobab, and Ardon.
19 And when Azuba was dead, Caleb took to wife Ephrata; who bore him Hur.
20 And Hur begot Uri, and Uri begot Bezeleel.
21 And afterwards Hesron went in to the daughter of Machir, the father of Galaad, and took her to wife, when he was threescore years old: And she bore him Segub.
22 And Segub begot Jair, and he had three and twenty cities in the land of Galaad.
23 And he took Gessur, and Aram, the towns of Jair, and Canath, and the villages thereof, threescore cities.  All these are the sons of Machir, father of Galaad.
24 And when Hesron was dead, Caleb went in to Ephrata.  Hesron also had to wife Abia, who bore him Ashur, the father of Thecua.
25 And the sons of Jerameel, the first-born of Hesron, were Ram, his first-born, and Buna, and Aram, and Asom, and Achia.
26 And Jerameel married another wife, named Atara, who was the mother of Onam.
27 And the sons of Ram, the first-born of Jerameel, were Moos, Jamin, and Achar.
28 And Onam had sons, Semei, and Jada.  And the sons of Semei: Nadab and Abisur.
29 And the name of Abisur's wife was Abihail, who bore him Ahobban, and Molid.
30 And the sons of Nadab were Saled, and Apphaim.  And Saled died without children.
31 But the son of Apphaim was Jesi: and Jesi begot Sesan.  And Sesan begot Oholai.
32 And the sons of Jada, the brother of Semei, were Jether, and Jonathan.  And Jether also died without children.
33 But Jonathan begot Phaleth, and Ziza.  These were the sons of Jerameel.
34 And Sesan had no sons, but daughters: and a servant, an Egyptian, named Jeraa.
35 And he gave him his daughter to wife: and she bore him Ethei.
36 And Ethei begot Nathan, and Nathan begot Zabad.
37 And Zabad begot Ophlal, and Ophlal begot Obed,
38 Obed begot Jehu, Jehu begot Azarias,
39 Azarias begot Helles, and Helles begot Elasa,
40 Elasa begot Sisamoi, Sisamoi begot Sellum,
41 Sellum begot Icamia, and Icamia begot Elisama.
42 Now the sons of Caleb, the brother of Jerameel, were Mesa, his first-born, who was the father of Ziph: and the sons of Maresa, father of Hebron.
43 And the sons of Hebron, Core, and Thaphua, and Recem, and Samma.
44 And Samma begot Raham, the father of Jercaam, and Recem begot Sammai.
45 The son of Sammai, Maon: and Maon, the father of Bethsur.
46 And Epha, the concubine of Caleb, bore Haran, and Mosa, and Gezez.  And Haran begot Gezez.
47 And the sons of Jahaddai, Rogom, and Joathan, and Gesan, and Phalet, and Epha, and Saaph.
48 And Maacha, the concubine of Caleb, bore Saber, and Tharana.
49 And Saaph, the father of Madmena, begot Sue, the father of Machbena, and the father of Gabaa.  And the daughter of Caleb was Achsa.
50 These were the sons of Caleb, the son of Hur, the first-born of Ephrata; Sobal, the father of Cariathiarim,
51 Salma, the father of Bethlehem, Hariph, the father of Bethgader.
52 And Sobal, the father of Cariathiarim had sons: He that saw half of the places of rest.
53 And of the kindred of Cariathiarim, the Jethrites, and Aphuthites, and Semathites, and Maserites.  Of them came the Sarites, and Esthaolites.
54 The sons of Salma, Bethlehem, and Netophathi, the Crowns of the house of Joab, and half of the place of rest of Sarai.
55 And the families of the scribes, that dwell in Jabes, singing and making melody, and abiding in tents.  These are the Cinites, who came of Calor, (Chamath) father of the house of Rechab.
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*
1:  Gen. xxix. 32. and xxx. 5. and xxxv. 22.
3:  Gen. xxxviii. 3. and xlvi. 12.
4:  Infra iv. 1.; Mat. i. 3.
7:  Jos. vii. 1.
9:  Ruth iv. 19.
13:  1 Kings xvi. 6. and viii. 9. and xvii. 12.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 3
CHAPTER III.

The genealogy of David.

1 Now *these were the sons of David, that were born to him in Hebron: the first-born, Amnon, of Achinoam, the Jezrahelitess; the second, Daniel, of Abigail, the Carmelitess;
2 The third, Absalom, the son of Maacha, the daughter of Tolmai, king of Gessur; the fourth, Adonias, the son of Aggith;
3 The fifth, Sephatias, of Abital; the sixth, Jethrahem, of Egla, his wife.
4 So six sons were born to him in Hebron, where he reigned seven years and six months.  And in Jerusalem he reigned three and thirty years.
5 *And these sons were born to him in Jerusalem: Simmaa, and Sobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, four of Bethsabee, the daughter of Ammiel,
6 Jebaar also, and Elisama,
7 And Eliphaleth, and Noge, and Nepheg, and Japhia,
8 And Elisama, and Eliada, and Elipheleth, nine.
9 All these were sons of David, beside the sons of the concubines: and they had a sister, Thamar.
10 And Solomon's son was Roboam: whose son, Abia begot Asa.  And his son was Josaphat,
11 The father of Joram: and Joram begot Ochozias, of whom was born Joas:
12 And his son, Amasias, begot Azarias.  And Joathan, the son of Azarias,
13 Begot Achaz, the father of Ezechias, of whom was born Manasses.
14 And Manasses begot Amon, the father of Josias.
15 And the sons of Josias were, the first-born, Johanan, the second, Joakim, the third, Sedecias, the fourth, Sellum.
16 *Of Joakim was born Jechonias, and Sedecias.
17 The sons of Jechonias were Asir, Salathiel,
18 Melchiram, Phadaia, Senneser, and Jecemia, Sama, and Nadabia.
19 Of Phadaia were born Zorobabel and Semei.  Zorobabel begot Mosollam, Hananias, and Salomith, their sister:
20 Hasaban also, and Ohol, and Barachias, and Hasadias, and Josabhesed, five.
21 And the son of Hananias, was Phaltias, the father of Jeseias, whose son was Raphaia.  And his son was Arnan, of whom was born Obdia, whose son was Sechenias.
22 The son of Sechenias, was Semeia: whose sons were Hattus, and Jegaal, and Baria, and Naaria, and Saphat, six in number.
23 The sons of Naaria, Elioenai, and Ezechias, and Ezricam, three.
24 The sons of Elioenai: Oduia, and Eliasub, and Pheleia, and Accub, and Johanan, and Dalaia, and Anani, seven.
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*
1:  2 Kings iii. 2.
5:  2 Kings v. 14.
16:  Matt. i. 11.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 4
CHAPTER IV.

Other genealogies of Juda and of Simeon, and their victories.

1 The *sons of Juda: Phares, Hesron, and Charmi, and Hur, and Sobal.
2 And Raia the son of Sobal, begot Jahath, of whom were born Ahumai, and Laad.  These are the families of Sarathi.
3 And this is the posterity of Etom: Jezrahel, and Jesema, and Jedebos: and the name of their sister was Asalelphuni.
4 And Phanuel, the father of Gedor, and Ezar, the father of Hosa: these are the sons of Hur, the first-born of Ephrata, the father of Bethlehem.
5 And Assur, the father of Thecua, had two wives, Halaa and Naara:
6 And Naara bore him Oozam, and Hepher, and Themani, and Ahasthari: these are the sons of Naara.
7 And the sons of Halaa: Sereth, Isaar, and Ethnan.
8 And Cos begot Anob, and Soboba, and the kindred of Aharehel, the son of Arum.
9 And Jabes was more honourable than any of his brethren, and his mother called his name Jabes, saying: Because I bore him with sorrow.
10 And Jabes called upon the God of Israel, saying: If blessing thou wilt bless me, and wilt enlarge my borders, and thy hand be with me, and thou save me from being oppressed by evil.  And God granted him the things he prayed for.
11 And Caleb, the brother of Sua, begot Mahir, who was the father of Esthon.
12 And Esthon begot Bethrapha, and Phesse, and Tehinna, father of the city of Naas: These are the men of Recha.
13 And the sons of Cenez, were Othoniel, and Saraia.  And the sons of Othoniel, Hathath, and Maonathi.
14 Maonathi begot Ophra, and Saraia begot Joab, the father of the valley of Artificers: for artificers were there.
15 And the sons of Caleb, the son of Jephone, were Hir, and Ela, and Naham.  And the sons of Ela: Cenez.
16 The sons also of Jaleleel, Ziph, and Zipha, Thiria, and Asrael.
17 And the sons of Esra: Jether, and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon, and he begot Mariam, and Sammai, and Jesba, the father of Esthamo.
18 And his wife, Judaia, bore Jared, the father of Gedor, and Heber, the father of Socho, and Icuthiel, the father of Zanoe.  And these are the sons of Bethia, the daughter of Pharao, whom Mered took to wife.
19 And the sons of his wife Odaia, the sister of Naham, the father of Celia, were Garmi, and Esthamo, who was of Machathi.
20 The sons also of Simon: Amnon, and Rinna, the son of Hanan, and Thilon.  And the sons of Jesi: Zoheth and Benzoheth.
21 The sons of *Sela, the son of Juda: Her, the father of Lecha, and Laada, the father of Maresa, and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen in the house of Oath.
22 And He, that made the sun to stand, and the men of Lying, and Secure, and Burning, who were princes in Moab, and who returned into Lahem.  Now these are things of old.
23 These are the potters, and they dwelt in Plantations and Hedges, with the king for his works, and they abode there.
24 The sons of *Simeon: Namuel, and Jamin, Jarib, Zara, Saul:
25 Sellum his son, Mapsam his son, Masma his son.
26 The sons of Masma: Hamuel his son, Zachur his son, Semei his son.
27 The sons of Semei were sixteen, and six daughters: but his brethren had not many sons, and the whole kindred could not reach to the sum of the children of Juda.
28 And they dwelt in Bersabee, and Molada, and Hasarsuhal,
29 And in Bala, and in Asom, and in Tholad,
30 And in Bathuel, and in Horma, and in Siceleg,
31 And in Bethmarchaboth, and in Hasarsusim, and in Bethberai, and in Saarim.  These were their cities unto the reign of David.
32 Their towns also were Etam, and Aen, Remmon, and Thochen, and Asan, five cities.
33 And all their villages round about these cities as far as Baal.  This was their habitation and the distribution of their dwellings.
34 And Mosabab, and Jemlech, and Josa, the son of Amasias,
35 And Joel, and Jehu, the son of Josabia, the son of Saraia, the son of Asiel,
36 And Elioenai, and Jacoba, and Isuhaia, and Isaia, and Adiel, and Ismiel, and Banaia;
37 Ziza, also the son of Sephei, the son of Allon, the son of Idaia, the son of Semri, the son of Samaia.
38 These were named princes in their kindreds, and in the houses of their families were multiplied exceedingly.
39 And they went forth to enter into Gador, as far as to the east side of the valley, to seek pastures for their flocks.
40 And they found fat pastures, and very good, and a country spacious, and quiet, and fruitful, in which some of the race of Cham had dwelt before.
41 And these, whose names are written above, came in the days of Ezechias, king of Juda: and they beat down their tents, and slew the inhabitants that were found there, and utterly destroyed them unto this day: and they dwelt in their place, because they found there fat pastures.
42 Some also of the children of Simeon, five hundred men, went into Mount Seir, having for their captains, Phaltias and Naaria, and Raphaia, and Oziel, the sons of Jesi:
43 And they slew the remnant of the Amalecites, who had been able to escape, and they dwelt there in their stead unto this day.
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*
1:  Gen. xxxviii. 3. and xlvi. 12.; Supra ii. 4.; Matt. i. 3.
21:  Gen. xxxviii. 5.
24:  Gen. xlvi. 10.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 5
CHAPTER V.

Genealogies of Ruben and Gad: their victories over the Agarites: their captivity.

1 Now the sons of Ruben, the first-born of Israel, (for he was his first-born: but forasmuch as *he defiled his father's bed, his first birth-right was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, and he was not accounted for the first-born.
2 But of the race of Juda, who was the strongest among his brethren, came the princes: but the first birth-right was accounted to Joseph.)
3 The sons then *of Ruben, the first-born of Israel, were Enoch, and Phallu, Esron, and Charmi.
4 The sons of Joel: Samia his son, Gog his son, Semei his son,
5 Micha his son, Reia his son, Baal his son,
6 Beera his son, whom Thelgathphalnasar, *king of the Assyrians, carried away captive, and he was prince in the tribe of Ruben.
7 And his brethren, and all his kindred, when they were numbered by their families, had for princes Jehiel, and Zacharias.
8 And Bala, the son of Azaz, the son of Samma, the son of Joel, dwelt in Aroer, as far as Nebo, and Beelmeon.
9 And eastward he had his habitation as far as the entrance of the desert, and the river Euphrates.  For they possessed a great number of cattle in the land of Galaad.
10 And in the days of Saul they fought against the Agarites, and slew them, and dwelt in their tents in their stead, in all the country that looketh to the east of Galaad.
11 And the children of Gad dwelt over-against them in the land of Basan, as far as Selcha:
12 Johel, the chief, and Saphan, the second: and Janai, and Saphat, in Basan.
13 And their brethren, according to the houses of their kindreds, were Michael, and Mosollam, and Sebe, and Jorai, and Jacan, and Zie, and Heber, seven.
14 These were the sons of Abihail, the son of Hurl, the son of Jara, the son of Galaad, the son of Michael, the son of Jesesi, the son of Jeddo, the son of Buz.
15 And their brethren, the sons of Abdiel, the son of Guni, chief of the house, in their families.
16 And they dwelt in Galaad, and in Basan, and in the towns thereof, and in all the suburbs of Saron, unto the borders.
17 All these were numbered in the days of Joathan, king of Juda, and in the days of Jeroboam, king of Israel.
18 The sons of Ruben, and of Gad, and of the half tribe of Manasses, fighting men, bearing shields, and swords, and bending the bow, and trained up to battles, four and forty thousand seven hundred and threescore, that went out to war.
19 They fought against the Agarites: but the Itureans, and Naphis, and Nodab
20 Gave them help.  And the Agarites were delivered into their hands, and all that were with them, because they called upon God in the battle: and he heard them, because they had put their faith in him.
21 And they took all that they possessed, of camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand, and of asses two thousand, and of men a hundred thousand souls.
22 And many fell down slain: for it was the battle of the Lord.  And they dwelt in their stead till the captivity.
23 And the children of the half tribe of Manasses possessed the land, from the borders of Basan unto Baal, Hermon, and Sanir, and Mount Hermon; for their number was great.
24 And these were the heads of the house of their kindred, Epher, and Jesi, and Eliel, and Esriel, and Jeremia, and Odoia, and Jediel; most valiant and powerful men, and famous chiefs in their families.
25 But they forsook the God of their fathers, and went astray after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them.
26 And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Phul, *king of the Assyrians, and the spirit of Thelgathphalnasar, king of Assur: and he carried away Ruben, and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasses, and brought them to Lahela, and to Habor, and to Ara, and to the river Gozan, unto this day.
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*
1:  Gen. xxxv. 22. and xlix. 4.
3:  Gen. xlvi. 9.; Exod. vi. 14.; Num. xxvi. 5.
6:  4 Kings xv. 29.
26:  4 Kings xv. 19. and 29.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 6
CHAPTER VI.

The genealogies of Levi, and of Aaron: the cities of the Levites.

1 The *sons of Levi were Gerson, Caath, and Merari.
2 The sons of Caath: Amram, Isaar, Hebron, and Oziel.
3 The children of Amram: Aaron, Moses, and Maria.  The sons of Aaron: Nadab and Abiu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
4 Eleazar begot Phinees, and Phinees begot Abisue;
5 And Abisue begot Bocci, and Bocci begot Ozi;
6 Ozi begot Zaraias, and Zaraias begot Merajoth;
7 And Merajoth begot Amarias, and Amarias begot Achitob;
8 Achitob begot Sadoc, and Sadoc begot Achimaas;
9 Achimaas begot Azarias, Azarias begot Johanan;
10 Johanan begot Azarias.  This is he that executed the priestly office in the house which Solomon built in Jerusalem.
11 And Azarias begot Amarias, and Amarias begot Achitob;
12 And Achitob begot Sadoc, and Sadoc begot Sellum;
13 Sellum begot Helcias, and Helcias begot Azarias;
14 Azarias begot Saraias, and Saraias begot Josedec.
15 Now Josedec went out, when the Lord carried away Juda, and Jerusalem by the hands of Nabuchodonosor.
16 So the sons *of Levi were Gerson, Caath, and Merari.
17 And these are the names of the sons of Gerson: Lobni and Semei.
18 The sons of Caath: Amram, and Isaar, and Hebron, and Oziel.
19 The sons of Merari: Moholi and Musi.  And these are the kindred of Levi according to their families;
20 Of Gerson; Lobni, his son, Jahath, his son, Zamma, his son,
21 Joah, his son, Addo, his son, Zara, his son, Jethrai. his son.
22 The sons of Caath, Aminadab, his son, Core, his son, Asir, his son,
23 Elcana, his son, Abiasaph, his son, Asir, his son,
24 Thahath, his son, Uriel, his son, Ozias, his son, Saul, his son.
25 The sons of Elcana: Amasai, and Achimoth,
26 And Elcana.  The sons of Elcana: Sophai, his son, Nahath, his son,
27 Eliab, his son, Jeroham, his son, Elcana, his son;
28 The sons of Samuel: the first-born, Vasseni, and Abia.
29 And the sons of Merari: Moholi, Lobni, his son.  Semei, his son, Oza, his son,
30 Samaa, his son, Haggia, his son, Asaia, his son.
31 These are they, whom David set over the singing men of the house of the Lord, after that the *ark was placed:
32 And they ministered before the tabernacle of the testimony with singing, until Solomon built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem; and they stood according to their order in the ministry.
33 And these are they that stood with their sons, of the sons of Caath, Heman, a singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel,
34 The son of Elcana, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Thohu,
35 The son of Suph, the son of Elcana, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai,
36 The son of Elcana, the son of Johel, the son of Azarias, the son of Sophonias,
37 The son of Thahath, the son of Asir, the son or Abiasaph, the son of Core,
38 The son of Isaar, the son of Caath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel.
39 And his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, Asaph, the son of Barachias, the son of Samaa,
40 The son of Michael, the son of Basaia, the son of Melchia,
41 The son of Athanai, the son of Zara, the son of Adaia,
42 The son of Ethan, the son of Zamma, the son of Semei,
43 The son of Jeth, the son of Gerson, the son of Levi.
44 And the sons of Merari, their brethren, stood on the left hand, Ethan, the son of Cusi, the son of Abdi, the son of Maloch,
45 The son of Hasabia, the son of Amasia, the son of Helcias,
46 The son of Amasai, the son of Boni, the son of Somer,
47 The son of Moholi, the son of Musi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.
48 Their brethren also, the Levites, who were appointed for all the ministry of the tabernacle of the house of the Lord.
49 But Aaron and his sons offered burnt-offerings upon the altar of holocaust, and upon the altar of incense, and were for every work of the holy of holies: and to pray for Israel, according to all that Moses, the servant of God, had commanded.
50 And these are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar, his son, Phinees, his son, Abisue, his son,
51 Bocci, his son, Ozi, his son, Zarahia, his son,
52 Meraioth, his son, Amarias, his son, Achitob, his son,
53 Sadoc, his son, Achimaas, his son.
54 And these are their dwelling places by the towns and confines; to wit, of the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Caathites: for they fell to them by lot.
55 And they gave them Hebron, in the land of Juda, and the suburbs thereof round about:
56 But the fields of the city, and the villages, to Caleb, son of Jephone.
57 And to the sons of Aaron they gave of the cities for refuge, Hebron, and Lobna, and the suburbs thereof;
58 And Jether and Esthemo, with their suburbs, and Helon, and Dabir, with their suburbs:
59 Asan also, and Bethsemes, with their suburbs.
60 And out of the tribe of Benjamin: Gabee, and its suburbs, Almath, with its suburbs, Anathoth also with its suburbs: all their cities throughout their families, were thirteen.
61 And to the sons of Caath, that remained of their kindred, they gave out of the half tribe of Manasses, ten cities in possession.
62 And to the sons of Gerson, by their families, out of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Aser, and out of the tribe of Nephthali, and out of the tribe of Manasses, in Basan, thirteen cities.
63 And to the sons of Merari, by their families, out of the tribe of Ruben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zabulon, they gave by lot twelve cities.
64 And the children of Israel gave to the Levites the cities, and their suburbs:
65 And they gave them by lot, out of the tribe of the sons of Juda, and out of the tribe of the sons of Simeon, and out of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin, these cities, which they called by their names,
66 And to them, that were of the kindred of the sons of Caath, *and the cities in their borders were of the tribe of Ephraim.
67 And they gave of the cities of refuge, Sichem with its suburbs, in Mount Ephraim, and Gazer, with its suburbs,
68 Jecmaan also, with its suburbs, and Bethhoron, in like manner;
69 Helon also, with its suburbs, and Gethremmon, in like manner:
70 And out of the half tribe of Manasses, Aner, and its suburbs, Baalam, and its suburbs: to wit, to them that were left of the family of the sons of Caath.
71 And to the sons of Gersom, out of the kindred of the half tribe of Manasses, Gaulon, in Basan, and its suburbs, and Astharoth, with its suburbs.
72 Out of the tribe of Issachar, Cedes, and its suburbs, and Dabereth, with its suburbs,
73 Ramoth also, and its suburbs, and Anem with its suburbs.
74 And out of the tribe of Aser, Masal, with its suburbs, and Abdon, in like manner,
75 Hucac also, and its suburbs, and Rohob, with its suburbs.
76 And out of the tribe of Nephthali, Cedes, in Galilee, and its suburbs, Hamon, with its suburbs, and Cariathaim, and its suburbs.
77 And to the sons of Merari that remained, out of the tribe of Zabulon, Remmono, and its suburbs, and Thabor, with its suburbs:
78 Beyond the Jordan also, over-against Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, out of the tribe of Ruben, Bosor, in the wilderness, with its suburbs, and Jassa, with its suburbs.
79 Cademoth also, and its suburbs, and Mephaath, with its suburbs.
80 Moreover also out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth, in Galaad, and its suburbs, and Manaim, with its suburbs,
81 Hesebon also, with its suburbs, and Jezer, with its suburbs.
____________________
*
1:  Gen. xlvi. 11.; Infra xxiii. 6.
16:  Exod. vi. 16.
31:  2 Kings vi. 1. and 17.; A.M. 2959, A.C. 1045.
66:  Josue xxi. 21.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 7
CHAPTER VII.

Genealogies of Issachar, Benjamin, Nephthali, Manasses, Ephraim, and Aser.

1 Now *the sons of Issachar were, Thola, and Phua, Jasub, and Simeron, four.
2 The sons of Thola: Ozi, and Raphaia, and Jeriel, and Jamai, and Jebsem, and Samuel, chiefs of the houses of their kindreds.  Of the posterity of Thola, were numbered in the days of David, two and twenty thousand six hundred most valiant men.
3 The sons of Ozi: Izrahia, of whom were born Michael, and Obadia, and Joel, and Jesia, five, all great men.
4 And there were with them by their families and peoples, six and thirty thousand most valiant men ready for war: for they had many wives and children.
5 Their brethren also throughout all the house of Issachar, were numbered fourscore and seven thousand most valiant men for war.
6 The sons of *Benjamin were, Bela, and Bechor, and Jadihel, three.
7 The sons of Bela: Esbon, and Ozi, and Ozial, and Jerimoth, and Urai, five chiefs of their families, and most valiant warriors, and their number was twenty-two thousand and thirty-four.
8 And the sons of Bechor were, Zamira, and Joas, and Eliezer, and Elioenai, and Amri, and Jerimoth, and Abia, and Anathoth, and Almath: all these were the sons of Bechor.
9 And they were numbered by the families, heads of their kindreds, most valiant men for war, twenty thousand and two hundred.
10 And the son of Jadihel: Balan.  And the sons of Balan: Jehus, and Benjamin, and Aod, and Chanana, and Zethan, and Tharsis, and Ahisahar.
11 All these were sons of Jadihel, heads of their kindreds, most valiant men, seventeen thousand and two hundred, fit to go out to war.
12 Sepham also, and Hapham, the sons of Hir: and Hasim, the sons of Aher.
13 *And the sons of Nephthali; were Jasiel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Sellum, sons of Bala.
14 And the son of Manasses, Ezriel: and his concubine, the Syrian, bore Machir, the father of Galaad.
15 And Machir took wives for his sons Happhim, and Saphan, and he had a sister named Maacha: the name of the second was Salphaad, and Salphaad had daughters.
16 And Maacha, the wife of Machir, bore a son, and she called his name Phares; and the name of his brother was Sares: and his sons were, Ulam and Recen.
17 And the son of Ulam, Badan.  These are the sons of Galaad, the son of Machir, the son of Manasses.
18 And his sister named Queen, bore Goodlyman, and Abiezer, and Mohola.
19 And the sons of Semida were Ahin, and Sechem, and Leci and Aniam.
20 And the sons of Ephraim: were Suthala, Bared, his son, Thahath, his son, Elada, his son, Thahath, his son, and his son Zabad,
21 And his son, Suthala, and his son, Ezer, and Elad: and the men of Geth, born in the land, slew them, because they came down to invade their possessions.
22 And Ephraim, their father, mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him.
23 And he went in to his wife: and she conceived, and bore a son, and he called his name Beria; because he was born when it went evil with his house:
24 And his daughter was Sara, who built Bethoron, the nether and the upper, and Ozensara.
25 And Rapha was his son, and Reseph, and Thale, of whom was born Thaan,
26 Who begot Laadan: and his son was Ammiud, who begot Elisama,
27 Of whom was born Nun, who had Josue for his son.
28 And their possessions and habitations were Bethel, with her daughters, and eastward Noran, and westward Gazer and her daughters, Sichem also, with her daughters, as far as Asa, with her daughters.
29 And by the borders of the sons of Manasses, Bethsan, and her daughters, Thanach, and her daughters, Mageddo, and her daughters, Dor, and her daughters: in these dwelt the children of Joseph, the son of Israel.
30 The children of *Aser were, Jemna, and Jesua, and Jessui, and Baria, and Sara, their sister.
31 And the sons of Baria: Heber, and Melchiel: he is the father of Barsaith.
32 And Heber begot Jephlat, and Somer, and Hotham, and Suaa, their sister.
33 The sons of Jephlat: Phosech, and Chamaal, and Asoth: these are the sons of Jephlat.
34 And the sons of Somer: Ahi, and Roaga, and Haba, and Aram.
35 And the sons of Helem, his brother: Supha, and Jemna, and Selles, and Amal.
36 The sons of Supha: Sue, Harnapher, and Sual, and Beri, and Jamra,
37 Bosor, and Hod, and Samma, and Salusa, and Jethran, and Bera.
38 The sons of Jether: Jephone, and Phaspha, and Ara.
39 And the sons of Olla: Aree, and Haniel, and Resia.
40 All these were sons of Aser, heads of their families, choice and most valiant captains of captains: and the number of them that were of the age that was fit for war, was six and twenty thousand.
____________________
*
1:  Gen. xlvi. 13.
6:  Gen. xlvi. 13.
13:  Gen. xlvi. 21.
30:  Gen. xlvi. 24.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 8
CHAPTER VIII.

