Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, August 13th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

2 Chronicles 29:11

So my sons, don't be lazy or waste any more time. The Lord chose you to serve him in the Temple and to burn incense."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Minister, Christian;   Priest;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Kings;   Temple, the First;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Levites;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Hezekiah;   Levite;   Priest;   Temple;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Elect, Election;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Hezekiah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Levites;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Chronicles, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Hezekiah;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Judah;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Choose;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Hezekiah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
My sons, don’t be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand in his presence, to serve him, and to be his ministers and burners of incense.”
Hebrew Names Version
My sons, don't be negligent now; for the LORD has chosen you to stand before him, to minister to him, and that you should be his ministers, and burn incense.
King James Version
My sons, be not now negligent: for the Lord hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense.
English Standard Version
My sons, do not now be negligent, for the Lord has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him and to be his ministers and make offerings to him."
New Century Version
My sons, don't waste any more time. The Lord chose you to stand before him, to serve him, to be his servants, and to burn incense to him."
New English Translation
My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to serve in his presence and offer sacrifices."
Amplified Bible
"My sons, do not be negligent and careless now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand in His presence, to attend to His service, and to be His ministers and burn incense."
New American Standard Bible
"My sons, do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and to be His ministers and burn incense."
World English Bible
My sons, don't be negligent now; for Yahweh has chosen you to stand before him, to minister to him, and that you should be his ministers, and burn incense.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Now my sonnes, be not deceiued: for the Lorde hath chosen you to stand before him, to serue him, and to be his ministers, and to burne incense.
Legacy Standard Bible
My sons, do not be at ease now, for Yahweh has chosen you to stand before Him, to minister to Him, and to be His ministers and offer offerings up in smoke."
Berean Standard Bible
Now, my sons, do not be negligent, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, to minister before Him, and to burn incense."
Contemporary English Version
Let's not waste any time, my friends. You are the ones who were chosen to be the Lord 's priests and to offer him sacrifices.
Complete Jewish Bible
My sons, now is not a time for being negligent; for you are the ones Adonai chose to stand before him and serve him as his ministers, offering him incense."
Darby Translation
My sons, be not now negligent; for Jehovah has chosen you to stand before him, to do service unto him, and to be his ministers and incense-burners.
George Lamsa Translation
My sons, be not now negligent; for the LORD has chosen you to stand before him, to serve him and to minister unto him and burn incense.
Good News Translation
My sons, do not lose any time. You are the ones that the Lord has chosen to burn incense to him and to lead the people in worshiping him."
Lexham English Bible
Now, my sons, do not be negligent, for Yahweh has chosen you to stand before him to serve him and to be his servants and incense burners."
Literal Translation
Now, my sons, do not be negligent, for Jehovah has chosen you to stand before His face, to serve Him and to be ministers and incense burners for Him.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
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.
American Standard Version
My sons, be not now negligent; for Jehovah hath chosen you to stand before him, to minister unto him, and that ye should be his ministers, and burn incense.
Bible in Basic English
My sons, take care now: for you have been marked out by the Lord to come before him and to be his servants, burning offerings to him.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Now therefore my sonnes, be not negligent: for the Lorde hath chosen you to stande before him, and for to minister and serue him, and to burne incense.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
My sons, be not now negligent; for the LORD hath chosen you to stand before Him, to minister unto Him, and that ye should be His ministers, and offer unto Him.'
King James Version (1611)
My sonnes, bee not now negligent: for the Lord hath chosen you to stand before him, to serue him, and that you should minister vnto him, and burne incense.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And now be not wanting to your duty, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before him to minister, and to be ministers and burners of incense to him.
English Revised Version
My sons, be not now negligent: for the LORD hath chosen you to stand before him, to minister unto him, and that ye should be his ministers, and burn incense.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
My sones, nyle ye be reccheles; the Lord hath chose you, that ye stonde bifor hym, and serue hym, that ye herie hym, and brenne encense to hym.
Update Bible Version
My sons, now don't be negligent; for Yahweh has chosen you to stand before him, to minister to him, and that you should be his ministers, and burn incense.
Webster's Bible Translation
My sons, be not now negligent: for the LORD hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister to him, and burn incense.
New King James Version
My sons, do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that you should minister to Him and burn incense."
New Living Translation
My sons, do not neglect your duties any longer! The Lord has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him, and to lead the people in worship and present offerings to him."
New Life Bible
My sons, take care now. For the Lord has chosen you to stand before Him, to do His work and to burn special perfume."
New Revised Standard
My sons, do not now be negligent, for the Lord has chosen you to stand in his presence to minister to him, and to be his ministers and make offerings to him."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
My sons! now, do not be faulty, - for, of you, hath Yahweh made choice, to stand before him, and to wait upon him, and to be his attendants and burners of incense.
Douay-Rheims Bible
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.
Revised Standard Version
My sons, do not now be negligent, for the LORD has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him, and to be his ministers and burn incense to him."
Young's Literal Translation
My sons, be not now at rest, for on you hath Jehovah fixed to stand before Him, to serve Him, and to be to Him ministering and making perfume.'
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"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."

