Study Desk

Now, therefore, ye, are thinking to tread down, the children of Judah and Jerusalem, as servants and as handmaids for yourselves. But is it not so - that, ye yourselves, are altogether guilty against Yahweh your God?

Now, therefore, hearken unto me, and restore the captives whom ye have taken captive from among your brethren, - for, the glow of the anger of Yahweh, is over you.

and said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither, for, with guilt against Yahweh already upon us, ye, are thinking to add unto our sins, and unto our guilt, - for great is the guilt we have, and fierce is the anger over Israel.

Then rose up the men who have been expressed by name - and took the captives, and, all who were naked among them, clothed they out of the spoil, and arrayed them and sandalled them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and conducted them with asses for every one that was exhausted, and brought them to Jericho the city of palm-trees, near unto their brethren, - and then returned to Samaria.

For again had, the Edomites, come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives;

For Yahweh had brought Judah low, because of Ahaz king of Israel, - for he had given the rein in Judah, and, been grievously unfaithful, with Yahweh.

For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of Yahweh, and out of the house of the king, and the rulers, - and gave unto the king of Assyria, but he helped him not.

For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus who had smitten him, and said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria are helping them, unto them, will I sacrifice, that they may help me. But, they, served to seduce him and all Israel.

And Ahaz gathered together the utensils of the house of God, and brake away the fittings of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of Yahweh, - and made for himself altars at every corner in Jerusalem;

and, in every several city of Judah, made he high places, for burning incense unto other gods, - and provoked Yahweh, God of his fathers.

For our fathers have acted unfaithfully and done the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh our God, and have forsaken him,-and have turned round their faces from the habitation of Yahweh, and have offered their backs.

And lo! our fathers have fallen by the sword, and, our sons and our daughters and our wives, are in captivity for this.

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.

Then came they in unto Hezekiah the king, and said, We have purified all the house of Yahweh, - the altar of ascending-sacrifice, and all the utensils thereof, and the table for setting in array, and all the utensils thereof.

And they brought in seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven young sheep, and seven he-goats for bearing sin, for the kingdom and for the sanctuary and for Judah, - and he bade the sons of Aaron, the priests, cause them to ascend upon the altar of Yahweh.

And they brought near the he-goats for bearing sin, before the king, and the convocation, - and they leaned their hands upon them;

and the priests slaughtered them, and sin-cleansed, with their blood, the altar, to put a propitiatory-covering over all Israel,-because, for all Israel, did the king appoint the ascending-sacrifice and the offering for bearing sin.

And he caused the Levites to stand in the house of Yahweh, with cymbals and with harps and with lyres, by the commandment of David, and of Gad the seer of the king, and of Nathan the prophet, - for, by the hand of Yahweh, came the commandment by the hand of his prophets.

Only, the priests, were too few, and were unable to flay all the ascending-sacrifices, - so their brethren the Levites strengthened them, until the work was complete and until the priests had hallowed themselves, for, the Levites, were more upright in heart to hallow themselves, than the priests.

And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, because God had established it for the people, - for, suddenly, had the thing come about.