The posterity of Benjamin is further declared down to Saul.  His issue.

1 Now *Benjamin begot Bale, his first-born, Asbel, the second, Ahara, the third,
2 Nohaa, the fourth, and Rapha, the fifth.
3 And the sons of Bale were: Addar, and Gera, and Abiud,
4 And Abisue, and Naaman, and Ahoe,
5 And Gera, and Sephuphan, and Huram.
6 These are the sons of Ahod, heads of families that dwelt in Gabaa, who were removed into Manahath.
7 And Naaman, and Achia, and Gera, he removed them, and begot Oza, and Ahiud.
8 And Saharim begot in the land of Moab, after he sent away Husim and Bara, his wives.
9 And he begot of Hodes, his wife, Jobab, and Sebia, and Mosa, and Molchom,
10 And Jehus, and Sechia, and Marma.  These were his sons, heads of their families.
11 And Mehusim begot Abitob, and Elphaal.
12 And the sons of Elphaal: were Heber, and Misaam, and Samad: who built Ono, and Lod, and its daughters.
13 And Baria, and Sama, were heads of their kindreds that dwelt in Aialon: these drove away the inhabitants of Geth.
14 And Ahio, and Sesac, and Jerimoth,
15 And Zabadia, and Arod, and Heder,
16 And Michael, and Jespha, and Joha, the sons of Baria,
17 And Zabadia, and Mosollam, and Hezeci, and Heber,
18 And Jesamari, and Jezlia, and Jobab, sons of Elphaal,
19 And Jacim, and Zechri, and Zabdi,
20 And Elioenai, and Selethai, and Elial,
21 And Adaia, and Baraia, and Samareth, the sons of Semei.
22 And Jespham, and Heber, and Eliel,
23 And Abdon, and Zechri, and Hanan,
24 And Hanania, and Elam, and Anathothia,
25 And Jephdaia, and Phanuel the sons of Sesac.
26 And Samsari, and Sohoria, and Otholia,
27 And Jersia, and Alia, and Zechri, the sons of Jeroham.
28 These were the chief fathers, and heads of their families, who dwelt in Jerusalem.
29 And *at Gabaon dwelt Abigabaon, and the name of his wife was Maacha:
30 And his first-born son Abdon, and Sur, and Cis, and Baal, and Nadab,
31 And Gedor, and Ahio, and Zacher, and Macelloth.
32 And Macelloth begot Samaa: and they dwelt over-against their brethren in Jerusalem, with their brethren.
33 *And Ner begot Cis, and Cis begot Saul.  And Saul begot Jonathan and Melchisua, and Abinadab, and Esbaal.
34 And the son of Jonathan was Meribbaal: and Meribbaal begot Micha.
35 And the sons of Micha, were Phithon, and Melech, and Tharaa, and Ahaz.
36 And Ahaz begot Joada: and Joada begot Alamath, and Azmoth, and Zamri: and Zamri begot Mosa,
37 And Mosa begot Banaa, whose son was Rapha, of whom was born Elasa, who begot Asel.
38 And Asel had six sons, whose names were Ezricam, Bochru, Ismahel, Saria, Obdia, and Hanan.  All these were the sons of Asel.
39 And the sons of Esec, his brother, were Ulam, the first-born, and Jehus, the second, and Eliphalet, the third.
40 And the sons of Ulam were most valiant men, and archers of great strength: and they had many sons and grandsons, even to a hundred and fifty.  All these were children of Benjamin.
____________________
*
1:  Gen. xlvi. 21.; Supra vii. 6.
29:  Infra ix. 35.
33:  1 Kings xiv. 51.; Infra ix. 39.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 9
CHAPTER IX.

The Israelites, Priests, and Levites, who first dwelt in Jerusalem after the captivity.  A repetition of the genealogy of Saul.

1 And all Israel was numbered: and the sum of them was written in the Book of the kings of Israel and Juda: and they were carried away to Babylon for their transgression.
2 Now the first that dwelt in their possessions, and in their cities, were the Israelites, and the priests, and the Levites, and the Nathineans.
3 And in Jerusalem dwelt of the children of Juda, and of the children of Benjamin, and of the children of Ephraim, and of Manasses.
4 Othei, the son of Ammiud, the son of Amri, the son of Omrai, the son of Bonni, of the sons of Phares, the son of Juda;
5 And of Siloni: Asaia, the first-born, and his sons:
6 And of the sons of Zara: Jehuel, and their brethren, six hundred and ninety.
7 And of the sons of Benjamin: Salo, the son of Mosollam, the son of Oduia, the son of Asana.
8 And Jobania, the son of Jeroham: and Ela, the son of Ozi, the son of Mochori: and Mosallam, the son of Saphatias, the son of Rahuel, the son of Jebania:
9 And their brethren by their families, nine hundred and fifty-six.  All these were heads of their families by the houses of their fathers.
10 And of the priests: Jedaia, Joiarib, and Jachin:
11 And Azarias, the son of Helcias, the son of Mosollam, the son of Sadoc, the son of Maraioth, the son of Achitob, high priest of the house of God.
12 And Adaias, the son of Jeroham, the son of Phassur, the son of Melchias: and Maasai, the son of Adiel, the son of Jezra, the son of Mosollam, the son of Mosollamith, the son of Emmer.
13 And their brethren, heads in their families, a thousand seven hundred and threescore; very strong and able men for the work of the ministry in the house of God.
14 And of the Levites: Semeia, the son of Hassub, the son of Ezricam, the son of Hasebia, of the sons of Merari.
15 And Bacbacar, the carpenter, and Galal, and Mathania the son of Micha, the son of Zachri, the son of Asaph:
16 And Obdia, the son of Semeia, the son of Galal, the son of Idithun: and Barachia, the son of Asa, the son of Elcana, who dwelt in the suburbs of Netophati.
17 And the porters were, Sellum, and Accub, and Telmon, and Ahimam: and their brother Sellum, was the prince,
18 Until that time, in the king's gate eastward, the sons of Levi waited by their turns.
19 But Sellum, the son of Core, the son of Abiasaph, the son of Core, with his brethren, and his father's house, the Corites, were over the works of the service, keepers of the gates of the tabernacle: and their families in turns were keepers of the entrance of the camp of the Lord.
20 And Phinees, the son of Eleazar, was their prince before the Lord;
21 And Zacharias, the son of Mosollamia, was porter of the gate of the tabernacle of the testimony.
22 All these that were chosen to be porters at the gates, were two hundred and twelve: and they were registered in their proper towns: whom David, and Samuel, the seer, appointed in their trust;
23 As well them as their sons, to keep the gates of the house of the Lord, and the tabernacle, by their turns.
24 In four quarters were the porters: that is to say, toward the east, and west, and north, and south.
25 And their brethren dwelt in villages, and came up on their sabbath-days from time to time.
26 To these four Levites were committed the whole number of the porters, and they were over the chambers, and treasures of the house of the Lord.
27 And they abode in their watches round about the temple of the Lord: that when it was time, they might open the gates in the morning.
28 And some of their stock had the charge of the vessels for the ministry: for the vessels were both brought in and carried out by number.
29 Some of them also had the instruments of the sanctuary committed unto them, and the charge of the fine flour, and wine, and oil, and frankincense, and spices.
30 And the sons of the priests made the ointments of the spices.
31 And Mathathias, a Levite, the first-born of Sellum, the Corite, was overseer of such things as were fried in the frying-pan.
32 And some of the sons of Caath, their brethren, were over the leaves of proposition, to prepare always new for every sabbath.
33 These are the chief of the singing men, of the families of the Levites, who dwelt in the chambers, by the temple, that they might serve continually, day and night, in their ministry.
34 The heads of the Levites, princes in their families, abode in Jerusalem.
35 And *in Gabaon dwelt Jehiel the father of Gabaon, and the name of his wife was Maacha.
36 His first-born son, Abdon, and Sur, and Cis, and Baal, and Ner, and Nadab,
37 Gedor also, and Ahio, and Zacharias, and Macelloth.
38 And Macelloth begot Samaan: these dwelt over-against their brethren in Jerusalem, with their brethren.
39 *Now Ner begot Cis: and Cis begot Saul: and Saul begot Jonathan and Melchisua, and Abinadab, and Esbaal.
40 And the son of Jonathan was Meribbaal: and Meribbaal begot Micha.
41 And the sons of Micha, were Phithon, and Melech, and Tharaa, and Ahaz.
42 And Ahaz begot Jara, and Jara begot Alamath, and Azmoth, and Zamri.  And Zamri begot Mosa.
43 And Mosa begot Banaa: whose son Raphaia begot Elasa: of whom was born Asel.
44 And Asel had six sons whose names are, Ezricam, Bochru, Ismahel, Saria, Obdia, Hanan: these are the sons of Asel.
____________________
*
35:  Supra viii. 29.
39:  Supra viii. 33.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 10
CHAPTER X.

Saul is slain for his sins: he is buried by the men of Jabes.

1 Now *the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down wounded in Mount Gelboe.
2 *And the Philistines drew near, pursuing after Saul and his sons, and they killed Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchisua, the sons of Saul.
3 And the battle grew hard against Saul, and the archers reached him, and wounded him with arrows.
4 And Saul said to his armour-bearer: Draw thy sword, and kill me: lest these uncircumcised come, and mock me.  But his armour-bearer would not; for he was struck with fear: so Saul took his sword, and fell upon it.
5 And when his armour-bearer saw it, to wit, that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword, and died.
6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and all his house fell together.
7 And when the men of Israel, that dwelt in the plains, saw this, they fled: and Saul and his sons being dead, they forsook their cities, and were scattered up and down: and the Philistines came, and dwelt in them.
8 And the next day, the Philistines taking away the spoils of them that were slain, found Saul and his sons lying on Mount Gelboe.
9 And when they had stripped him, and cut off his head, and taken away his armour, they sent it into their land, to be carried about, and shewed in the temples of the idols, and to the people.
10 And his armour they dedicated in the temple of their god, and his head they fastened up in the temple of Dagon.
11 And when the men of Jabes Galaad had heard this, to wit, all that the Philistines had done to Saul,
12 All the valiant men of them arose, and took the bodies of Saul and of his sons, and brought them to Jabes, and buried their bones under the oak that was in Jabes, and they fasted seven days.
13 So Saul died for his iniquities, because he transgressed the *commandment of the Lord, which he had commanded, and kept it not: **and moreover consulted also a witch,
14 And trusted not is the Lord: therefore he slew him, and transferred his kingdom to David, the son of Isai.
____________________
*
1:  1 Kings xxxi. 1.
2:  A.M. 2949, A.C. 1055.
13:  Exod. xvii. 14.; 1 Kings xv. 3. --- ** 1 Kings xxviii. 8.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 11
CHAPTER XI.

David is made king.  He taketh the castle of Sion.  A catalogue of his valiant men.

1 Then *all Israel gathered themselves to David in Hebron, saying: We are thy bone, and thy flesh.
2 Yesterday also, and the day before, when Saul was king, thou wast he that led out and brought in Israel: for the Lord thy God said to thee: Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be ruler over them.
3 So all the ancients of Israel came to the king, to Hebron, and David made a covenant with them before the Lord: and they anointed him king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke in the hand of Samuel.
4 And David, and all Israel, went to Jerusalem,* which is Jebus, where the Jebusites were the inhabitants of the land.
5 And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David: Thou shalt not come in here.  But David took the castle of Sion, which is the City of David.
6 And he said: Whosoever shall first strike the Jebusites, shall be the head and chief captain.  And Joab, the son of Sarvia, went up first, and was made the general.
7 And David dwelt in the castle, and therefore it was called the City of David.
8 And he built the *city round about, from Mello all round, and Joab built the rest of the city.
9 And David went on growing and increasing, and the Lord of hosts was with him.
10 *These are the chief of the valiant men of David, who helped him to be made king over all Israel, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke to Israel.
11 And this is the number of the heroes of David: Jesbaam, the son of Hachamoni, the chief among the thirty: he lifted up his spear, against three hundred, wounded by him at one time.
12 And after him was Eleazar, his uncle's son, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighties.
13 He was with David in Phesdomim, when the Philistines were gathered to that place to battle: and the field of that country was full of barley, and the people fled from before the Philistines.
14 But these men stood in the midst of the field, and defended it; and they slew the Philistines; and the Lord gave a great deliverance to his people.
15 *And three of the thirty captains went down to the rock, wherein David was, to the cave of Odollam, when the Philistines encamped in the valley of Raphaim.
16 *And David was then in a hold, and the garrison of the Philistines in Bethlehem.
17 And David longed, and said: O that some man would give me water of the cistern of Bethlehem, which is in the gate.
18 And these three broke through the midst of the camp of the Philistines, and drew water out of the cistern of Bethlehem, which was in the gate, and brought it to David to drink: and he would not drink of it, but rather offered it to the Lord,
19 Saying: God forbid that I should do this in the sight of my God, and should drink the blood of these men: for with the danger of their lives they have brought me the water.  And therefore he would not drink.  These things did the three most valiant.
20 And Abisai, the brother of Joab, he was chief of three, and he lifted up his spear against three hundred, whom he slew, and he was renowned among the three,
21 And illustrious among the second three, and their captain: but yet he attained not to the first three.
22 Banaias, the son of Joiada, a most valiant man, of Cabseel, who had done many acts; he slew the two ariels of Moab; and he went down, and killed a lion in the midst of a pit, in the time of snow.
23 And he slew an Egyptian, whose stature was of five cubits, and who had a spear like a weaver's beam: and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked away the spear, that he held in his hand, and slew him with his own spear.
24 These things did Banaias, the son of Joiada, who was renowned among the three valiant ones,
25 And the first among the thirty, but yet to the first three he attained not: and David made him of his council.
26 Moreover the most valiant men of the army, were Asahel, brother of Joab; and Elchanan, the son of his uncle, of Bethlehem;
27 Sammoth, an Arorite; Helles, a Phalonite;
28 Ira, the son of Acces, a Thecuite; Abiezer, an Anathothite;
29 Sobbochai, a Husathite; Ilai, an Ahohite;
30 Maharai, a Netophathite; Heled, the son of Baana, a Netophathite;
31 Ethai, the son of Ribai, of Gabaath, of the sons of Benjamin; Banaia, a Pharathonite;
32 Hurai, of the torrent Gaas; Abiel, an Arbathite; Azmoth, a Bauramite; Eliaba, a Salabonite;
33 The sons of Assem, a Gezonite; Jonathan, the son of Sage, an Ararite;
34 Ahiam, the son of Sachar, an Ararite;
35 Eliphal, the son of Ur;
36 Hepher, a Mecherathite; Ahia, a Phelonite;
37 Hesro, a Carmelite; Naarai, the son of Azbai;
38 Joel, the brother of Nathan; Mibahar, the son of Agarai;
39 Selec, an Ammonite; Naharai, a Berothite, the armour-bearer of Joab, the son of Sarvia;
40 Ira, a Jethrite; Gareb, a Jethrite;
41 Urias, a Hethite; Zabad, the son of Oholi;
42 Adina, the son of Siza, a Rubenite, the prince of the Rubenites, and thirty with him;
43 Hanan, the son of Maacha; and Josaphat, a Mathanite;
44 Ozia, an Astarothite; Samma, and Jehiel, the sons of Hotham, an Arorite;
45 Jedihel, the son of Samri, and Joha, his brother, a Thosaite.
46 Eliel, a Mahumite; and Jeribai, and Josaia, the sons of Elnaim; and Jethma, a Moabite; Eliel, and Obed, and Jasiel, of Masobia.
____________________
*
1:  2 Kings v. 1.; A.M. 2957.
4:  2 Kings v. 6.; A.M. 2957, A.C. 1047.
8:  A.M. 2958.
10:  2 Kings xxiii. 8.
15:  2 Kings xxiii. 13.
16:  2 Kings xxiii. 14.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 12
CHAPTER XII.

Who followed David when he fled from Saul.  And who came to Hebron to make him king.

1 Now these are they that came to David to Siceleg, *while he yet fled from Saul, the son of Cis, and they were most valiant and excellent warriors,
2 Bending the bow, and using either hand in hurling stones with slings, and shooting arrows: of the brethren of Saul and Benjamin.
3 The chief was Ahiezer, and Joas, the sons of Samaa, of Gabaath, and Jaziel, and Phallet, the sons of Azmoth, and Beracha, and Jehu, an Anathothite.
4 And Samaias, of Gabaon, the stoutest amongst the thirty and over the thirty; Jeremias, and Jeheziel, and Johanan, and Jezabad, of Gaderoth;
5 And Eluzai, and Jerimuth, and Baalia, and Samaria, and Saphatia, the Haruphite;
6 Elcana, and Jesia, and Azareel, and Joezer, and Jesbaam, of Carehim:
7 And Joela, and Zabadia, the sons of Jeroham, of Gedor.
8 From Gaddi also there went over to David, when he lay hid in the wilderness, most valiant men, and excellent warriors, holding shield and spear; whose faces were like the faces of a lion, and they were swift like the roebucks on the mountains.
9 Ezer the chief, Obdias the second, Eliab the third,
10 Masmana the fourth, Jeremias the fifth.
11 Ethi the sixth, Eliel the seventh,
12 Johanan the eighth, Elzebad the ninth,
13 Jerenias the tenth, Machbani the eleventh,
14 These were of the sons of Gad, captains of the army: the least of them was captain over a hundred soldiers, and the greatest over a thousand.
15 These are they who passed over the Jordan in the first month, when it is used to flow over its banks: and they put to flight all that dwelt in the vallies, both toward the east and toward the west.
16 And there came also of the men of Benjamin, and of Juda, to the hold, in which David abode.
17 And David went out to meet them, and said: If you are come peaceably to me to help me, let my heart be joined to you: but if you plot against me for my enemies, whereas I have no iniquity in my hands, let the God of our fathers see, and judge.
18 But the spirit came upon Amasai, the chief among thirty, and he said: We are thine, O David, and for thee, O son of Isai: peace, peace be to thee, and peace to thy helpers.  For thy God helpeth thee.  So David received them, and made them captains of the band.
19 And there were some of Manasses, that went over to David, when he came with the Philistines against Saul to fight: but he did not fight with them: *because the lords of the Philistines taking counsel, sent him back, saying: With the danger of our heads he will return to his master, Saul.
20 So when he went back to Siceleg, *there fled to him of Manasses, Ednas, and Jozabad, and Jedihel, and Michael, and Ednas, and Jozabad, and Eliu, and Salathi, captains of thousands in Manasses.
21 These helped David against the rovers: for they were all most valiant men, and were made commanders in the army.
22 Moreover, day by day there came some to David to help him, till they became a great number, like the army of God.
23 And this is the number of the chiefs of the army who came to David, when he was in Hebron, *to transfer to him the kingdom of Saul, according to the word of the Lord.
24 The sons of Juda, bearing shield and spear, six thousand eight hundred, well appointed to war.
25 Of the sons of Simeon, valiant men for war, seven thousand one hundred.
26 Of the sons of Levi, four thousand six hundred.
27 And Joiada, prince of the race of Aaron, and with him three thousand seven hundred.
28 Sadoc also, a young man of excellent disposition, and the house of his father, twenty-two principal men.
29 And of the sons of Benjamin, the brethren of Saul, three thousand: for hitherto a great part of them followed the house of Saul.
30 And of the sons of Ephraim, twenty thousand eight hundred, men of great valour renowned in their kindreds.
31 And of the half tribe of Manasses, eighteen thousand, every one by their names came to make David king.
32 Also of the sons of Issachar, men of understanding, that knew all times to order what Israel should do, two hundred principal men: and all the rest of the tribe followed their counsel.
33 And of Zabulon, such as went forth to battle, and stood in array well appointed with armour for war, there came fifty thousand to his aid, with no double heart.
34 And of Nephthali, a thousand leaders; and with them seven and thirty thousand, furnished with shield and spear.
35 Of Dan also, twenty-eight thousand six hundred prepared for battle.
36 And of Aser, forty thousand, going forth to fight, and challenging in battle.
37 And on the other side of the Jordan, of the sons of Ruben, and of Gad, and of the half of the tribe of Manasses, a hundred and twenty thousand, furnished with arms for war.
38 All these men of war, well appointed to fight, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel, were of one heart, to make David king.
39 And they were there with David three days, eating and drinking: for their brethren had prepared for them.
40 Moreover they that were near them, even as far as Issachar, and Zabulon, and Nephthali, brought leaves on asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen, to eat: and meal, figs, raisins, wine, oil, and oxen, and sheep, in abundance; for there was joy in Israel.
____________________
*
1:  1 Kings xxvii. 2.; A.M. 2948, A.C. 1056.
19:  1 Kings xxix. 4.
20:  A.M. 2949.
23:  2 Kings v.; A.M. 2956.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 13
CHAPTER XIII.

The ark is brought from Cariathiarim.  Oza, for touching it, is struck dead.

 1 And David consulted with the captains of thousands, and of hundreds, and with all the commanders,
 2 And he said to all the assembly of Israel: If it please you; and if the words which I speak come from the Lord our God, let us send to the rest of our brethren, into all the countries of Israel, and to the priests, and the Levites, that dwell in the suburbs of the cities, to gather themselves to us:
 3 And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we sought it not in the days of Saul.
 4 And all the multitude answered that it should be so: for the word pleased all the people.
 5 So David assembled all Israel, from Sihor of Egypt, even to the entering into Emath, *to bring the ark of God from Cariathiarim.
 6 And David went up with all the men of Israel to the hill of Cariathiarim, which is in Juda, to bring thence the ark of the Lord God sitting upon the Cherubims, where his name is called upon.
 7 And they carried the ark of God upon a new cart, out of the house of Abinadab, and Oza and his brother drove the cart.
 8 And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, with hymns, and with harps, and with psalteries, and timbrels, and cymbals, and trumpets.
 9 And when they came to the floor of Chidon, Oza put forth his hand, to hold up the ark; for the ox being wanton, had made it lean a little on one side.
 10 And the Lord was angry with Oza, and struck him, because he had touched the ark: and he died there before the Lord.
 11 And David was troubled, because the Lord had divided Oza: and he called that place the breach of Oza to this day.
 12 And he feared God at that time, saying: How can I bring in the ark of God to me?
 13 And therefore he brought it not home to himself, that is, into the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obededom, the Gethite.
 14 And the ark of God remained in the house of Obededom three months: and the Lord blessed his house, and all that he had.
____________________
*
5:  2 Kings vi. 2.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 14
CHAPTER XIV.

David's house, and children; his victories over the Philistines.

1 And *Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David; and cedar-trees, and masons, and carpenters, to build him a house.
2 And David perceived that the Lord had confirmed him king over Israel, and that his kingdom was exalted over his people, Israel.
3 *And David took other wives in Jerusalem: and he begot sons, and daughters.
4 Now these are the names of them that were born to him in Jerusalem: Samua, and Sobad, Nathan, and Solomon,
5 Jebahar, and Elisua, and Eliphalet,
6 And Noga, and Napheg, and Japhia,
7 Elisama, and Baaliada, and Eliphalet.
8 *And the Philistines hearing that David was anointed king over all Israel, went all up to seek him: and David heard of it, and went out against them.
9 And the Philistines came and spread themselves in the vale of Raphaim.
10 And David consulted the Lord, saying: Shall I go up against the Philistines, and wilt thou deliver them into my hand?  And the Lord said to him: Go up, and I will deliver them into thy hand.
11 And when they were come to Baalpharasim, David defeated them there, and he said: God hath divided my enemies by my hand, as waters are divided: and therefore the name of that place was called Baalpharasim.
12 And they left there their gods, and David commanded that they should be burnt.
13 Another time also the Philistines made an irruption, and spread themselves abroad in the valley.
14 And David consulted God again, and God said to him: Go not up after them, turn away from them, and come upon them over-against the pear-trees.
15 And when thou shalt hear the sound of one going in the tops of the pear-trees, then shalt thou go out to battle.  For God is gone out before thee, to strike the army of the Philistines.
16 And David did as God had commanded him, and defeated the army of the Philistines, slaying them from Gabaon to Gazera.
17 And the name of David became famous in all countries, and the Lord made all nations fear him.
____________________
*
1:  2 Kings v. 11.
3:  2 Kings v. 13.
8:  2 Kings v. 17.; A.M. 2957, A.C. 1047.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 15
CHAPTER XV.

The ark is brought into the city of David, with great solemnity.  Michol derideth David's devotion.

1 He made also houses for himself in the city of David: and built a place for the ark of God, and pitched a tabernacle for it.
2 Then David said: No one ought to carry the ark of God, but the Levites; whom the Lord hath chosen to carry it, and to minister unto himself for ever.
3 And he gathered all Israel together into Jerusalem, that the ark of God might be brought into its place, which he had prepared for it.
4 And the sons of Aaron also, and the Levites.
5 Of the children of Caath, Uriel was the chief: and his brethren a hundred and twenty.
6 Of the sons of Merari, Asaia, the chief: and his brethren two hundred and twenty.
7 Of the sons of Gersom, Joel, the chief: and his brethren a hundred and thirty.
8 Of the sons of Elisaphan, Semeias, the chief: and his brethren two hundred.
9 Of the sons of Hebron, Eliel, the chief: and his brethren eighty.
10 Of the sons of Oziel, Aminadab, the chief: and his brethren a hundred and twelve.
11 And David called Sadoc, and Abiathar, the priests, and the Levites, Uriel, Asaia, Joel, Semeia, Eliel, and Aminadab.
12 And he said to them: You that are the heads of the Levitical families, be sanctified with your brethren, and bring the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place which is prepared for it.
13 *Lest as the Lord at first struck us, because you were not present, the same should now also come to pass, by our doing some thing against the law.
14 So the priests and the Levites were sanctified, to carry the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel.
15 *And the sons of Levi took the ark of God, as Moses had commanded, according to the word of the Lord, upon their shoulders, with the staves.
16 And David spoke to the chiefs of the Levites, to appoint some of their brethren to be singers with musical instruments; to wit, on psalteries, and harps, and cymbals, that the joyful noise might resound on high.
17 And they appointed Levites, Heman, the son of Joel, and of his brethren Asaph, the son of Barachias: and of the sons of Merari, their brethren, Ethan, the son of Casaia.
18 And with them their brethren: in the second rank, Zacharias, and Ben, and Jaziel, and Semiramoth, and Jahiel, and Ani, and Eliab, and Banaias, and Maasias, and Mathathias, and Eliphalu, and Macenias, and Obededom, and Jehiel, the porters.
19 Now the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, sounded with cymbals of brass.
20 And Zacharias, and Oziel, and Semiramoth, and Jehiel, and Ani, and Eliab, and Maasias, and Banaias, sung mysteries upon psalteries.
21 And Mathathias, and Eliphalu, and Macenias, and Obededom, and Jehiel, and Ozaziu, sung a song of victory for the octave upon harps.
22 And Chonenias, chief of the Levites, presided over the prophecy, to give out the tunes: for he was very skilful.
23 And Barachias, and Elcana, were door-keepers of the ark.
24 And Sebenias, and Josaphat, and Nathanael, and Amasai, and Zacharias, and Banaias, and Eliezer, the priests, sounded with trumpets, before the ark of God: and Obededom and Jehias, were porters of the ark.
25 *So David, and all the ancients of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord, out of the house of Obededom, with joy.
26 And when God had helped the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, they offered in sacrifice seven oxen, and seven rams.
27 And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that carried the ark, and the singing men, and Chonenias, the ruler of the prophecy among the singers: and David also had on him an ephod of linen.
28 And all Israel brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord, with joyful shouting, and sounding with the sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and cymbals, and psalteries, and harps.
29 And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord was come to the city of David, Michol, the daughter of Saul, looking out at a window, saw king David dancing and playing, and she despised him in her heart.
____________________
*
13:  Supra xiii. 10.
15:  Num. iv. 15.
25:  2 Kings vi. 12.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 16
CHAPTER XVI.