Contextual Overview

1 Hezekiah became king when he was 25 years old. He ruled 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abijah. Abijah was Zechariah's daughter. 2 Hezekiah did what the Lord wanted him to do. He did what was right just as David his ancestor had done. 3 Hezekiah repaired the doors of the Lord 's Temple and made them strong. He opened the Temple again. He did this in the first month of the first year after he became king. 4Hezekiah called the priests and Levites together in one assembly. He had a meeting with them in the courtyard on the east side of the Temple. Hezekiah said to them, "Listen to me, Levites! Make yourselves ready for holy service. Make the Temple of the Lord God ready for holy service. He is the God your ancestors obeyed. Take away the things from the Temple that don't belong in there. These things make the Temple unclean. 6 Our ancestors were not faithful and did what the Lord says is evil. They stopped following him. They no longer paid any attention to the Lord 's house and turned their backs on him. 7 They shut the doors of the porch of the Temple and let the fire go out in the lamps. They stopped burning incense and offering burnt offerings in the Holy Place to the God of Israel. 8 So the Lord became very angry with the people of Judah and Jerusalem. He punished them so badly that it shocks and scares people to hear about it. But then they just laugh and shout their own insults against Judah. You know this is true. You have seen it happen. 9 That is why our ancestors were killed in battle. Our sons, daughters, and wives were made prisoners. 10 So now I, Hezekiah, have decided to make an agreement with the Lord , the God of Israel. Then he will not be angry with us anymore. 11 So my sons, don't be lazy or waste any more time. The Lord chose you to serve him in the Temple and to burn incense."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

negligent: or, deceived, Galatians 6:7, Galatians 6:8

the Lord: Numbers 3:6-9, Numbers 8:6-14, Numbers 18:2-6, Deuteronomy 10:8

burn incense: or, offer sacrifice, Numbers 16:35-40, Numbers 18:7

Reciprocal: Genesis 43:29 - God 1 Kings 1:2 - a young virgin 1 Kings 9:25 - he burnt 2 Chronicles 19:4 - brought Zechariah 3:1 - standing Luke 1:9 - his Colossians 4:17 - Take

Cross-References

Genesis 27:26
Then Isaac said to him. "Son, come near and kiss me."
Genesis 29:13
When Laban heard the news about his sister's son Jacob, he ran to meet him. Laban hugged him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban everything that had happened.
Genesis 29:14
Then Laban said, "This is wonderful! You are from my own family." So Jacob stayed with Laban for a month.
Genesis 29:15
One day Laban said to Jacob, "You are a relative of mine. It is not right for you to continue working for me without pay. What should I pay you?"
Genesis 43:30
Joseph felt a strong desire to show his brother Benjamin that he loved him. He was about to cry and didn't want his brothers to see him, so he ran into his private room and cried there.
Genesis 45:2
Joseph continued to cry, and all the Egyptian people in Pharaoh's house heard it.
Exodus 4:27
The Lord had spoken to Aaron and told him, "Go out into the desert and meet Moses." So Aaron went and met Moses at the Mountain of God. He saw Moses and kissed him.
Exodus 18:7
So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law. Moses bowed down before him and kissed him. The two men asked about each other's health. Then they went into Moses' tent to talk more.
Romans 16:16
Give each other the special greeting of God's people. All the churches that belong to Christ send their greetings to you.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

My sons,.... So, as the father of his people, he speaks of them in the most tender and affectionate manner:

be not now negligent; backward to this good work, slothful, sluggish, and remiss in it; according to Jarchi and Kimchi, the word has the signification of error, and the sense may be, do not continue in the error in which you have been, in neglecting the service of God:

for the Lord hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense; on the altar of incense, which was the work of the priests, and for which they were selected from the rest of their brethren; and Hezekiah's discourse was directed to them, as well as to the Levites, 2 Chronicles 29:4.


 
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