2Ki 18:2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.

2Ki 18:3 He did right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done.

2Ki 18:4 He removed the high places and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan.

2Ki 18:5 He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel; so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him.

2Ki 18:6 For he clung to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses.

2Ki 18:7 And the Lord was with him; wherever he went he prospered. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.

2Ki 18:8 He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city.

--------

2Ch 29:1 Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years old; and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.

2Ch 29:2 He did right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done.

2Ch 29:3 In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them.

2Ch 29:4 He brought in the priests and the Levites and gathered them into the square on the east.

2Ch 29:5 Then he said to them, "Listen to me, O Levites. Consecrate yourselves now, and consecrate the house of the Lord, the God of your fathers, and carry the uncleanness out from the holy place.

2Ch 29:6 For our fathers have been unfaithful and have done evil in the sight of the Lord our God, and have forsaken Him and turned their faces away from the dwelling place of the Lord, and have turned their backs.

2Ch 29:7 They have also shut the doors of the porch and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel.

2Ch 29:8 Therefore the wrath of the Lord was against Judah and Jerusalem, and He has made them an object of terror, of horror, and of hissing, as you see with your own eyes.

2Ch 29:9 For behold, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.

2Ch 29:10 Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that His burning anger may turn away from us.

2Ch 29:11 My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before Him, to minister to Him, and to be His ministers and burn incense."

2Ch 29:12 Then the Levites arose: Mahath, the son of Amasai and Joel the son of Azariah, from the sons of the Kohathites; and from the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi and Azariah the son of Jehallelel; and from the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah and Eden the son of Joah;

2Ch 29:13 and from the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeiel; and from the sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah;

2Ch 29:14 and from the sons of Heman, Jehiel and Shimei; and from the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel.

2Ch 29:15 They assembled their brothers, consecrated themselves, and went in to cleanse the house of the Lord, according to the commandment of the king by the words of the Lord.

2Ch 29:16 So the priests went in to the inner part of the house of the Lord to cleanse it, and every unclean thing which they found in the temple of the Lord they brought out to the court of the house of the Lord. Then the Levites received it to carry out to the Kidron valley.

2Ch 29:17 Now they began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they entered the porch of the Lord. Then they consecrated the house of the Lord in eight days, and finished on the sixteenth day of the first month.

2Ch 29:18 Then they went in to King Hezekiah and said, "We have cleansed the whole house of the Lord, the altar of burnt offering with all of its utensils, and the table of showbread with all of its utensils.

2Ch 29:19 Moreover, all the utensils which King Ahaz had discarded during his reign in his unfaithfulness, we have prepared and consecrated; and behold, they are before the altar of the Lord."

2Ch 29:20 Then King Hezekiah arose early and assembled the princes of the city and went up to the house of the Lord.

2Ch 29:21 They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs and seven male goats for a sin offering for the kingdom, the sanctuary, and Judah. And he ordered the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the Lord.

2Ch 29:22 So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. They also slaughtered the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar; they slaughtered the lambs also and sprinkled the blood on the altar.

2Ch 29:23 Then they brought the male goats of the sin offering before the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them.

2Ch 29:24 The priests slaughtered them and purged the altar with their blood to atone for all Israel, for the king ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel.

2Ch 29:25 He then stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, with harps and with lyres, according to the command of David and of Gad the king's seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for the command was from the Lord through His prophets.

2Ch 29:26 The Levites stood with the musical instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.

2Ch 29:27 Then Hezekiah gave the order to offer the burnt offering on the altar. When the burnt offering began, the song to the Lord also began with the trumpets, accompanied by the instruments of David, king of Israel.

2Ch 29:28 While the whole assembly worshiped, the singers also sang and the trumpets sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.

2Ch 29:29 Now at the completion of the burnt offerings, the king and all who were present with him bowed down and worshiped.

2Ch 29:30 Moreover, King Hezekiah and the officials ordered the Levites to sing praises to the Lord with the words of David and Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with joy, and bowed down and worshiped.

