This second booke conteineth briefly in effect that, which is coprehended in the two bookes of the Kings: that is, from the reigne of Salomon to the destruction of Ierusalem, & the carying away of the people captiue into Babylon. In this story are certaine things declared and set forth more copiously then in the bookes of the Kings, and therefore serue greatly to the vnderstanding of the Prophets. But three things are here chiefly to be considered. First that the godly Kings, when they sawe the plagues of God prepared against their countrey for sinne, had recourse to the Lord, & by earnest prayer were heard, & the plagues remoued. The second, how it is a thing that greatly offendeth God, that such as feare him & professe his religion, should ioyne in amitie with the wicked. And thirdly, how the good rulers euer loued the Prophets of God, & were very zealous to set forth his religion thorowout all their dominions, and contrariwise the wicked hated his ministers, deposed them, and for the true religion & word of God, set vp idolatry and serued God according to the fantasie of men. Thus haue we hitherto the chiefe actes from the beginning of the world to the building againe of Ierusalem, which was the two and thirtieth yere of Darius, and conteine in the whole, three thousand, fiue hundreth, three score and eighteene yeeres, and sixe moneths.

6 The offring of Salomon at Gibeon. 8 He prayeth vnto God to giue him wisedome: 11 Which he giueth him and more. 14 The nomber of his charets and horses, 15 and of his riches.

¹ Then Salomon the sonne of Dauid was [Note: Or, established, & strong. reade 1.King.2.46. ] confirmed in his kingdome: and the Lord his God was with him, and magnified him highly.

² And Salomon [Note: [a] That is, he proclaymed a solemne sacrifice, and commaunded that all should be at the same. ] spake vnto all Israel, to the captaines of thousandes, and of hundreths, and to the iudges, and to all the gouernours in all Israel, euen the chiefe fathers.

³ So Salomon and all the Congregation with him went to the hie place that was at [Note: [b] Reade 1.King. 3.3. ] Gibeon: for there was the Tabernacle [Note: [c] So called, because that God thereby shewed certaine signes to the congregation of his presence. ] of the Congregation of God which Moses the seruant of the Lord had made in the wildernesse.

⁴ But the Arke of God had Dauid brought vp from Kiriath-iearim, when Dauid had made preparation for it: for he had pitched a tent for it in Ierusalem.

⁵ Moreouer the [Note: [d] Which was for the burnt offrings, Exod.27.1. ] brasen altar [Note: Exod.38.1,2. ] that Bezaleel the sonne of Vri, the sonne of Hur had made, did hee set before the Tabernacle of the Lorde: and Salomon and the Congregation sought it.

⁶ And Salomon offred there before the Lord vpon the brasen altar that was in the Tabernacle of the Congregation: [Note: 1.King.3.4. ] euen a thousand burnt offrings offred he vpon it.

⁷ ¶ The same night did God appeare vnto Salomon, and sayde vnto him, Aske what I

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shall giue thee.
⁸ And Salomon sayde vnto God, Thou hast shewed great mercy vnto Dauid my father and hast made me to reigne in his stead.

⁹ Nowe therefore, O Lorde God, let thy promes vnto Dauid my father be [Note: [e] Performe thy promes made to my father concerning me. ] true: for thou hast made mee King ouer a great people, like to the dust of the earth.

¹⁰ Giue me now wisdome & knowledge, that I may [Note: [f] That I may gouerne this people, read 1.Chro.27.1. & 1.king.3.7. ] go out and go in before this people: for who can iudge this thy great people?

¹¹ And God sayde to Salomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, treasures nor honour, nor the [Note: [g] That is, to be reuenged on thine enemies. ] liues of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life, but hast asked for thee wisdome & knowledge that thou mightest iudge my people, ouer whome I haue made thee King,

¹² Wisdome and knowledge is granted vnto thee, and I will giue thee riches and treasures and honour, so that there hath not bene the like among the Kings which were before thee, neither after thee shal there be the like.

¹³ Then Salomon came from the hie place, that was at Gibeon, to Ierusalem from before the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and reigned ouer Israel.

¹⁴ [Note: 1.King.10.26. ] And Salomon gathered the charets and horesemen: and he had a thousand and foure hundreth charets, and twelue thousande horsemen, whome he placed in the [Note: [h] Which were cities appoynted to keepe & maintaine the charets. ] charet cities, and with the King at Ierusalem.

¹⁵ And the King gaue siluer and gold at Ierusalem as [Note: [i] He caused so great plentie that it was no more esteemed then stones. ] stones, & gaue cedar trees as the wilde figge trees, that are abundantly in the playne.

¹⁶ Also Salomon had horses brought out of Egypt & [Note: Isa.19.9. ezek.27.7. ] fine linen: [Note: [k] Reade 1.King. 10.28. ] the Kings marchants receiued the fine linen for a price.

¹⁷ They came vp also and brought out of Egypt some charet, worth sixe hundreth shekels of siluer, that is an horse for an hundreth and fiftie: and thus they brought horses to all the Kings of the Hittites, and to the Kings of Aram by their [Note: Ebr. handes. ] meanes.

2 The nomber of Salomons workemen to builde the Temple. 3 Salomon sendeth to Hiram the King of Tyrus for wood and workemen.

¹ Then Salomon determined to builde an house for the Name of the Lord, and an [Note: Or, Palace. ] house for his kingdome.

² And Salomon tolde out seuentie thousand that bare burdens, and fourescore thousande men to hewe stones in the mountaine, and three thousand and [Note: [a] Which is to be vnderstand of all sort of officers and ouerseers: for els the chiefe officers were but 3300. as 1.King 5. 16. ] sixe hundreth to ouersee them.

³ And Salomon sent to [Note: Or, Hiram. ] Huram the king of Tyrus, saying, As thou hast done to Dauid my father, and [Note: 2.Sam.5.11. ] didst sende him cedar trees to buylde him an house to dwell in, so do to me.

⁴ Behold, I buylde an house vnto the Name of the Lord my God, to sanctifie it vnto him, and to burne sweete incense before him, and for the continuall shewbread, and for the burnt offrings of the morning and euening, on the Sabbath dayes, and in the new moneths, & in the solemne feastes of the Lorde our God: this is a perpetuall thing for Israel.

⁵ And the house which I buylde, is great: for great is our God aboue all gods.

⁶ Who is he then that can be able to buylde

him an house, when the heauen, & the heauen of heauens can not conteine him? who am I then that I should buylde him an house? but I do it to burne [Note: [b] That is, to doe the seruice which he hath commanded, signifying that none is able to honour & serue God in that perfection as his maiestie deserueth. ] incense before him.

⁷ Sende me nowe therefore a cunning man that can worke in golde, in siluer, & in brasse, and in yron, & in purple, and [Note: Or, scarlet. ] crimosin & blue silke, & that can graue in grauen worke with the cunning men that are with me in Iudah & in Ierusalem, whom Dauid my father hath prepared.

⁸ Sende mee also cedar trees, firre trees and [Note: [c] Some take it for brasil, or the wood called Ebenum, others for corall. ] [Note: Or, Almuggran. ] Algummim trees from Lebanon: for I knowe that thy seruants can skill to hewe timber in Lebanon: and beholde, my seruantes shalbe with thine,

⁹ That they may prepare me timber in abudance: for the house which I doe buylde, is great and wonderfull.

¹⁰ And behold, I will giue to thy seruants the cutters & the hewers of timber twentie thousand [Note: Ebr. Corim. ] measures of beaten wheate, & twentie thousand measures of barley, & twentie thousand baths of wine, and twentie [Note: [d] Of Bath reade 1.King.7.2 6. it is called also Epha, but Epha is to measure dry things, as Bath is a measure for licours. ] thousand baths of oyle.

¹¹ Then Huram King of Tyrus answered in writing which he sent to Salomon, Because the Lorde hath loued his people, he hath made thee King ouer them.

¹² Huram sayd moreouer, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which made the heauen and the earth, and that hath giuen vnto Dauid the King a [Note: [e] The very heathen cofessed that it was a singular gift of God, when he gaue to any nation a King that was wise & of vnderstanding, albeit it appeareth that this Hiram had the true knowledge of God. ] wise sonne, that hath discretion, prudence and vnderstanding to buylde an house for the Lorde, and a palace for his kingdome.