The ark is placed in the tabernacle.  Sacrifice is offered.  David blesseth the people, disposeth the offices of Levites, and maketh a psalm of praise to God.

1 So *they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent, which David had pitched for it: and they offered holocausts, and peace-offerings before God.
2 And when David had made an end of offering holocausts, and peace-offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord.
3 And he divided to all and every one, both men and women, a loaf of bread, and a piece of roasted beef, and flour fried with oil.
4 And he appointed Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, and to remember his works, and to glorify and praise the Lord God of Israel.
5 Asaph, the chief, and next after him Zacharias: Moreover Jahiel, and Semiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mathathias, and Eliab, and Banaias, and Obededom: and Jehiel, over the instruments of psaltery, and harps: and Asaph to sound with cymbals:
6 But Banaias, and Jaziel, the priests, to sound the trumpet continually before the ark of the covenant of the Lord.
7 In that day David made Asaph, the chief, to give praise to the Lord with his brethren.
8 *Praise ye the Lord, and call upon his name: make known his doings among the nations.
9 Sing to him, yea, sing praises to him: and relate all his wondrous works.
10 Praise ye his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice, that seek the Lord.
11 Seek ye the Lord, and his power: seek ye his face evermore.
12 Remember his wonderful works, which he hath done: his signs, and the judgments of his mouth.
13 O ye seed of Israel, his servants; ye children of Jacob, his chosen.
14 He is the Lord our God: his judgments are in all the earth.
15 Remember for ever his covenant: the word, which he commanded to a thousand generations.
16 The covenant which he made with Abraham: and his oath to Isaac.
17 And he appointed the same to Jacob for a precept: and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:
18 Saying: To thee will I give the land of Chanaan: the lot of your inheritance.
19 When they were but a small number: very few, and sojourners in it.
20 And they passed from nation to nation: and from one kingdom to another people.
21 He suffered no man to do them wrong: and reproved kings for their sake.
22 *Touch not my anointed: and do no evil to my prophets.
23 *Sing ye to the Lord, all the earth: shew forth from day to day his salvation.
24 Declare his glory among the Gentiles: his wonders among all people.
25 For the Lord is great and exceedingly to be praised: and is to be feared above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens.
27 Praise and magnificence are before him: strength and joy in his place.
28 Bring ye to the Lord, O ye families of the nations: bring ye to the Lord glory and empire.
29 Give to the Lord glory to his name, bring up sacrifice, and come ye in his sight: and adore the Lord in holy beauty.
30 Let all the earth be moved at his presence: for he hath founded the world immoveable.
31 Let the heavens rejoice, and the earth be glad: and let them say among the nations: The Lord hath reigned.
32 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all things that are in them.
33 Then shall the trees of the wood give praise before the Lord: because he is come to judge the earth.
34 Give ye glory to the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
35 And say ye: Save us, O God our saviour: and gather us together, and deliver us from the nations, that we may give glory to thy holy name, and may rejoice in singing thy praise.
36 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel from eternity to eternity: and let all the people say: Amen, and sing a hymn to God.
37 So he left there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, Asaph and his brethren, to minister in the presence of the ark continually, day by day, and in their courses.
38 And Obededom, with his brethren, sixty-eight: and Obededom, the son of Idithun, and Hosa, he appointed to be porters.
39 And Sadoc, the priest, and his brethren, priests, before the tabernacle of the Lord in the high place, which was in Gabaon;
40 That they should offer holocausts to the Lord upon the altar of holocausts, continually, morning and evening, according to all that is written in the law of the Lord, which he commanded Israel.
41 And after him Heman, and Idithun, and the rest that were chosen, every one by his name to give praise to the Lord: because his mercy endureth for ever.
42 And Heman and Idithun sounded the trumpet, and played on the cymbals, and all kinds of musical instruments, to sing praises to God: and the sons of Idithun he made porters.
43 And all the people returned to their houses: and David to bless also his own house.
____________________
*
1:  2 Kings vi. 17.; A.M. 2959, A.C. 1045.
8:  Psal. civ. 1.; Isai. xii. 4.
22:  Psal. civ. 15.
23:  Psal. xcv. 1.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 17
CHAPTER XVII.

David's purpose to build a temple is rewarded by most ample promises: David's thanksgiving.

1 Now *when David was dwelling in his house, he said to Nathan, the prophet: Behold, I dwell in a house of cedar: and the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under skins.
2 And Nathan said to David: Do all that is in thy heart: for God is with thee.
3 Now that night the word of God came to Nathan, saying:
4 Go, and speak to David, my servant: Thus saith the Lord: Thou shalt not build me a house to dwell in.
5 For I have not remained in a house from the time that I brought up Israel to this day: but I have been always changing places in a tabernacle, and in a tent
6 Abiding with all Israel.  Did I ever speak to any one, of all the judges of Israel, whom I charged to feed my people, saying: Why have you not built me a house of cedar?
7 Now, therefore, thus shalt thou say to my servant, David: Thus saith the Lord of hosts: I took thee from the pastures, from following the flock, that thou shouldst be ruler of my people Israel;
8 And I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast gone: and I have slain all thy enemies before thee, and have made thee a name, like that of one of the great ones that are renowned in the earth.
9 And I have given a place to my people Israel: they shall be planted, and shall dwell therein, and shall be moved no more; neither shall the children of iniquity waste them, as at the beginning,
10 Since the days that I gave judges to my people Israel, and I have humbled all thy enemies.  And I declare to thee, that the Lord will build thee a house.
11 And when thou shalt have ended thy days to go to thy fathers, I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons: and I will establish his kingdom.
12 He shall build me a house, and I will establish his throne for ever.
13 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee.
14 But I will settle him in my house, and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be most firm for ever.
15 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak to David.
16 And king David came, and sat before the Lord, and said: Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that thou shouldst give such things to me?
17 But even this hath seemed little in thy sight, and therefore thou hast also spoken concerning the house of thy servant, for the time to come: and thou hast made me remarkable above all men, O Lord God.
18 What can David add more, seeing thou hast thus glorified thy servant, and known him?
19 O Lord, for thy servant's sake, according to thy own heart, thou hast shewed all this magnificence, and wouldst have all these great things to be known.
20 O Lord, there is none like thee: and there is no other God beside thee, of all whom we have heard of with our ears.
21 For what other nation is there upon earth like unto thy people Israel, whom God went to deliver, and make a people for himself, and by his greatness and terrors cast out nations before their face, whom he had delivered out of Egypt?
22 And thou hast made thy people Israel to be thy own people for ever; and thou, O Lord, art become their God.
23 Now therefore, O Lord, let the word which thou hast spoken to thy servant, and concerning his house, be established for ever, and do as thou hast said.
24 And let thy name remain and be magnified for ever: and let it be said: The Lord of hosts is God of Israel, and the house of David, his servant, remaineth before him.
25 For thou, O Lord, my God, hast revealed to the ear of thy servant, that thou wilt build him a house: and therefore thy servant hath found confidence to pray before thee.
26 And now, O Lord, thou art God: and thou hast promised to thy servant such great benefits.
27 And thou hast begun to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be always before thee: for seeing thou blessest it, O Lord, it shall be blessed for ever.
____________________
*
1:  2 Kings vi. 17.; A.M. 2960, A.C. 1044.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 18
CHAPTER XVIII.

David's victories.  His chief officers.

1 And *it came to pass after this, that David defeated the Philistines, and humbled them, and took away Geth, and her daughters, out of the hands of the Philistines:
2 And he defeated Moab, and the Moabites were made David's servants, and brought him gifts.
3 At that time David defeated also Adarezer, king of Soba, of the land of Hemath, when he went to extend his dominions as far as the river Euphrates.
4 And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen, and he houghed all the chariot-horses, only a hundred chariots, which he reserved for himself.
5 And the Syrians of Damascus came also to help Adarezer king of Soba: and David slew of them likewise two and twenty thousand men.
6 And he put a garrison in Damascus, that Syria also should serve him, and bring gifts.  And the Lord assisted him in all things to which he went.
7 And David took the golden quivers, which the servants of Adarezer had, and he brought them to Jerusalem.
8 Likewise out of Thebath and Chun, cities of Adarezer, he brought very much brass, of which Solomon made the brazen sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of brass.
9 Now when Thou, king of Hemath, heard that David had defeated all the army of Adarezer, king of Soba,
10 He sent Adoram, his son, to king David, to desire peace of him, and to congratulate him that he had defeated and overthrown Adarezer: for Thou was an enemy to Adarezer.
11 And all the vessels of gold, and silver, and brass, king David consecrated to the Lord; with the silver and gold which he had taken from all the nations, as well from Edom, and from Moab, and from the sons of Ammon, as from the Philistines, and from Amalec.
12 And Abisai, the son of Sarvia, slew of the Edomites, in the vale of the Saltpits, eighteen thousand:
13 And he put a garrison in Edom, that Edom should serve David: and the Lord preserved David in all things to which he went.
14 So David reigned over all Israel, and executed judgment and justice among all his people.
15 And Joab, the son of Sarvia, was over the army: and Josaphat, the son of Ahilud, recorder:
16 And Sadoc, the son of Achitob, and Achimelech, the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Susa, scribe.
17 And Banaias, the son of Joiada, was over the bands of the Cerethi, and the Phelethi: and the sons of David were chief about the king.
____________________
*
1:  2 Kings viii. 1.; A.M. 2960, A.C. 1044.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 19
CHAPTER XIX.

The Ammonites abuse David's ambassadors: both they and their confederates are overthrown.

1 Now* it came to pass that Naas, the king of the children of Ammon, died, and his son reigned is his stead.
2 And David said: I will shew kindness to Hanon, the son of Naas: for his father did a favour to me.  And David sent messengers to comfort him upon the death of his father.  But when they were come into the land of the children of Ammon, to comfort Hanon;
3 The princes of the children of Ammon, said to Hanon: Thou thinkest, perhaps, that David, to do honour to thy father, hath sent comforters to thee: and thou dost not take notice, that his servants are come to thee to consider, and search, and spy out thy land.
4 Wherefore Hanon shaved the heads and beards of the servants of David, and cut away their garments from the buttocks to the feet, and sent them away.
5 And when they were gone, they sent word to David, who sent to meet them, (for they had suffered a great affront) and ordered them to stay at Jericho till their beards grew, and then to return.
6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they had done an injury to David, Hanon and the rest of the people sent a thousand talents of silver, to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Syria, Maacha, and out of Soba.
7 And they hired two and thirty thousand chariots, and the king of Maacha, with his people.  And they came and camped over-against Medaba.  And the children of Ammon gathered themselves together out of their cities, and came to battle.
8 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the army of valiant men:
9 And the children of Ammon came out, and put their army in array before the gate of the city: and the kings that were come to their aid, stood apart in the field.
10 Wherefore Joab, understanding that the battle was set against him before and behind, chose out the bravest men of all Israel, and marched against the Syrians.
11 And the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Abisai, his brother, and they went against the children of Ammon.
12 And he said: If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, I will help thee.
13 Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves manfully for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the Lord will do that which is good in his sight.
14 So Joab, and the people that were with him, went against the Syrians to the battle: and he put them to flight.
15 And the children of Ammon, seeing that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled from Abisai, his brother, and went into the city: and Joab also returned to Jerusalem.
16 But the Syrians, seeing that they had fallen before Israel, sent messengers, and brought to them the Syrians that were beyond the river: and Sophach, general of the army of Adarezer, was their leader.
17 And it was told David; and he gathered together all Israel, and passed the Jordan, and came upon them, and put his army in array against them, and they fought with him.
18 But the Syrian fled before Israel: and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and Sophach, the general of the army.
19 *And when the servants of Adarezer saw themselves overcome by Israel, they went over to David, and served him: and Syria would not help the children of Ammon any more.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2967, A.C. 1037.; 2 Kings x. 1.
19:  A.M. 2968, A.C. 1036.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 20
CHAPTER XX.

Rabba is taken.  Other victories over the Philistines.

1 And *it came to pass, after the course of a year, at the time that kings go out to battle, Joab gathered together an army, and the strength of the troops, and wasted the land of the children of Ammon: and went and besieged Rabba.  But David staid at Jerusalem, when Joab smote Rabba, and destroyed it.
2 And David took the crown of Melchom from his head, and found in it a talent weight of gold, and most precious stones; and he made himself a diadem of it: he took also the spoils of the city, which were very great.
3 And the people that were therein he brought out: and made harrows, and sleads, and chariots of iron, to go over them, so that they were cut and bruised to pieces.  In this manner David dealt with all the cities of the children of Ammon: and he returned with all his people to Jerusalem.
4 *After this there arose a war at Gazer, against the Philistines: in which Sabachai, the Husathite, slew Saphai, of the race of Raphaim, and humbled them.
5 Another battle also was fought against the Philistines, in which Adeodatus, the son of Saltus, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath, the Gethite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.
6 There was another battle also in Geth, in which there was a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six on each hand and foot: who also was born of the stock of Rapha.
7 He reviled Israel: but Jonathan, the son of Samaa, the brother of David, slew him.  These were the sons of Rapha, in Geth, who fell by the hand of David and his servants.
____________________
*
1:  2 Kings x. 7. and xi. 1.; A.M. 2969, A.C. 1035.
4:  2 Kings xxi. 18.; A.M. 2986, A.C. 1018.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 21
CHAPTER XXI.

David's sin, in numbering the people, is punished by a pestilence: which ceaseth upon his offering sacrifice in the threshing-floor of Ornan.

1 And *satan rose up against Israel: and moved David to number Israel.
2 And David said to Joab, and to the rulers of the people: Go, and number Israel from Bersabee even unto Dan, and bring me the number of them, that I may know it.
3 And Joab answered: The Lord make his people a hundred times more than they are: but, my lord the king, are they not all thy servants? why doth my lord seek this thing, which may be imputed as a sin to Israel?
4 But the king's word rather prevailed: and Joab departed, and went through all Israel: and returned to Jerusalem.
5 And he gave David the number of them, whom he had surveyed: and all the number of Israel, was found to be eleven hundred thousand men that drew the sword: and of Juda, four hundred and seventy thousand fighting men.
6 But Levi and Benjamin he did not number: for Joab unwillingly executed the king's orders.
7 And God was displeased with this thing that was commanded: and he struck Israel.
8 And David said to God: I have sinned exceedingly in doing this: I beseech thee, take away the iniquity of thy servant, for I have done foolishly.
9 And the Lord spoke to Gad, the seer of David, saying:
10 Go, and speak to David, and tell him: Thus saith the Lord: I give thee the choice of three things: choose one which thou wilt, and I will do it to thee.
11 And when Gad was come to David, he said to him: Thus saith the Lord: choose which thou wilt:
12 Either three years' famine: or three months to flee from thy enemies, and not to be able to escape their sword: or three days to have the sword of the Lord, and pestilence in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying in all the coasts of Israel: now, therefore, see what I shall answer him who sent me.
13 And David said to Gad: I am on every side in a great strait: but it is better for me to fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercies are many, than into the hands of men.
14 So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel.  And there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.
15 And he sent an angel to Jerusalem, to strike it: and as he was striking it, the Lord beheld, and took pity for the greatness of the evil: and said to the angel that destroyed: It is enough; now stop thy hand.  And the angel of the Lord stood by the threshing-floor of Ornan, the Jebusite.
16 And David, lifting up his eyes, saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand, turned against Jerusalem: and both he, and the ancients, clothed in hair-cloth, fell down flat on the ground.
17 And David said to God: Am not I he that commanded the people to be numbered?  It is I that have sinned: it is I that have done the evil: but as for this flock, what hath it deserved?  O Lord, my God, let thy hand be turned, I beseech thee, upon me, and upon my father's house: and let not thy people be destroyed.
18 And the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to tell David, to go up, and build an altar to the Lord God, in the threshing-floor of Ornan, the Jebusite.
19 And David went up, according to the word of Gad, which he spoke to him in the name of the Lord.
20 Now when Ornan looked up, and saw the angel, he and his four sons hid themselves: for at that time he was threshing wheat in the floor.
21 And as David was coming to Ornan, Ornan saw him, and went out of the threshing-floor to meet him, and bowed down to him, with his face to the ground.
22 And David said to him: Give me this place of thy threshing-floor, that I may build therein an altar to the Lord: but thou shalt take of me as much money as it is worth, that the plague may cease from the people.
23 And Ornan said to David: Take it, and let my lord the king do all that pleaseth him: and moreover, the oxen also I give for a holocaust, and the drays for wood, and the wheat for the sacrifice: I will give it all willingly.
24 And king David said to him: It shall not be so: but I will give thee money as much as it is worth: for I must not take it from thee, and so offer to the Lord holocausts free-cost.
25 So David gave to Ornan for the place, six hundred sides of gold of just weight.
26 *And he built there an altar to the Lord: and he offered holocausts, and peace-offerings, and he called upon the Lord, and he heard him, by sending fire from heaven upon the altar of the holocaust.
27 And the Lord commanded the angel: and he put up his sword again into the sheath.
28 And David seeing that the Lord had heard him, in the threshing-floor of Ornan, the Jebusite, forthwith offered victims there.
29 But the tabernacle of the Lord, *which Moses made in the desert, and the altar of holocausts, was at that time in the high place of Gabaon.
30 And David could not go to the altar, there to pray to God: for he was seized with an exceedingly great fear, seeing the sword of the angel of the Lord.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2987.; 2 Kings xxiv. 1.; Infra xxvii. 24.
26:  2 Par. iii. 1.
29:  Exod. xxxvi. 2.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 22
CHAPTER XXII.

David having prepared all necessaries, chargeth Solomon to build the temple, and the princes to assist him

1 Then David said: *This is the house of God, and this is the altar for the holocaust of Israel.
2 *And he commanded to gather together all the proselytes of the land of Israel, and out of them he appointed stone-cutters, to hew stones and polish them, to build the house of God.
3 And David prepared in abundance iron for the nails of the gates, and for the closures and joinings: and of brass an immense weight.
4 And the cedar-trees were without number, which the Sidonians, and Tyrians, brought to David.
5 And David said: Solomon, my son, is very young and tender, and the house which I would have to be built to the Lord, must be such as to be renowned in all countries: therefore I will prepare him necessaries.  And therefore, before his death he prepared all the charges.
6 And he called for Solomon, his son: and commanded him to build a house to the Lord, the God of Israel.
7 And David said to Solomon: My son, it was my desire to have built a house to the name of the Lord, my God.*
8 But the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Thou hast shed much blood, and fought many battles, so thou canst not build a house to my name, after shedding so much blood before me:
9 But a son, that shall be born to thee, shall be a most quiet man: for I will make him rest from all his enemies round about: and therefore, he shall be called Peaceable: and I will give peace and quietness to Israel all his days.
10 *He shall build a house to my name, and he shall be a son to me, and I will be a father to him: and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.
11 Now then, my son, the Lord be with thee, and do thou prosper, and build the house to the Lord, thy God, as he hath spoken of thee.
12 The Lord also give thee wisdom and understanding, that thou mayest be able to rule Israel, and to keep the law of the Lord, thy God.
13 For then thou shalt be able to prosper, if thou keep the commandments, and judgments, which the Lord commanded Moses to teach Israel: take courage, and act manfully; fear not, nor be dismayed.
14 Behold, I, in my poverty have prepared the charges of the house of the Lord; of gold a hundred thousand talents, and of silver a million of talents; but of brass, and of iron, there is no weight, for the abundance surpasseth all account: timber also, and stones, I have prepared for all the charges.
15 Thou hast also workmen in abundance, hewers of stones, and masons, and carpenters, and of all trades the most skilful in their work,
16 In gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, whereof there is no number.  Arise then, and be doing, and the Lord will be with thee.
17 David also charged all the princes of Israel, to help Solomon, his son,
18 Saying: You see, that the Lord, your God, is with you, and hath given you rest round about, and hath delivered all your enemies into your hands, and the land is subdued before the Lord, and before his people.
19 Give, therefore, your hearts and your souls, to seek the Lord, your God: and arise, and build a sanctuary to the Lord God, that the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the vessels consecrated to the Lord, may be brought into the house, which is built to the name of the Lord.
____________________
*
1:  2 Par. iii. 1.
2:  A.M. 2988, A.C. 1016.
7:  2 Kings vii. 1.
10:  2 Kings vii. 13.; 3 Kings v. 5.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 23
CHAPTER XXIII.

David appointeth Solomon king.  The distribution of the Levites, and their offices.

1 And *David being old and full of days, made Solomon, his son, king over Israel.
2 And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, and the priests and Levites.
3 And the Levites were numbered, from the age of thirty years, and upwards: and there were found of them thirty-eight thousand men.
4 Of these twenty-four thousand were chosen, and distributed unto the ministry of the house of the Lord: and six thousand were the overseers and judges.
5 Moreover, four thousand were porters: and as many singers, singing to the Lord with the instruments, which David had made to sing with.
6 *And David distributed them into courses, by the families of the sons of Levi; to wit, of Gerson, and of Caath, and of Merari.
7 The sons of Gerson were, Leedan and Semei.
8 The sons of Leedan: the chief, Jahiel, and Zethan, and Joel, three.
9 The sons of Semei: Salomith, and Hosiel, and Aran, three: these were the heads of the families of Leedan.
10 And the sons of Semei were, Leheth, and Ziza, and Jaus, and Baria: these were the sons of Semei, four.
11 And Leheth was the first, Ziza the second: but Jaus and Baria had not many children, and therefore they were counted in one family, and in one house.
12 The sons of Caath were, Amram, and Isaar, Hebron, and Oziel, four.
13 *The sons of Amram, Aaron, and Moses.  **And Aaron was separated to minister in the holy of holies, he and his sons, for ever, and to burn incense before the Lord, according to his ceremonies, and to bless his name for ever.
14 The sons also of Moses, the man of God, were numbered in the tribe of Levi.
15 The sons *of Moses were, Gersom, and Eliezer:
16 The sons of Gersom: Subuel, the first.
17 And the sons of Eliezer were, Rohobia, the first: and Eliezer had no more sons.  But the sons of Rohobia were multiplied exceedingly.
18 The sons of Isaar: Salomith, the first.
19 The sons of Hebron: Jeriau, the first, Amarias, the second, Jahaziel, the third, Jecmaam, the fourth.
20 The sons of Oziel: Micha, the first, Jesia, the second.
21 The sons of Merari: Moholi, and Musi.  The sons of Moholi: Eleazar, and Cis.
22 And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters: and the sons of Cis, their brethren, took them.
23 The sons of Musi: Moholi, and Eder, and Jerimoth, three.
24 These are the sons of Levi, in their kindreds and families, princes by their courses, and the number of every head that did the works of the ministry of the house of the Lord, from twenty years old and upwards.
25 For David said: The Lord, the God of Israel, hath given rest to his people, and an habitation in Jerusalem for ever.
26 And it shall not be the office of the Levites to carry any more the tabernacle, and all the vessels for the service thereof.
27 So according to the last precepts of David, the sons of Levi are to be numbered from twenty years old and upwards.
28 And they are to be under the hand of the sons of Aaron, for the service of the house of the Lord, in the porches, and in the chambers, and in the place of purification, and in the sanctuary, and in all the works of the ministry of the temple of the Lord.
29 And the priests have the charge of the loaves of proposition, and of the sacrifice of fine flour, and of the unleavened cakes, and of the frying-pan, and of the roasting, and of every weight and measure.
30 And the Levites are to stand in the morning, to give thanks, and to sing praises to the Lord: and in like manner in the evening,
31 As well in the oblation of the holocausts of the Lord, as in the sabbaths and in the new moons, and the rest of the solemnities, according to the number and ceremonies prescribed for every thing, continually, before the Lord.
32 And let them keep the observances of the tabernacle of the covenant, and the ceremonies of the sanctuary, and the charge of the sons of Aaron, their brethren, that they may minister in the house of the Lord.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2988.
6:  Supra vi. 1.
13:  Supra vi. 3. --- ** Heb. v. 4.
15:  Exod. ii. 22. and xviii. 3. and 4.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 24
CHAPTER XXIV.

The divisions of the priests into four and twenty courses, to serve in the temple: the chiefs of the Levites.

1 Now these were the divisions of the sons of Aaron.  The sons of Aaron: Nadab, and Abiu, and Eleazar, and Ithamar.
2 *But Nadab and Abiu died before their father, and had no children: so Eleazar and Ithamar did the office of the priesthood.
3 And David distributed them, that is, Sadoc, of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech, of the sons of Ithamar, according to their courses and ministry.
4 And there were found many more of the sons of Eleazar among the principal men, than of the sons of Ithamar.  And he divided them so, that there were of the sons of Eleazar, sixteen chief men, by their families: and of the sons of Ithamar, eight, by their families and houses.
5 And he divided both the families, one with the other, by lot: for there were princes of the sanctuary, and princes of God, both of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar.
6 And Semeias, the son of Nathanael, the scribe, a Levite, wrote them down before the king and the princes, and Sadoc, the priest, and Ahimelech, the son of Abiathar, and the princes also, of the priestly and Levitical families: one house, which was over the rest, of Eleazar: and another house, which had the rest under it, of Ithamar.
7 Now the first lot came forth to Joiarib, the second to Jedei,
8 The third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim,
9 The fifth to Melchia, the sixth to Maiman,
10 The seventh to Accos, the eighth to Abia,
11 The ninth to Jesua, the tenth to Sechenia,
12 The eleventh to Eliasib, the twelfth to Jacim,
13 The thirteenth to Hoppha, the fourteenth to Isbaab,
14 The fifteenth to Belga, the sixteenth to Emmer,
15 The seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Aphses,
16 The nineteenth to Pheteia, the twentieth to Hezechiel,
17 The one and twentieth to Jachin, the two and twentieth to Gamul,
18 The three and twentieth to Dalaiau, the four and twentieth to Maaziau.
19 These are their courses, according to their ministries, to come into the house of the Lord, and according to their manner, under the hand of Aaron, their father: as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded.
20 Now, of the rest of the sons of Levi, there was of the sons of Amram, Subael: and of the sons of Subael, Jehedeia.
21 Also of the sons of Rohobia, the chief, Jesias.
22 And the son of Isaar, Salemoth; and the son of Salemoth, Jahath:
23 And his son, Jeriau, the first, Amarias, the second, Jahaziel, the third, Jecmaan, the fourth.
24 The son of Oziel, Micha: the son of Micha, Samir.
25 The brother of Micha, Jesia: and the son of Jesia, Zacharias.
26 The sons of Merari: Moholi and Musi: the son of Oziau: Benno.
27 The son also of Merari: Oziau, and Soam, and Zacchur, and Hebri.
28 And the son of Moholi: Eleazar, who had no sons.
29 And the son of Cis, Jeramael.
30 The sons of Musi: Moholi, Eder, and Jerimoth.  These are the sons of Levi, according to the houses of their families.
31 And they also cast lots over-against their brethren, the sons of Aaron, before David, the king, and Sadoc, and Ahimelech, and the princes of the priestly and Levitical families, both the elder and the younger.  The lot divided all equally.
____________________
*
2:  Lev. x. 2.; Num. iii. 4.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 25
CHAPTER XXV.

