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So Manasses led astray Juda and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to do evil beyond all the nations which the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel.

And he did so in the cities of Manasse, and Ephraim, and Symeon, and Nephthali, and the places round about them.

And the king stood at a pillar, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk before the Lord, to keep his commandments and testimonies, and his ordinances, with all his heart and with all his soul, so as to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book.

And stand ye in the house according to the divisions of the houses of your families for your brethren the sons of the people; so also let there be for the Levites a division of the house of their family.

So all the service of the Lord was duly ordered and prepared in that day, for keeping the passover, and offering the whole-burnt-sacrifices on the altar of the Lord, according to the command of king Josias.

Joachim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and his mother�s name was Zechora, daughter of Nerias of Rama. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers did. In his days came Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon into the land, and he served him three years, and then revolted from him. And the Lord sent against them the Chaldeans, and plundering parties of Syrians, and plundering parties of the Moabites, and of the children of Ammon, and of Samaria; but after this they departed, according to the word of the Lord by the hand of his servants the prophets. Nevertheless the wrath of the Lord was upon Juda, so that they should be removed from his presence, because of the sins of Manasses in all that he did, and for the innocent blood which Joakim shed, for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; yet the Lord would not utterly destroy them.

in that he rebelled against king Nabuchodonosor, which he adjured him by God not to do: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart, so as not to return to the Lord God of Israel.

So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nathinim, dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.

And we asked them their names, in order to declare them to thee, so as to write to thee the names of their leading men.

Also a decree has been made by me, if haply ye may do somewhat in concert with the elders of the Jews for the building of that house of God: to wit, out of the king�s property, even the tributes beyond the river, let there be money to defray the expenses carefully granted to those men, so that they be not hindered.

Then Thanthanai the governor on this side beyond the river, Satharbuzanai, and his fellow-servants, according to that which king Darius sent, so they did diligently.

So we fasted, and asked of our God concerning this; and he hearkened to us.

So the priests and the Levites took the weight of the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, to bring to Jerusalem into the house of our God.

And now our God has dealt mercifully with us, so as to leave us to escape, and to give us an establishment in the place of his sanctuary, to enlighten our eyes, and to give a little quickening in our servitude.

whereas we have repeatedly broken thy commandments, and intermarried with the people of the lands: be not very angry with us to our utter destruction, so that there should be no remnant or escaping one.

So when Esdras had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and praying before the house of God, a very great assembly of Israel came together to him, men and women and youths; for the people wept, and wept aloud.

So all the men of Juda and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. This was the ninth month: on the twentieth day of the month all the people sat down in the street of the house of the Lord, because of their alarm concerning the word, and because of the storm.

and so did the children of Banui, and the children of Semei,

And the king said to me, For what dost thou ask thus? So I prayed to the God of heaven.

And I said to the king, If it seem good to the king, let him give me letters to the governors beyond the river, so as to forward me till I come to Juda;