¹³ Now therefore I haue sent a wise man, and of vnderstanding of my father Hurams,

¹⁴ The sonne of a woman of the [Note: [f] It is also written, that she was of the tribe of Naphtali, 1.King.7.14. which may be vnderstand that by reason of the confusion of tribes, which then began to be, they maried in diuers tribes, so that by her father shee might be of Dan, & by her mother of Naphtali. ] daughters of Dan: and his father was a man of Tyrus, and he can skill to worke in golde, in siluer, in brasse, in yron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue silke, and in fine linen, and in crimosin, and can graue in all grauen workes, and broyder in all broydered worke that shalbe giuen him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord Dauid thy father.

¹⁵ Now therefore the wheate and the barley, the oyle and the wine, which my lorde hath spoken of, let him send vnto his seruants.

¹⁶ And we wil cut wood in Lebanon as much as thou shalt neede, and will bring it to thee in [Note: Or, ships. ] raftes by the sea to [Note: Or, Ioppe. ] Iapho, so thou mayest cary them to Ierusalem.

¹⁷ ¶ And Salomon nombred al the strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the nombring that his father Dauid had nombred them: & they were found an hundreth and three & fiftie thousand, and sixe hundreth.

¹⁸ And he set seuentie thousande of them to the burden, and fourescore thousande to hewe stones in the mountaine, and three thousande and sixe hundreth ouerseers to cause the people to worke.

1 The Temple of the Lord, & the porch are builded, with other things thereto belonging.

¹ So [Note: 1.King.6.1. ] Salomon began to buyld the house of the Lord in Ierusalem, in mount [Note: [a] Which is the mountaine where Abraham thought to haue sacrificed his sonne, Ge.22.2. ] Moriah which had bene declared vnto Dauid his father, in the place that Dauid prepared in the thresshing floore of [Note: 2.Sam.24. 16, 21. ] Ornan the Iebusite.

² And he beganne to buylde in the seconde [Page]

moneth and the second day, in the fourth yeere of his reigne.

³ And these are the measures, whereon Salomon grounded to buylde the house of God: the length of cubites after the first [Note: [b] According to the whole length of the Temple, coprehending the most holy place with the rest. ] measure was threescore cubites, & the breadth twenty cubites:

⁴ And the porch, that was before the length in the front [Note: [c] It conteined as much as did the breadth of the Temple, 1.kin.6.3. ] of the breadth was twentie cubits, and the height was an [Note: [d] From the foundation to the top: for in the booke of Kings mention is made fro the foundation to the first stage. ] hundreth and twentie, & he ouerlayd it within with pure golde.

⁵ And the greater house he sieled with firre tree which he ouerlayd with good golde, & graued thereon palme trees and chaines.

⁶ And hee ouerlayde the house with precious stone for beautie: and the golde was gold of [Note: [e] Some thinke it is that place which is called Peru. ] Paruaim.

⁷ The house, I say, the beames, postes, and walles thereof & the doores thereof ouerlayde he with gold, & graued Cherubims vpon the walles.

⁸ ¶ He made also the house of the most holy place: the length thereof was in the front of the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, & the breadth thereof twentie cubites: and he ouerlayde it with the best golde, of sixe hundreth talents.

⁹ And the weight of the nayles was fiftie shekels of golde, and hee ouerlayde the chambers with golde.

¹⁰ ¶ And in the house of the most holy place he made two Cherubims wrought like children, and ouerlayd them with golde.

¹¹ [Note: 1.King.6.24. ] And the winges of the Cherubims were twentie cubites long: the one wing was fiue cubites, reaching to the wall of the house, and the other wing fiue cubites, reaching to the wing of the other Cherub.

¹² Likewise the wing of ye other Cherub was fiue cubites, reaching to the wall of the house, & the other wing fiue cubites ioyning to the wing of the other Cherub.

¹³ The wings of these Cherubims were spread abroade twentie cubites: they stoode on their feete, and their faces were toward the house.

¹⁴ ¶ He made also [Note: [f] Which separated the Temple from the most holy place. ] the vaile of blew silke & purple, and crimosin, and fine linen, and wrought Cherubims thereon.

¹⁵ ¶ And he made before the house two pillars [Note: [g] Euery one was eighteene cubites long, but the halfe cubite could not be seene: for it was hid in the roundnes of the chapiter, & therefore he giueth to euery one but 17. and an halfe. ] of fiue and thirtie cubites hie: and the chapiter that was vpon the top of eche of them, was fiue cubites.

¹⁶ He made also chaines for the oracle, and put them on the heads of the pillars, and made an [Note: [h] For euery pillar an hundreth, reade 1.King.7.20. ] hundreth pomegranates, and put them among the chaines.

¹⁷ And he set vp the pillars before the Temple, one on the right hande and the other on the left, and called that on the right hand Iachin, & that on the left hand Boaz.

1 The altar of brasse. 2 The molten sea. 6 The caldrons. 7 The candlestickes, &c.

¹ And hee made an altar of brasse twentie cubites long, and twentie cubites broade, and ten cubites hie.

² And he made a molten [Note: [a] A great vessel of brasse, so called, because of the great quatitie of water, which it coteined, 1.King.7.23. ] Sea of ten cubites from brim to brim, rounde in compasse, and fiue cubites hie: and a line of thirtie cubites did compasse it about.

³ And vnder [Note: [b] Meaning, vnder the brim of ye vessell, as 1.Kin.7.24. ] it was ye facion of oxen, which did compasse it rounde about, [Note: [c] In the length of euery cubite were ten heads or knops which in al are 300 ] tenne in a cubite compassing the Sea about: two rowes of oxen

were cast when it was molten.

⁴ It stoode vpon twelue oxen: three looked toward the North, and three looked towarde the West, and three looked towarde the South, and three looked towarde the East, and the Sea stoode about vpon them, and all their hinder parts were inwarde.

⁵ And the thickenesse thereof was an hande breadth, & the brim thereof was like the worke of the brim of a cuppe with floures of [Note: Or, floure delices. ] lilies: it conteined [Note: [d] In ye first booke of Kings, Cha. 7.26. mention is onely made of two thousand: but the lesse nomber was taken there, & here according as the measures proued afterward is declared. ] three thousand baths.

⁶ ¶ He made also ten caldrons, and put fiue on the right hand, and fiue on the left, to wash in them, and to clense in them that which apperteined to the burnt offrings: but the Sea was for the Priests to wash in.

⁷ ¶ And he made ten candlestickes of golde (according to [Note: [e] Euen as they should be made. ] their forme) and put them in the Temple, fiue on the right hand, & fiue on the left.

⁸ ¶ And he made ten tables, & put them in the Temple, fiue on the right hand, & fiue on the left: and he made an hundreth basens of golde.

⁹ And he made the court of the Priests, and the great [Note: [f] Called also the porch of Salomo, Act.3.11. It is also taken for the Temple where Christ preached, Matth. 21.23. ] court and doores for the court, and ouerlayd the doores thereof with brasse.

¹⁰ And he set the Sea on the right side Eastward toward the South.

¹¹ And Huram made [Note: Or, caldrous. ] pottes and besoms and basens, and Huram finished the worke that hee shoulde make for King Salomon for the house of God,

¹² To wit, two pillars, and the bowles & the chapiters on the top of ye two pillars, & two grates to couer the two bowles of the chapiters which were vpon the toppe of the pillars:

¹³ And foure hundreth pomegranates for the two grates, two rowes of pomegranates for euery grate to couer the two bowles of the chapiters, that were vpon the pillars.

¹⁴ He made also bases, and made caldrons vpon the bases:

¹⁵ And a Sea, and twelue bulles vnder it:

¹⁶ Pottes also and besomes, and fleshhookes, and all these vessels made Huram [Note: [g] Whom Salomo reuerenced for the gifts that God had giuen him, as a father: he had the same name also that Huram ye king of Tyrus had, his mother was a Iewesse and his father a Tyrian. Some reade, for his father, the autour of this worke. ] his father, to King Salomon for the house of the Lord, of shining brasse.

¹⁷ In the playne of Iorden did the King cast them in clay betweene Succoth & Zeredathah.

¹⁸ And Salomon made al these vessels in great abundance: for the weight of brasse could not be rekoned.

¹⁹ And Salomon made al the vessels that were for the house of God: the golden altar also & the tables, whereon the [Note: [h] In Ebrew, the bread of the faces, because they were set before ye Arke, where the Lord shewed his presence. ] shewbread stoode.

²⁰ Moreouer the candlestickes, with their lampes to burne them after the maner, before the oracle, of pure golde.