2Ch 29:31 Then Hezekiah said, "Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the Lord." And the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all those who were willing brought burnt offerings.

2Ch 29:32 The number of the burnt offerings which the assembly brought was 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to the Lord.

2Ch 29:33 The consecrated things were 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep.

2Ch 29:34 But the priests were too few, so that they were unable to skin all the burnt offerings; therefore their brothers the Levites helped them until the work was completed and until the other priests had consecrated themselves. For the Levites were more conscientious to consecrate themselves than the priests.

2Ch 29:35 There were also many burnt offerings with the fat of the peace offerings and with the libations for the burnt offerings. Thus the service of the house of the Lord was established again.

2Ch 29:36 Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced over what God had prepared for the people, because the thing came about suddenly.

--------

2Ch 30:1 Now Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover to the Lord God of Israel.

2Ch 30:2 For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month,

2Ch 30:3 since they could not celebrate it at that time, because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient numbers, nor had the people been gathered to Jerusalem.

2Ch 30:4 Thus the thing was right in the sight of the king and all the assembly.

2Ch 30:5 So they established a decree to circulate a proclamation throughout all Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to celebrate the Passover to the Lord God of Israel at Jerusalem. For they had not celebrated it in great numbers as it was prescribed.

2Ch 30:6 The couriers went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters from the hand of the king and his princes, even according to the command of the king, saying, "O sons of Israel, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that He may return to those of you who escaped and are left from the hand of the kings of Assyria.

2Ch 30:7 Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were unfaithful to the Lord God of their fathers, so that He made them a horror, as you see.

2Ch 30:8 Now do not stiffen your neck like your fathers, but yield to the Lord and enter His sanctuary which He has consecrated forever, and serve the Lord your God, that His burning anger may turn away from you.

2Ch 30:9 For if you return to the Lord, your brothers and your sons will find compassion before those who led them captive and will return to this land. For the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him."

2Ch 30:10 So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them.

2Ch 30:11 Nevertheless some men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.

2Ch 30:12 The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the Lord.

2Ch 30:13 Now many people were gathered at Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very large assembly.

2Ch 30:14 They arose and removed the altars which were in Jerusalem; they also removed all the incense altars and cast them into the brook Kidron.

2Ch 30:15 Then they slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth of the second month. And the priests and Levites were ashamed of themselves, and consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the house of the Lord.

2Ch 30:16 They stood at their stations after their custom, according to the law of Moses the man of God; the priests sprinkled the blood which they received from the hand of the Levites.

2Ch 30:17 For there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves; therefore, the Levites were over the slaughter of the Passover lambs for everyone who was unclean, in order to consecrate them to the Lord.

2Ch 30:18 For a multitude of the people, even many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than prescribed. For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, "May the good Lord pardon

2Ch 30:19 everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though not according to the purification rules of the sanctuary."

2Ch 30:20 So the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.

2Ch 30:21 The sons of Israel present in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy, and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day after day with loud instruments to the Lord.

2Ch 30:22 Then Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good insight in the things of the Lord. So they ate for the appointed seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the Lord God of their fathers.

2Ch 30:23 Then the whole assembly decided to celebrate the feast another seven days, so they celebrated the seven days with joy.

2Ch 30:24 For Hezekiah king of Judah had contributed to the assembly 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep, and the princes had contributed to the assembly 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep; and a large number of priests consecrated themselves.

2Ch 30:25 All the assembly of Judah rejoiced, with the priests and the Levites and all the assembly that came from Israel, both the sojourners who came from the land of Israel and those living in Judah.

2Ch 30:26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem, because there was nothing like this in Jerusalem since the days of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel.

2Ch 30:27 Then the Levitical priests arose and blessed the people; and their voice was heard and their prayer came to His holy dwelling place, to heaven.