The number and divisions of the musicians.

1 Moreover David, and the chief .officers of the army, separated for the ministry the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Idithun: to prophesy with harps, and with psalteries, and with cymbals, according to their number, serving in their appointed office.
2 Of the sons of Asaph: Zachur, and Joseph, and Nathania, and Asarela, sons of Asaph: under the hand of Asaph, prophesying near the king.
3 And of Idithun: the sons of Idithun, Godolias, Sori, Jeseias, and Hasabias, and Mathathias, six, under the hand of their father, Idithun, who prophesied with a harp to give thanks, and to praise the Lord.
4 Of Heman also: the sons of Heman, Bocciau, Mathaniau, Oziel, Subuel, and Jerimoth, Hananias, Hanani, Eliatha, Geddelthi, and Romemthiezer, and Jesbacassa, Mollothi, Othir, Mahazioth:
5 All these were the sons of Heman, the seer of the king, in the words of God, to lift up the horn: and God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.
6 All these, under their father's hand, were distributed to sing in the temple of the Lord, with cymbals, and psalteries and harps, for the service of the house of the Lord, near the king: to wit, Asaph, and Idithun, and Heman.
7 And the number of them, with their brethren, that taught the song of the Lord, all the teachers, were two hundred and eighty-eight.
8 And they cast lots by their courses, the elder equally with the younger, the learned and the unlearned together.
9 And the first lot came forth to Joseph, who was of Asaph.  The second to Godolias, to him and his sons, and his brethren, twelve.
10 The third to Zachur, to his sons, and his brethren, twelve.
11 11The fourth to Isari, to his sons, and his brethren, twelve.
12 The fifth to Nathania, to his sons, and his brethren, twelve.
13 The sixth to Bocciau, to his sons, and his brethren, twelve.
14 The seventh to Isreela, to his sons, and his brethren, twelve.
15 The eighth to Jesaia, to his sons, and his brethren, twelve.
16 The ninth to Mathanaias, to his sons, and his brethren, twelve.
17 The tenth to Semeias, to his sons, and his brethren, twelve.
18 The eleventh to Azareel, to his sons, and his brethren, twelve.
19 The twelfth to Hasabi, to his sons, and his brethren, twelve.
20 The thirteenth to Subael, to his sons, and his brethren, twelve.
21 The fourteenth to Mathathias, to his sons, and his brethren, twelve.
22 The fifteenth to Jerimoth, to his sons, and his brethren, twelve.
23 The sixteenth to Hananias, to his sons, and his brethren, twelve.
24 The seventeenth to Jesbacassa, to his sons, and his brethren, twelve.
25 The eighteenth to Hanani, to his sons, and his brethren, twelve.
26 The nineteenth to Mellothi, to his sons, and his brethren, twelve.
27 The twentieth to Eliatha, to his sons, and his brethren, twelve.
28 The one and twentieth to Othir, to his sons, and his brethren, twelve.
29 The two and twentieth to Geddelthi, to his sons, and his brethren, twelve.
30 The three and twentieth to Mahazioth, to his sons, and his brethren, twelve.
31 The four and twentieth to Romemthiezer, to his sons, and his brethren, twelve.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 26
CHAPTER XXVI.

The division of the porters.  Offices of other Levites.

1 And the divisions of the porters: of the Corites, Meselemia, the son of Core, of the sons of Asaph.
2 The sons of Meselemia: Zacharias, the first-born, Jadihel, the second, Zabadias, the third, Jathanael, the fourth.
3 Elam, the fifth, Johanan, the sixth, Elioenai, the seventh.
4 And the sons of Obededom, Semeias, the first-born, Jozabad, the second, Joaha, the third, Sachar, the fourth, Nathanael, the fifth.
5 Ammiel, the sixth, Issachar, the seventh, Phollathi, the eighth: for the Lord had blessed him.
6 And to Semei, his son, were born sons, heads of their families: for they were men of great valour.
7 The sons then of Semeias were, Othni, and Raphael, and Obed, Elizabad, and his brethren, most valiant men: and Eliu, and Samachias.
8 All these of the sons of Obededom: they, and their sons, and their brethren, most able men for service, sixty-two of Obededom.
9 And the sons of Meselemia, and their brethren, strong men, were eighteen.
10 And of Hosa, that is, of the sons of Merari: Semri, the chief, (for he had not a first-born, and therefore his father made him chief,)
11 Helcias, the second, Tabelias, the third, Zacharias, the fourth: all these the sons, and the brethren, of Hosa, were thirteen.
12 Among these were the divisions of the porters, so that the chiefs of the wards, as well as their brethren, always ministered in the house of the Lord.
13 And they cast lots equally, both little and great, by their families, for every one of the gates.
14 And the lot of the east fell to Selemias.  But to his son, Zacharias, a very wise and learned man, the north gate fell by lot.
15 And to Obededom, and his sons, that towards the south: in which part of the house was the council of the ancients.
16 To Sephim, and Hosa, towards the west, by the gate which leadeth to the way of the ascent: ward against ward.
17 Now towards the east were six Levites: and towards the north four a day: and towards the south, likewise, four a day: and where the council was, two and two.
18 In the cells also of the porters, toward the west, four in the way: and two at every cell.
19 These are the divisions of the porters, of the sons of Core, and of Merari.
20 Now Achias was over the treasures of the house of God, and the holy vessels.
21 The sons of Ledan, the sons of Gersonni: of Ledan were heads of the families, of Ledan, and Gersonni, Jehieli.
22 The sons of Jehieli: Zathan, and Joel, his brethren, over the treasures of the house of the Lord.
23 With the Amramites, and Isaarites, and Hebronites, and Ozielites.
24 And Subael, the son of Gersom, the son of Moses, was chief over the treasures.
25 His brethren also, Eliezer, whose son, Rohabia, and his son, Isaias, and his son, Joram, and his son, Zechri, and his son, Selemith.
26 Which Selemith, and his brethren, were over the treasures of the holy things, which king David, and the heads of families, and the captains over thousands, and over hundreds, and the captains of the host, had dedicated,
27 Out of the wars, and the spoils won in battles, which they had consecrated to the building and furniture of the temple of the Lord.
28 And all these things that Samuel, the seer, and Saul, the son of Cis, and Abner, the son of Ner, and Joab, the son of Sarvia, had sanctified: and whosoever had sanctified those things, they were under the hand of Selemith, and his brethren.
29 But Chonenias, and his sons, were over the Isaarites, for the business abroad over Israel, to teach them and judge them.
30 And of the Hebronites, Hasabias, and his brethren, most able men, a thousand seven hundred had the charge over Israel beyond the Jordan, westward, in all the works of the Lord, and for the service of the king.
31 And the chief of the Hebronites was Jeria, according to their families and kindreds.  In the fortieth year of the reign of David, they were numbered, and they were found most valiant men in Jazer Galaad,
32 And his brethren of stronger age, two thousand seven hundred, chiefs of families.  And king David made them rulers over the Rubenites and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasses, for all the service of God, and the king.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 27
CHAPTER XXVII.

The twelve captains for every month: the twelve princes of the tribes.  David's several officers.

1 Now the children of Israel, according to their number, the heads of families, captains of thousands and of hundreds, and officers, that served the king according to their companies, who came in and went out every month in the year, under every chief, were four and twenty thousand.
2 Over the first company, the first month, Jesboam, the son of Zabdiel, was chief, and under him were four and twenty thousand.
3 Of the sons of Phares, the chief of all the captains in the host, in the first month.
4 The company of the second month was under Dudia, an Ahohite, and after him was another named Macelloth, who commanded a part of the army of four and twenty thousand.
5 And the captain of the third company, for the third month, was Banaias, the son of Joiada, the priest: and in his division were four and twenty thousand.
6 This is that Banaias, the most valiant among the thirty, and above the thirty.  And Amizabad, his son, commanded his company.
7 The fourth, for the fourth month, was Asahel, the brother of Joab, and Zabadias, his son, after him: and in his company were four and twenty thousand.
8 The fifth captain, for the fifth month, was Samaoth, a Jezerite: and his company were four and twenty thousand.
9 The sixth, for the sixth month, was Hira, the son of Acces a Thecuite: and in his company were four and twenty thousand.
10 The seventh, for the seventh month, was Helles, a Phallonite, of the sons of Ephraim: and in his company were four and twenty thousand.
11 The eighth, for the eighth month, was Sobochai, a Husathite, of the race of Zarahi: and in his company were four and twenty thousand.
12 The ninth, for the ninth month, was Abiezer, an Anathothite, of the sons of Jemini, and in his company were four and twenty thousand.
13 The tenth, for the tenth month, was Marai, who was a Netophathite, of the race of Zarai: and in his company were four and twenty thousand.
14 The eleventh, for the eleventh month, was Banaias, a Pharathonite, of the sons of Ephraim: and in his company were four and twenty thousand.
15 The twelfth, for the twelfth month, was Holdai, a Netophathite, of the race of Gothoniel: and in his company were four and twenty thousand.
16 Now the chiefs over the tribes of Israel were these: over the Rubenites, Eliezer, the son of Zechri, was ruler: over the Simeonites, Saphatias, the son of Maacha:
17 Over the Levites, Hasabias, the son of Camuel: over the Aaronites, Sadoc:
18 Over Juda, Eliu, the brother of David: over Issachar, Amri, the son of Michael:
19 Over the Zabulonites, Jesmaias, the son of Adias: over the Nephthalites, Jerimoth, the son of Ozriel:
20 Over the sons of Ephraim: Osee, the son of Ozaziu: over the half tribe of Manasses, Joel, the son of Phadaia:
21 And over the half tribe of Manasses in Galaad, Jaddo, the son of Zacharias: and over Benjamin, Jasiel, the son of Abner.
22 And over Dan, Ezrihel, the son of Jeroham: these were the princes of the children of Israel.
23 But David would not number them from twenty years old and under: because the Lord had said that he would multiply Israel like the stars of heaven.
24 *Joab, the son of Sarvia, began to number, but he finished not: because upon this there fell wrath upon Israel: and therefore the number of them that were numbered, was not registered in the chronicles of king David.
25 And over the king's treasures was Azmoth, the son of Adiel: and over those stores, which were in the cities, and in the villages, and in the castles, was Jonathan the son of Ozias.
26 And over the tillage, and the husbandmen, who tilled the ground, was Ezri, the son of Chelub:
27 And over the dressers of the vineyards, was Semeias, a Romathite: and over the wine-cellars, Zabdias, an Aphonite.
28 And over the olive-yards and the fig-groves, which were in the plains, was Balanam, a Gederite: and over the oil-cellars, Joas:
29 And over the herds that fed in Saron, was Setrai, a Saronite: and over the oxen in the valleys, Saphat, the son of Adli:
30 And over the camels, Ubil, an Ishmahelite: and over the asses, Jadias, a Meronathite:
31 And over the sheep, Jaziz, an Agarene.  All these were the rulers of the substance of king David.
32 And Jonathan, David's uncle, a counsellor, a wise and learned man: he and Jahiel, the son of Hachamoni, were with the king's sons.
33 And Achitophel was the king's counsellor, and Chusai, the Arachite, the king's friend.
34 And after Achitophel was Joiada, the son of Banaias, and Abiathar.  And the general of the king's army was Joab.
____________________
*
24:  Supra xxi. 2.; A.M. 2987, A.C. 1017.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 28
CHAPTER XXVIII.

David's speech, in a solemn assembly: his exhortation to Solomon.  He giveth him a pattern of the temple.

1 And *David assembled all the chief men of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies, who waited on the king: and the captains over thousands, and over hundreds, and them who had the charge over the substance and possessions of the king, and his sons, with the officers of the court, and the men of power, and all the bravest of the army at Jerusalem.
2 And the king rising up, and standing said: Hear me, my brethren, and my people: I had a thought to have built a house, in which the ark of the Lord, and the footstool of our God, might rest: and I prepared all things for the building.
3 And God said to me: *Thou shalt not build a house to my name: because thou art a man of war, and hast shed blood.
4 But the Lord God of Israel chose me of all the house of my father, to be king over Israel, for ever: for of Juda, he chose the princes: and of the house of Juda, my father's house: and among the sons of my father, it pleased him to choose me king over all Israel.
5 *And among my sons (for the Lord hath given me many sons) he hath chosen Solomon, my son, to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord, over Israel.
6 And he said to me: Solomon, thy son, shall build my house, and my courts: for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be a father to him.
7 And I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he continue to keep my commandments, and my judgments, as at this day.
8 Now then, before all the assembly of Israel, in the hearing of our God, keep ye, and seek all the commandments of the Lord, our God: that you may possess the good land, and may leave it to your children after you, for ever.
9 And thou, my son, Solomon, know the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart, and a willing mind: *for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the thoughts of minds.  If thou seek him, thou shalt find him: but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
10 Now, therefore, seeing the Lord hath chosen thee to build the house of the sanctuary, take courage, and do it.
11 And David gave to Solomon, his son, a description of the porch, and of the temple, and of the treasures, and of the upper floor, and of the inner chambers, and of the house, for the mercy-seat,
12 As also of all the courts, which he had in his thought, and of the chambers round about, for the treasures of the house of the Lord, and for the treasures of the consecrated things,
13 And of the divisions of the priests, and of the Levites, for all the works of the house of the Lord, and for all the vessels of the service of the temple of the Lord.
14 Gold by weight for every vessel for the ministry.  And silver by weight according to the diversity of the vessels and uses.
15 He gave also gold for the golden candlesticks, and their lamps, according to the dimensions of every candlestick, and the lamps thereof.  In like manner also, he gave silver by weight for the silver candlesticks, and for their lamps, according to the diversity of the dimensions of them.
16 He gave also gold for the tables of proposition, according to the diversity of the tables: in like manner also silver for other tables of silver.
17 For flesh-hooks also, and bowls, and censers of fine gold, and for little lions of gold, according to the measure he gave by weight, for every lion.  In like manner also, for lions of silver he set aside a different weight of silver.
18 And for the altar of incense, he gave the purest gold: and to make the likeness of the chariot of the Cherubims, spreading their wings, and covering the ark of the covenant of the Lord.
19 All these things, said he, came to me written by the hand of the Lord: that I might understand all the works of the pattern.
20 And David said to Solomon, his son: Act like a man, and take courage, and do: fear not, and be not dismayed: for the Lord, my God, will be with thee, and will not leave thee, nor forsake thee, till thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.
21 Behold the courses of the priests and the Levites, for every ministry of the house of the Lord, stand by thee, and are ready, and both the princes, and the people know how to execute all thy commandments.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2989, A.C. 1015.
3:  2 Kings vii. 13.
5:  Supra ix. 7.
9:  Psal. vii. 20.
====================

1 PARALIPOMENON 29
CHAPTER XXIX.

David, by word and example, encourageth the princes to contribute liberally to the building of the temple.  His thanksgiving, prayer, and sacrifices: his death.

1 And *king David said to all the assembly: Solomon, my son, whom alone God hath chosen, is as yet young and tender: and the work is great, for a house is prepared not for man, but for God.
2 And I, with all my ability, have prepared the expenses for the house of my God.  Gold for vessels of gold, and silver for vessels of silver, brass for things of brass, iron for things of iron, wood for things of wood; and onyx-stones, and stones like alabaster, and of divers colours, and all manner of precious stones, and marble of Paros in great abundance:
3 Now over and above the things which I have offered into the house of my God, I give of my own proper goods, gold and silver for the temple of my God, beside what things I have prepared for the holy house.
4 Three thousand talents of gold of the gold of Ophir: and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the temple.
5 And gold for wheresoever there is need of gold; and silver for wheresoever there is need of silver, for the works to be made by the hands of the artificers: now if any man is willing to offer, let him fill his hand to-day, and offer what he pleaseth to the Lord.
6 Then the heads of the families, and the princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands, and of hundreds, and the overseers of the king's possessions, promised.
7 And they gave for the works of the house of the Lord, of gold, five thousand talents, and ten thousand solids; of silver, ten thousand talents; and of brass, eighteen thousand talents; and of iron, a hundred thousand talents.
8 And all they that had stones, gave them to the treasures of the house of the Lord, by the hand of Jahiel, the Gersonite.
9 And the people rejoiced, when they promised their offerings willingly: because they offered them to the Lord with all their heart: and David, the king, rejoiced also with a great joy.
10 And he blessed the Lord before all the multitude, and he said: Blessed art thou, O Lord, the God of Israel, our father, from eternity to eternity.
11 Thine, O Lord, is magnificence, and power, and glory, and victory: and to thee is praise: for all that is in heaven, and in earth is thine: thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art above all princes.
12 Thine are riches, and thine is glory, thou hast dominion over all, in thy hand is power and might; in thy hand greatness, and the empire of all things.
13 Now, therefore, our God, we give thanks to thee, and we praise thy glorious name.
14 Who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to promise thee all these things? all things are thine: and we have given thee what we received of thy hand.
15 For we are sojourners before thee, and strangers, as were all our fathers.  *Our days upon earth are as a shadow, and there is no stay.
16 O Lord, our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee a house for thy holy name, is from thy hand, and all things are thine.
17 I know, my God, that thou provest hearts, and lovest simplicity; wherefore I also, in the simplicity of my heart, have joyfully offered all these things: and I have seen, with great joy, thy people which are here present, offer thee their offerings.
18 O Lord, God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep for ever this will of their heart, and let this mind remain always for the worship of thee.
19 And give to Solomon, my son, a perfect heart, that he may keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy ceremonies, and do all things: and build the house, for which I have provided the charges.
20 And David commanded all the assembly: Bless ye the Lord, our God.  And all the assembly blessed the Lord, the God of their fathers: and they bowed themselves, and worshipped God, and then the king.
21 And they sacrificed victims to the Lord: and they offered holocausts the next day, a thousand bullocks, a thousand rams, a thousand lambs, with their libations, and with every thing prescribed, most abundantly for all Israel.
22 And they ate, and drank before the Lord that day with great joy.  *And they anointed the second time Solomon, the son of David.  And they anointed him to the Lord to be prince, and Sadoc to be high priest.
23 And Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king, instead of David, his father, and he pleased all: and all Israel obeyed him.
24 And all the princes, and men of power, and all the sons of king David gave their hand, and were subject to Solomon, the king.
25 And the Lord magnified Solomon over all Israel: and gave him the glory of a reign, such as no king of Israel had before him.
26 So David, the son of Isai, reigned over all Israel.
27 *And the days that he reigned over Israel, were forty years: in Hebron he reigned seven years, and in Jerusalem three and thirty years.
28 *And he died in a good age, full of days, and riches and glory.  And Solomon, his son, reigned in his stead.
29 Now the acts of king David, first and last, are written in the book of Samuel, the seer, and in the book of Nathan, the prophet, and in the book of Gad, the seer;
30 And of all his reign, and his valour, and of the times that passed under him, either in Israel, or in all the kingdoms of the countries.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2989, A.C. 1015.
15:  Wisd. ii. 5.
22:  3 Kings i. 34.
27:  3 Kings ii. 11.
28:  A.M. 2990, A.C. 1014.
====================
====================


2 PARALIPOMENON
THE SECOND BOOK OF PARALIPOMENON.

2 PARALIPOMENON 1
CHAPTER I.

Solomon offereth sacrifices at Gabaon.  His choice of wisdom, which God giveth him.

1 And *Solomon, the son of David, was strengthened in his kingdom, and the Lord, his God, was with him, and magnified him to a high degree.
2 And Solomon gave orders to all Israel, to the captains of thousands, and of hundreds, and to the rulers, and to the judges of all Israel, and the heads of the families:
3 And he went with all the multitude to the high place of Gabaon, where was the tabernacle of the covenant of the Lord, which Moses, the servant of God, made in the wilderness.
4 *For David had brought the ark of God from Cariathiarim to the place which he had prepared for it, and where he had pitched a tabernacle for it; that is, in Jerusalem.
5 And the altar of brass, *which Beseleel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, was there before the tabernacle of the Lord: and Solomon and all the assembly sought it.
6 And Solomon went up thither to the brazen altar, before the tabernacle of the covenant of the Lord, and offered upon it a thousand victims.
7 And behold that night God appeared to him, saying: Ask what thou wilt, that I should give thee.
8 And Solomon said to God: Thou hast shewn great kindness to my father, David: and hast made me king in his stead.
9 Now, therefore, O Lord God, let thy word be fulfilled, which thou hast promised to David, my father: for thou hast made me king over thy great people, which is as innumerable as the dust of the earth.
10 *Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may come in and go out before thy people: for who can worthily judge this thy people, which is so great?
11 And God said to Solomon: Because this choice hath pleased thy heart, and thou hast not asked riches, and wealth, and glory, nor the lives of them that hate thee, nor many days of life: but hast asked wisdom and knowledge, to be able to judge my people, over which I have made thee king.
12 Wisdom and knowledge are granted to thee: and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and glory, so that none of the kings before thee, nor after thee, shall be like thee.
13 Then Solomon came from the high place of Gabaon to Jerusalem, before the tabernacle of the covenant, and reigned over Israel.
14 *And he gathered to himself chariots and horsemen, and he had a thousand four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen: and he placed them in the cities of the chariots, and with the king, in Jerusalem.
15 And the king made silver and gold to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar-trees as sycamores, which grow in the plains in great multitude.
16 And there were horses brought him from Egypt, and from Coa, by the king's merchants, who went, and bought at a price,
17 A chariot of four horses for six hundred pieces of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty: in like manner market was made in all the kingdoms of the Hethites, and of the kings of Syria.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2990, A.C. 1014.; 3 Kings iii. 1.
4:  2 Kings vi. 17.; 1 Par. xvi. 1.
5:  Exod. xxxviii. 8.
10:  Wisd. ix. 10.
14:  3 Kings x. 26.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 2
CHAPTER II.

Solomon's embassage to Hiram, who sends him a skilful workman and timber.

1 And Solomon determined to build a house to the name of the Lord, and a palace for himself.
2 And he numbered out seventy thousand men to bear burdens, and eighty thousand to hew stones in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred to oversee them.
3 *He sent also to Hiram, king of Tyre, saying: As thou didst with David, my father, and didst send him cedars, to build him a house, in which he dwelt:
4 So do with me, that I may build a house to the name of the Lord, my God, to dedicate it to burn incense before him, and to perfume with aromatical spices, and for the continual setting forth of bread, and for the holocausts, morning and evening, and on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and the solemnities of the Lord, our God, for ever, which are commanded for Israel.
5 For the house which I desire to build, is great: for our God is great above all gods.
6 Who then can be able to build him a worthy house? if heaven, and the heavens of heavens cannot contain him: who am I, that I should be able to build him a house? but to this end only, that incense may be burnt before him.
7 Send me, therefore, a skilful man, that knoweth how to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, and in iron, in purple, in scarlet, and in blue, and that hath skill in engraving, with the artificers, which I have with me in Judea and Jerusalem, whom David, my father provided.
8 Send me also cedars, and fir-trees, and pine-trees from Libanus: for I know that thy servants are skilful in cutting timber in Libanus, and my servants shall be with thy servants,
9 To provide me timber in abundance.  For the house which I desire to build, is to be exceeding great, and glorious.
10 And I will give thy servants, the workmen that are to cut down the trees, for their food twenty thousand cores of wheat, and as many cores of barley, and twenty thousand measures of wine, and twenty thousand measures of oil.
11 And Hiram, king of Tyre, sent a letter to Solomon, saying: Because the Lord hath loved his people, therefore he hath made thee king over them.
12 And he added, saying: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who hath given to king David a wise and knowing son, endued with understanding and prudence, to build a house to the Lord, and a palace for himself.
13 I therefore have sent thee my father, Hiram, a wise and most skilful man,
14 The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, whose father was a Tyrian, who knoweth how to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, and in iron, and in marble, and in timber, in purple also, and violet, and silk, and scarlet: and who knoweth to grave all sort of graving, and to devise ingeniously all that there may be need of in the work with thy artificers, and with the artificers of my lord, David, thy father.
15 The wheat, therefore, and the barley and the oil, and the wine, which thou, my lord, hast promised, send to thy servants.
16 And we will cut down as many trees out of Libanus, as thou shalt want, and will convey them in floats by sea to Joppe: and it will be thy part to bring them thence to Jerusalem.
17 And Solomon numbered all the proselytes in the land of Israel, after the numbering which David, his father, had made; and they were found a hundred and fifty-three thousand and six hundred.
18 And he set seventy thousand of them to carry burdens on their shoulders, and eighty thousand to hew stones in the mountains: and three thousand and six hundred to be overseers of the work of the people.
____________________
*
3:  3 Kings v. 2.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 3
CHAPTER III.

The plan and ornaments of the temple: the cheruubims, the veil, and the pillars.

1 And *Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, in Mount Moria, which had been shewn to David, his father, in the place which David had prepared in the **threshing-floor of Ornan, the Jebusite.
2 And he began to build in the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.*
3 Now these are the foundations, which Solomon laid, to build the house of God, the length by the first measure sixty cubits, the breadth twenty cubits.
4 And the porch in the front, which was extended in length according to the measure of the breadth of the house, twenty cubits: and the height was a hundred and twenty cubits: and he overlaid it within with pure gold.
5 And the greater house he ceiled with deal boards, and overlaid them with plates of fine gold throughout: and he graved in them palm trees, and like little chains interlaced with one another.
6 He paved also the floor of the temple with most precious marble, of great beauty.
7 And the gold of the plates with which he overlaid the house, and the beams thereof, and the posts, and the walls, and the doors, was of the finest: and he graved cherubims on the walls.
8 He made also the house of the holy of holies: the length of it, according to the breadth of the temple, twenty cubits, and the breadth of it in like manner twenty cubits; and he overlaid it with plates of gold, amounting to about six hundred talents.
9 He made also nails of gold, and the weight of every nail was fifty sicles: the upper chambers also he overlaid with gold.
10 He made also in the house of the holy of holies two cherubims of image-work: and he overlaid them with gold.
11 The wings of the cherubims were extended twenty cubits, so that one wing was five cubits long, and reached to the wall of the house: and the other was also five cubits long, and reached to the wing of the other cherub.
12 In like manner the wing of the other cherub, was five cubits long, and reached to the wall: and his other wing was five cubits long, and touched the wing of the other cherub.
13 So the wings of the two cherubims were spread forth, and were extended twenty cubits: and they stood upright on their feet, and their faces were turned toward the house without.
14 *He made also a veil of violet, purple, scarlet, and silk: and wrought in it cherubims.
15 *He made also before the doors of the temple two pillars, which were five and thirty cubits high: and their chapiters were five cubits.
16 He made also as it were little chains in the oracle, and he put them on the heads of the pillars: and an hundred pomegranates, which he put between the little chains.
17 These pillars he put at the entrance of the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left: that which was on the right hand, he called Jachin: and that on the left hand, Booz.
____________________
*
1:  3 Kings vi. 1. --- ** 2 Kings xxiv. 25.; 1 Par. xxi. 26.
2:  A.M. 2992.
14:  Matt. xxvii. 51.
15:  Jer. lii. 20.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 4
CHAPTER IV.