²¹ And the floures and the lampes, and the snuffers of gold, which was fine golde.

²² And the [Note: Or instruments of musike. ] hookes, and the basens, and the spoones, and the ashpans of pure golde: the entrie also of the house & doores thereof within, euen of the most holy place: and the doores of the house, to wit, of the Temple were [Note: [i] That is, couered with plates of golde. ] of golde.

1 The things dedicated by Dauid, are put in the Temple. 2 The Arke is brought into the Temple. 10 What was within it. 12 They sing praise to the Lord.

¹ So [Note: 1.King.7.52. & 8. 1. ] was all the worke finished that Salomon made for the house of the Lord, and Salomon

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brought in the things that Dauid his father had dedicated, with the siluer and the golde, and all the vessels, and put them among the treasures of the house of God.
² Then Salomon assembled the Elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chiefe fathers of the children of Israel vnto Ierusalem to bring vp the Arke of the couenant of the Lorde from the [Note: [a] Reade 2.Sam. 6.12. ] citie of Dauid, which is Zion.

³ And all ye men of Israel assembled vnto the King at the [Note: [b] When ye things were dedicate and brought into the Temple. ] feast: it was in ye seuenth [Note: [c] Called in Ebrewe Ethanim, conteining part of September & part of October, 1.King.8.2. which moneth the Iewes called the first moneth, because they say that the worlde was created in that moneth, and after they came from Egypt they began at March: but because this opinion is vncertaine, we make March euer the first, as best writers doe. ] moneth.

⁴ And all the Elders of Israel came, and the Leuites tooke vp the Arke.

⁵ And they caried vp the Arke and the Tabernacle of the Congregation: and all the holy vessels that were in the Tabernacle, those did the Priests and Leuites bring vp.

⁶ And King Salomon & all the Congregation of Israel that were assembled vnto him, were before ye Arke, offring sheepe & bullocks, which could not be told nor nobred for multitude.

⁷ So the Priests brought the Arke of the couenant of the Lord vnto his place, into the Oracle of the house, into the most Holy place, euen vnder the wings of the Cherubims.

⁸ For ye Cherubims stretched out their wings ouer the place of the Arke, and the Cherubims couered the Arke and the barres thereof aboue.

⁹ And they drewe out the barres, that the endes of the barres might bee seene out of the Arke before the Oracle, but they were not seene [Note: Or, without the Oracle. ] without: and there they are vnto this day.

¹⁰ Nothing was in the Arke, saue [Note: [d] For Aarons rod and Manna were taken thece before it was brought to this place. ] the two Tables, which Moses gaue at Horeb, where the Lorde made a couenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

¹¹ And when the Priestes were come out of the Sanctuarie (for all the Priests that were present, were [Note: [e] Were prepared to serue ye Lord. ] sanctified & did not waite by course.

¹² And the Leuites the singers of all sortes, as of Asaph, of Heman, of Ieduthun, and of their sonnes and of their brethren, being clad in fine linen, stoode with cymbales, and with violes and harpes at the East ende of the altar, and with them an hundreth and twentie Priestes blowing with trumpets:

¹³ And they were [Note: [f] They agreed all in one tune. ] as one, blowing trumpets, and singing, and made one sounde to bee heard in praysing and thanking the Lorde, and when they lift vp their voyce with trumpets and with cymbales, and with instruments of musicke, and when they praysed the Lord, singing, [Note: [g] This was the effect of their songs, Psal.118.1. and 136.1. ] For he is good, because his mercie lasteth for euer) then the house, euen the house of the Lorde was filled with a cloude,

¹⁴ So that the Priests could not stand to minister, because of the cloude: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God.

1 Salomon blesseth the people. 4 He prayseth the Lorde. 14 He prayeth vnto God for those that shall pray in the Temple.

¹ Then [Note: 1.King.8.12. ] Salomon [Note: [a] After that he had seene the glory of the Lorde in the cloude. ] sayd, The Lord hath sayde that he would dwell in the darke cloude:

² And I haue built thee an house to dwell in, an habitation for thee to dwell in for euer.

³ And the King turned his face, and blessed all the Congregation of Israel (for all the Congregation of Israel stoode there)

⁴ And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,

who spake with his mouth vnto Dauid my father, & hath with his [Note: Or, power. ] hand fulfilled it, saying,

⁵ Since the day that I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no citie of al the tribes of Israel to buylde an [Note: Or, Temple. ] house, that my Name might be there, neyther chose I any man to be a ruler ouer my people Israel:

⁶ But I haue chosen Ierusalem, that my Name might be there, & haue chosen Dauid to be ouer my people Israel.

⁷ [Note: 2.Sam.7.5. ] And it was in the heart of Dauid my father to builde an house vnto the Name of the Lord God of Israel,

⁸ But the Lorde sayde to Dauid my father, Whereas it was in thine heart to buylde an house vnto my Name, thou diddest well, that [Note: Ebr. that it was in thine beast. ] thou wast so minded.

⁹ Notwithstanding thou shalt not build the house, but thy sonne which shall come out of thy loynes, he shall buylde an house vnto my Name.

¹⁰ And the Lorde hath performed his worde that he spake: and I am risen vp in the roume of Dauid my father, and am set on the throne of Israel as the Lord promised, & haue built an house to the Name of the Lord God of Israel.

¹¹ And I haue set the Arke there, wherein is the [Note: [b] Meaning, ye two Tables, wherein is conteined the effect of the couenant, that God made with our fathers. ] couenant of the Lorde, that he made with the children of Israel.

¹² ¶ And the King [Note: [c] On a skaffold that was made for that purpose, that he praying for the whole people might be heard of all, as 1. King.8.22. ] stoode before the altar of the Lord, in the presence of all the Congregation of Israel, and stretched out his hands,

¹³ (For Salomon had made a brasen skaffold and set it in the middes of the court, of fiue cubites long, and fiue cubites broade, and three cubites of height, and vpon it he stoode, and kneeled downe vpon his knees before all the Congregation of Israel, and [Note: [d] Both to giue thankes for the great benefites of God bestowed vpon him, and also to pray for the perseuerance and prosperitie of his people. ] stretched out his hands toward heauen)

¹⁴ And sayd, O Lord God of Israel, [Note: 2.Mac.2.8. ] there is no God like thee in heauen nor in earth, which keepest couenant, and mercie vnto thy seruants, that walke before thee with all their heart.

¹⁵ Thou that hast kept with thy seruant Dauid my father, that thou hast promised him: for thou spakest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine [Note: Or, in effect, or, by thy power. ] hand, as appeareth this day.

¹⁶ Therefore now Lord God of Israel, keepe with thy seruant Dauid my father, that thou hast promised him, saying, Thou [Note: Ebr. a man shall not be cut off. ] shalt not want a man in my sight, that shall sit vpon the throne of Israel: so that thy sonnes take heede to their wayes, to walke in my Lawe, as thou hast walked before me.

¹⁷ And now, O Lorde God of Israel, let thy worde be verified, which thou spakest vnto thy seruant Dauid.

¹⁸ (Is it true in deede that God will dwell with man on earth? beholde, the [Note: 1.King.8.27. ] heauens, and the heauens of heauens are not able to conteine thee: how much more vnable is this house, which I haue buylt?)

¹⁹ But haue thou respect to the prayer of thy seruant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to heare the crye and prayer which thy seruant prayeth before thee,

²⁰ That thine [Note: [e] That thou maiest declare in effect, that thou hast a continuall care ouer this place. ] eyes may be open toward this house day & night, euen toward the place, whereof thou hast sayde, that thou wouldest put thy Name there, that thou mayest hearken vnto the prayer, which thy seruant prayeth in this place.
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²¹ Heare thou therefore the supplication of thy seruant, and of thy people Israel, which they pray in this place: and heare thou in the place of thine habitation, euen in heauen, and when thou hearest, be mercifull.

²² ¶ [Note: 1. King.8.31. ] When a man shall sinne against his [Note: [f] By reteining any thing from him, or els by denying that which he hath left him to keepe, or doe him any wrong. ] neighbour, and he laye vpon him an othe to cause him to sweare, and the [Note: Ebr. othe. ] swearer shal come before thine altar in this house,

²³ Then heare thou in heauen, and doe, and iudge thy seruants, in recompensing the wicked to bring his way [Note: [g] Meaning, to giue him that which he hath deserued. ] vpon his head, and in iustifying the righteous, to giue him according to his righteousnes.

