2 Chronicles 29:1-32:33 Ezechias was fyue & twentye yeare olde whan he was made kynge, & reigned nyne & twentye yeares at Ierusalem. His mothers name was Abia ye doughter of Zachary.

Coverdale⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ Ezechias was fyue & twentye yeare olde whan he was made kynge, & reigned nyne & twentye yeares at Ierusalem. His mothers name was Abia ye doughter of Zachary. ² And he dyd that which was right in the sight of the LORDE, as did his father Dauid. ³ He opened the dores of ye house of the LORDE in the first moneth of ye first yeare of his raigne, & made them stronge, ⁴ & brought in the prestes and Leuites, and gathered them together vnto the East streate ⁵ and sayde vnto them: Herken vnto me ye Leuites, sanctifye youre selues now, yt ye maye halowe the house of the LORDE God of yor fathers, and put fylthines out of the Sanctuary: ⁶ for oure fathers haue trespaced, and done yt which was euell in the sighte of the LORDE oure God, and haue forsaken him. For they turned their faces from the habitacio of ye LORDE oure God, & turned their backes on it, ⁷ and shut the dores of the Porche, and put out the lampes, and brent no incense, & offred no burntsacrifyces in the Sanctuary vnto the God of Israel. ⁸ Therfore is the wrath of the LORDE come ouer Iuda and Ierusalem, and he hath geuen them ouer to be scatred abrode, desolate and to be hyssed at, as ye se with yor eies. ⁹ For beholde, euen for the same cause fell oure fathers thorow the swerde, oure sonnes doughters and wyues were caryed awaye captyue. ¹⁰ Now am I mynded to make a couenaunt with the LORDE God of Israel, yt he maye turne awaie from vs his wrath & indignacion. ¹¹ Now my sonnes, be not ye negligent: for the LORDE hath chosen you to stode before him, and to be his mynisters and to burne incense vnto him. ¹² Then rose the Leuites: Mahath the sonne of Amasai, and Ioel the sonne of Asaria of the children of the Kahathites. Of the children of Merari: Cis the sonne of Abdi, & Asaria the sonne of Iehaleleel. Of the children of the Gersonites: Ioah the sonne of Simma, and Eden the sonne of Ioah. ¹³ And of the childre of Elizaphan: Simri & Ieiel. And of the childre of Assaph: Sachary and Mathama. ¹⁴ And of the chidren of Heman: Iehiel and Simei. And of the children of Iedithun: Semaia and Vsiel. ¹⁵ And they gathered their brethren together, and were sanctified, and wente in acordinge to the kynges commaundement at the worde of the LORDE, to clense the house of ye LORDE. ¹⁶ And the prestes entred within in the house of the LORDE to purifye, and put out all the vnclennes that was founde in the teple of the LORDE, in the courte of the LORDES house: and the prestes toke it vp, and caryed it out in to the broke Cedron. ¹⁷ The fyrst daye of the fyrst moneth beganne they to sanctifye them selues, and on the eight daye of the moneth wente they in to the porche of the LORDE, and halowed the house of ye LORDE eight dayes, and fynished it on the sixtenth daye of the fyrst moneth. ¹⁸ And they wete in to the kynge Ezechias, and sayde: We haue clensed all the house of the LORDE, the altare of burntofferynges, and all his vessels, the table of the shewbred and all the apparell therof: ¹⁹ and all the ornamentes that kynge Achas cast awaye wha he was kynge, what tyme as he transgressed, those haue we prepared and halowed. Beholde, they are before the altare of the LORDE. ²⁰ The the kynge Ezechias gat him vp early, and gathered together the Elders of the cite, and wete vp vnto the house of the LORDE, ²¹ and they broughte seuen bullockes, seuen rammes, seuen lambes, and seuen he goates to be the synofferynge, for the Sanctuary, & for Iuda. And he spake vnto the prestes the children of Aaron, that they shulde offre vpon the altare of the LORDE. ²² So they slewe the bullockes, and the prestes toke the bloude, and sprenkled it vpon ye altare: and slewe the rammes, and sprenkled the bloude vpon the altare: and slewe the labes, and sprenkled the bloude vpon the altare. ²³ And ye goates to ye synofferynge brought they before the kynge and the congregacio, and layed their handes vpon them: ²⁴ and the prestes slewe them, and sprenkled their bloude vpon the altare to make attonemet for all Israel: for the kynge commaunded to