The altar of brass: the molten sea upon the twelve oxen: the ten loaves: the candlestick, and other vessels and ornaments of the temple.

1 He made also an altar of brass, twenty cubits long, and twenty cubits broad, and ten cubits high.
2 *Also a molten sea, of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass: it was five cubits high, and a line of thirty cubits compassed it round about.
3 And under it there was the likeness of oxen, and certain engravings on the outside of ten cubits, compassed the belly of the sea, as it were with two rows.
4 And the oxen were cast, and the sea itself was set upon the twelve oxen, three of which looked towards the north, and other three towards the west, and other three towards the south, and the other three that remained toward, the east, and the sea stood upon them: and the hinder parts of the oxen were inward under the sea.
5 Now the thickness of it was a handbreadth, and the brim of it was like the brim of a cup, or of a crisped lily: and it held three thousand measures.
6 He made also ten lavers, and he set five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them all such things, as they were to offer for holocausts: but the sea was for the priests to wash in.
7 And he made ten golden candlesticks, according to the form which they were commanded to be made by: and he set them in the temple, five on the right hand, and five on the left.
8 Moreover also ten tables: and he set them in the temple, five on the right side, and five on the left.  Also a hundred bowls of gold.
9 He made also the court of the priests, and a great hall, and doors in the hall, which he covered with brass.
10 And he set the sea on the right side, over-against the east, towards the south.
11 And Hiram made cauldrons, and flesh-hooks, and bowls, and finished all the king's work in the house of God;
12 That is to say, the two pillars, and the pommels, and the chapiters, and the net-work to cover the chapiters over the pommels.
13 And four hundred pomegranates, and two wreaths of net-work, so that two rows of pomegranates were joined to each wreath, to cover the pommels and the chapiters of the pillars.
14 He made also bases and lavers, which he set upon the bases:
15 One sea, and twelve oxen under the sea;
16 And the cauldrons, and flesh-hooks, and bowls.  All the vessels did Hiram, his father, make for Solomon, in the house of the Lord, of the finest brass.
17 In the country near the Jordan, did the king cast them, in a clay ground between Sochot and Saredatha.
18 And the multitude of vessels was innumerable, so that the weight of the brass was not known.
19 And Solomon made all the vessels for the house of God, and the golden altar, and the tables, upon which were the loaves of proposition.
20 The candlesticks also of most pure gold, with their lamps, to give light before the oracle, according to the manner.
21 And certain flowers, and lamps, and golden tongs: all were made of the finest gold.
22 The vessels also for the perfumes, and the censers, and the bowls, and the mortars, of pure gold.  And he graved the doors of the inner temple, that is, for the holy of holies: and the doors of the temple without were of gold.  And thus all the work was finished, which Solomon made, in the house of the Lord.
____________________
*
2:  3 Kings vii. 23.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 5
CHAPTER V.

The ark is brought with great solemnity into the temple: the temple is filled with the glory of God.

1 Then *Solomon brought in all the things that David, his father, had vowed, the silver, and the gold, and all the vessels he put among the treasures of the house of God.
2 *And after this he gathered together the ancients of Israel, and all the princes of the tribes, and the heads of the families of the children of Israel, to Jerusalem, to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Sion.
3 And all the men of Israel came to the king in the solemn day of the seventh month.
4 And when all the ancients of Israel were come, the Levites took up the ark,
5 And brought it in, together with all the furniture of the tabernacle.  And the priests with the Levites carried the vessels of the sanctuary, which were in the tabernacle.
6 And king Solomon, and all the assembly of Israel, and all that were gathered together before the ark, sacrificed rams, and oxen without number: so great was the multitude of the victims.
7 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord into its place, that is, to the oracle of the temple, into the holy of holies under the wings of the cherubims:
8 So that the cherubims spread their wings over the place, in which the ark was set, and covered the ark itself and its staves.
9 Now the ends of the staves wherewith the ark was carried, because they were something longer, were seen before the oracle: but if a man were a little outward, he could not see them.  So the ark has been there unto this day.
10 And there was nothing else in the ark but the two tables which Moses put there at Horeb when the Lord gave the law to the children of Israel, at their coming out of Egypt.
11 Now when the priests were come out of the sanctuary, (for all the priests that could be found there, were sanctified: and as yet at that time the courses and orders of the ministers were not divided among them,)
12 Both the Levites and the singing men, that is, both they that were under Asaph, and they that were under Heman, and they that were under Idithun, with their sons, and their brethren, clothed with fine linen, sounded with cymbals, and psalteries, and harps, standing on the east side of the altar, and with them a hundred and twenty priests, sounding with trumpets.
13 So when they all sounded together, both with trumpets, and voice, and cymbals, and organs, and with divers kind of musical instruments, and lifted up their voice on high: the sound was heard afar off, so that when they began to praise the Lord, and to say: Give glory to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever: the house of God was filled with a cloud.
14 Nor could the priests stand and minister by reason of the cloud.  For the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God.
____________________
*
1:  3 Kings vii. 51.
2:  3 Kings viii. 1.; A.M. 3001, A.C. 1003.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 6
CHAPTER VI.

Solomon's blessing and prayer.

1 Then *Solomon said: The Lord promised that he would dwell in a cloud.
2 But I have built a house to his name, that he might dwell there for ever.
3 And the king turned his face, and blessed all the multitude of Israel, (for all the multitude stood attentive) and he said:
4 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who hath accomplished in deed that which he spoke to David, my father, saying:
5 From the day that I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel, for a house to be built in it to my name: neither chose I any other man, to be the ruler of my people, Israel.
6 But I chose Jerusalem, that my name might be there: and I chose David, to set him over my people, Israel.
7 And whereas David, my father, had a mind to build a house to the name of the Lord, the God of Israel,
8 The Lord said to him: Forasmuch as it was thy will to build a house to my name, thou hast done well indeed in having such a will:
9 But thou shalt not build the house, but thy son, who shall come out of thy loins, he shall build a house to my name.
10 The Lord, therefore, hath accomplished his word which he spoke: and I am risen up in the place of David, my father, and sit upon the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised: and have built a house to the name of the Lord God of Israel.
11 And I have put in it the ark, wherein is the covenant of the Lord, which he made with the children of Israel.
12 And he stood before the altar of the Lord, in presence of all the multitude of Israel, and stretched forth his hands.
13 For Solomon had made a brazen scaffold, and had set it in the midst of the temple, which was five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high: and he stood upon it: then kneeling down in the presence of all the multitude of Israel, and lifting up his hands towards heaven,
14 *He said: O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in heaven nor in earth: who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts:
15 Who hast performed to thy servant David, my father, all that thou hast promised him: and hast accomplished in fact, what thou hast spoken with the mouth, as also the present time proveth.
16 Now then, O Lord God of Israel, fulfil to thy servant, David, my father, whatsoever thou hast promised him, saying: There shall not fail thee a man in my sight, to sit upon the throne of Israel: yet so that thy children take heed to their ways, and walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me.
17 And now, Lord God of Israel, let thy word be established which thou hast spoken to thy servant, David.
18 Is it credible then that God should dwell with men on the earth?  If heaven and the heavens of heavens do not contain thee, how much less this house, which I have built?
19 But to this end only it is made, that thou mayest regard the prayer of thy servant, and his supplication, O Lord, my God: and mayest hear the prayers which thy servant poureth out before thee.
20 That thou mayest open thy eyes upon this house day and night, upon the place wherein thou hast promised that thy name should be called upon,
21 And that thou wouldst hear the prayer which thy servant prayeth in it: hearken then to the prayers of thy servant, and of thy people, Israel.  Whosoever shall pray in this place, hear thou from thy dwelling-place, that is, from heaven, and shew mercy.
22 If any man sin against his neighbour, and come to swear against him, and bind himself with a curse before the altar in this house:
23 Then hear thou from heaven, and do justice to thy servants, so as to requite the wicked by making his wickedness fall upon his own head, and to revenge the just, rewarding him according to his justice.
24 If thy people, Israel, be overcome by their enemies, (for they will sin against thee) and being converted shall do penance, and call upon thy name, and pray to thee in this place,
25 Then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people, Israel, and bring them back into the land, which thou gavest  them, and their fathers.
26 If the heavens be shut up, and there fall no rain by reason of the sins of the people, and they shall pray to thee in this place, and confess to thy name, and be converted from their sins, when thou dost afflict them,
27 Then hear thou from heaven, O Lord, and forgive the sins of thy servants and of thy people, Israel, and teach them the good way, in which they may walk: and give rain to thy land which thou hast given to thy people to possess.
28 *If a famine arise in the land, or a pestilence or blasting, or mildew, or locusts, or caterpillars; or if their enemies waste the country, and besiege the cities; whatsoever scourge or infirmity shall be upon them:
29 Then if any of thy people, Israel, knowing his own scourge and infirmity, shall pray, and shall spread forth his hands in this house,
30 Hear thou from heaven, from thy high dwelling-place, and forgive, and render to every one according to his ways, which thou knowest him to have in his heart: (for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men:)
31 That they may fear thee, and walk in thy ways all the days that they live upon the face of the land which thou hast given to our fathers.
32 If the stranger also, who is not of thy people, Israel, come from a far country, for the sake of thy great name, and thy strong hand, and thy stretched out arm, and adore in this place:
33 Hear thou from heaven, thy firm dwelling-place, and do all that which that stranger shall call upon thee for: that all the people of the earth may know thy name, and may fear thee, as thy people, Israel, and may know, that thy name is invoked upon this house, which I have built.
34 If thy people go out to war against their enemies, by the way that thou shalt send them, and adore thee towards the way of this city, which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built to thy name;
35 Then hear thou from heaven their prayers, and their supplications, and revenge them.
36 And if they sin against thee, *(for there is no man that sinneth not) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them up to their enemies, and they lead them away captive to a land either afar off, or near at hand,
37 And if they be converted in their heart in the land to which they were led captive, and do penance, and pray to thee in the land of their captivity, saying: We have sinned, we have done wickedly, we have dealt unjustly:
38 And return to thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their captivity, to which they were led away, and adore thee towards the way of their own land, which thou gavest their fathers, and of the city, which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built to thy name:
39 Then hear thou from heaven, that is, from thy firm dwelling-place, their prayers, and do judgment, and forgive thy people, although they have sinned:
40 For thou art my God: let thy eyes, I beseech thee, be open, and let thy ears be attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.
41 *Now, therefore, arise, O Lord God, into thy resting-place, thou and the ark of thy strength: Let thy priests, O Lord God, put on salvation, and thy saints rejoice in good things.
42 O Lord God, turn not away the face of thy anointed: remember the mercies of David, thy servant.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3001.; 3 Kings viii. 12.
14:  2 Mac. ii. 8.
28:  Infra xx. 9.
36:  3 Kings viii. 46.; Eccl. vii. 21.; 1 John i. 8.
41:  Psalm cxxxi. 8.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 7
CHAPTER VII.

Fire from heaven consumeth the sacrifices.  The solemnity of the dedication of the temple.  God signifieth his having heard Solomon's prayer: yet so if he continue to serve him.

1 And *when Solomon had made an end of his prayer, fire came down from heaven, and consumed the holocausts and the victims: and the majesty of the Lord filled the house.
2 *Neither could the priests enter into the temple of the Lord, because the majesty of the Lord had filled the temple of the Lord.
3 Moreover, all the children of Israel saw the fire coming down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house: and falling down with their faces to the ground, upon the stone pavement, they adored and praised the Lord: because he is good, because his mercy endureth for ever.
4 And the king and all the people sacrificed victims before the Lord.
5 *And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand oxen, and one hundred and twenty thousand rams: and the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.
6 And the priests stood in their offices: and the Levites with the instruments of music of the Lord, which king David made to praise the Lord: because his mercy endureth for ever, singing the hymns of David by their ministry: and the priests sounded with trumpets before them, and all Israel stood.
7 Solomon also sanctified the middle of the court before the temple of the Lord: for he offered there the holocausts, and the fat of the peace-offerings: because the brazen altar, which he had made, could not hold the holocausts, and the sacrifices and the fat:
8 And Solomon kept the solemnity at that time seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entrance of Emath to the torrent of Egypt.
9 And he made on the eighth day a solemn assembly, because he had kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and had celebrated the solemnity seven days.
10 So on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent away the people to their dwellings, joyful and glad for the good that the Lord had done to David, and to Solomon, and to all Israel, his people.
11 *And Solomon finished the house of the Lord, and the king's house, and all that he had designed in his heart to do, in the house of the Lord, and in his own house, and he prospered.
12 And the Lord appeared to him by night, and said: I have heard thy prayer, and I have chosen this place to myself for a house of sacrifice.
13 If I shut up heaven, and there fall no rain, or if I give orders, and command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people:
14 And my people, upon whom my name is called, being converted, shall make supplication to me, and seek out my face, and do penance for their most wicked ways: then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins, and will heal their land.
15 My eyes also shall be open, and my ears attentive to the prayer of him that shall pray in this place.
16 For I have chosen, and have sanctified this place, that my name may be there for ever, and my eyes and my heart may remain there perpetually.
17 And as for thee, if thou walk before me, as David, thy father, walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and keep my justices and my judgments:
18 I will raise up the throne of thy kingdom, as I promised to David, thy father, saying: There shall not fail thee a man of thy stock to be ruler in Israel.
19 But if you turn away, and forsake my justices, and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve strange gods, and adore them,
20 I will pluck you up by the root out of my land which I have given you: and this house, which I have sanctified to my name, I will cast away from before my face, and will make it a bye-word, and an example among all nations.
21 And this house shall be for a proverb to all that pass by, and they shall be astonished and say: Why hath the Lord done thus to this land, and to this house?
22 And they shall answer: Because they forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on strange gods, and adored them, and worshipped them: therefore all these evils are come upon them.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3001.
2:  2 Mac. ii. 8.
5:  3 Kings viii. 63.
11:  3 Kings ix. 1.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 8
CHAPTER VIII.

Solomon's buildings and other acts.

1 And *at the end of twenty years after Solomon had built the house of the Lord, and his own house:
2 He built the cities which Hiram had given to Solomon, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.
3 He went also into Emath Suba, and possessed it.
4 And he built Palmira, in the desert, and he built other strong cities in Emath.
5 And he built Bethhoron the upper, and Bethhoron the nether, walled cities, with gates, and bars, and locks.
6 Balaath also, and all the strong cities that were Solomon's, and all the cities of the chariots, and the cities of the horsemen.  All that Solomon had a mind, and designed, he built in Jerusalem, and in Libanus, and in all the land of his dominion.
7 All the people that were left of the Hethites, and the Amorrhites, and the Pherezites, and the Hevites, and the Jebusites, that were not of the stock of Israel:
8 Of their children, and of the posterity, whom the children of Israel had not slain, Solomon made to be the tributaries, unto this day.
9 But of the children of Israel he set none to serve in the king's works: for they were men of war, and chief captains, and rulers of his chariots and horsemen.
10 And all the chief captains of king Solomon's army were two hundred and fifty, who taught the people.
11 And he removed the daughter of Pharao from the city of* David, to the house which he had built for her.  For the king said: My wife shall not dwell in the house of David, king of Israel: for it is sanctified: because the ark of the Lord came into it.
12 Then Solomon offered holocausts to the Lord upon the altar of the Lord, which he had built before the porch,
13 That every day an offering might be made on it, according to the ordinance of Moses, in the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the festival days three times a year, that is to say, in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.
14 And he appointed, according to the order of David, his father, the offices of the priests in their ministries: and the Levites in their order, to give praise, and minister before the priests, according to the duty of every day: and the porters, in their divisions, by gate and gate: for so David, the man of God, had commanded.
15 And the priests and Levites departed not from the king's commandments, as to any thing that he had commanded, and as to the keeping of the treasures.
16 Solomon had all charges prepared, from the day that he founded the house of the Lord, until the day wherein he finished it.
17 Then Solomon went to Asiongaber, and to Ailath, on the coast of the Red Sea, which is in the land of Edom.
18 And Hiram sent him ships by the hands of his servants, and skilful mariners; and they went with Solomon's servants to Ophir, and they took thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought it to king Solomon.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3012, A.C. 992.; 3 Kings ix. 10.
11:  3 Kings iii. 1.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 9
CHAPTER IX.

The queen of Saba admireth the wisdom of Solomon.  His riches and glory.  His death.

1 And *when the queen of Saba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to try him with hard questions, at Jerusalem, with great riches and camels, which carried spices, and abundance of gold, and precious stones.  And when she was come to Solomon, she proposed to him all that was in her heart.
2 And Solomon explained to her all that she proposed: and there was not any thing that he did not make clear unto her.
3 And when she had seen these things, to wit, the wisdom of Solomon, and the house which he had built,
4 And the meats of his table, and the dwelling-places of his servants, and the attendance of his officers, and their apparel, his cup-bearers also, and their garments, and the victims which he offered in the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her, she was so astonished.
5 And she said to the king: The word is true which I heard in my country, of thy virtues and wisdom.
6 I did not believe them that told it, until I came, and my eyes had seen, and I had proved that scarce one half of thy wisdom had been told me: thou hast exceeded the fame with thy virtues.
7 Happy are thy men, and happy are thy servants, who stand always before thee, and hear thy wisdom.
8 Blessed be the Lord, thy God, who hath been pleased to set thee on his throne, king of the Lord, thy God.  Because God loveth Israel, and will preserve them for ever: therefore hath he made thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.
9 And she gave to the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices in great abundance, and most precious stones: there were no such spices as these which the queen of Saba gave to king Solomon.
10 And the servants also of Hiram, with the servants of Solomon, brought gold from Ophir, and thyine-trees, and most precious stones:
11 And the king made of the thyine-trees stairs in the house of the Lord, and in the king's house, and harps and psalteries for the singing men: never were there seen such trees in the land of Juda.
12 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Saba all that she desired, and that she asked, and many more things than she brought to him: so she returned, and went to her own country, with her servants.
13 And the weight of the gold that was brought to Solomon every year, was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold:
14 Beside the sum which the deputies of divers nations, and the merchants were accustomed to bring, and all the kings of Arabia, and the lords of the lands, who brought gold and silver to Solomon.
15 And king Solomon made two hundred golden spears, of the sum of six hundred pieces of gold, which went to every spear:
16 And three hundred golden shields, of three hundred pieces of gold, which went to the covering of every shield: and the king put them in the armoury, which was compassed with a wood.
17 The king also made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
18 And six steps to go up to the throne, and a footstool of gold, and two arms, one on either side, and two lions standing by the arms:
19 Moreover twelve other little lions standing upon the steps on both sides: there was not such a throne in any kingdom.
20 And all the vessels of the king's table were of gold, and the vessels of the house of the forest of Libanus, were of the purest gold.  For no account was made of silver in those days.
21 For the king's ships went to Tharsis, with the servants of Hiram, once in three years: and they brought thence gold and silver, and ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
22 And Solomon was magnified above all the kings of the earth for riches and glory.
23 And all the kings of the earth desired to see the face of Solomon, that they might hear the wisdom which God had given in his heart.
24 And every year they brought him presents, vessels of silver and of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, and horses, and mules.
25 And Solomon had forty thousand horses in the stables, and twelve thousand chariots, and horsemen, and he placed them in the cities of the chariots, and where the king was in Jerusalem.
26 And he exercised authority over all the kings from the river Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, and to the borders of Egypt.
27 And he made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones: and cedars as common as the sycamores, which grow in the plains.
28 And horses were brought to him out of Egypt, and out of all countries.
29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are written in the words of Nathan, the prophet, and in the books of Ahias, the Silonite, and in the vision of Addo, the seer, against Jeroboam, the son of Nabat.
30 And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem, over all Israel, forty years.
31 And he slept *with his fathers: and they buried him in the city of David: and Roboam, his son, reigned in his stead.
____________________
*
1:  3 Kings x. 1.; Matt. xii. 42.; Luke xi. 31.
31:  A.M. 3029, A.C. 975.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 10
CHAPTER X.

Roboam answereth his people roughly: upon which ten tribes revolt.

1 And *Roboam went to Sichem: for thither all Israel were assembled, to make him king.
2 And when Jeroboam, the son of Nabat, who was in Egypt, (for he was fled thither from Solomon) heard it, forthwith he returned.
3 And they sent for him, and he came with all Israel, and they spoke to Roboam, saying:
4 Thy father oppressed us with a most grievous yoke; do thou govern us with a lighter hand than thy father, who laid upon us a heavy servitude, and ease some thing of the burden, that we may serve thee.
5 And he said to them: Come to me again after three days.  And when the people were gone,
6 He took counsel with the ancients, who had stood before his father, Solomon, while he yet lived, saying: What counsel give ye to me, that I may answer the people?
7 And they said to him: If thou please this people, and sooth them with kind words, they will be thy servants for ever.
8 But he forsook the counsel of the ancients, and began to treat with the young men, that had been brought up with him, and were in his train.
9 And he said to them: What seemeth good to you? or what shall I answer this people, who have said to me: Ease the yoke which thy father laid upon us?
10 But they answered as young men, and brought up with him in pleasures, and said: Thus shalt thou speak to the people that said to thee: Thy father made our yoke heavy; do thou ease it: thus shalt thou answer them: My little finger is thicker than the loins of my father.
11 My father laid upon you a heavy yoke, and I will add more weight to it: my father beat you with scourges, but I will beat you with scorpions.
12 So Jeroboam, and all the people came, to Roboam the third day, as he commanded them.
13 And the king answered roughly, leaving the counsel of the ancients.
14 And he spoke according to the advice of the young men: My father laid upon you a heavy yoke, which I will make heavier: my father beat you with scourges, but I will beat you with scorpions.
15 And he condescended not to the people's requests: for it was the will of God, that his word might be fulfilled, *which he had spoken by the hand of Ahias, the Silonite, to Jeroboam, the son of Nabat.
16 And all the people upon the king's speaking roughly, said thus unto him: We have no part in David, nor inheritance in the son of Isai.  Return to thy dwellings, O Israel, and do thou, O David, feed thy own house.  And Israel went away to their dwellings.
17 But Roboam reigned over the children of Israel, that dwelt in the cities of Juda.
18 And king Roboam sent Aduram, who was over the tributes, and the children of Israel stoned him, and he died: and king Roboam made haste to get up into his chariot, and fled into Jerusalem.
19 And Israel revolted from the house of David, unto this day.
____________________
*
1:  3 Kings xii. 1.; A.M. 3029.
15:  3 Kings xi. 29.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 11
CHAPTER XI.

Roboam's reign.  His kingdom is strengthened.

1 And *Roboam came to Jerusalem, and called together all the house of Juda, and of Benjamin, a hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men and warriors, to fight against Israel, and to bring back his kingdom to him.
2 And the word of the Lord came to Semeias, the man of God, saying:
3 Speak to Roboam, the son of Solomon, the king of Juda, and to all Israel, in Juda and Benjamin:
4 Thus saith the Lord: You shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: let every man return to his own house, for by my will this thing has been done.  And when they heard the word of the Lord, they returned, and did not go against Jeroboam.
5 And Roboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built walled cities in Juda.
6 And he built Bethlehem, and Etam, and Thecue,
7 And Bethsur, and Socho, and Odollam,
8 And Geth, and Maresa, and Ziph,
9 And Aduram, and Lachis, and Azecha,
10 Saraa also, and Aialon, and Hebron, which are in Juda and Benjamin, well fenced cities.
11 And when he had enclosed them with walls, he put in them governors and storehouses of provisions, that is, of oil and of wine.
12 Moreover in every city he made an armoury of shields and spears, and he fortified them with great diligence, and he reigned over Juda, and Benjamin.
13 And the priests and Levites, that were in all Israel, came to him out of all their seats,
14 Leaving their suburbs, and their possessions, and passing over to Juda, and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off, from executing the priestly office to the Lord.
15 And he made to himself priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made.
16 Moreover, out of all the tribes of Israel, whosoever gave their heart to seek the Lord, the God of Israel, came into Jerusalem to sacrifice their victims before the Lord, the God of their fathers.
17 And they strengthened the kingdom of Juda, and established Roboam, the son of Solomon, for three years: for they walked in the ways of David and of Solomon, only three years.
18 And Roboam took to wife Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth, the son of David: and Abihail, the daughter of Eliab, the son of Isai.
19 And they bore him sons, Jehus, and Somorias, and Zoom.
20 And after her he married Maacha, the daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abia, and Ethai, and Ziza, and Salomith.
21 And Roboam loved Maacha, the daughter of Absalom, above all his wives and concubines: for he had married eighteen wives, and threescore concubines: and he beget eight and twenty sons, and threescore daughters.
22 But he put at the head of them Abia, the son of Maacha, to be the chief ruler over all his brethren: for he meant to make him king,
23 Because he was wiser and mightier than all his sons, and in all the countries of Juda, and of Benjamin, and in all the walled cities: and he gave them provisions in abundance, and he sought many wives.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3030, A.C. 974.; 3 Kings xii. 21.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 12
CHAPTER XII.

Roboam, for his sins, is delivered up into the hands of the king of Egypt: who carrieth away all the treasures of the temple.

1 And *when the kingdom of Roboam was strengthened and fortified, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.
2 And in the fifth year *of the reign of Roboam, Sesac, king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem (because they had sinned against the Lord)
3 With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; to wit, Lybians, and Troglodites, and Ethiopians.
4 And he took the strongest cities in Juda, and came to Jerusalem.
5 And Semeias, the prophet, came to Roboam, and to the princes of Juda, that were gathered together in Jerusalem, fleeing from Sesac, and he said to them: Thus saith the Lord: You have left me, and I have left you in the hand of Sesac.
6 And the princes of Israel, and the king, being in a consternation, said: The Lord is just.
7 And when the Lord saw that they were humbled, the word of the Lord came to Semeias, saying: Because they are humbled, I will not destroy them, and I will give them a little help, and my wrath shall not fall upon Jerusalem by the hand of Sesac.
8 But yet they shall serve him, that they may know the difference between my service, and the service of a kingdom of the earth.
9 So Sesac, king of Egypt, departed from Jerusalem, taking away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and of the king's house, and he took all with him, and the golden shields that Solomon had made,
10 Instead of which the king made brazen ones, and delivered them to the captains of the shield-bearers, who guarded the entrance of the palace.
11 And when the king entered into the house of the Lord, the shield-bearers came and took them, and brought them back again to their armoury.
12 But yet, because they were humbled, the wrath of the Lord turned away from them, and they were not utterly destroyed: for even in Juda there were found good works.
13 *King Roboam, therefore, was strengthened in Jerusalem, and reigned: he was one and forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord chose out of all the tribes of Israel, to establish his name there: and the name of his mother was Naama, an Ammonitess.
14 But he did evil, and did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord.
15 Now the acts of Roboam, first and last, are written in the books of Semeias, the prophet, and of Addo, the seer, and diligently recorded: and there was war between Roboam and Jeroboam, all their days.
16 And Roboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.  And Abia, his son, reigned in his stead.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3032.
2:  A.M. 3033, A.C. 971.; 3 Kings xiv. 25.
13:  3 Kings xiv. 21.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 13
CHAPTER XIII.

Abia's reign: his victory over Jeroboam.