²⁴ ¶ And when thy people Israel shalbe ouerthrowen before the enemie, because they haue sinned against thee, and turne againe, and [Note: Or, prayse. ] confesse thy Name, and pray, and make supplication before thee in this house,

²⁵ Then heare thou in heauen, and be mercifull vnto the sinne of thy people Israel, and bring them againe vnto the land which thou gauest to them and to their fathers.

²⁶ When heauen shall be shut vp, and there shalbe no rayne, because they haue sinned against thee, and shall pray in this place, and confesse thy Name, and [Note: Or, toward this place. ] turne from their sinne, when thou doest afflict them,

²⁷ Then heare thou in heauen, and pardon the sinne of thy seruants, and of thy people Israel (when thou hast taught them the good way wherein they may walke) and giue rayne vpon thy lande, which thou hast giuen vnto thy people for an inheritance.

²⁸ ¶ [Note: Chap.20.9. ] When there shalbe famine in the land, when there shalbe pestilence, blasting, or mildew, when there shall be grashopper, or caterpiller, when their enemie shall besiege them [Note: Ebr. in the land of their gates. ] in the cities of their land, or any plague or any sickenesse,

²⁹ Then what prayer and supplication so euer shalbe made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, whe euery one shall knowe his owne plague, and his owne disease, and shall stretch forth his hands toward this house,

³⁰ Heare thou then in heauen, thy dwelling place, and be merciful, and giue euery man according vnto all his wayes, as thou doest knowe his [Note: [h] He declareth that the prayers of hypocrites can not be heard, nor of any but of them, which pray vnto God with an vnfained faith and in true repentance. ] heart (for thou onely knowest the hearts of the children of men)

³¹ That they may feare thee, and walke in thy wayes as long as they liue in the land which thou gauest vnto our fathers.

³² ¶ Moreouer, as touching ye stranger which is not of thy people Israel, who shall come out of a farre countrey for thy great Names sake, and thy mighty hande, and thy stretched out arme: when they shal come and [Note: [i] He sheweth that before God there is no acception of person, but all people that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse, is accepted, Act. 10.35. ] pray in this house,

³³ Heare thou in heauen thy dwelling place, and doe according to all that the stranger calleth for vnto thee, that all the people of the earth may knowe thy Name, and feare thee like thy people Israel, and that they may knowe, that thy Name is called vpon in this house which I haue built.

³⁴ ¶ When thy people shall goe out to battell against their enemies, by the way that [Note: [k] Meaning, that none ought to enterprise any warre, but at the Lords commandement, that is, which is lawfull by his worde. ] thou shalt send them, and they pray to thee, [Note: Or, according to the maner of this citie. ] in the way towarde this citie, which thou hast chosen, euen toward the house which I haue built to thy Name,

³⁵ Then heare thou in heauen their prayer & their supplication, and iudge their cause.

³⁶ If they sinne against thee ( [Note: 1.King.8.46. ecclus. 7.22. 1.iohn 1.8. ] for there is no man that sinneth not) and thou be angry with them and deliuer them vnto the enemies, and they take them and cary them away captiue vnto a land farre or neere,

³⁷ If they [Note: Or, repent. ] turne againe to their heart in the lande whither they be caryed in captiues, and turne and pray vnto thee in the lande of their captiuitie, saying, We haue sinned, we haue transgressed and haue done wickedly,

³⁸ If they turne againe to thee with all their heart, and with all their soule in the land of their captiuitie, whither they haue caryed them captiues, and pray toward their land, which thou gauest vnto their fathers, & toward the citie which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I haue built for thy Name,

³⁹ Then heare thou in heauen, in the place of thine habitation their prayer and their supplication, and [Note: Or, maintaine their right. ] iudge their cause, and be mercifull vnto thy people, which haue sinned against thee.

⁴⁰ Nowe my God, I beseech thee, let thine eyes be open, & thine eares attent vnto the prayer that is made in this place.

⁴¹ [Note: Psal.132.8. ] Nowe therefore arise, O Lorde God, to come into thy [Note: [l] That is, into thy Temple. ] rest, thou, and the Arke of thy strength: O Lorde God, let thy Priestes be clothed with [Note: [m] Let them be preserued by thy power and made vertuous and holy. ] saluation, and let thy Saints reioyce in goodnesse.

⁴² O Lord God, refuse not the face of [Note: [n] Heare my prayer which am thine anoynted King. ] thine anoynted: remember the mercies promised to Dauid thy seruant.

1 The fire consumeth the sacrifice. 2 The glory of the Lord filleth the Temple. 12 He heareth his prayer, 17 and promiseth to exalt him and his throne.

¹ And [Note: 2.Mac.2.10. ] when Salomon had made an ende of praying, [Note: [a] Hereby God declared that hee was pleased with Salomons prayer. ] fire came downe from heauen, and consumed the burnt offring and the sacrifices: and the glory of the Lord filled the house,

² So that the Priestes could not euter into the house of the Lorde, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lordes house.

³ And when all the children of Israel saw the fire, and the glory of the Lord come downe vpon the house, they bowed themselues with their faces to the earth vpon the pauement, and worshipped and praysed the Lord, saying, For he is good, because his mercy lasteth for euer.

⁴ [Note: 1.King.8.62,63. ] Then the King and all the people offred sacrifices before the Lord.

⁵ And King Salomon offered a sacrifice of two and twentie thousand bullockes, and an hundreth and twentie thousand sheepe. so the King and all the people dedicated the house of God.

⁶ And the Priests waited on their offices, and the Leuites with the instruments of musicke of the Lorde, which King Dauid had made to praise the Lord, Because his mercy lasteth for euer: whe Dauid praysed God [Note: Ebr. by their handes. ] by them, the Priestes also blewe trumpets ouer against them: and all they of Israel stoode by.

⁷ Moreouer Salomon halowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord: for there hee had prepared burnt offerings, and the fatte of the peace offerings, because the brasen altar which Salomon had made, was not able to receiue the burnt offering, and the

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meate offring, and the fat.
⁸ And Salomon made [Note: [b] The feast of the Tabernacles which was kept in the seuenth moneth. ] a feast at that time of seuen dayes, and all Israel with him, a very great Congregation, from the entring in of Hamath, vnto the riuer of Egypt.

⁹ And in the eight day they [Note: [c] They assembled to heare the worde of God after that they had remained seuen dayes in the boothes or Tabernacles. ] made a solemne assemblie: for they had made the dedication of the altar seuen daies, and the feast seuen dayes.

¹⁰ And the [Note: [d] They had leaue to depart the two and twentieth day, 1.king. 8.66. but they went not away till the next day. ] three and twentieth day of the seuenth moneth, he sent the people away into their tentes, ioyous and with glad heart, because of the goodnesse that the Lorde had done for Dauid and for Salomon, & for Israel his people.

¹¹ [Note: 1.King.9.1. ] So Salomon finished the house of the Lorde, and the Kings house, and all that came into Salomons heart to make in the house of the Lorde: and he prospered in his house.

¹² ¶ And the Lord [Note: Nomb.12.6. ] appeared to Salomon by night and said to him, I haue heard thy prayer, and haue chosen this place for my selfe to be an house of sacrifice.

¹³ If I shut the heauen that there be no raine, or if I commaunde the grashopper to deuoure the lande, or if I sende pestilence among my people,

¹⁴ If my people, among whome my Name is called vpon, doe humble them selues, and praye, and seeke my presence, and turne from their wicked wayes, then will I heare in heauen, and be mercifull to their sinne, & wil [Note: [e] I will cause the pestilence to cease and destroy the beastes that hurt the fruites of the earth, and sende raine in due season. ] heale their land:

¹⁵ Then mine eies shalbe open & mine eares attent vnto the prayer made in this place.

¹⁶ For I haue nowe chosen and sanctified this house, that my Name may be there for euer: and mine eyes & mine heart shalbe there perpetually.

¹⁷ And if thou wilt walke before me, as Dauid thy father walked, to doe according vnto all that I haue commanded thee, and shalt obserue my statutes and my iudgements,

¹⁸ Then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdome, according as I made the couenant with Dauid thy father, saying, [Note: Chap.6 16. ] Thou shalt not want a man to be ruler in Israel.

¹⁹ But if ye turne away, and forsake my statutes and my commandements which I haue set before you, and shall goe and serue other gods, and worshippe them,

²⁰ Then will I plucke them vp out of my lande, which I haue giuen them, and this house which I haue [Note: [f] Which thing declareth that God had more respect to their saluation, then to the aduancement of his owne glorie: and where as men abuse those things, which God hath appointed to set foorth his prayse, he doeth withdrawe his graces thence. ] sanctified for my Name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a prouerbe and a common talke among all people.