--------

2Ch 31:1 Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah, broke the pillars in pieces, cut down the Asherim and pulled down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the sons of Israel returned to their cities, each to his possession.

2Ch 31:2 And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites by their divisions, each according to his service, both the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister and to give thanks and to praise in the gates of the camp of the Lord.

2Ch 31:3 He also appointed the king's portion of his goods for the burnt offerings, namely, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the sabbaths and for the new moons and for the fixed festivals, as it is written in the law of the Lord.

2Ch 31:4 Also he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion due to the priests and the Levites, that they might devote themselves to the law of the Lord.

2Ch 31:5 As soon as the order spread, the sons of Israel provided in abundance the first fruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of all.

2Ch 31:6 The sons of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of sacred gifts which were consecrated to the Lord their God, and placed them in heaps.

2Ch 31:7 In the third month they began to make the heaps, and finished them by the seventh month.

2Ch 31:8 When Hezekiah and the rulers came and saw the heaps, they blessed the Lord and His people Israel.

2Ch 31:9 Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.

2Ch 31:10 Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok said to him, "Since the contributions began to be brought into the house of the Lord, we have had enough to eat with plenty left over, for the Lord has blessed His people, and this great quantity is left over."

2Ch 31:11 Then Hezekiah commanded them to prepare rooms in the house of the Lord, and they prepared them.

2Ch 31:12 They faithfully brought in the contributions and the tithes and the consecrated things; and Conaniah the Levite was the officer in charge of them and his brother Shimei was second.

2Ch 31:13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath and Benaiah were overseers under the authority of Conaniah and Shimei his brother by the appointment of King Hezekiah, and Azariah was the chief officer of the house of God.

2Ch 31:14 Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the eastern gate, was over the freewill offerings of God, to apportion the contributions for the Lord and the most holy things.

2Ch 31:15 Under his authority were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shecaniah in the cities of the priests, to distribute faithfully their portions to their brothers by divisions, whether great or small,

2Ch 31:16 without regard to their genealogical enrollment, to the males from thirty years old and upward--everyone who entered the house of the Lord for his daily obligations--for their work in their duties according to their divisions;

2Ch 31:17 as well as the priests who were enrolled genealogically according to their fathers' households, and the Levites from twenty years old and upwards, by their duties and their divisions.

2Ch 31:18 The genealogical enrollment included all their little children, their wives, their sons and their daughters, for the whole assembly, for they consecrated themselves faithfully in holiness.

2Ch 31:19 Also for the sons of Aaron the priests who were in the pasture lands of their cities, or in each and every city, there were men who were designated by name to distribute portions to every male among the priests and to everyone genealogically enrolled among the Levites.

2Ch 31:20 Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah; and he did what was good, right and true before the Lord his God.

2Ch 31:21 Every work which he began in the service of the house of God in law and in commandment, seeking his God, he did with all his heart and prospered.

--------

Psa 48:1 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, His holy mountain.

Psa 48:2 Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion in the far north, The city of the great King.

Psa 48:3 God, in her palaces, Has made Himself known as a stronghold.

Psa 48:4 For, lo, the kings assembled themselves, They passed by together.

Psa 48:5 They saw it, then they were amazed; They were terrified, they fled in alarm.

Psa 48:6 Panic seized them there, Anguish, as of a woman in childbirth.

Psa 48:7 With the east wind You break the ships of Tarshish.

Psa 48:8 As we have heard, so have we seen In the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God; God will establish her forever. Selah.

Psa 48:9 We have thought on Your lovingkindness, O God, In the midst of Your temple.

Psa 48:10 As is Your name, O God, So is Your praise to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness.

Psa 48:11 Let Mount Zion be glad, Let the daughters of Judah rejoice Because of Your judgments.

Psa 48:12 Walk about Zion and go around her; Count her towers;

Psa 48:13 Consider her ramparts; Go through her palaces, That you may tell it to the next generation.

Psa 48:14 For such is God, Our God forever and ever; He will guide us until death.