1 In *the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam, Abia reigned over Juda.
2 Three years he reigned in Jerusalem, and his mother's name was Michaia, the daughter of Uriel, of Gabaa: and there was war between Abia and Jeroboam.
3 *And when Abia had begun battle, and had with him four hundred thousand most valiant and chosen men, Jeroboam put his army in array against him, eight hundred thousand men, who were also chosen, and most valiant for war.
4 And Abia stood upon Mount Semeron, which was in Ephraim, and said: Hear me, O Jeroboam, and all Israel:
5 Do you not know that the Lord God of Israel gave to David the kingdom over Israel for ever, to him and to his sons, by a covenant of salt?
6 And Jeroboam, the son of Nabat, the servant of Solomon, the son of David, rose up: *and rebelled against his lord.
7 And there were gathered to him vain men, and children of Belial: and they prevailed against Roboam, the son of Solomon: for Roboam was unexperienced, and of a fearful heart, and could not resist them.
8 And now you say that you are able to withstand the kingdom of the Lord, which he possesseth by the sons of David, and you have a great multitude of people, and golden calves, which Jeroboam hath made you for gods.
9 *And you have cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites: and you have made you priests, like all the nations of the earth: whosoever cometh and consecrateth his hand with a bullock of the herd, and with seven rams, is made a priest of those who are no gods.
10 But the Lord is our God, whom we forsake not; and the priests, who minister to the Lord, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites are in their order.
11 And they offer holocausts to the Lord, every day, morning and evening, and incense, made according to the ordinance of the law, and the loaves are set forth on a most clean table, and there is with us the golden candlestick, and the lamps thereof, to be lighted always in the evening: for we keep the precepts of the Lord, our God, whom you have forsaken.
12 Therefore, God is the leader in our army, and his priests, who sound with trumpets, and resound against you: O children of Israel, fight not against the Lord, the God of your fathers, for it is not good for you.
13 While he spoke these things, Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind him.  And while he stood facing the enemies, he encompassed Juda, who perceived it not, with his army.
14 And when Juda looked back, they saw the battle coming upon them, both before and behind, and they cried to the Lord: and the priests began to sound with the trumpets.
15 And all the men of Juda shouted: and behold when they shouted, God terrified Jeroboam, and all Israel that stood against Abia and Juda.
16 And the children of Israel fled before Juda, and the Lord delivered them into their hand.
17 And Abia, and his people, slew them with a great slaughter, and there fell wounded of Israel five hundred thousand valiant men.
18 And the children of Israel were brought down, at that time, and the children of Juda were exceedingly strengthened, because they had trusted in the Lord, the God of their fathers.
19 And Abia pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him; Bethel, and her daughters, and Jesana, with her daughters, Ephron also, and her daughters.
20 And Jeroboam was not able to resist any more, in the days of Abia: and the Lord struck him, and he died.
21 But Abia, being strengthened in his kingdom, took fourteen wives: and begot two and twenty sons, and sixteen daughters.
22 And the rest of the acts of Abia, and of his ways and works, are written diligently in the book of Addo, the prophet.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3046, A.C. 958.; 3 Kings xv. 2.
3:  3 Kings xv. 7.; A.M. 3047.
6:  3 Kings xi. 26.
9:  3 Kings xii. 31.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 14
CHAPTER XIV.

The reign of Asa: his victory over the Ethiopians.

1 And *Abia slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa, his son, reigned in his stead; in his days, the land was quiet ten years.
2 And Asa did that which was good and pleasing in the sight of his God, and he destroyed the altars of foreign worship, and the high places;
3 And broke the statues, and cut down the groves.
4 And he commanded Juda to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and to do the law, and all the commandments.
5 And he took away out of all the cities of Juda the altars, and temples, and reigned in peace.
6 He built also strong cities in Juda, for he was quiet, and there had no wars risen in his time, the Lord giving peace.
7 And he said to Juda: Let us build these cities, and compass them with walls, and fortify them with towers, and gates, and bars, while all is quiet from wars, because we have sought the Lord, the God of our fathers, and he hath given us peace round about.  So they built, and there was no hinderance in building.
8 And Asa had in his army of men that bore shields and spears; of Juda, three hundred thousand; and of Benjamin, that bore shields and drew bows, two hundred and eighty thousand, all these were most valiant men.
9 *And Zara, the Ethiopian, came out against them, with his army of ten hundred thousand men, and with three hundred chariots: and he came as far as Maresa.
10 And Asa went out to meet him, and set his army in array for battle in the vale of Sephata, which is near Maresa:
11 And he called upon the Lord God, and said: *Lord, there is no difference with thee, whether thou help with few, or with many: help us, O Lord, our God: for with confidence in thee, and in thy name, we are come against this multitude.  O Lord, thou art our God, let not man prevail against thee.
12 And the Lord terrified the Ethiopians before Asa and Juda: and the Ethiopians fled.
13 And Asa, and the people that were with him, pursued them to Gerara: and the Ethiopians fell even to utter destruction; for the Lord slew them, and his army fought against them, and they were destroyed.  And they took abundance of spoils,
14 And they took all the cities round about Gerara: for a great fear was come upon all men: and they pillaged the cities, and carried off much booty.
15 And they destroyed the sheep-cotes, and took an infinite number of cattle, and of camels: and returned to Jerusalem.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3049, A.C. 955.; 3 Kings xv. 8.
9:  A.M. 3063, A.C. 941.
11:  1 Kings xiv. 6.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 15
CHAPTER XV.

The prophecy of Azarias.  Asa's coventant with God.  He deposeth his mother.

1 And *the spirit of God came upon Azarias, the son of Oded,
2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: Hear ye me, Asa, and all Juda and Benjamin: The Lord is with you, because you have been with him.  If you seek him, you shall find: but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.
3 And many days shall pass in Israel, without the true God, and without a priest a teacher, and without the law.
4 And when in their distress, they shall return to the Lord, the God of Israel, and shall seek him, they shall find him.
5 At that time, there shall be no peace to him that goeth out and cometh in, but terrors on every side, among all the inhabitants of the earth.
6 For nation shall fight against nation, and city against city; for the Lord will trouble them with all distress.
7 Do you, therefore, take courage, and let not your hands be weakened: for there shall be a reward for your work.
8 And when Asa had heard the words, and the prophecy of Azarias, the son of Oded, the prophet, he took courage, and took away the idols out of all the land of Juda, and out of Benjamin, and out of the cities of Mount Ephraim, which he had taken, and he dedicated the altar of the Lord, which was before the porch of the Lord.
9 And he gathered together all Juda and Benjamin, and the strangers with them, of Ephraim, and Manasses, and Simeon: for many were come over to him out of Israel, seeing that the Lord, his God, was with him.
10 And when they were come to Jerusalem, in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa,
11 They sacrificed to the Lord in that day of the spoils, and of the prey, that they had brought, seven hundred oxen, and seven thousand rams.
12 And he went in to confirm as usual the covenant, that they should seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart, and with all their soul.
13 And if any one, said he, seek not the Lord, the God of Israel, let him die, whether little or great, man or woman.
14 And they swore to the Lord with a loud voice, with joyful shouting, and with sound of trumpet, and sound of cornets,
15 All that mere in Juda with a curse: for with all their heart they swore, and with all their will they sought him, and they found him, and the Lord gave them rest round about.
16 Moreover, Maacha, the mother of king Asa, he deposed from the royal authority, because she had made in a grove an idol of Priapus: and he entirely destroyed it, and breaking it into pieces, burnt it at the torrent Cedron.
17 But high places were left in Israel: nevertheless, the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.
18 And the things which his father had vowed, and he himself had vowed, he brought into the house of the Lord, gold and silver, and vessels, of divers uses.
19 And there was no war unto the five and thirtieth year of the kingdom of Asa.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3063.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 16
CHAPTER XVI.

Asa is reproved for seeking help from the Syrians: his last acts and death.

1 And in the six and thirtieth year of his kingdom, *Baasa, the king of Israel, came up against Juda, and built a wall about Rama, that no one might safely go out or come in, of the kingdom of Asa.
2 Then Asa brought out silver and gold, out of the treasures of the house of the Lord, and of the king's treasures, and sent to Benadad, king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying:
3 There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father, wherefore I have sent thee silver and gold, that thou mayst break thy league with Baasa, king of Israel, and make him depart from me.
4 And then Benadad heard this, he sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel: and they took Ahion, and Dan, and Abelmaim, and all the walled cities of Nephthali.
5 And when Baasa heard of it, he left off the building of Rama, and interrupted his work.
6 Then king Asa took all Juda, and they carried away from Rama, the stones, and the timber that Baasa had prepared for the building: and he built with them Gabaa, and Maspha.
7 At that time Hanani, the prophet, came to Asa, king of Juda, and said to him: Because thou hast had confidence in the king of Syria, and not in the Lord, thy God, therefore hath the army of the king of Syria escaped out of thy hand.
8 *Were not the Ethiopians, and the Lybians, much more numerous in chariots, and horsemen, and an exceedingly great multitude: yet because thou trustedst in the Lord, he delivered them into thy hand?
9 For the eyes of the Lord behold all the earth, and give strength to those who with a perfect heart trust in him.  Wherefore, thou hast done foolishly; and for this cause, from this time wars shall arise against thee.
10 And Asa was angry with the seer, and commanded him to be put in prison: for he was greatly enraged because of this thing: and he put to death many of the people at that time.
11 But the works of Asa, the first and last, are written in the Book of the kings of Juda and Israel.
12 And Asa fell sick in the nine and thirtieth *year of his reign, of a most violent pain in his feet, and yet in his illness he did not seek the Lord, but rather trusted in the skill of physicians.
13 And he slept with his fathers: and he died in the one and fortieth year *of his reign.
14 And they buried him in his own sepulchre, which he had made for himself in the city of David: and they laid him on his bed, full of spices and odoriferous ointments, which were made by the art of the perfumers, and they burnt them over him with very great pomp.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3064, A.C. 940.
8:  Supra xiv. 9.
12:  A.M. 3087, A.C. 917.
13:  A.M. 3090.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 17
CHAPTER XVII.

Josaphat's reign: his care for the instruction of his people: his numerous forces.

1 And *Josaphat, his son, reigned in his stead, and grew strong against Israel.
2 And he placed numbers of soldiers in all the fortified cities of Juda.  And he put garrisons in the land of Juda, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa, his father, had taken.
3 And the Lord was with Josaphat, because he walked in the first ways of David, his father: and trusted not in Baalim,
4 But in the God of his father, and walk in his commandments, and not according to the sins of Israel.
5 And the Lord established the kingdom in his hand, and all Juda brought presents to Josaphat: and he acquired immense riches, and much glory.
6 And when his heart had taken courage for the ways of the Lord, he took away also the high places, and the groves, out of Juda.
7 And in the third year *of his reign, he sent of his princes Benhail, and Abdias, and Zacharias, and Nathanael, and Micheas, to teach in the cities of Juda:
8 And with them the Levites, Semeias, and Nathanias, and Zabadias, and Asael, and Semiramoth, and Jonathan, and Adonias, and Tobias, and Thobadonias, Levites, and with them Elisama, and Joram, priests.
9 And they taught the people in Juda, having with them the book of the law of the Lord: and they went about all the cities of Juda, and instructed the people.
10 And the fear of the Lord came upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Juda, and they durst not make war against Josaphat.
11 The Philistines also brought presents to Josaphat, and tribute in silver; and the Arabians brought him cattle, seven thousand seven hundred rams, and as many he-goats.
12 And Josaphat grew, and became exceedingly great: and he built in Juda houses like towers, and walled cities.
13 And he prepared many works in the cities of Juda: and he had warriors, and valiant men, in Jerusalem.
14 Of whom this is the number of the houses, and families, of every one: in Juda captains of the army; Ednas, the chief, and with him three hundred thousand most valiant men.
15 After him Johanan, the captain, and with him two hundred and eighty thousand.
16 And after him was Amasias, the son of Zechri, consecrated to the Lord, and with him were two hundred thousand valiant men.
17 After him was Eliada, valiant in battle, and with him two hundred thousand armed with bow and shield.
18 After him also was Jozabad, and with him a hundred and eighty thousand ready for war.
19 All these were at the hand of the king, beside others, whom he had put in the walled cities, in all Juda.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3090, A.C. 914.
7:  A.M. 3092, A.C. 912.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 18
CHAPTER XVIII.

Josaphat accompanies Achab in his expedition against Ramoth; where Achab is slain, as Micheas had foretold.

1 Now Josaphat was rich and very glorious, and was joined by affinity to Achab.
2 And he went down to him after some years, *to Samaria: and Achab, at his coming, killed sheep and oxen in abundance, for him and the people that came with him: and he persuaded him to go up to Ramoth-Galaad.
3 And Achab, king of Israel, said to Josaphat, king of Juda: Come with me to Ramoth-Galaad.  And he answered him: Thou art as I am, and my people as thy people, and we will be with thee in the war.
4 And Josaphat said to the king of Israel: Enquire, I beseech thee, at present the word of the Lord.
5 So the king of Israel gathered together of the prophets four hundred men, and he said to them: Shall we go to Ramoth-Galaad to fight, or shall we forbear?  But they said: Go up, and God will deliver it into the king's hand.
6 And Josaphat said: Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may enquire also of him?
7 And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: There is one man, of whom we may ask the will of the Lord: but I hate him, for he never prophesieth good to me, but always evil: and it is Micheas, the son of Jemla.  And Josaphat said: Speak not thus, O king.
8 And the king of Israel called one of the eunuchs, and said to him: Call quickly Micheas, the son of Jemla.
9 Now the king of Israel, and Josaphat, king of Juda, both sat on their thrones, clothed in royal robes, and they sat in the open court by the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets prophesied before them.
10 And Sedecias, the son of Chanaana, made him horns of iron, and said: Thus saith the Lord: With these shalt thou push Syria, till thou destroy it.
11 And all the prophets prophesied in like manner, and said: Go up to Ramoth-Galaad, and thou shalt prosper, and the Lord will deliver them into the king's hand.
12 And the messenger that went to call Micheas, said to him: Behold the words of all the prophets with one mouth declare good to the king: I beseech thee, therefore, let not thy word disagree with them, and speak thou also good success.
13 And Micheas answered him: As the Lord liveth, whatsoever my God shall say to me, that will I speak.
14 So he came to the king: and the king said to him: Micheas, shall we go to Ramoth-Galaad to fight, or forbear?  And he answered him: Go up, for all shall succeed prosperously, and the enemies shall be delivered into your hands.
15 And the king said: I adjure thee again and again to say nothing but the truth to me, in the name of the Lord.
16 Then he said: I saw all Israel scattered in the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd: and the Lord said: These have no masters: let every man return to his own house in peace.
17 And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: Did I not tell thee that this man would not prophesy me any good, but evil?
18 Then he said: Hear ye therefore the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing by him on the right hand and on the left.
19 And the Lord said: Who shall deceive Achab, king of Israel, that he may go up and fall in Ramoth-Galaad?  And when one spoke in this manner, and another otherwise:
20 There came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said: I will deceive him.  And the Lord said to him: By what means wilt thou deceive him?
21 And he answered: I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.  And the Lord said: Thou shalt deceive, and shalt prevail: go out, and do so.
22 Now, therefor,e behold the Lord hath put a spirit of lying in the mouth of all thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee.
23 And Sedecias, the son of Chanaana, came, and struck Micheas on the cheek and said: Which way went the spirit of the Lord from me, to speak to thee?
24 And Micheas said: Thou thyself shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go in from chamber to chamber, to hide thyself.
25 And the king of Israel commanded, saying: Take Micheas, and carry him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joas, the son of Amelech.
26 And say: Thus saith the king: Put this fellow in prison, and give him bread, and water in a small quantity, till I return in peace.
27 And Micheas said: If thou return in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me.  And he said: Hear, all ye people.
28 So the king of Israel and Josaphat, king of Juda, went up to Ramoth-Galaad.
29 And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: I will change my dress, and so I will go to the battle, but put thou on thy own garments.  And the king of Israel having changed his dress, went to the battle.
30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his cavalry, saying: Fight ye not with small, or great, but with the king of Israel only.
31 So when the captains of the cavalry saw Josaphat, they said: This is the king of Israel.  And they surrounded him, to attack him: but he cried to the Lord, and he helped him, and turned them away from him.
32 For when the captains of the cavalry saw, that he was not the king of Israel, they left him.
33 And it happened that one of the people shot an arrow at a venture, and struck the king of Israel between the neck and the shoulders, and he said to his chariot-man: Turn thy hand, and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded.
34 And the fight was ended that day: but the king of Israel stood in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening, and died at the sunset.
____________________
*
2:  A.M. 3107, A.C. 897.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 19
CHAPTER XIX.

Josaphat's charge to the judges and to the Levites.

1 And* Josaphat, king of Juda, returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem.
2 And Jehu, the son of Hanani, the seer, met him, and said to him: Thou helpest the ungodly, and thou art joined in friendship with them that hate the Lord, and therefore thou didst deserve indeed the wrath of the Lord:
3 But good works are found in thee, because thou hast taken away the groves out of the land of Juda, and hast prepared thy heart to seek the Lord, the God of thy fathers.
4 And Josaphat dwelt at Jerusalem: and he went out again to the people from Bersabee to Mount Ephraim, and brought them back to the Lord, the God of their fathers.
5 And he set judges of the land in all the fenced cities of Juda, in every place.
6 And charging the judges, he said: Take heed what you do: for you exercise not the judgment of man, but of the Lord: and whatsoever you judge, it shall redound to you.
7 Let the fear of the Lord be with you, and do all things with diligence: for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, *nor respect of persons, nor desire of gifts.
8 In Jerusalem also Josaphat appointed Levites, and priests, and chiefs of the families of Israel, to judge the judgment and the cause of the Lord for the inhabitants thereof.
9 And he charged them, saying: Thus shall you do in the fear of the Lord faithfully, and with a perfect heart.
10 Every cause that shall come to you of your brethren, that dwell in their cities, between kindred and kindred, wheresoever there is question concerning the law, the commandment, the ceremonies, the justifications: shew it them, that they may not sin against the Lord, and that wrath may not come upon you and your brethren: and so doing, you shall not sin.
11 And Amarias, the priest, your high-priest, shall be chief in the things which regard God: and Zabadias, the son of Ismahel, who is ruler in the house of Juda, shall be over those matters which belong to the king's office: and you have before you the Levites for masters; take courage and do diligently, and the Lord will be with you in good things.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3107.
7:  Deut. x. 17.; Wisd. vi. 8.; Eccli. xxxv. 15.; Acts x. 24.; Rom. ii. 11.; Gal. ii. 6.; Eph. vi. 9.; Colos. iii. 25.; 1 Pet. i. 17.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 20
CHAPTER XX.

The Ammonites, Moabites, and Syrians conbine against Josaphat; he seeketh God's help by public prayer and fasting.  A prophet foretelleth that God will fight for his people: the enemies destroy one another.  Josaphat, with his men, gather the spoils.  He reigneth in peace; but his navy perisheth, for his society with wicked Ochozias.

1 After *this the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them of the Ammonites, were gathered together to fight against Josaphat.
2 And there came messengers, and told Josaphat, saying: There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea, and out of Syria, and behold they are in Asasonthamar, which is Engaddi.
3 And Josaphat being seized with fear, betook himself wholly to pray to the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Juda.
4 And Juda gathered themselves together to pray to the Lord: and all came out of their cities to make supplication to him.
5 And Josaphat stood in the midst of the assembly of Juda, and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord before the new court.
6 And said: O Lord God of our fathers, thou art God in heaven, and rulest over all the kingdoms and nations; in thy hand is strength and power, and no one can resist thee.
7 Didst not thou, our God, kill all the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham, thy friend, for ever?
8 And they dwelt in it, and built in it a sanctuary to thy name, saying:
9 If evils fall upon us, the sword of judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand in thy presence before this house, in which thy name is called upon: and we will cry to thee, in our afflictions, and thou wilt hear, and save us.
10 *Now, therefore, behold the children of Ammon, and of Moab, and Mount Seir, through whose lands thou didst not allow Israel to pass, when they came out of Egypt, but they turned aside from them, and slew them not:
11 They do the contrary, and endeavour to cast us out of the possession which thou hast delivered to us.
12 O our God, wilt not thou then judge them? as for us we have not strength enough to be able to resist this multitude, which cometh violently upon us.  But as we know not what to do, we can only turn our eyes to thee.
13 And all Juda stood before the Lord, with their little ones, and their wives, and their children.
14 And Jahaziel, the son of Zacharias, the son of Banaias, the son of Jehiel, the son of Mathanias, a Levite, of the sons of Asaph, was there, upon whom the Spirit of the Lord came in the midst of the multitude.
15 And he said: Attend ye, all Juda, and you that dwell in Jerusalem, and thou king Josaphat: Thus saith the Lord to you: Fear ye not, and be not dismayed at this multitude: for the battle is not yours, but God's.
16 To-morrow you shall go down against them: for they will come up by the ascent named Sis, and you shall find them at the head of the torrent, which is over-against the wilderness of Jeruel.
17 It shall not be you that shall fight, but only stand with confidence, and you shall see the help of the Lord over you, O Juda, and Jerusalem: fear ye not, nor be you dismayed: to-morrow you shall go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.
18 Then Josaphat, and Juda, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, fell flat on the ground before the Lord, and adored him.
19 And the Levites of the sons of Caath, and of the sons of Core, praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a loud voice on high.
20 And they rose early in the morning, and went out through the desert of Thecua: and as they were marching, Josaphat standing in the midst of them, said: Hear me, ye men of Juda, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be secure: believe his prophets, and all things shall succeed well.
21 And he gave counsel to the people, and appointed the singing men of the Lord, to praise him by their companies, and to go before the army, and with one voice to say: *Give glory to the Lord, for his mercy endureth for ever.
22 And when they began to sing praises, the Lord turned their ambushments upon themselves, that is to say, of the children of Ammon, and of Moab, and of Mount Seir, who were come out to fight against Juda, and they were slain.
23 For the children of Ammon, and of Moab, rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, to kill and destroy them: and when they had made an end of them, they turned also against one another, and destroyed one another.
24 And when Juda came to the watch-tower, that looketh toward the desert, they saw afar off all the country, for a great space, full of dead bodies, and that no one was left that could escape death.
25 Then Josaphat came, and all the people with him, to take away the spoils of the dead, and they found among the dead bodies, stuff of various kinds, and garments, and most precious vessels: and they took them for themselves, insomuch that they could not carry all, nor in three days take away the spoils, the booty was so great.
26 And on the fourth day they were assembled in the valley of Blessing: for there they blessed the Lord, and therefore they called that place the valley of Blessing until this day.
27 And every man of Juda, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, returned, and Josaphat, at their head, into Jerusalem, with great joy; because the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies.
28 And they came into Jerusalem with psalteries, and harps, and trumpets, into the house of the Lord.
29 And the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.
30 And the kingdom of Josaphat was quiet, and God gave him peace round about.
31 And Josaphat reigned over Juda, *and he was five and thirty years old when he began to reign: and he reigned five and twenty years in Jerusalem: and the name of his mother was Azuba, the daughter of Selahi.
32 And he walked in the way of his father Asa, and departed not from it, doing the things that were pleasing before the Lord.
33 But yet he took not away the high places, and the people had not yet turned their heart to the Lord, the God of their fathers.
34 But the rest of the acts of Josaphat, first and last, are written in the words of Jehu, the son of Hanani, which he digested into the Books of the kings of Israel.
35 After these things Josaphat, *king of Juda, made friendship with Ochozias, king of Israel, whose works were very wicked.
36 And he was partner with him in making ships, to go to Tharsis: and they made the ships in Asiongaber.
37 And Eliezer, the son of Dodau, of Maresa, prophesied to Josaphat, saying: Because thou hast made a league with Ochozias, the Lord hath destroyed thy works, and the ships are broken, and they could not go to Tharsis.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3108, A.C. 896.
10:  Deut. ii. 1.
21:  Psal. cxxxv. 1.
31:  3 Kings xxii. 41.
35:  A.M. 3108.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 21
CHAPTER XXI.

Joram's wicked reign: his punishment and death.

1 And *Josaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with them in the city of David: and Joram, his son, reigned in his stead.
2 And he had brethren, the sons of Josaphat, Azarias, and Jahiel, and Zacharias, and Azaria, and Michael, and Saphatias; all these were the sons of Josaphat, king of Juda.
3 And their father gave them great gifts of silver, and of gold, and pensions, with strong cities in Juda: but the kingdom he gave to Joram, because he was the eldest.
4 So Joram rose up over the kingdom of his father: and when he had established himself, he slew all his brethren with the sword, and some of the princes of Israel.
5 Joram was two and thirty years old when he began to reign: and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
6 *And he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Achab had done: for his wife was a daughter of Achab, and he did evil in the sight of the Lord.
7 But the Lord would not destroy the house of David: because of the covenant which he had made with him: and because he had promised to give a lamp to him, and to his sons for ever.
8 In those days Edom revolted, *from being subject to Juda, and made themselves a king.
9 And Joram went over with his princes, and all his cavalry with him, and rose in the night, and defeated the Edomites who had surrounded him, and all the captains of his cavalry.
10 However, Edom revolted from being under the dominion of Juda unto this day: at that time Lobna also revolted from being under his hand.  For he had forsaken the Lord, the God of his fathers:
11 Moreover he built also high places in the cities of Juda, and he made the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication, and Juda to transgress.
12 And there was a letter brought him from Elias, the prophet, in which it was written: Thus saith the Lord, the God of David, thy father: Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Josaphat, thy father, nor in the ways of Asa, king of Juda,
13 But hast walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and hast made Juda, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to commit fornication, imitating the fornication of the house of Achab; moreover, also, thou hast killed thy brethren, the house of thy father, better men than thyself;
14 Behold the Lord will strike thee with a great plague, with all thy people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy substance:
15 And thou shalt be sick of a very grievous disease of thy bowels, till thy vital parts come out by little and little every day.
16 And the Lord stirred up against Joram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, who border on the Ethiopians.
17 And they came up into the land of Juda, and wasted it, and they carried away all the substance that was found in the king's house, his sons also, and his wives: so that there was no son left him but Joachaz, who was the youngest.
18 And besides all this, the Lord struck him with an incurable disease in his bowels.
19 And as day came after day, and time rolled on, two whole years passed: then, after being wasted with a long consumption, so as to void his very bowels, his disease ended with his life.  *And he died of a most wretched illness, and the people did not make a funeral for him according to the manner of burning, as they had done for his ancestors.
20 He was two and thirty years old when he began his reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.  And he walked not rightly, and they buried him in the city of David: but not in the sepulchres of the kings.
____________________
*
1:  Gen. xxvii. 40.
19:  A.M. 3119, A.C. 885.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 22
CHAPTER XXII.

The reign and death of Ochozias.  The tyranny of Athalia.