²¹ And this house which is most hie, shall be an astonishment to euery one that passeth by it, so that he shall say, Why hath the Lorde done thus to this lande, and to this house?

²² And they shall answere, Because they forsooke the Lorde God of their fathers, which brought them out of the lande of Egypt, and haue taken holde on other gods, and haue worshipped them, and serued them, therefore hath he brought all this euill vpon them.

2 The cities that Salomon built. 7 People that were made tributarie vnto him. 12 His sacrifices. 17 He sendeth to Ophir.

¹ And [Note: 1.King.9.10. ] after [Note: [a] Signifying, that he was twentie yeere in building them. ] twentie yeere when Salomon had built the house of the Lorde, and his owne house,

² Then Salomon built the cities that Huram [Note: [b] That is, which Hiram gaue againe to Salomon because they pleased him not: and therefore called them Cabul, that is, dirt or filth, 1.King.9.13. ] gaue to Salomon, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.

³ And Salomon went to Hamath Zobah, and ouercame it.

⁴ And he built Tadmor in the wildernesse, and repayred all [Note: [c] Meaning, of munitions and treasures for the warre. ] the cities of store which hee built in Hamath.

⁵ And he built [Note: [d] That is, he repaired and fortified them: for they were built long before by Sherah a noble woman of the tribe of Ephraim, 1.Chron.6.68. and 7.24. ] Beth-horon the vpper, and Beth-horon the nether, cities defensed with walles, gates and barres:

⁶ Also Baalath, and al the cities of store that Salomon had, and all the charet cities, and the cities of the horsemen, and euery pleasaunt place that Salomon had a minde to builde in Ierusalem, and in [Note: [e] Reade 1.King. 7.2. ] Lebanon, and throughout all the lande of his dominion.

⁷ And all the people that were left to ye Hittites, and ye Amorites, and Perizzites, and the Hiuuites, and the Iebusites, which were not of Israel,

⁸ But of their children which were left after them in the lande, whome the children of Israel had not consumed, euen them did Salomon make [Note: Ebr. to come vp to tribute. ] tributaries vntill this day.

⁹ But of the children of Israel did Salomon make no seruantes for his worke: for they were men of warre, and his chiefe princes, and the captaines of his charets and of his horsemen.

¹⁰ So these were the chiefe of the officers which Salomon had, euen [Note: [f] For in all there were 3300. but here he meaneth of them that had the principall charge, reade 1.King.9.23. ] two hundreth and fiftie that bare rule ouer the people.

¹¹ ¶ Then Salomon brought vp the daughter of Pharaoh out of the citie of Dauid, into the house that he had built for her: for he saide, My wife shall not dwel in the house of Dauid King of Israel: for it is holy, because that the Arke of the Lorde came vnto it.

¹² ¶ Then Salomon offered burnt offrings vnto the Lord, on the [Note: Chap.4.1. ] altar of the Lorde, which he had built before the porche,

¹³ To [Note: Exod.29.39. ] offer according to the commandement of Moses [Note: Or, after the maner of euery day. ] euery day, in the Sabbaths, and in the newe moones, and in the solemne feastes, [Note: [g] Reade Leuit. 23. ] three times in the yeere, that is, in the feast of the Vnleauened bread, and in the feast of the Weekes, and in the feast of the Tabernacles.

¹⁴ And he set the courses of the Priestes to their offices, according to the order of Dauid his father, and the Leuites in their watches, for to praise and minister before the Priestes euery day, and the porters by [Note: 1.Chron.24.1. ] their courses, at euery gate: for so was the commandement of Dauid the man of God.

¹⁵ And they declined not from the commandement of the King, concerning the Priests and the Leuites, touching al things, and touching the treasures.

¹⁶ ¶ Nowe Salomon had made prouision for all the [Note: [h] Both for the matter and also for the workemanship. ] worke, from the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord, vntill it was finished: so the house of the Lord was perfite.

¹⁷ Then went Salomon to Ezion-geber, and to Eloth by the [Note: [i] Meaning, the red Sea. ] sea side in the lande of Edom.

¹⁸ And Huram sent him by the handes of his seruants, shippes, and seruants that had knowledge of the sea: and they went with the seruants of Salomon to Ophir, and brought thence [Note: [k] Which summe is thought to mount to three millions and sixe hundreth thousand crownes: for here is mention made of thirtie mo, then are spoken of, 1.King.9.28. ] foure hundreth and fiftie talents of golde, and brought them to King Salomon.
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1. 9 The Queene of Sheba commeth to see Salomon and bringeth giftes. 13 His yeerely reuenues. 30 The time of his reigne. 31 His death.

¹ And [Note: 1.King.10.1. mat.12.42. luke.11.31. ] when the Queene of Sheba heard of the fame of Salomon, she came to [Note: [a] To know whether his wisedome were so great as the report was. ] proue Salomon with hard questions at Ierusalem, with a very great traine, and camels that bare sweete odours and much golde, and precious stones: and when she came to Salomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.

² And Salomon declared her all her questions, and there was [Note: [b] There was no question so hard that he did not solue. ] nothing hid from Salomon, which he declared not vnto her.

³ Then the Queene of Sheba sawe the wisedome of Salomon, and the house that he had buylt,

⁴ And the meate of his table, and the sitting of his seruants, and the order of his wayters, and their apparel, and his butlers, and their apparel, & his [Note: Or, galleries whereby he went vp. ] burnt offrings which he offred in the house of the Lorde, and she was [Note: Ebr. there was no more spirit in her. ] greatly astonied.

⁵ And she saide to the King, It was a true worde which I heard in mine owne lande of thy [Note: Or, actes. ] sayings, and of thy wisedome:

⁶ Howbeit I beleeued not their report, vntil I came, and mine eyes had seene it: & beholde, the one halfe of thy great wisedom was not told me: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard.

⁷ Happie are thy men, and happie are these thy seruants, which stande before thee alway, and heare thy wisedome.

⁸ Blessed be the Lord thy God, which loued thee, to set thee on his [Note: [c] Meaning, that the Israelites were Gods peculiar people, and that Kings are the lieutenants of God which ought to graunt vnto him the superioritie, and minister iustice to all. ] throne as King, in the steade of the Lorde thy God: because thy God loueth Israel, to establish it for euer, therefore hath he made thee King ouer them, to execute iudgement and iustice.

⁹ Then she gaue the King sixe score talents of golde, and of sweete odours exceeding much & precious stones: neither was there such sweete odours since, as the Queene of Sheba gaue vnto King Salomon.

¹⁰ And the seruants also of Huram, and the seruants of Salomon which brought golde from Ophir, brought [Note: [d] Reade Chap. 2.8. and 1.king. 10.11. ] Algummim wood and precious stones.

¹¹ And the King made of the Algummim wood [Note: [e] Or pillars: meaning, the garnishing and trimming of the staires or pillars. ] staires in the house of the Lorde, and in the Kings house, and harpes and violes for singers: and there was no such seene before in the lande of Iudah.

¹² And King Salomon gaue to the Queene of Sheba euery pleasant thing that she asked, [Note: [f] That is, which the King gaue her for recompence of that treasure which she brought. ] besides for that which she had brought vnto the King: so she returned and went to her owne countrey, both she, and her seruants.

¹³ ¶ Also the weight of golde that came to Salomon in one yeere, was sixe hundreth three score and sixe talents of golde,

¹⁴ Besides that which chapmen and marchants brought: and all the Kings of Arabia, and the princes of the countrey brought golde and siluer to Salomon.

¹⁵ And King Salomon made two hundreth targets of beaten golde, and [Note: [g] Which summe mounteth to 2400. crownes of the sunne, Budeus de asse. ] sixe hundreth shekels of beaten golde went to one target,

¹⁶ And three hundreth shieldes of beaten golde: three hundreth [Note: [h] Or, pounds, called minae, where of euery one seemed to make an hundreth shekels. ] shekels of golde went to one shielde, and the King put them in the house

of the wood of Lebanon.

¹⁷ And the King made a great throne of yuorie and ouerlaid it with pure golde.

¹⁸ And the throne had sixe steppes, with a footestoole of gold [Note: [i] That is, the steps and the footstoole were fastened to the throne. ] fastened to the throne, and stayes on either side on the place of the seate, and two lyons standing by the [Note: [k] Vpon the pommels or knops. ] stayes.