offre burntsacrifyces and sinofferinges for all Israel. ²⁵ And he set the Leuites in the house of the LORDE with Cymbales, Psalteries and harpes, as Dauid had commaunded, and Gad the kynges Seer, and the prophet Nathan for it was the commaundement of the LORDE by his prophetes. ²⁶ And the Leuites stode with the musicall instrumentes of Dauid, & the prestes with the trompettes. ²⁷ And Ezechias commaunded them to offre burntsacrifyces vpon the altare. And aboute the tyme that the burntsacrifyce begane to be offred the songe of the LORDE beganne also, and ye trompettes, and dyuerse instrumentes of Dauid the kynge of Israel ²⁸ and all the congregacion gaue praise & thankes: and the songe of the Musicians, and ye blowynge of the trompetters, endured all tyll the burntofferynge was fynished. ²⁹ Now whan the burntofferynge was perfourmed, the kynge and all they that were with him, bowed them selues, and gaue praise and thankes. ³⁰ And Ezechias the kynge wt the rulers commaunded the Leuites to prayse the LORDE with the songes of Dauid and Assaph the Seer. And they gaue prayse tyll they were ioyfull, and they bowed them selues, and worshipped. ³¹ And Ezechias answered and saide: Now haue ye fylled youre hades vnto the LORDE steppe forth, and brynge hither ye sacrifyces and thankofferynges vnto the house of the LORDE. And the congregacion broughte sacrifyces and thankofferynges, and euery ma of a fre wyllinge hert brought burntofferynges. ³² And the nombre of the burntofferynges that the congregacion broughte, was thre score bullockes and ten, an hundreth rames, and two hundreth lambes, and all these for the burntofferynge vnto the LORDE, ³³ and they sanctifyed sixe hundreth bullockes, and thre thousande shepe. ³⁴ But the prestes were to fewe, and coulde not pluck of the skynnes of all the burnt offerynges, therfore toke they their brethren the Leuites, tyll the worke was fynished, and tyll the prestes were halowed (for the Leuites are easier to be halowed then the prestes) ³⁵ and many of the burnt offerynges were with the fat of the thankofferynges and drynkofferynges to the burntsacrifices. Thus was the ministracion of the house of the LORDE prepared. ³⁶ And Ezechias reioysed with all the people, that they were prepared with God: for it was done righte haistely. ³⁰ ¹ And Ezechias sent into all Israel and Iuda, and wrote letters vnto Ephraim and Manasses, that they shulde come to the house of the LORDE at Ierusalem, to kepe easter vnto the LORDE God of Israel. ² And the kynge helde a councell with his rulers, and all the cogregacion at Ierusalem, to kepe Passeouer in the seconde moneth: ³ for at that tyme they coulde not kepe it, because the prestes were not sanctified ynough, and the people were not yet come together vnto Ierusalem. ⁴ And it pleased the kynge well and all the cogregacion. ⁵ And they appointed it to be proclamed thorow out all Israel from Berseba vnto Dan, that they shulde come to kepe Passeouer vnto the LORDE God of Israel: for they were not many to kepe it as it is wrytten. ⁶ And the postes wente with the letters from the hande of the kynge and of his rulers thorow out all Israell and Iuda, at ye kynges commaundement, and sayde: Ye children of Israel, turne you vnto the LORDE God of Abraham, Isaac and Iacob, and he shal turne to ye escaped, which are lefte ouer amonge you from the hande of the kynge of Assur: ⁷ and be not ye as youre fathers and brethren, which rebelled agaynst the LORDE God of their fathers, and he gaue the ouer in to desolacion as ye se youre selues. ⁸ Be not ye hardnecked now as were youre fathers, but offre youre hade vnto the LORDE, and come to his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for euer, and serue the LORDE youre God, & so shal the indignacion of his wrath turne awaye from you. ⁹ For yf ye turne vnto the LORDE, then shal youre brethren and children haue mercy in the sighte of them which holde them in captiuyte, that they maye come agayne in to this londe: for the LORDE youre God is gracious and mercifull, and shal not turne awaye his face from you, yf ye conuerte vnto him. ¹⁰ And the postes wente from one cite to another in the londe of Ephraim and Manasses, and vnto Zabulon. But they mocked them and laughed them to scorne. ¹¹ Yet were there some of Asser and Manasses, and of Zabulon, that submytted them selues, and came to Ierusalem. ¹² And the hande of God came in to Iuda, so that he gaue the one hert to do after the commaundement of the kynge and the rulers at the worde of the LORDE. ¹³ And there came together vnto Ierusale a greate people, to kepe the feast of vnleuended bred in the seconde moneth, a very greate congregacion. ¹⁴ And they gat them vp, and put downe ye altares that were at Ierusalem, and all the incense put they awaye, and cast it in to the broke Cedron, ¹⁵ and slewe the Passeouer on the fourtenth daye of the secode moneth. And ye prestes and Leuites were ashamed, and halowed them selues, and broughte the burntofferynges to the house of the LORDE, ¹⁶ and stode in their ordinaunce, as it was acordinge, after the lawe off Moses the man of God. And the prestes sprenkled the bloude from the hande of the Leuites: ¹⁷ for there were many in the cogregacion which were not sanctified, therfore dyd the Leuites kyll Passeouer for them which were not clensed, that they mighte be sanctified vnto the LORDE. ¹⁸ There were many people also of Ephraim, Manasses, Isachar and Zabulon, which were not cleane, but ate the Easter lambe not as it is wrytten: for Ezechias prayed for them, and sayde: The LORDE, which is gracious, ¹⁹ shalbe mercifull vnto all them that prepare their hertes vnto God, to seke the LORDE God of their fathers, though they be not clensed after the holy purificacion. ²⁰ And the LORDE herde Ezechias, and healed the people. ²¹ Thus the children of Israel that were founde at Ierusale, helde ye feast of vnleuended bred seuen dayes with greate ioye. And the Leuites and prestes praysed the LORDE euery daye with the loude instrumentes of the LORDE. ²² And Ezechias spake hertely vnto all ye Leuites, which had good vnderstondinge in the LORDE, and they ate the feast seuen dayes, and offred thakofferynges, and gaue thankes vnto ye LORDE God of their fathers. ²³ And all the congregacion deuysed to kepe the feast yet other seue dayes, and so they helde it those seuen dayes also with ioye: ²⁴ for Ezechias the kinge of Iuda gaue an Heueofferynge for the cogregacion, euen a thousande bullockes, and seuen thousande shepe. But the rulers gaue an Heueoffering for ye congregacion, euen a thousande bullockes, and ten thousande shepe. And many of the prestes sanctified them selues. ²⁵ And the whole congregacion of Iuda reioysed, the prestes and Leuites, and all the congregacion that came out of Israel, and the straungers that were come out of the londe of Israel, and they that dwelt in Iuda, ²⁶ and greate ioye was there at Ierusalem: for sence the tyme of Salomon the sonne of Dauid the kynge of Israel, was there no soch (ioye) at Ierusale. ²⁷ And the prestes and Leuites stode vp and blessed the people, and their voyce was herde, and their prayer came in to his holy habitacion in heauen. ³¹ ¹ And whan all this was fynished, all the Israelites that were founde in ye cities of Iuda, wente out, and brake the pilers, and hewed downe the groues, and brake downe the hye places and altares out of all Iuda, Ben Iamin, Ephraim and Manasses, tyll they had destroyed the. And all the children of Israel wente agayne euery one to his possession vnto their cities. ² But Ezechias set the prestes and Leuites in their ordinaunces, euery one after his office, both the prestes and Leuites, for the burntsacrifices and thankofferynges, to mynister, to geue thankes and prayse in the gates of the hoost of the LORDE. ³ And the kynge gaue his porcion of his substauce for the burntofferynges in the mornynge and euenynge, and for the burntofferynges of the Sabbath, and of the newmone and of the feastes, as it is wrytten in the lawe of the LORDE. ⁴ And he spake vnto ye people which dwelt at Ierusalem, that they shulde geue porcios vnto the prestes and Leuites, yt they mighte the more stedfastly endure in the lawe of the LORDE. ⁵ And wha ye worde came forth, the childre of Israel gaue many fyrst frutes of come, wyne, oyle, hony, and all maner increace of the felde, and broughte in moch of all maner tithes. ⁶ And the children of Israel and Iuda which dwelt in the cities of Iuda, broughte the tithes also of oxen and shepe, and the tithes of