Study Desk

He consulted God during the lifetime of Z'kharyahu, who understood visions of God; and as long as he consulted Adonai , God gave him success.

God helped him against the P'lishtim, against the Arabs living in Gur-Ba‘al, and against the Me‘unim.

But when he was strong, he became arrogant, which caused him to become corrupt, so that he sinned against Adonai his God by going into the temple of Adonai to burn incense on the incense altar.

They stood up to ‘Uziyahu the king; they told him, "It isn't your job, ‘Uziyahu, to burn incense to Adonai ! The job of burning incense belongs to the cohanim, the descendants of Aharon, who have been consecrated. Get out of the sanctuary! You have trespassed, and Adonai , God, will not honor you for this."

Thus Yotam became strong, because he prepared his ways [of doing things] before Adonai his God.

Because of this, Adonai his God handed him over to the king of Aram; they attacked him and carried off from his people a great number of captives, bringing them to Dammesek. In addition, he was handed over to the king of Isra'el, who inflicted on him a great massacre.

For Pekach the son of Remalyah killed in Y'hudah 120,000 men in one day, all of them brave men, because they had abandoned Adonai , the God of their ancestors.

But a prophet of Adonai named ‘Oded was there; he went out to meet the army coming to Shomron and said to them, "Look, it's because Adonai the God of your fathers was angry with Y'hudah that he has handed them over to you, and you have slaughtered them in a fury that has reached up to heaven.

Now you intend to force the people from Y'hudah and Yerushalayim into subjection as your slaves; but haven't you guilty deeds of your own that you committed against Adonai your God?

Achaz collected the equipment from the house of God, broke to pieces the equipment from the house of God and sealed the doors of the house of Adonai ; then he made himself altars in every corner of Yerushalayim.

In every city of Y'hudah he made high places for offering to other gods, thus provoking Adonai the God of his ancestors.

and said to them, "Listen to me, L'vi'im: consecrate yourselves now, consecrate the house of Adonai the God of your ancestors, and remove the filth from the Holy Place.

For our ancestors acted treacherously, they did what is evil from the perspective of Adonai our God, they abandoned him, they turned their faces away from where Adonai lives and turned their backs on him.

They sealed the doors of the vestibule, put out the lamps and stopped burning incense and offering burnt offerings in the Holy Place to the God of Isra'el.

"Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with Adonai the God of Isra'el, so that his furious anger will turn away from us.

Hizkiyahu and all the people rejoiced over what God had prepared for the people, since it had all happened so suddenly.

Then Hizkiyahu sent to all Isra'el and Y'hudah, and wrote letters also to Efrayim and M'nasheh, summoning them to the house of Adonai in Yerushalayim, to keep the Pesach to Adonai the God of Isra'el.

so they issued a decree that it should be proclaimed throughout all Isra'el, from Be'er-Sheva to Dan, that they should come to keep the Pesach to Adonai the God of Isra'el at Yerushalayim; for only a few had been observing it as prescribed.

So runners went with the letters from the king and his officers throughout all Isra'el and Y'hudah. They conveyed the king's order: "People of Isra'el! Turn back to Adonai , the God of Avraham, Yitz'chak and Ya‘akov! Then he will return to those of you who remain, who escaped capture by the kings of Ashur.

Don't be like your ancestors, or like your kinsmen who sinned against Adonai the God of their ancestors, with the result that he allowed them to become an object of horror, as you see.