Study Desk

Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He did all that his father David had done.

In the first month of the first year of his rule, he opened the doors of the Lord's house and made them like new.

Now it is in my heart to make an agreement with the Lord God of Israel, that His burning anger may turn away from us.

My sons, take care now. For the Lord has chosen you to stand before Him, to do His work and to burn special perfume."

And we have made all the objects holy which King Ahaz had thrown away during his rule when he was not faithful. See, they are before the altar of the Lord."

For the king and his rulers and all the people in Jerusalem had decided to keep the Passover in the second month.

Men were sent through all Israel and Judah with the letters from the hand of the king and his rulers, as the king had told them. The letters said, "O sons of Israel, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that He may return to those of you who have not been taken away by the kings of Assyria.

Now do not make your hearts hard like your fathers, but give yourselves to the Lord. Come to His holy place which He has set apart forever. And worship the Lord your God, that His burning anger may turn away from you.

For if you return to the Lord, your brothers and your sons will be shown pity by those who took them away, and will return to this land. For the Lord your God is kind and loving. He will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him."

who makes his heart ready to look for God, the Lord God of his fathers, even if he does not follow the rules of the holy place for making himself clean."

Now when all this was finished, all the people of Israel who were there went out to the cities of Judah. They broke in pieces the pillars set up for the false gods. They cut down the objects of the false goddess Asherah. And they pulled down the high places and the altars through all Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh. They destroyed all of them. Then all the people of Israel returned to their cities, every man to his land.

He decided what the king should give of his own animals for the burnt gifts, for the morning and evening, for the Days of Rest and the New Moons and the Special Suppers, as it is written in the Law of the Lord.

And when Hezekiah and the rulers came and saw all the things, they praised the Lord and His people Israel.

Azariah the head religious leader of the family of Zadok said to him, "Since the gifts began to be brought into the Lord's house, we have had much more than enough to eat. For the Lord has brought good to His people, and we have all this much left."

And they were faithful to bring in the gifts and the tenth part and the holy things. Conaniah the Levite was the captain over them, and his brother Shimei was second.

The leaders under Conaniah and his brother Shimei were Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah. They were chosen by King Hezekiah. Azariah was the head captain of the house of God.

Under his rule were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, in the cities of the religious leaders. They were faithful to give shares to their brothers by their groups, large and small alike.

Hezekiah did this through all Judah. He did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God.

All the work he began in the house of God, obeying the Laws and looking to his God, he did with all his heart and all went well for him.

After these faithful acts, King Sennacherib of Assyria came to fight against Judah. His army gathered around the strong cities. He thought he would take them for himself.