soch thinges as were sanctifyed, which they had halowed vnto the LORDE their God, and made here an heape, and there an heape. ⁷ In the thirde moneth begane they to laye vpon heapes, and in the seuenth moneth dyd they fynishe it. ⁸ And wha Ezechias with the rulers wente in, and sawe the heapes, they praysed the LORDE, and his people of Israel. ⁹ And Ezechias axed the prestes and Leuites concernynge the heapes. ¹⁰ And Asaria the prest the chefe in the house of Sadoc, sayde vnto him: Sence the tyme that they beganne to brynge the Heueofferynges in to ye house of the LORDE, we haue eaten, and are satisfied, and yet is there lefte ouer: for the LORDE hath blessed his people, therfore is this heape lefte ouer. ¹¹ Then commaunded the kynge, that they shulde prepare chestes in the house of the LORDE. And they prepared them, ¹² and put in the Heueofferynges, and tithes and that which was halowed, faithfully.And the ouersighte of the same had Chanania the Leuite, and Simei his brother the seconde, ¹³ and Iehiel, Asasia, Naglath, Asahel, Ierimoth, Iosabad, Eliel, Iesmachia, Mahath and Benaia, ordeyned of the hande off Chanania and Simei his brother, acordinge to the commaundement of kynge Ezechias. But Asaria was prynce in the house of God. ¹⁴ And Core ye sonne of Iemna the Leuite the porter of the Eastgate was ouer the frewyllinge giftes of God (which were geuen for Heueofferynges vnto the LORDE) and ouer the Most holy. ¹⁵ And vnder his hande were, Eden, Miniamin, Iesua, Semaia, Amaria, and Sachania in the cities of the prestes vpon credence, that they shulde geue vnto their brethre acordinge to their courses, to the leest as to the greatest. ¹⁶ And vnto them that were counted for men childre from thre yeare olde and aboue, amonge all the that wete in to the house of the LORDE, euery one vpo his daye to their office in their attendaunces after their courses. ¹⁷ And they that were rekened for prestes in the house of their fathers, and the Leuites from twentye yeare and aboue, in their attendaunces after their courses. ¹⁸ And they that were rekened amonge their children, wyues, sonnes and doughters amoge the whole congregacion: for that which was halowed, sanctifyed they vpon credence. ¹⁹ There were men also named by name amonge Aarons children the prestes vpon the feldes of the suburbes in all ye cities, that they shulde geue porcions vnto all the men children amoge the prestes, and to all them that were nombred amonge the Leuites. ²⁰ Thus dyd Ezechias in all Iuda, and dyd that which was good, righte and true in the sighte of the LORDE his God. ²¹ And in all the busynes that he toke in hade concernynge the seruyce of the house of God, acordinge to the lawe and commaundement, to seke his God, that dyd he with all his hert, and therfore prospered he well. ³² ¹ After these actes and faithfulnes came Sennacharib the kynge of Assur, and wente in to Iuda, and pitched before the stroge cities, and thoughte to plucke them vnto him. ² And whan Ezechias sawe that Sennacherib came, and that his face stode to fighte agaynst Ierusalem, ³ he deuysed with his rulers and mightie men, to couer the waters of the welles that were without the cite, and they helped him: ⁴ and there gathered together a greate people, and couered all ye welles and water brokes in the myddes of the londe, and sayde: Lest the kynges of Assur fynde moch water wha they come. ⁵ And he toke a corage vnto him, and buylded all the walles where they were in decaye, and made towres theron, and buylded yet another wall without, and strengthed Millo in the cite of Dauid. And made moch ordinaunce and shyldes, ⁶ and set captaynes of warre ouer the people.And gathered them vnto him vpon the brode strete by the gate of the cite, and spake hertely vnto them, and sayde: ⁷ Be stronge and bolde, feare not, and be not afrayed for the kynge of Assur, ner all ye multitude that is with him: for there is one greater with vs then with him. ⁸ With him is a fleshly arme, but with vs is the LORDE oure God, to helpe vs and to fighte for vs. And ye people trusted vnto the wordes of Ezechias kynge of Iuda. ⁹ Afterwarde sent Sennacherib the kynge of Assur his seruauntes vnto Ierusalem (for he laye before Lachis, & all his hoost wt him) to Ezechias ye kinge of Iuda, & to