Study Desk

In every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, provoking to anger the LORD, the God of his fathers.

Now the rest of his acts and of all his ways, from the first to the last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

And Ahaz slept with his fathers [in death], and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, but they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. And his son Hezekiah reigned in his place.

Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah.

He did right in the sight of the LORD, in accordance with everything that David his father (forefather) had done.

In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the LORD [which his father had closed] and repaired them [and replaced the gold overlay].

"Now it is in my heart to make a covenant (solemn agreement) with the LORD God of Israel, so that His burning anger will turn away from us.

"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."

"Moreover, we have prepared and consecrated all the utensils which King Ahaz had discarded during his reign in his unfaithfulness; and behold, they are in front of the altar of the LORD."

Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with harps, and with lyres, in accordance with the command of David [his ancestor] and of Gad the king's seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for the command was from the LORD through His prophets.

For the king and his officials and all the assembly in Jerusalem had decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month,

So the runners went throughout Israel and Judah with the letters from the hand of the king and his officials, in accordance with the command of the king, saying, "O sons (descendants) of Israel, return to the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Jacob), so that He will return to those of you who escaped and are left from the hand (power) of the kings of Assyria.

"Now do not stiffen your neck [becoming obstinate] like your fathers, but yield to the LORD and come to His sanctuary which He has sanctified and set apart forever, and serve the LORD your God, so that His burning anger will turn away from you.

"For if you return to the LORD, your brothers (relatives) and your children will find compassion in the presence of those who led them away captive and will return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and He will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him."

everyone who sets his heart to seek God—the LORD God of his fathers—even though it is not in accordance with the [ceremonial] purification [rules] of the sanctuary."

Then the priests and Levites stood and blessed the people; and their voice was heard and their prayer came up to His holy dwelling place, to heaven.

Now when all of this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah, and smashed the [pagan] pillars (obelisks, memorial stones) in pieces, cut down the Asherim (wooden symbols of a female deity), and tore down the high places and the altars [of idolatry] throughout all Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the sons (descendants) of Israel returned to their own cities, each to his own property.

And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests, and the Levites by their divisions, each in accordance with his service, both the priests and 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.

Hezekiah also appointed the king's [personal] portion of his goods: for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths and for the New Moons and for the appointed feasts, as it is written in the Law of the LORD.

When Hezekiah and the rulers came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD and His people Israel.