1 And *the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ochozias, his youngest son, king in his place: for the rovers of the Arabians, who had broke in upon the camp, had killed all that were his elder brothers.  So Ochozia,s the son of Joram, king of Juda, reigned.
2 Ochozias was forty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother was Athalia, the daughter of Amri.
3 He also walked in the ways of the house of Achab: for his mother pushed him on to do wickedly.
4 So he did evil in the sight of the Lord, as the house of Achab did: for they were his counsellors after the death of his father, to his destruction.
5 And he walked after their counsels.  And he went with Joram, the son of Achab, king of Israel, to fight against Hazael, king of Syria, at Ramoth-Galaad: and the Syrians wounded Joram.
6 And he returned to be healed in Jezrahel: for he received many wounds in the foresaid battle.  *And Ochozias, the son of Joram, king of Juda, went down to visit Joram, the son of Achab, in Jezrahel, where he lay sick.
7 For it was the will of God against Ochozias, that he should come to Joram: and when he was come, should go out also against Jehu, the son of Namsi, whom the Lord had anointed to destroy the house of Achab.
8 So when Jehu was rooting out the house of Achab, he found the princes of Juda, and the sons of the brethren of Ochozias, who served him, and he slew them.
9 And he sought for Ochozias himself, and took him lying hid in Samaria: and when he was brought to him, he killed him, and they buried him: because he was the son of Josaphat, who had sought the Lord with all his heart.  And there was no more hope that any one should reign of the race of Ochozias.
10 *For Athalia, his mother, seeing that her son was dead, rose up, and killed all the royal family of the house of Joram.
11 But Josabeth, the king's daughter, took Joas, the son of Ochozias, and stole him from among the king's sons, that were slain.  And she hid him with his nurse in a bed-chamber: now Josabeth that hid him, was daughter of king Joram, wife of Joiada, the high priest, and sister of Ochozias, and therefore Athalia did not kill him.
12 And he was with them hid in the house of God six years, during which Athalia reigned over the land.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3119.; 4 Kings viii. 24.
6:  A.M. 3020.; A.C. 884.
10:  4 Kings xi. 1.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 23
CHAPTER XXIII.

Joiada, the high priest, causeth Joas to be made king, Athalia to be slain, and idolatry to be destroyed.

1 And *in the seventh year, Joiada being encouraged, took the captains of hundreds, to wit, Azarias, the son of Jeroham, and Ismahel, the son of Johanan, and Azarias, the son of Obed, and Maasias, the son of Adaias, and Elisaphat, the son of Zechri: and made a covenant with them.
2 And they went about Juda, and gathered together the Levites out of all the cities of Juda, and the chiefs of the families of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.
3 And all the multitude made a covenant with the king, in the house of God: and Joiada said to them: Behold the king's son shall reign, as the Lord hath said of the sons of David.
4 And this is the thing that you shall do:
5 A third part of you that come to the sabbath, of the priests, and of the Levites, and of the porters, shall be at the gates: and a third part at the king's house: and a third at the gate that is called the Foundation: but let all the rest of the people be in the courts of the house of the Lord.
6 And let no one come into the house of the Lord, but the priests, and they that minister of the Levites: let them only come in, because they are sanctified: and let all the rest of the people keep the watches of the Lord.
7 And let the Levites be round about the king, every man with his arms: (and if any other come into the temple, let him be slain) and let them be with the king, both coming in, and going out.
8 So the Levites, and all Juda, did according to all that Joiada, the high priest, had commanded: and they took every one his men that were under him, and that came in by the course of the sabbath, with those who had fulfilled the sabbath, and were to go out.  For Joiada, the high priest, permitted not the companies to depart, which were accustomed to succeed one another every week.
9 And Joiada, the priest, gave to the captains the spears, and the shields, and targets of king David, which he had dedicated in the house of the Lord.
10 And he set all the people with swords in their hands, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, before the altar, and the temple, round about the king.
11 And they brought out the king's son, and put the crown upon him, and the testimony, and gave him the law to hold in his hand, and they made him king: and Joiada, the high priest, and his sons, anointed him: and they prayed for him, and said: God save the king.
12 Now when Athalia heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came in to the people into the temple of the Lord.
13 And when she saw the king standing upon the step in the entrance, and the princes, and the companies about him, and all the people of the land rejoicing, and sounding with trumpets, and playing on instruments of divers kinds, and the voice of those that praised, she rent her garments, and said: Treason, treason.
14 And Joiada, the high priest, going out to the captains, and the chiefs of the army, said to them: Take her forth without the precinct of the temple, and when she is without, let her be killed with the sword.  For the priest commanded that she should not be killed in the house of the Lord.
15 And they laid hold on her by the neck: and when she was come within the horse-gate of the palace, they killed her there.
16 And Joiada made a covenant between himself and all the people, and the king, that they should be the people of the Lord.
17 And all the people went into the house of Baal, and destroyed it: and they broke down his altars and his idols: and they slew Mathan, the priest of Baal, before the altars.
18 And Joiada appointed overseers in the house of the Lord, under the hands of the priests, and the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of the Lord: to offer holocausts to the Lord, as it is written in the law of Moses, with joy and singing, according to the disposition of David.
19 He appointed also porters in the gates of the house of the Lord, that none who was unclean in any thing should enter in.
20 And he took the captains of hundreds, and the most valiant men, and the chiefs of the people, and all the people of the land, and they brought down the king from the house of the Lord, and brought him through the upper gate into the king's house, and set him on the royal throne.
21 And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet: but Athalia was slain with the sword.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3126, A.C. 879.; 4 Kings xi. 1.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 24
CHAPTER XXIV.

Joas reigneth well all the days of Joiada: afterwards falleth into idolatry, and causeth Zacharias to be slain.  He is slain himself by his servants.

1 Joas* was seven years old when he began to reign: and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Sebia, of Bersabee.
2 And he did that which is good before the Lord all the days of Joiada, the priest.
3 And Joiada took for him two wives, by whom he had sons and daughters.
4 After this Joas had a mind to repair the house of the Lord.
5 *And he assembled the priests, and the Levites, and said to them: Go out to the cities of Juda, and gather of all Israel money to repair the temple of your God, from year to year: and do this with speed: but the Levites were negligent.
6 And the king called Joiada, the chief, and said to him: Why hast thou not taken care to oblige the Levites to bring in out of Juda and Jerusalem, the money that was appointed by Moses, the servant of the Lord, for all the multitude of Israel to bring into the tabernacle of the testimony?
7 For that wicked woman, Athalia, and her children, have destroyed the house of God, and adorned the temple of Baal with all the things that had been dedicated in the temple of the Lord.
8 And the king commanded, and they made a chest: and set it by the gate of the house of the Lord, on the outside.
9 And they made a proclamation in Juda and Jerusalem, that every man should bring to the Lord, *the money which Moses, the servant of God, appointed for all Israel, in the desert.
10 And all the princes, and all the people rejoiced: and going in they contributed, and cast so much into the chest of the Lord, that it was filled.
11 And when it was time to bring the chest before the king by the hands of the Levites (for they saw there was much money), the king's scribe, and he whom the high priest had appointed, went in: and they poured out the money that was in the chest: and they carried back the chest to its place: and thus they did from day to day, and there was gathered an immense sum of money.
12 And the king and Joiada gave it to those who were over the works of the house of the Lord: but they hired with it stone-cutters, and artificers of every kind of work, to repair the house of the Lord: and such as wrought in iron and brass, to uphold what began to be falling.
13 And the workmen were diligent, and the breach of the walls was closed up by their hands, and they set up the house of the Lord in its former state, and made it stand firm.
14 And when they had finished all the works, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Joiada: and with it were made vessels for the temple for the ministry, and for holocausts and bowls, and other vessels of gold and silver: and holocausts were offered in the house of the Lord continually all the days of Joiada.
15 But Joiada grew old and was full of days, and died when he was a hundred and thirty years old.
16 And they buried him in the city of David, among the kings, because he had done good to Israel, and to his house.
17 And after the death of Joiada, the princes of Juda went in, and worshipped the king: and he was soothed by their services, and hearkened to them.
18 And they forsook the temple of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and served groves and idols; and wrath came upon Juda and Jerusalem for this sin.
19 And he sent prophets to them to bring them back to the Lord, and they would not give ear when they testified against them.
20 The Spirit of God then came upon Zacharias, the son of Joiada, the priest, *and he stood in the sight of the people, and said to them: Thus saith the Lord God: Why transgress you the commandment of the Lord which will not be for your good, and have forsaken the Lord, to make him forsake you?
21 And they gathered themselves together against him, and stoned him at the king's commandment in the court of the house of the Lord.
22 And king Joas did not remember the kindness that Joiada, his father, had done to him, *but killed his son.  And when he died, he said: The Lord see, and require it.
23 And when a year *was come about, the army of Syria came up against him: and they came to Juda and Jerusalem, and killed all the princes of the people, and they sent all the spoils to the king of Damascus.
24 And whereas there came a very small number of the Syrians, the Lord delivered into their hands an infinite multitude, because they had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers: and on Joas they executed shameful judgments.
25 And departing, they left him in diseases: and his servants rose up against him, for revenge of the blood of the son of Joiada, the priest, and they slew him in his bed, and he died: and they buried him in the city of David, but not in the sepulchres of the kings.
26 Now the men that conspired against him were Zabad, the son of Semmaath, an Ammonitess, and Jozabad, the son of Semarith, a Moabitess.
27 And concerning his sons, and the sum of money, which was gathered under him, and the repairing the house of God, they are written more diligently in the book of kings: and Amasias, his son, reigned in his stead.
____________________
*
1:  4 Kings xi. 21. and xii. 1.
5:  A.M. 3147, A.C. 857.
9:  Exod. xxx. 12.
20:  A.M. 8164, A.C. 840.
22:  Matt. xxiii. 35.
23:  4 Kings xii. 17. --- ** A.M. 3165.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 25
CHAPTER XXV.

Amasias's reign: he beginneth well, but endeth ill: he is overthrown by Joas, and slain by his own people.

1 Amasias *was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Joadan, of Jerusalem.
2 And he did what was good in the sight of the Lord: but yet not with a perfect heart.
3 And when he saw himself strengthened in his kingdom, he put to death the servants that had slain the king, his father.
4 But he slew not their children, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, where the Lord commanded, saying: *The fathers shall not be slain for the children, nor the children for their fathers; but every man shall die for his own sin.
5 Amasias, therefore, gathered Juda together, and appointed them by families, and captains of thousands, and of hundreds in all Juda, and Benjamin: and he numbered them from twenty years old and upwards, and found three hundred thousand young men that could go out to battle, and could hold the spear and shield.
6 He hired also of Israel a hundred thousand valiant men, for a hundred talents of silver.
7 But a man of God came to him, and said: O king, let not the army of Israel go out with thee, for the Lord is not with Israel, and all the children of Ephraim:
8 And if thou think that battles consist in the strength of the army, God will make thee to be overcome by the enemies: for it belongeth to God both to help, and to put to flight.
9 And Amasias said to the man of God: What will then become of the hundred talents which I have given to the soldiers of Israel? and the man of God answered him: The Lord is rich enough to be able to give thee much more than this.
10 Then Amasias separated the army, that came to him out of Ephraim, to go home again: but they being much enraged against Juda, returned to their own country.
11 And Amasias, taking courage, led forth his people, and went to the vale of salt pits, and slew of the children of Seir, ten thousand.
12 And other ten thousand men the sons of Juda took, and brought to the steep of a certain rock, and cast them down headlong from the top, and they all were broken to pieces.
13 But that army which Amasias had sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, spread themselves among the cities of Juda, from Samaria, to Bethhoron, and having killed three thousand, took away much spoil.
14 But Amasias, after he had slain the Edomites, set up the gods of the children of Seir, which he had brought thence, to be his gods, and adored them, and burnt incense to them.
15 Wherefore the Lord being angry against Amasias, sent a prophet to him, to say to him: Why hast thou adored gods that have not delivered their own people out of thy hand?
16 And when he spoke these things, he answered him: Art thou the king's counsellor? be quiet, lest I kill thee.  And the prophet departing, said: I know that God is minded to kill thee, because thou hast done this evil, and moreover hast not hearkened to my counsel.
17 Then Amasias, king of Juda, taking very bad counsel, sent to Joas, the son of Joachaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying: Come, let us see one another.
18 But he sent back the messengers, saying: The thistle that is in Libanus sent to the cedar in Libanus, saying: Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and behold the beasts that were in the wood of Libanus, passed by, and trod down the thistle.
19 Thou hast said: I have overthrown Edom, and therefore thy heart is lifted up with pride: stay at home; why dost thou provoke evil against thee, that both thou shouldst fall and Juda with thee.
20 Amasias would not hearken to him, because it was the Lord's will that he should be delivered into the hands of enemies, because of the gods of Edom.
21 So Joas, king of Israel, went up, and they presented themselves to be seen by one another: and Amasias, king of Juda, was in Bethsames of Juda:
22 And Juda fell before Israel, and they fled to their dwellings.
23 And Joas, king of Israel, took Amasias, king of Juda, the son of Joas, the son Joachaz, in Bethsames, and brought him to Jerusalem: and broke down the walls thereof from the gate of Ephraim, to the gate of the corner, four hundred cubits.
24 And he took all the gold, and silver, and all the vessels, that he found in the house of God, and with Obededom, and in the treasures of the king's house: moreover also the sons of the hostages, he brought back to Samaria.
25 And Amasias, the son of Joas, king of Juda, lived, after the death of Joas, the son of Joachaz, king of Israel, fifteen years.
26 Now the rest of the acts of Amasias, the first and last, are written in the book of the kings of Juda and Israel.
27 And after he revolted from the Lord, they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem.  *And he fled into Lachis, and they sent, and killed him there.
28 And they brought him back upon horses, and buried him with his fathers in the city of David.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3165, A.C. 839.; 4 Kings xiv. 2.
4:  Deut. xxiv. 16.; 4 Kings xiv. 6.; Ezec. xviii. 20.
27:  A.M. 3194, A.C. 810.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 26
CHAPTER XXVI.

Ozias reigneth prosperously, till he invadeth the priest's office, upon which he is struck with a leprosy.

1 And *all the people of Juda took his son Ozias, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of Amasias, his father.
2 He built Ailath, and restored it to the dominion of Juda, after that the king slept with his fathers.
3 Ozias was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Jechelia, of Jerusalem.
4 And he did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that Amasias, his father, had done.
5 And he sought the Lord in the days of Zacharias, that understood and saw God: and as long as he sought the Lord, he directed him in all things.
6 Moreover, he went forth and fought against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Geth, and the wall of Jabnia, and the wall of Azotus: and he built towns in Azotus, and among the Philistines.
7 And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians, that dwelt in Gurbaal, and against the Ammonites.
8 And the Ammonites gave gifts to Ozias: and his name was spread abroad, even to the entrance of Egypt, for his frequent victories.
9 And Ozias built towers in Jerusalem over the gate of the corner, and over the gate of the valley, and the rest, in the same side of the wall, and fortified them.
10 And he built towers in the wilderness, and dug many cisterns, for he had much cattle, both in the plains and in the waste of the desert: he had also vineyards and dressers of vines in the mountains, and in Carmel: for he was a man that loved husbandry.
11 And the army of his fighting men, that went out to war, was under the hand of Jehiel, the scribe, and Maasias, the doctor, and under the hand of Henanias, who was one of the king's captains.
12 And the whole number of the chiefs, by the families of valiant men, were two thousand six hundred.
13 And the whole army under them, three hundred and seven thousand five hundred: who were fit for war, and fought for the king against the enemy.
14 And Ozias prepared for them, that is, for the whole army, shields, and spears, and helmets, and coats of mail, and bows, and slings to cast stones.
15 And he made in Jerusalem engines of diverse kinds, which he placed in the towers, and in the corners of the walls, to shoot arrows, and great stones: and his name went forth far abroad, for the Lord helped him, and had strengthened him.
16 But when he was made strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction, and he neglected the Lord, his God: and going into the temple of the Lord, he had a mind to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
17 And immediately Azarias, the priest, going in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the Lord, most valiant men,
18 Withstood the king, and said: It doth not belong to thee, Ozias, to burn incense to the Lord, but to the priests, that is, to the sons of Aaron, *who are consecrated for this ministry: go out of the sanctuary, do not despise: for this thing shall not be accounted to thy glory by the Lord God.
19 And Ozias was angry; and holding in his hand the censer to burn incense, threatened the priests.  And presently there rose a leprosy in his forehead before the priests, in the house of the Lord, at the altar of incense.
20 And Azarias, the high priest, and all the rest of the priests looked upon him, and saw the leprosy in his forehead, and they made haste to thrust him out.  Yea, himself also being frightened, hasted to go out, because he had quickly felt the stroke of the Lord.
21 *And Ozias, the king, was a leper unto the day of his death; and he dwelt in a house apart, being full of the leprosy, for which he had been cast out of the house of the Lord.  And Joatham, his son, governed the king's house, and judged the people of the land.
22 But the rest of the acts of Ozias, first and last, were written by Isaia,s the son of Amos, the prophet.
23 And Ozias slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the field of the royal sepulchres, because he was a leper: and Joatham, his son, reigned in his stead.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3194.; 4 Kings xiv. 21.
18:  Exod. xxx. 7. et seq.
21:  4 Kings xv. 5.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 27
CHAPTER XXVII.

Joatham's good reign.

1 Joatham *was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Jerusa, the daughter of Sadoc.
2 And he did that which was right before the Lord, according to all that Ozias, his father, had done, only that he entered not into the temple of the Lord, and the people still transgressed.
3 He built the high gate of the house of the Lord, and on the wall of Ophel he built much.
4 Moreover, he built cities in the mountains of Juda, and castles and towers in the forests.
5 Ho fought against the king of the children of Ammon, and overcame them, and the children of Ammon gave him at that time a hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand measures of wheat, and as many measures of barley: so much did the children of Ammon give him in the second and third year.
6 And Joatham was strengthened, because he had directed his ways before the Lord, his God.
7 Now the rest of the acts of Joatham, and all his wars, and all his works, are written in the Book of the kings of Israel and Juda.
8 He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.
9 And Joatham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Achaz, his son, reigned in his stead.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3246, A.C. 758.; 4 Kings xv. 33.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 28
CHAPTER XXVIII.

The wicked and unhappy reign of Achaz.

1 Achaz* was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord, as David, his father, had done.
2 But walked in the ways of the kings of Israel; moreover also, he cast statues for Baalim.
3 It was he that burnt incense in the valley of Benennom, and consecrated his sons in the fire, according to the manner of the nations, which the Lord slew at the coming of the children of Israel.
4 He sacrificed also, and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
5 *And the Lord, his God, delivered him into the hands of the king of Syria, who defeated him, and took a great booty out of his kingdom, and carried it to Damascus: he was also delivered into the hands of the king of Israel, who overthrew him with a great slaughter.
6 For Phacee, the son of Romelia, slew of Juda a hundred and twenty thousand in one day, all valiant men: because they had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers.
7 At the same time, Zechri, a powerful man of Ephraim, slew Maasias, the king's son, and Ezricam, the governor of his house, and Elcana, who was next to the king.
8 And the children of Israel carried away of their brethren, two hundred thousand women, boys, and girls, and an immense booty: and they brought it to Samaria.
9 At that time there was a prophet of the Lord there, whose name was Oded: and he went out to meet the army that came to Samaria, and said to them: Behold the Lord, the God of your fathers, being angry with Juda, hath delivered them into your hands, and you have butchered them cruelly, so that your cruelty hath reached up to heaven.
10 Moreover, you have a mind to keep under the children of Juda and Jerusalem, for your bon-dmen and bond-women, which ought not to be done: for you have sinned in this against the Lord, your God.
11 But hear ye my counsel, and release the captives that you have brought of your brethren, because a great indignation of the Lord hangeth over you.
12 Then some of the chief men of the sons of Ephraim, Azarias, the son of Johanan, Barachias, the son of Mosollamoth, Ezechias, the son of Sellum, and Amasa, the son of Adali, stood up against them that came from the war.
13 And they said to them: You shall not bring in the captives hither, lest we sin against the Lord.  Why will you add to our sins, and heap up upon our former offences? for the sin is great, and the fierce anger of the Lord hangeth over Israel.
14 So the soldiers left the spoils, and all that they had taken, before the princes and all the multitude.
15 And the men, whom we mentioned above, rose up and took the captives, and with the spoils clothed all them that were naked: and when they had clothed and shod them, and refreshed them with meat and drink, and anointed them because of their labour, and had taken care of them: they set such of them as could not walk, and were feeble, upon beasts, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm-trees, to their brethren, and they returned to Samaria.
16 At that time king Achaz sent to the king of the Assyrians, asking help.
17 *And the Edomites came and slew many of Juda, and took a great booty.
18 The Philistines also spread themselves among the cities of the plains, and to the south of Juda: and they took Bethsames, and Aialon, and Gaderoth, and Socho, and Thamnan, and Gamzo, with their villages, and they dwelt in them.
19 For the Lord had humbled Juda, because of Achaz, the king of Juda, for he had stript it of all help, and had contemned the Lord.
20 And he brought against him Thelgathphalnasar, *king of the Assyrians, who also afflicted him, and plundered him without any resistance.
21 And Achaz stripped the house of the Lord, and the house of the kings, and of the princes, and gave gifts to the king of the Assyrians; and yet it availed him nothing.
22 Moreover, also, in the time of his distress, he increased contempt against the Lord; king Achaz himself, by himself,
23 Sacrificed victims to the gods of Damascus that struck him, and he said: The gods of the kings of Syria help them, and I will appease them with victims, and they will help me: whereas, on the contrary, they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.
24 Then Achaz having taken away all the vessels of the house of God, and broken them, shut up the doors of the temple of God, and made himself altars in all the corners of Jerusalem.
25 And in all the cities of Juda he built altars to burn frankincense, and he provoked the Lord, the God of his fathers, to wrath.
26 But the rest of his acts, and all his works, first and last, are written in the Book of the kings of Juda and Israel.
27 And Achaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of Jerusalem: for they received him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel.  And Ezechias, his son, reigned in his stead.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3262, A.C. 742.; 4 Kings xvi. 2.
5:  A.M. 3263.
17:  A.M. 3264, A.C. 740.
20:  4 Kings xvi. 10.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 29
CHAPTER XXIX.

Ezechias purifieth the temple, and restoreth religion.

1 Now *Ezechias began to reign, when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Abia, the daughter of Zacharias.
2 And he did that which was pleasing in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David, his father, had done.
3 In the first year and month of his reign he opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and repaired them.
4 And he brought the priests and the Levites, and assembled them in the east street.
5 And he said to them: Hear me, ye Levites, and be sanctified, purify the house of the Lord, the God of your fathers, and take away all filth out of the sanctuary.
6 Our fathers have sinned, and done evil in the sight of the Lord God, forsaking him: they have turned away their faces from the tabernacle of the Lord, and turned their backs.
7 They have shut up the doors that were in the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burnt incense, nor offered holocausts in the sanctuary of the God of Israel.
8 Therefore, the wrath of the Lord hath been stirred up against Juda and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, and to destruction, and to be hissed at, as you see with your eyes.
9 Behold, our fathers are fallen by the sword, our sons, and our daughters, and wives, are led away captives for this wickedness.
10 Now, therefore, I have a mind, that we make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, and he will turn away the wrath of his indignation from us.
11 My sons, be not negligent: the Lord hath chosen you to stand before him, and to minister to him, and to worship him, and to burn incense to him.
12 Then the Levites arose: Mahath, the son of Amasai, and Joel, the son of Azarias, of the sons of Caath: and of the sons of Merari, Cis, the son of Abdi, and Azarias, the son of Jalaleel.  And of the sons of Gerson, Joah, the son of Zemma, and Eden, the son of Joah.
13 And of the sons of Elisaphan, Samri, and Jahiel.  Also, of the sons of Asaph, Zacharias, and Mathanias.
14 And of the sons of Heman, Jahiel, and Semei: and of the sons of Idithun, Semeias, and Oziel.
15 And they gathered together their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and went in according to the commandment of the king, and the precept of the Lord, to purify the house of God.
16 And the priests went into the temple of the Lord to sanctify it, and brought out all the uncleanness, that they found within, to the entrance of the house of the Lord, and the Levites took it away, and carried it out abroad, to the torrent Cedron.
17 And they began to cleanse on the first day of the first month, and, on the eighth day of the same month, they came into the porch of the temple of the Lord, and they purified the temple in eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the same month, they finished what they had begun.
18 And they went is to king Ezechias, and said to him: We have sanctified all the house of the Lord, and the altar of holocaust, and the vessels thereof, and the table of proposition, with all its vessels.
19 And all the furniture of the temple, which king Achaz, in his reign, had defiled, after his transgression; and behold they are all set forth before the altar of the Lord.
20 And king Ezechias, rising early, assembled all the rulers of the city, and went up into the house of the Lord:
21 And they offered together seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he-goats, for sin, for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, for Juda: and he spoke to the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them upon the altar of the Lord.
22 Therefore they killed the bullocks, and the priests took the blood, and poured it upon the altar, they killed also the rams, and their blood they poured also upon the altar, and they killed the lambs, and poured the blood upon the altar.
23 And they brought the he-goats, for sin, before the king, and the whole multitude, and they laid their hand upon them:
24 And the priests immolated them, and sprinkled their blood before the altar, for an expiation of all Israel: for the king had commanded that the holocaust and the sin-offering should be made for all Israel.
25 And he set the Levites, in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, and psalteries, and harps, according to the regulation of David, the king, and of Gad, the seer, and of Nathan, the prophet: for it was the commandment of the Lord, by the hand of his prophets.
26 And the Levites stood, with the instruments of David, and the priests with trumpets.
27 And Ezechias commanded that they should offer holocausts upon the altar: and when the holocausts were offered, they began to sing praises to the Lord, and to sound with trumpets, and divers instruments, which David, the king of Israel, had prepared.
28 And all the multitude adored, and the singers, and the trumpeters, were in their office, till the holocaust was finished.
29 And when the oblation was ended, the king, and all that were with him, bowed down, and adored.
30 And Ezechias, and the princes, commanded the Levites to praise the Lord with the words of David, and Asaph, the seer: and they praised him with great joy, and bowing the knee, adored.
31 And Ezechias added, and said: You have filled your hands to the Lord, come and offer victims, and praises in the house of the Lord.  And all the multitude offered victims, and praises, and holocausts, with a devout mind.
32 And the number of the holocausts which the multitude offered, was seventy bullocks, a hundred rams, and two hundred lambs.
33 And they consecrated to the Lord six hundred oxen, and three thousand sheep.
34 But the priests were few, and were not enough to slay the holocausts: wherefore the Levites, their brethren, helped them till the work was ended, and priests were sanctified, for the Levites are sanctified with an easier rite than the priests.
35 So there were many holocausts, and the fat of peace-offerings, and the libations of holocausts: and the service of the house of the Lord was completed,
36 And Ezechias, and all the people rejoiced because the ministry of the Lord was accomplished.  For the resolution of doing this thing was taken suddenly.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3278, A.C. 726.; 4 Kings xviii. 1.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 30
CHAPTER XXX.

Ezechias inviteth all Israel to celebrate the Pasch: the solemnity is kept fourteen days.