¹⁹ And twelue lyons stoode there on the sixe steps on either side: there was not the like made in any kingdome.

²⁰ And all King Salomons drinking vessels were of golde, and all the vessels of the house of the wood of Lebanon were of pure gold: for siluer was nothing esteemed in ye dayes of Salomo.

²¹ For the Kings ships went to Tarshish with the seruants of Huram, euery three yeere once came the ships of [Note: [l] Which countrey of the best writers is thought to be Cilicia, reede 1.King.10.22. ] Tarshish, and brought golde, and siluer, yuorie, and apes, and peacockes.

²² So King Salomon excelled all the Kings of the earth in riches and wisedome.

²³ And all the Kings of the earth sought the presence of Salomon, to heare his wisedome that God had put in his heart.

²⁴ And they brought euery man his present, vessels of siluer, and vessels of golde, and raiment, armour, and sweet odours, horses, and mules, from yeere to yeere.

²⁵ And Salomon had [Note: [m] That is, ten horses in euery stable, which in all mount to fourtie thousand, as 1.King.4.26. ] foure thousand stalles of horses, and charets, and twelue thousand horsmen, whom he bestowed in the charet cities, and with the King at Ierusalem.

²⁶ And he reigned ouer all the Kings from the [Note: Or, Euphrates. ] Riuer euen vnto the land of the Philistims, and to the border of Egypt.

²⁷ And the King gaue siluer in Ierusalem, [Note: [n] The abundance of these temporall treasures in Salomons kingdome is a figure of the spiritual treasures, which the elect shall enioye in the heauens vnder the true Salomon Christ. ] as stones, and gaue cedar trees as the wilde fig trees, that are aboundant in the plaine.

²⁸ And they brought vnto Salomon horses out of Egypt, and out of all landes.

²⁹ Concerning the rest of the actes of Salomon first and last, are they not written in the booke of Nathan the Prophet, and in the prophecie of Ahiiah the Shilonite, and in the visions of [Note: Or, Iddo. ] Ieedo the Seer [Note: [o] That is, which prophecied against him. ] against Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat?

³⁰ And Salomon reigned in Ierusalem ouer all Israel fourtie yeeres.

³¹ And Salomon [Note: 1.King 11. 41,42. ] slept with his fathers, and they buryed him in the citie of Dauid his father: and Rehoboam his sonne reigned in his steade.

4. 14 The rigour of Rehoboam. 13 He followeth lewd counsell. 16 The people rebel.

¹ Then [Note: 1.King. 12.1. ] Rehoboam [Note: [a] After the death of Salomon. ] went to Shechem: for to Sheche came all Israel to make him king.

² And when Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat heard it, (which was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of Salomon the King) he returned out of Egypt.

³ And they sent and called him: so came Ieroboam and all Israel, and communed with Rehoboam, saying,

⁴ Thy father [Note: [b] That is, handled vs rudely. It seemeth that God hardened their heartes, so that they thus murmured without cause: which declareth also the inconstancie of the people. ] made our yoke grieuous: nowe therefore make thou the grieuous seruitude of thy father, and his sore yoke, that he put vpon vs, lighter, and we will serue thee.

⁵ And he sayde to them, Depart yet three dayes, then come againe vnto me. And the people departed.

⁶ And King Rehoboam tooke counsel with

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the olde men that had stande before Salomon his father, while hee yet liued, saying, What counsell giue ye that I may answere this people?
⁷ And they spake vnto him, saying, If thou be kinde to this people, and please them, and speake louing words to them, they will be thy seruants for euer.

⁸ But hee left the counsel of the ancient men that they had giuen him, and tooke counsell of the yong men that were brought vp with him, & [Note: [c] Or, that stoode by him, that is, which were of his counsel and secrets. ] waited on him.

⁹ And he sayd vnto them, What counsel giue ye, that we may answere this people, which haue spoken to mee, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put vpon vs, lighter?

¹⁰ And the yong men that were brought vp with him, spake vnto him, saying, Thus shalt thou answere the people that spake to thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heauie, but make thou it lighter for vs: thus shalt thou say vnto them, My [Note: [d] Or, litle finger: meaning that hee was of far greater power then was his father. ] least part shalbe bigger then my fathers loines.

¹¹ Now whereas my father did burden you with a grieuous yoke, I will yet increase your yoke: my father hath chastised you with roddes, but I will correct you with [Note: Or, scorpions. ] scourges.

¹² ¶ Then Ieroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the King had appointed saying, Come againe to me the third day.

¹³ And the King answered them sharply: and King Rehoboam left the counsel of the ancient men,

¹⁴ And spake to them after ye counsell of the yong men, saying, My father made your yoke grieuous, but I wil incease it: my father chastised you with rods, but I will correct you with scourges.

¹⁵ So the king hearkened not vnto the people: for it was the [Note: [e] Gods will imposeth such a necessitie to the second causes, that nothing can bee done but according to the same, and yet mans wil worketh as of it self so that it can not be excused in doing euil by alledging that it is Gods ordinance. ] ordinance of God that the Lorde might performe his saying, which hee had spoken [Note: Ebr. by the hand. ] by Ahiiah the Shilonite to Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat.

¹⁶ So when all Isarael sawe that the King would not heare them, the people answered the King, saying, [Note: 1.King.12.16. ] What portion haue we in Dauid? for we haue none inheritance in the sonue of Ishai. O Israel, euery man to your tents: now see to thine owne house, Dauid. So all Israel departed to their tents.

¹⁷ Howbeit Rehoboam reigned ouer the children of Israel, that dwelt in the cities of Iudah.

¹⁸ Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram that was [Note: Or, receiuer. ] ouer the tribute, and the children of Israel stoned him with stones, that he died: then King Rehoboham [Note: Ebr.strengthened himselfe. ] made speede to get him vp to his charet, to flee to Ierusalem.

¹⁹ And Israel rebelled against the house of Dauid vnto this day.

4 Rehoboam is forbidden to fight against Ieroboam. 5 Cities which he built. 21 He hath eighteene wiues, and threescore concubines, and by them eight and twentie sonnes and threescore daughters.

¹ And [Note: 1.King.12.20,21. ] when Rehoboam was come to Ierusalem, he gathered of the house of Iudah and [Note: [a] That is, the halfe tribe of Beniamin for the other halfe was gone after Ieroboam. ] Beniamin nine score thousande chosen men of warre to fight against [Note: [b] Meaning, the ten tribes which rebelled. ] Israel, and to bring the kingdome againe to Rehoboam.

² But the worde of the Lorde came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

³ Speake vnto Rehoboam, the sonne of Salomon King of Iudah, and to all Israel that are in

Iudah, and Beniamin, saying,

⁴ Thus sayth the Lorde, Ye shall not goe vp, nor fight against your brethren: returne euery man to his house: for this thing is done of me. They obeyed therfore the word of the Lord, and returned from going against Ieroboam.

⁵ And Rehoboam dwelt in Ierusalem, and [Note: [c] Or, repayred them and made them strong, to be more able to resist Ieroboam. ] buylt strong cities in Iudah.

⁶ Hee buylt also Beth-lehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,

⁷ And Beth-zur, and Shoco, and Adullam,

⁸ And Gath, and Maresha, and Ziph,

⁹ And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,

¹⁰ And Zorah, and Aialon, and Hebron, which were in Iudah and Beniamin, strong cities.

¹¹ And he [Note: Or, strengthened. ] repaired the strong holdes and put captaines in them, and store of vitaile, and oyle and wine.

¹² And in all cities he put shieldes & speares, and made them exceeding strong: so Iudah and Beniamin were his.

¹³ ¶ And the Priests and the Leuites that were in all Israel, [Note: Ebr. stood. ] resorted vnto him out of all their coastes.

¹⁴ For the Leuites left their suburbes & their possession, and came to Iudah and to Ierusalem: [Note: Chap.13.9. ] for Ieroboam and his sonnes had cast them out from ministring in the Priestes office vnto the Lorde.

¹⁵ [Note: 1.King.12.31. ] And he ordeyned him Priests for the hie places, & for the [Note: [d] Meaning, idoles, reade Isa.44.15. ] deuils and for the calues which he had made.

¹⁶ And after the Leuites there came to Ierusalem of all the tribes of Israel, such as set their [Note: [e] Which were zealous of true religion, and feared God. ] heartes to seeke the Lord God of Israel, to offer vnto the Lord God of their fathers.

