Study Desk

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.

Moreover all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign had cast away when he trespassed, we have prepared and sanctified; and, look, they are before the altar of Yahweh.

And he set the Levites in the house of Yahweh with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king's seer, and Nathan the prophet; for the commandment was of Yahweh by his prophets.

For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the assembly in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month.

So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, You sons of Israel, turn again to Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may return to the remnant that have escaped of you out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.

Now don't be stiff-necked, as your fathers were; but yield yourselves to Yahweh, and enter into his sanctuary, which he has sanctified forever, and serve Yahweh your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you.

For if you turn again to Yahweh, your brothers and your sons shall find compassion before those that led them captive, and shall come again into this land: for Yahweh your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.

that sets his heart to seek God, Yahweh, the God of his fathers, though [he is] not [cleansed] according to the purification of the sanctuary.

Then the Levitical priests arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy habitation, even to heaven.

Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and broke in pieces the pillars, and hewed down the Asherim, and broke down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the sons of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.

And Hezekiah appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites after their courses, every man 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 Yahweh.

[He appointed] also the king's portion of his substance for the burnt-offerings, [to wit], for the morning and evening burnt-offerings, and the burnt-offerings for the Sabbaths, and for the new moons, and for the set feasts, as it is written in the law of Yahweh.

And when Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed Yahweh, and his people Israel.

And Azariah the chief priest, of the house of Zadok, answered him and said, Since [the people] began to bring the oblations into the house of Yahweh, we have eaten and had enough, and have plenty left: for Yahweh has blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store.

And they brought in the oblations and the tithes and the dedicated things faithfully: and over them Conaniah the Levite was leader, and Shimei his brother was second.

And Jehiel, and Azaziah, and Nahath, and Asahel, and Jerimoth, and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Ismachiah, and Mahath, and Benaiah, were overseers under the hand of Conaniah and Shimei his brother, by the appointment of Hezekiah the king, and Azariah the leader of the house of God.

And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah; and he wrought that which was good and right and faithful before Yahweh his God.

And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.

he took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were outside the city; and they helped him.

After this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his slaves to Jerusalem, (now he was before Lachish, and all his power with him,) to Hezekiah king of Judah, and to all Judah that were at Jerusalem, saying,