1 And *Ezechias sent to all Israel and Juda: and he wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasses, that they should come to the house of the Lord, in Jerusalem, and keep the Phase to the Lord, the God of Israel.
2 For the king, taking counsel, and the princes, and all the assembly of Jerusalem, decreed to keep the Phase the second month.
3 For they could not keep it in its time: because there were not priests enough sanctified; and the people was not as yet gathered together to Jerusalem.
4 And the thing pleased the king, and all the people.
5 And they decreed to send messengers to all Israel, from Bersabee even to Dan, that they should come, and keep the Phase to the Lord, the God of Israel, in Jerusalem: for many had not kept it as it is prescribed by the law.
6 And the posts went with letters by commandment of the king, and his princes, to all Israel and Juda, proclaiming according to the king's orders: Ye children of Israel, turn again to the Lord, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Israel: and he will return to the remnant of you that have escaped the hand of the king of the Assyrians.
7 Be not like your fathers, and brethren, who departed from the Lord, the God of their fathers, and he hath given them up to destruction, as you see.
8 Harden not your necks, as your fathers did: yield yourselves to the Lord, and come to his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: serve the Lord, the God of your fathers, and the wrath of his indignation shall be turned away from you.
9 For if you turn again to the Lord: your brethren, and children, shall find mercy before their masters, that have led them away captive, and they shall return into this land: for the Lord, your God, is merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.
10 So the posts went speedily from city to city, through the land of Ephraim, and of Manasses, even to Zabulon, whilst they laughed at them, and mocked them.
11 Nevertheless, some men of Aser, and of Manasses, and of Zabulon, yielding to the counsel, came to Jerusalem.
12 But the hand of God was in Juda, to give them one heart to do the word of the Lord, according to the commandment of the king, and of the princes.
13 And much people were assembled to Jerusalem, to celebrate the solemnity of the unleavened bread in the second month.
14 And they arose, and destroyed the altars that were in Jerusalem, and took away all things in which incense was burnt to idols, and cast them into the torrent Cedron.
15 And they immolated the Phase on the fourteenth day of the second month.  And the priests and the Levites being at length sanctified, offered holocausts in the house of the Lord.
16 And they stood in their order, according to the disposition, and law of Moses, the man of God: but the priests received the blood which was to be poured out, from the hands of the Levites,
17 Because a great number was not sanctified: and, therefore, the Levites immolated the Phase for them that came not in time to be sanctified to the Lord.
18 For a great part of the people from Ephraim, and Manasses, and Issachar, and Zabulon, that had not been sanctified, eat the Phase, otherwise than it is written: and Ezechias prayed for them, saying: The Lord, who is good, will shew mercy,
19 To all them, who with their whole heart, seek the Lord, the God of their fathers: and will not impute it to them, that they are not sanctified.
20 And the Lord heard him, and was merciful to the people.
21 And the children of Israel, that were found at Jerusalem, kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days, with great joy, praising the Lord every day: The Levites also, and the priests, with instruments, that agreed to their office.
22 And Ezechias spoke to the heart of all the Levites, that had good understanding, concerning the Lord: and they eat during the seven days of the solemnity, immolating victims of peace-offerings, and praising the Lord, the God of their fathers.
23 And it pleased the whole multitude to keep other seven days: which they did with great joy.
24 For Ezechias, the king of Juda, had given to the multitude a thousand bullocks, and seven thousand sheep: and the princes had given the people a thousand bullocks, and ten thousand sheep: and a great number of priests was sanctified.
25 And all the multitude of Juda, with the priests and Levites, and all the assembly, that came out of Israel: and the proselytes of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Juda, were full of joy.
26 And there was a great solemnity in Jerusalem, such as had not been in that city since the time of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.
27 And the priests and the Levites rose up, and blessed the people: and their voice was heard: and their prayer came to the holy dwelling-place of heaven.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3278.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 31
CHAPTER XXXI.

Idolatry is abolished; and provisions made for the ministers.

1 And *when these things had been duly celebrated, all Israel, that were found in the cities of Juda, went out, and they broke the idols, and cut down the groves, demolished the high places, and destroyed the altars, not only out of all Juda and Benjamin, but out of Ephraim also, and Manasses, till they had utterly destroyed them: then all the children of Israel returned to their possessions and cities.
2 And Ezechias appointed companies of the priests, and the Levites, by their courses, every man in his own office; to wit, both of the priests, and of the Levites, for holocausts, and for peace-offerings, to minister, and to praise, and to sing in the gates of the camp of the Lord.
3 And the king's part was, that of his proper substance the holocaust should be offered always morning and evening, and on the sabbaths, and the new moons and the other solemnities, as it is written in the law of Moses.
4 He commanded also the people that dwelt in Jerusalem, to give to the priests, and the Levites, their portion, that they might attend to the law of the Lord.
5 Which when it was noised abroad in the ears of the people, the children of Israel offered in abundance the first-fruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey: and brought the tithe of all things which the ground bringeth forth.
6 Moreover, the children of Israel and Juda, that dwelt in the cities of Juda, brought in the tithes of oxen, and sheep, and the tithes of holy things, which they had vowed to the Lord, their God: and carrying them all, made many heaps.
7 In the third month, they began to lay the foundations of the heaps; and in the seventh month, they finished them.
8 And when Ezechias, and his princes, came in, they saw the heaps, and they blessed the Lord, and the people of Israel.
9 And Ezechias asked the priests, and the Levites, why the heaps lay so.
10 Azarias, the chief priest of the race of Sadoc, answered him, saying: Since the first-fruits began to be offered in the house of the Lord, we have eaten, and have been filled, and abundance is left, because the Lord hath blessed his people: and of that which is left, is this great store which thou seest.
11 Then Ezechias commanded to prepare storehouses in the house of the Lord.  And when they had done so,
12 They brought in faithfully both the first-fruits, and the tithes, and all they had vowed.  And the overseer of them was Chonenias, the Levite, and Semei, his brother, was the second,
13 And after him, Jehiel, and Azarias, and Nahath, and Asael, and Jerimoth, and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Jesmachias, and Mahath, and Banaias, overseers under the hand of Chonenias, and Semei, his brother, by the commandment of Ezechias, the king, and Azarias, the high priest of the house of God, to whom all things appertained.
14 But Core, the son of Jemna, the Levite, the porter of the east-gate, was overseer of the things which were freely offered to the Lord, and of the first-fruits and the things dedicated for the holy of holies.
15 And under his charge were Eden, and Benjamin, Jesue, and Semeias, and Amarias, and Sechenias, in the cities of the priests, to distribute faithfully portions to their brethren, both little and great:
16 Besides the males, from three years old and upward, to all that went into the temple of the Lord, and whatsoever there was need of in the ministry, and their offices according to their courses, day by day,
17 To the priests, by their families, and to the Levites, from the twentieth year and upward, by their classes and companies.
18 And to all the multitude, both to their wives, and to their children of both sexes, victuals were given faithfully out of the things that had been sanctified.
19 Also of the sons of Aaron who were in the fields, and in the suburbs of each city, there were men appointed, to distribute portions to all the males, among the priests and the Levites.
20 So Ezechias did all things which we have said in all Juda: and wrought that which was good; and right, and truth, before the Lord, his God,
21 In all the service of the ministry of the house of the Lord, according to the law and the ceremonies, desiring to seek his God with all his heart; and he did it and prospered.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3278.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 32
CHAPTER XXXII.

Sennacherib invadeth Juda: his army is destroyed by an angel.  Ezechias recovereth from his sickness: his other acts.

1 After *these things, and this truth, Sennacherib, king of the Assyrians, came and entered into Juda, and besieged the fenced cities, desiring to take them.
2 And when Ezechias saw that Sennacherib was come, and that the whole force of the war was turning against Jerusalem,
3 He took counsel with the princes, and the most valiant men, to stop up the heads of the springs, that were without the city: and as they were all of this mind,
4 He gathered together a very great multitude, and they stopped up all the springs, and the brook, that ran through the midst of the land, saying: Lest the kings of the Assyrians should come, and find abundance of water.
5 He built up, also, with great diligence, all the wall that had been broken down, and built towers upon it, and another wall without: and he repaired Mello, in the city of David, and made all sorts of arms and shields:
6 And he appointed captains of the soldiers of the army: and he called them all together in the street of the gate of the city, and spoke to their heart, saying:
7 Behave like men, and take courage: be not afraid, nor dismayed for the king of the Assyrians, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there are many more with us than with him.
8 For with him is an arm of flesh: with us the Lord, our God, who is our helper, and fighteth for us.  And the people were encouraged with these words of Ezechias, king of Juda.
9 After this, Sennacherib, king of the Assyrians, sent his servants to Jerusalem (for he, with all his army, was besieging Lachis,) to Ezechias, king of Juda, and to all the people that were in the city, saying:
10 Thus saith Sennacherib, king of the Assyrians: In whom do you trust, that you sit still besieged in Jerusalem?
11 Doth not Ezechias deceive you, to give you up to die, by hunger and thirst, affirming, that the Lord, your God, shall deliver you from the hand of the king of the Assyrians?
12 Is it not this same Ezechias, that hath destroyed his high places, and his altars, and commanded Juda and Jerusalem, saying: You shall worship before one altar, and upon it you shall burn incense?
13 Know you not what I and my fathers have done to all the people of the lands? have the gods of any nations and lands been able to deliver their country out of my hand?
14 Who is there among all the gods of the nations, which my fathers have destroyed, that could deliver his people out of my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of this hand?
15 Therefore let not Ezechias deceive you, nor delude you with a vain persuasion, and do not believe him.  For if no god of all the nations and kingdoms, could deliver his people out of my hand, and out of the hand of my fathers, consequently neither shall your God be able to deliver you out of my hand.
16 And many other things did his servants speak against the Lord God, and against Ezechias. his servant.
17 He wrote also letters full of blasphemy against the Lord, the God of Israel, and he spoke against him: As the gods of other nations could not deliver their people out of my hand, so neither can the God of Ezechias deliver his people out of this hand.
18 Moreover, he cried out with a loud voice, in the Jews' tongue, to the people that sat on the walls of Jerusalem, that he might frighten them, and take the city.
19 And he spoke against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, the works of the hands of men.
20 And Ezechias, the king, and Isaias, the prophet, the son of Amos, prayed against this blasphemy, and cried out to heaven.
21 *And the Lord sent an angel, who cut off all the stout men and the warriors, and the captains of the army of the king of the Assyrians: and he returned with disgrace into his own country.  And when he was come into the house of his god, his sons that came out of his bowels, slew him with the sword.
22 And the Lord saved Ezechias, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of the hand of Sennacherib, king of the Assyrians, and out of the hand of all, and gave them treasures on every side.
23 Many also, brought victims, and sacrifices to the Lord, to Jerusalem, and presents to Ezechias, king of Juda: and he was magnified thenceforth in the sight of all nations.
24 *In those days Ezechias was sick, even to death, and he prayed to the Lord: and he heard him, and gave him a sign.
25 But he did not render again according to the benefits which he had received, for his heart was lifted up: and wrath was enkindled against him, and against Juda and Jerusalem.
26 And he humbled himself afterwards, because his heart had been lifted up, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and, therefore, the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Ezechias.
27 And Ezechias was rich, and very glorious, and he gathered himself great treasures of silver, and of gold, and of precious stones, of spices, and of arms of all kinds, and of vessels of great price.
28 Storehouses also, of corn, of wine, and of oil, and stalls for all beasts, and folds for cattle.
29 And he built himself cities: for he had flocks of sheep, and herds without number; for the Lord had given him very much substance.
30 This same Ezechias was he that stopped the upper source of the waters of Gihon, and turned them away underneath toward the west of the city of David: in all his works he did prosperously what he would.
31 But yet in the embassy of the princes of Babylon, that were sent to him, to enquire of the wonder that had happened upon the earth, God left him that he might be tempted, and all things might be made known that were in his heart.
32 Now the rest of the acts of Ezechias, and of his mercies, are written in the Book of the kings of Juda and Israel.
33 And Ezechias slept with his fathers, *and they buried him above the sepulchres of the sons of David: and all Juda, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, celebrated his funeral: and Manasses, his son, reigned in his stead.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3291, A.C. 713.; 4 Kings xviii. 13.; Eccli. xlviii. 20.; Isai. xxxvi. 1.
21:  Tobias i. 21.
24:  4 Kings xx. 1.; Isai. xxxviii. 1.; A.M. 3291, A.C. 713.
33:  A.M. 3306, A.C. 698.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 33
CHAPTER XXXIII.

Manasses, for his manifold wickedness, is led captive to Babylon: he repenteth, and is restored to his kingdom, and destroyeth idolatry: his successor, Amon, is slain by his servants.

1 Manasses *was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem.
2 And he did evil before the Lord, according to all the abominations of the nations, which the Lord cast out before the children of Israel:
3 And he turned, and built again the high places which Ezechias, his father, had destroyed: and he built altars to Baalim, and made groves, and he adored all the host of heaven, and worshipped them.
4 He built, also, altars in the house of the Lord, whereof the Lord had said: *In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever.
5 And he built them for all the host of heaven, in the two courts of the house of the Lord.
6 And he made his sons to pass through the fire, in the valley of Benennom: he observed dreams, followed divinations, gave himself up to magic arts, had with him magicians, and enchanters: and he wrought many evils before the Lord, to provoke him to anger.
7 *He set also a graven, and a molten statue in the house of God, of which God had said to David, and to Solomon, his son: In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever.
8 And I will not make the foot of Israel to be removed out of the land which I have delivered to their fathers: yet so if they will take heed to do what I have commanded them, and all the law, and the ceremonies, and judgments, by the hand of Moses.
9 So Manasses seduced Juda, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to do evil beyond all the nations, which the Lord had destroyed before the face of the children of Israel.
10 And the Lord spoke to him, and to his people, and they would not hearken.
11 Therefore, he brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of the Assyrians: and they took Manasses, and carried him, bound with chains and fetters, to Babylon.
12 And after that he was in distress, he prayed to the Lord, his God: and did penance exceedingly before the God of his fathers.
13 And he entreated him, and besought him earnestly: and he heard his prayer, and brought him again to Jerusalem, into his kingdom, and Manasses knew that the Lord was God.
14 After this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, from the entering in of the fish-gate round about to Ophel, and raised it up to a great height: and he appointed captains of the army in all the fenced cities of Juda:
15 And he took away the strange gods, and the idol, out of the house of the Lord: the altars also, which he had made in the mount of the house of the Lord, and in Jerusalem, and he cast them all out of the city.
16 And he repaired the altar of the Lord, and sacrificed upon it victims, and peace-offerings, and praise: and he commanded Juda to serve the Lord, the God of Israel.
17 Nevertheless, the people still sacrificed in the high places to the Lord, their God.
18 But the rest of the acts of Manasses, and his prayer to his God: and the words of the seers, that spoke to him in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, are contained in the words of the kings of Israel.
19 His prayer also, and his being heard, and all his sins, and contempt, and places wherein he built high places, and set up groves, and statues, before he did penance, are written in the words of Hozai.
20 And Manasses slept *with his fathers, and they buried him in his house: and his son, Amon, reigned in his stead.
21 Amon was two and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem.
22 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, as Manasses, his father, had done: and he sacrificed to all the idols which Manasses, his father, had made, and served them.
23 And he did not humble himself before the Lord, as Manasses, his father, had humbled himself, but committed far greater sins.
24 And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house.
25 But the rest of the multitude of the people slew them that had killed Amon, and made Josias, his son, king in his stead.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3306.; 4 Kings xxi. 1.
4:  2 Kings vii. 7.
7:  3 Kings viii. 17.
20:  A.M. 3361, A.C. 643.
====================

2 PARALIPOMENON 34
CHAPTER XXXIV.

Josias destroyeth idolatry, repaireth the temple, and reneweth the covenant between God and the people.

1 Josias* was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one and thirty years in Jerusalem.
2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David, his father: he declined not either to the right hand, or to the left.
3 And in the eighth year of his reign, when he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of his father, David: and in the twelfth year after he began to reign, he cleansed Juda and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the idols, and the graven things.
4 And they broke down before him the altars of Baalim, and demolished the idols that had been set upon them: and he cut down the groves and the graven things, and broke them in pieces: and strewed the fragments upon the graves of them that had sacrificed to them.
5 And he burnt the bones of the priests on the altars of the idols, and he cleansed Juda and Jerusalem.
6 And in the cities of Manasses, and of Ephraim, and of Simeon, even to Nephthali, he demolished all.
7 And when he had destroyed the altars, and the groves, and had broken the idols in pieces, and had demolished all profane temples throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.
8 Now, in the eighteenth year *of his reign, when he had cleansed the land, and the temple of the Lord, he sent Saphan, the son of Eselias, and Maasias, the governor of the city, and Joha, the son of Joachaz, the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord, his God.
9 And they came to Helcias, the high priest: and received of him the money which had been brought into the house of the Lord, and which the Levites and porters had gathered together from Manasses, and Ephraim, and all the remnant of Israel, and from all Juda, and Benjamin, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
10 Which they delivered into the hands of them that were over the workmen in the house of the Lord, to repair the temple, and mend all that was weak.
11 But they gave it to the artificers, and to the masons, to buy stones out of the quarries, and timber for the couplings of the building, and to rafter the houses, which the kings of Juda had destroyed.
12 And they did all faithfully.  Now the overseers of the workmen were Jahath and Abdias, of the sons of Merari, Zacharias and Mosollam, of the sons of Caath, who hastened the work: all Levites, skilful to play on instruments.
13 But over them that carried burdens for divers uses, were scribes, and masters of the number of the Levites, and porters.
14 Now when they carried out the money that had been brought into the temple of the Lord, Helcias, the priest, found the book of the law of the Lord, by the hand of Moses.
15 And he said to Saphan, the scribe: I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord: and he delivered it to him.
16 But he carried the book to the king, and told him, saying: Lo, all that thou hast committed to thy servants, is accomplished.
17 They have gathered together the silver that was found in the house of the Lord: and it is given to the overseers of the artificers, and of the workmen, for divers works.
18 Moreover, Helcias, the priest, gave me this book.  And he read it before the king.
19 And when he had heard the words of the law, he rent his garments:
20 And he commanded Helcias, and Ahicam, the son of Saphan, and Abdon, the son of Micha, and Saphan, the scribe, and Asaa, the king's servant, saying:
21 Go, and pray to the Lord for me, and for the remnant of Israel, and Juda, concerning all the words of this book, which is found: for the great wrath of the Lord hath fallen upon us, because our fathers have not kept the words of the Lord, to do all things that are written in this book.
22 And Helcias, and they that were sent with him by the king, went to Olda, the prophetess, the wife of Sellum, the son of Thecuath, the son of Hasra, keeper of the wardrobe: who dwelt in Jerusalem, in the second part: and they spoke to her the words above-mentioned.
23 And she answered them: Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: Tell the man that sent you to me:
24 Thus saith the Lord: Behold I will bring evils upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, and all the curses that are written in this book, which they read before the king of Juda.
25 Because they have forsaken me, and have sacrificed to strange gods, to provoke me to wrath with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall fall upon this place, and shall not be quenched.
26 But as to the king of Juda that sent you to beseech the Lord, thus shall you say to him: Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: Because thou hast heard the words of this book,
27 And thy heart was softened, and thou hast humbled thyself in the sight of God for the things that are spoken against this place, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and reverencing my face, hast rent thy garments, and wept before me: I also have heard thee, saith the Lord.
28 For now I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be brought to thy tomb in peace: and thy eyes shall not see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and the inhabitants thereof.  *They, therefore, reported to the king, all that she had said.
29 And he called together all the ancients of Juda and Jerusalem,
30 And went up to the house of the Lord, and all the men of Juda, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, from the least to the greatest.  And the king read in their hearing in the house of the Lord, all the words of the book.
31 And standing up in his tribunal, he made a covenant before the Lord to walk after him, and keep his commandments, and testimonies, and justifications, with all his heart, and with all his soul, and to do the things that were written in that book which he had read.
32 And he adjured all that were found in Jerusalem, and Benjamin, to do the same: and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of the Lord, the God of their fathers.
33 And Josias took away all the abominations out of all the countries of the children of Israel: and made all that were left in Israel, to serve the Lord, their God.  As long as he lived, they departed not from the Lord, the God of their fathers.
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*
1:  4 Kings xxii. 1.; A.M. 3363, A.C. 641.
8:  A.M. 3380, A.C. 624.
28:  4 Kings xxiii. 1.
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2 PARALIPOMENON 35
CHAPTER XXXV.

Josias celebrateth a most solemn Pasch.  He is slain by the king of Egypt.

1 And *Josias kept a Phase to the Lord in Jerusalem, and it was sacrificed on the fourteenth day of the first month.
2 And he set the priests in their offices, and exhorted them to minister in the house of the Lord.
3 And he spoke to the Levites, by whose instruction all Israel was sanctified to the Lord, saying: Put the ark in the sanctuary of the temple, which Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel, built: for you shall carry it no more: but minister now to the Lord, your God, and to his people, Israel.
4 And prepare yourselves by your houses, and families, according to your courses, as David, king of Israel, commanded, and Solomon, his son, hath written.
5 And serve ye in the sanctuary by the families and companies of Levi,
6 And being sanctified kill the Phase, and prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the words which the Lord spoke by the hand of Moses.
7 And Josias gave to all the people that were found there in the solemnity of the Phase, of lambs and of kids, of the flocks, and of other small cattle, thirty thousand, and of oxen, three thousand: all these were of the king's substance.
8 And his princes willingly offered what they had vowed, both to the people, and to the priests and the Levites.  Moreover, Helcias, and Zacharias, and Jahiel, rulers of the house of the Lord, gave to the priests to keep the Phase, two thousand six hundred small cattle, and three hundred oxen.
9 And Chonenias, and Semeias, and Nathanael, his brethren, and Hasabias, and Jehiel, and Jozabad, princes of the Levites, gave to the rest of the Levites to celebrate the Phase, five thousand small cattle, and five hundred oxen.
10 And the ministry was prepared, and the priests stood in their office: the Levites also, in their companies, according to the king's commandment.
11 And the Phase was immolated: and the priests sprinkled the blood with their hand, and the Levites flayed the holocausts:
12 And they separated them to give them by the houses and families of every one, and to be offered to the Lord, as it is written in the book of Moses; and with the oxen they did in like manner.
13 And they roasted the Phase with fire, according to that which is written in the law: but the victims of peace-offerings they boiled in cauldrons, and kettles, and pots, and they distributed them speedily among all the people.
14 And afterwards they made ready for themselves, and for the priests: for the priests were busied in offering of holocausts and the fat until night: wherefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests, the sons of Aaron, last.
15 And the singers, the sons of Asaph, stood in their order, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Idithun, the prophets of the king: and the porters kept guard at every gate, so as not to depart one moment from their service: and, therefore, their brethren, the Levites, prepared meats for them.
16 So all the service of the Lord was duly accomplished that day, both in keeping the Phase, and offering holocausts upon the altar of the Lord, according to the commandment of king Josias.
17 And the children of Israel that were found there, kept the Phase at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days.
18 There was no Phase like to this in Israel, from the days of Samuel the prophet: neither did any of all the kings of Israel keep such a Phase as Josias kept, with the priests, and the Levites, and all Juda, and Israel that were found, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josias was this Phase celebrated.
20 *After that Josias had repaired the temple, Nechao, king of Egypt, came up to fight in Charcamis, by the Euphrates: and Josias went out to meet him.
21 But he sent messengers to him, saying: What have I to do with thee, O king of Juda?  I come not against thee this day, but I fight against another house, to which God hath commanded me to go in haste: forbear to do against God, who is with me, lest he kill thee.
22 Josias would not return, but prepared to fight against him, and hearkened not to the words of Nechao, from the mouth of God, *but went to fight in the field of Mageddo.
23 And there he was wounded by the archers, and he said to his servants: Carry me out of the battle, for I am grievously wounded.
24 And they removed him from the chariot into another, that followed him after the manner of kings, and they carried him away to Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in the monument of his fathers, and all Juda and Jerusalem mourned for him;
25 Particularly Jeremias: whose lamentations for Josias all the singing men and singing women repeat unto this day, and it became like a law in Israel: Behold it is found written in the Lamentations.
26 Now the rest of the acts of Josias, and of his mercies, according to what was commanded by the law of the Lord;
27 And his works, first and last, are written in the Book of the kings of Juda and Israel.
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*
1:  A.M. 3381.; 4 Kings xxiii. 21.
20:  4 Kings xxiii. 29.; A.M. 3394, A.C. 610.
22:  Zach. xii. 11.
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2 PARALIPOMENON 36
CHAPTER XXXVI.

The reigns of Joachaz, Joakim, Joachin, and Sedecias: the captivity of Babylon released at length by Cyrus.

1 Then *the people of the land took Joachaz, the son of Josias, and made him king instead of his father in Jerusalem.
2 Joachaz was three and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.
3 And the king of Egypt came to Jerusalem, and deposed him, and condemned the land, in a hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold.
4 And he made *Eliakim, his brother, king in his stead, over Juda and Jerusalem: and he turned his name to Joakim: but he took Joachaz with him, and carried him away into Egypt.
5 Joakim was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did evil before the Lord, his God.
6 Against him came up Nabuchodonosor, king of the Chaldeans, and led him bound in chains into Babylon.
7 And he carried also thither the vessels of the Lord, and put them in his temple.
8 But the rest of the acts of Joakim, and his abominations, which he wrought, and the things that were found in him, are contained in the Book of the kings of Juda and Israel.  And Joachin, his son, reigned in his stead.
9 Joachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem, and he did evil in the sight of the Lord.
10 And at the return of the year, king Nabuchodonosor sent, and brought him to Babylon, carrying away, at the same time, the most precious vessels of the house of the Lord: *and he made Sedecias, his uncle, king over Juda and Jerusalem.
11 Sedecias was one and twenty years old when he began to reign: and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.
12 And he did evil in the eyes of the Lord, his God, and did not reverence the face of Jeremias, the prophet, speaking to him from the mouth of the Lord.
13 He also revolted from king Nabuchodonosor,* who had made him swear by God: and he hardened his neck and his heart, from returning to the Lord, the God of Israel.
14 Moreover, all the chief of the priests, and the people, wickedly transgressed according to all the abominations of the Gentiles: and they defiled the house of the Lord, which he had sanctified to himself in Jerusalem.
15 And the Lord, the God of their fathers, sent to them, by the hand of his messengers, rising early, and daily admonishing them: because he spared his people and his dwelling-place.
16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his works, and misused the prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, and there was no remedy.
17 For he brought upon them the king of the Chaldeans, and he slew their young men with the sword in the house of his sanctuary; he had no compassion on young man, or maiden, old man or even him that stooped for age; but he delivered them all into his hands.
18 And all the vessels of the house of the Lord, great and small, and the treasures of the temple, and of the king, and of the princes, he carried away to Babylon.
19 And the enemies set fire to the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burnt all the towers, and whatsoever was precious they destroyed.
20 Whosoever escaped the sword, was led into Babylon, and there served the king and his sons, till the reign of the king of Persia.
21 That the word of the Lord, by the mouth of Jeremias, might be fulfilled, and the land might keep her sabbaths: for all the days of the desolation, she kept a sabbath, till the seventy years were expired.
22 *But in the first year **of Cyrus, king of the Persians, to fulfil the word of the Lord, which he had spoken by the mouth of Jeremias, the Lord stirred up the heart of Cyrus, king of the Persians: who commanded it to be proclaimed through all his kingdom, and by writing also, saying:
23 Thus saith Cyrus, king of the Persians: All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord, the God of heaven, given to me, and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judea: who is there among you of all his people?  The Lord, his God, be with him, and let him go up.
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*
1:  A.M. 3394, A.C. 610.; 4 Kings xxiii. 30.
4:  Mat. i. 11.
10:  4 Kings xxiv. 1.; Jer. xxxvii. 1.
13:  A.M. 3405, A.C. 599.
22:  1 Esdras i. 1. and vi. 3.; Jerem. xxv. 12. and xxix. 10. --- ** A.M. 3468, A.C. 536.
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This blog is for serious exhortation to faith in this time of the Great Apostasy.