¹⁷ So they strengthened the kingdome of Iudah, and made Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon mightie, three yeere long: for three yeere they [Note: [f] So long as they feared God, and set forth his word, they prospered. ] walked in in the way of Dauid and Salomon.

¹⁸ ¶ And Rehoboam tooke him Mahalath ye daughter of Ierimoth the sonne of Dauid to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the sonne of Ishai,

¹⁹ Which bare him sonnes Ieush, and Shemariah, and Zaham.

²⁰ And after her he tooke Maakah ye daughter of Absalom which bare him Abiiah, and Atthai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

²¹ And Rehoboam loued Maakah ye daughter of Absalom aboue all his wiues and his concubines: for he tooke eighteene wiues, and three score concubines, and begate eyght and twentie sonnes, and three score daughters.

²² And Rehoboam made [Note: [g] Called also Abiiam, who reigned three yeere, 1.king.15.2. ] Abiiah the sonne of Maakah the chiefe ruler among his brethren: for he thought to make him King.

²³ And he taught him: and dispersed all his sonnes throughout all the countreis of Iudah and Beniamin vnto euery strong citie: and hee gaue them aboundance of vitaile, and [Note: [h] He gaue himselfe to haue many wiues. ] desired many wiues.

1 Rehoboam forsaketh the Lord and is punished by Shishak. 5 Shemaiah reprooueth him. 6 He humbleth himselfe. 7 God sendeth him succour. 9 Shisbak taketh his treasures. 13 His raigne and death. 16 Abiiah his sonne succeedeth him.

¹ And when [Note: Or, when the Lord had established Rehoboams kingdome. ] Rehoboam had established the kingdome and made it strong, hee forsooke the Lawe of the Lord, and [Note: [a] For such is the inconstancie of the people, that for the most part they folowe the vices of their gouernours. ] all Israel with him.
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² Therefore in the fift yeere of King Rehoboam, Shishak the King of Egypt came vp against Ierusalem (because they had transgressed against the Lorde)

³ With twelue hundreth charets, and three score thousande horsemen, and the people were without nomber, yt came with him from Egypt, euen the Lubims, [Note: [b] Which were a people of Africa called the Troglodites, because they, dwelled in holes. ] Sukkiims, & the [Note: Or, black Mores. ] Ethiopians.

⁴ And he tooke the strong cities which were of Iudah, and came vnto Ierusalem.

⁵ ¶ Then came Shemaiah the Prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Iudah, that were gathered together in Hierusalem, because of Shishak, and sayde vnto them, Thus sayth the Lord, Ye haue forsaken me, [Note: [c] Signifying that no calamitie can come vnto vs except we forsake God, and that he neuer leaueth vs till we haue cast him off. ] therefore haue I also left you in the handes of Shishak.

⁶ Then the princes of Israel, & the King humbled themselues, and sayde, The Lord is [Note: [d] And therefore doth iustly punish you for your sins. ] iust.

⁷ And when the Lorde sawe that they humbled themselues, the worde of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They haue humbled theselues, therefore I will not destroy them, but I will sende them deliuerance shortly, and my wrath shall not [Note: Ebr. drop downe. ] bee powred out vpon Ierusalem by the hand of Shishak.

⁸ Neuerthelesse they shalbe his sernants: so shal they knowe my [Note: [e] He sheweth that Gods punishments are not to destroy his vtterly, but to chastice them, to bring them to the knowledge of themselues and to knowe how much better it is to serue God then tyrants. ] seruice, and the seruice of the kingdomes of the earth.

⁹ ¶ Then Shishak King of Egypt came vp against Ierusalem, and tooke the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the Kings house he tooke euen all, and hee caried away the shields of golde, [Note: Chap.9.15,16. ] which Salomon had made.

¹⁰ In stead whereof King Rehoboam made shieldes of brasse, and committed them to the handes of the chiefe of the garde, that wayted at the doore of the Kings house.

¹¹ And when the King entred into the house of the Lorde, the garde came and bare them and brought them againe vnto the garde chamber.

¹² And because hee [Note: [f] Which declareth that God seeketh not the death of a sinner but his conuersion, Ezek.18. 32, & 33.11. ] humbled himselfe, the wrath of the Lorde turned from him, that hee woulde not destroy all together. And also in Iudah the things prospered.

¹³ [Note: 1.Kings.14.21. ] So King Rehoboam was strong in Ierusalem and reigned: for Rehoboam was one and fourtie yere olde, when he began to reigne, and reigned [Note: [g] That is, twelue yeres after that he had bene ouercome by Shishak, verse.2. ] seuenteene yeres in Ierusalem, the citie which the Lorde had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put his Name there. And his mothers name was Naamah an Ammonitesse.

¹⁴ And he did euill: for hee prepared not his heart to seeke the Lorde.

¹⁵ The actes also of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the [Note: Eb sayings. ] booke of Shemaiah the Prophet, and Iddo the Seer, in rehearsing the genealogie? and there was warre alway betweene Rehoboam and Ieroboam.

¹⁶ And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the citie of Dauid, and [Note: Or, Abiiam. ] Abiiah his sonne reigned in his stead.

1 Abiiah maketh warre against Ieroboam. 4 He sheweth the occasion. 12 He trusteth in the Lord and ouercommeth Ieroboam. 21 Of his wiues and children.

¹ In the eyghteenth yeere of King Ieroboam began Abiiah to reigne ouer [Note: [a] He meaneth Iudah and Beniamin. ] Iudah.

² He reigned three yere in Ierusalem: (his mothers name also was [Note: [b] Or, Maacha, 1.King 15.2. ] Michaiah the daughter of [Note: [c] Called also Abshalom, for Abshalom was her grandfather, 1.King.15.2. ] Vriel of Gibea) and there was warre betweene

Abiiah and Ieroboam.

³ And Abiiah set the battel in aray with the armie of valiant men of warre, euen foure hundreth thousand chosen men. Ieroboam also set the battell in aray against him with eight hundreth thousande chosen men which were strong and valiant.

⁴ And Abiiah stood vp vpon mount [Note: [d] Which was one of the tops of mount Ephraim. ] Zemeraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and sayde, O Ieroboam, and all Israel, heare you me,

⁵ Ought you not to know that the Lord God of Israel hath giuen the kingdome ouer Israel to [Note: [e] And therefore whosoeuer doth vsurpe it or take it from that stock, transgresseth the ordinance of the lord, thus like an hipocrite he alledged the worde of God for his aduantage. ] Dauid for euer, euen to him and to his sonnes by a couenant [Note: [f] That is, perpetual, because that thing, which is salted, is preserued from corruption: he meaneth also that it was made solemnly and confirmed by offring of sacrifices, wheras they vsed salt according as was ordeined, Nom. 18.19. ] of salt?

⁶ And Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat the seruant of Salomon the sonne of Dauid is risen vp, and hath [Note: 1.King.11.26. ] rebelled against his lord:

⁷ And there are gathered to him [Note: [g] This word in ye Calde tongue is Racha, which out Sauiour vseth, Mat.5.22. ] vayne men and [Note: Ebr. children of Belial. ] wicked, and made themselues strong against Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon: for Rehoboboam was [Note: [h] Meaning, in heart and courage. ] but a childe and [Note: Or, faint hearted. ] [Note: Leuit.26.36. ] tender hearted, & coulde not resist them.

⁸ Now therefore ye thinke that yee be able to resist against the kingdome of the Lorde, which is in the handes of the sonnes of Dauid, and ye bee a great multitude, and the golden calues are with you which Ieroboam made you for gods.

⁹ [Note: 1 King.12.31. chap.11.14. ] Haue ye not driuen away the Priestes of the Lorde the sonnes of Aaron and the Leuites, and haue made you Priests like the people of other countreis? whosoeuer commeth to [Note: Ebr. fil his hand. ] consecrate with a [Note: [i] He sheweth the nature of idolaters which take no triall of the vocation, life and doctriue of their ministers, but thinke the most vilest and greatest beastes sufficient to serue their turne. ] yong bullocke and seuen rams, the same may be a Priest of them that are no gods.

¹⁰ But wee belong vnto the Lorde our God, and haue not forsaken him, and the Priestes the sonnes of Aaron minister vnto the Lord, and the Leuites in their office.

¹¹ And they burne vnto the Lorde euery [Note: [k] As it was appoynted in the Law, exod.29.39. ] morning and euery euening burnt offerings and sweete incense, and the breade is set in order vpon the pure table, and the candlesticke of golde with the lampes thereof, to burne euery euening: for we keepe the watch of the Lord our God: but ye haue forsaken him.