all Iuda that was at Ierusale, sayenge: ¹⁰ Thus sayeth Sennacherib ye kynge of Assur: Wherin put ye youre trust ye that dwell in the beseged Ierusalem? ¹¹ Ezechias disceaueth you, that he maye delyuer you vnto death, hoger and thyrst, and sayeth: The LORDE oure God shal delyuer vs from the hande of the kynge of Assur. ¹² Is it not Ezechias, that hath put awaye his hye places and altares, and sayde vnto Iuda and Ierusalem: Before one altare shal ye worshippe, and burne incense theron? ¹³ Knowe ye not what I and my fathers haue done to all ye people in the londes? Haue the goddes of the Heythen in the londes bene able to delyuer their countrees fro my hande? ¹⁴ What is he amonge all the goddes of these Heythen (whom my father damned) that was able to delyuer his people fro my hande? yt youre God shulde be able to delyuer fro my hande. ¹⁵ Therfore let not Ezechias now disceaue you, and let him not persuade you eny soch thinge, and beleue him not. For yf no god of all the Heythe and kyngdomes might delyuer his people fro my hande and from the hande of my progenitours, then shal not youre goddes be able to delyuer you fro my hande. ¹⁶ His seruautes also spake yet more against the LORDE God, and agaynst his seruaunt Ezechias. ¹⁷ And he wrote a letter to blaspheme the LORDE God of Israel, and spake of him, and sayde: Like as the goddes of the Heythen in their londes haue not bene able to delyuer their people from my hande, euen so shal not the God of Ezechias delyuer his people fro my hande. ¹⁸ And the cryed with loude voyce in the Iewish langage vnto the people of Ierusalem that were vpon the wall, to make them fearfull and to be fayntharted, that they might wynne the cite. ¹⁹ And they spake agaynst the God off Ierusalem, euen as agaynst the goddes off the nacions vpon earth, which were but the workes of mens hondes. ²⁰ But contrary wyse the kynge Ezechias and the prophet Esay the sonne of Amos prayed, and cryed vnto heaue. ²¹ And the LORDE sent an angell, which destroyed all the mightie men of the hoost, and the prynces and rulers in ye tentes of the kynge of Assur, so that he departed agayne with shame in to his owne londe. And whan he wente in to his gods house, they yt came of his owne body, slewe him there with the swerde. ²² Thus the LORDE, helped Ezechias and them at Ierusalem, out of the hade of Sennacherib ye kynge of Assur, and of all other, and mayntayned the fro all on euery syde, ²³ so yt many broughte presentes vnto the LORDE to Ierusalem, and Iewels vnto Ezechias the kynge of Iuda. And afterwarde was he exalted in the sighte of all Heythen. ²⁴ At ye same tyme was Ezechias deedsicke, and he prayed vnto the LORDE, which made him promes, and gaue him a wondertoken. ²⁵ But Ezechias recopensed not acordinde as was geuen vnto him, for his hert was lifted vp: therfore came the wrath vpon him, and vpon Iuda and Ierusalem. ²⁶ Neuertheles Ezechias humbled him selfe because his hert had bene exalted, with them at Ierusalem: therfore came not the wrath of the LORDE vpon them, whyle Ezechias lyued. ²⁷ And Ezechias had very greate riches and worshippe, and made him treasures of syluer, golde, precious stones, spyces, shyldes, and all maner costly vessell, ²⁸ and corne houses for the increace of corne, wyne and oyle, and stalles for all maner catell, and foldes for the shepe, ²⁹ and buylded him cities, and had many catell of shepe and oxen: for God gaue him very moch good. ³⁰ It is the same Ezechias that couered the hye water condyte in Gihon, and conveyed it vnder on the west syde of ye cite of Dauid: for Ezechias prospered in all his workes. ³¹ But whan the interpreters the chefe of Babilon were sent vnto him, to axe question at him (concernynge the wondertoke that had happened in the londe) God lefte him to be tempted, that it mighte be knowne what soeuer was in his hert. ³² What more there is to saye of Ezechias, and of his mercifulnes, beholde, it is wrytte in the vision of the prophet Esay the sonne of Amos, and in the boke of the kynges of Iuda and Israel. ³³ And Ezechias fell on slepe with his fathers, and they buried him ouer the sepulcres of the children of Dauid, and all Iuda and they of Ierusale dyd him worshippe in his death: and Manasses his sonne was kynge in his steade.