¹² And behold, this God [Note: [l] Because their cause was good and approued by the Lord they doubted not of the successe and victorie. ] is with vs, as a captaine, and his Priests with the sounding trumpets, to crie an alarme against you. O yee children of Israel, fight not against the Lorde God of your fathers: for ye shall not prosper.

¹³ ¶ But Ieroboam caused an ambushment [Note: [m] Contemning the good counsell which came of the Spirit of God, he thought to haue ouercome by deceit. ] to compasse, and come behind them, when they were before Iudah, and the ambushment behinde them.

¹⁴ Then Iudah looked, and beholde, the battel was before and behinde them, and they cried vnto the Lorde, and the Priests blewe with the trumpets,

¹⁵ And the men of Iudah gaue a shoute: and euen as the men of Iudah shouted, God [Note: Or, gaue him the ouerthrowe. ] smote Ieroboam and also Israel before Abiiah and Iudah.

¹⁶ And the children of Israel fledde before Iudah, & God deliuered them into their hande.

¹⁷ And Abiiah and his people slewe a great slaughter of them, so that there fel downe wounded of Israel fiue hundreth thousand chosen men.

¹⁸ So the children of Israel were brought vnder at that time: and the children of Iudah preuailed, [Note: [n] Hee sheweth that the stay of all kingdomes and assurance of victories depend vpon our trust and confidence in ye Lord. ] because they stayed vpon the Lord God of their fathers.

¹⁹ And Abiiah pursued after Ieroboam, and

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tooke cities from him, euen Beth-el, and the [Note: Ebr. daughters. ] villages thereof, and Ieshanah with her villages, and Ephron with her villages.
²⁰ And Ieroboam recouered no strength againe in the dayes of Abiiah, but the Lorde plagued him, and he dyed.

²¹ So Abiiah waxed mightie, and marryed foureteene wiues, and begate two and twentie sonnes, and sixteene daughters.

²² The rest of the actes of Abiiah and his maners and his sayings are written in the storie of the Prophet Iddo.

3 Asa destroyeth idolatrie, and commaundeth his people to serue the true God. 11 He prayeth vnto God when he should goe to fight. 12 He obteineth the victorie.

¹ So [Note: 1.King.15.8. ] Abiiah slept with his fathers, and they buryed him in the citie of Dauid, and Asa his sonne reigned in his steade: in whose dayes the lande was quiet ten yeere.

² And Asa did that was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.

³ For he tooke away the altars of the strange gods and the hie places, and brake downe the images, and cut downe the [Note: [a] Which were planted contrary to the lawe, Deut.16.21. ] groues,

⁴ And commanded Iudah to seeke the Lord God of their fathers, and to doe according to the Lawe and the comandement.

⁵ And he tooke away out of all the cities of Iudah the hie places, and the images: therefore the kingdome was [Note: [b] He sheweth that the rest and quietnesse of kingdomes standeth in abolishing idolatrie, and aduancing true religion. ] quiet before him.

⁶ He built also strong cities in Iudah, because the lande was in rest, and he had no warre in those yeeres: for the Lord had giuen him rest.

⁷ Therefore he saide to Iudah, Let vs builde these cities and make walles about, and towers, gates, and barres, whiles the lande is [Note: [c] Whiles we haue the full gouernment thereof. ] before vs: because we haue sought the Lorde our God, we haue sought him, and he hath giuen vs rest on euery side: so they built and prospered.

⁸ And Asa had an armie of Iudah that bare shieldes and speares, three hundreth thousande, and of Beniamin that bare shieldes and drewe bowes, two hundreth and foure score thousande: all these were valiant men.

⁹ ¶ And there came out against them Zerah [Note: [d] The King of Ethiopia, or Egypt. ] of Ethiopia with an hoste of ten hundreth thousande, and three hundreth charets, and came vnto [Note: [e] Which was a citie in Iudah, Iosh. 15.44. where Michaiah the Prophet was borne. ] Mareshah.

¹⁰ Then Asa went out before him, and they set the battell in aray in the valley of Zephathah beside Mareshah.

¹¹ And Asa cryed vnto the Lorde his God, and saide, Lord, [Note: 1.Sam.14.6. ] it is nothing with thee to helpe [Note: Or, against many, without power. ] with many, or with no power: helpe vs, O Lorde our God: for we rest on thee, and in thy Name are we come against this multitude: O Lorde, thou art our God, [Note: [f] Thus the children of God neither trust in their owne power or policie, neither feare the strength and subtiltie of their enemies but consider the cause and see whether their enterprises tende to Gods glorie, and thereupon assure themselues of the victorie by him, which is onely Almightie and can turne all flesh into dust with the breath of his mouth. ] let not man preuaile against thee.

¹² ¶ So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa and before Iudah, and the Ethiopians fled.

¹³ And Asa and the people that was with him, pursued them vnto Gerar. And the Ethiopians hoste was ouerthrowen, so that there was no life in them: for they were destroyed before the Lorde and before his hoste: and they caryed away a mightie great spoyle.

¹⁴ And they smote all the cities rounde about Gerar: for the [Note: [g] The Lord had stricken them with feare. ] feare of the Lorde came vpon them, and they spoyled all the cities, for

there was exceeding much spoyle in them.

¹⁵ Yea, and they smote the tents of cattel, and carried away plentie of sheepe and camels, and returned to Ierusalem.

1 The exhortation of Azariah. 8 Asa purgeth his countrey of idolatrie. 11 He sacrificeth with the people. 14 They sweare together, to serue the Lorde. 16 He deposeth his mother for her idolatrie.

¹ Then the Spirite of God came vpon [Note: [a] Who was called Obed, as his father was, verse 8. ] Azariah the sonne of Obed.

² And he went out to meete Asa, and said vnto him, O Asa, and all Iudah, and Beniamin, heare ye me. The Lorde is with you, while ye be with him: and if ye seeke him, he wil be founde of you, but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.

³ Nowe for a long season Israel hath bene without the [Note: [b] For the space of twelue yeeres vnder Rehoboam, and three yeeres vnder Abiiah, religion was neglected and idolatrie planted. ] true God, and without Priest to teach and without Lawe.

⁴ But whosoeuer returned in his affliction to the Lorde God of Israel, and sought him, he [Note: [c] He sheweth, that notwithstanding the wickednesse of tyrants and their rage, yet God hath his, whome he heareth in their tribulation, as he deliuered his from Zerah King of the Ethiopians, Chap.14.9,12. and out of all other dangers, when they called vpon the Lord. ] was founde of them.

⁵ And in that time there was no peace to him, that did goe out and goe in: but great troubles were to all the inhabitants of the earth.

⁶ For nation was destroyed of nation, and citie of citie: for God troubled them with all aduersitie.

⁷ Be ye strong therefore, and let not your handes be weake: for your [Note: [d] Your confidence and trust in God shall not be frustrate. ] worke shall haue a rewarde.

⁸ ¶ And when Asa heard these wordes, and the prophesie of Obed the Prophet, he was encouraged, and tooke away the abominations out of all the lande of Iudah, and Beniamin, and out of the cities which he had taken of mount Ephraim, and he renued the altar of the Lorde, that was before the porche of the Lorde.

⁹ And he gathered all Iudah and Beniamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for there fell many to him out of Israel, when they sawe that the Lorde his God was with him.

¹⁰ So they assembled to Ierusalem in the [Note: [e] Called Shiuan, conteining part of May and part of Iune. ] third moneth, in the fifteenth yere of the reigne of Asa.

¹¹ And they offred vnto the Lorde the same time of the [Note: [f] Which they had taken of the Ethiopians. ] spoyle, which they had brought, euen seuen hundreth bullockes, and seuen thousande sheepe.

¹² And they made a couenant to seeke the Lorde God of their fathers, with all their heart, and with all their soule.

¹³ And [Note: [g] These were the wordes of their couenant, which commanded all idolaters to be put to death according to the Lawe of God, Deut.13.5,9,15. ] whosoeuer will not seeke the Lorde God of Israel, shalbe slaine, whether he were small or great, man or woman.

¹⁴ And they sware vnto the Lorde with a loude voyce, and with shouting and with trumpets, and with cornets.

¹⁵ And all Iudah reioyced at the othe: for they had sworne vnto the Lorde with all their heart, and sought him with a whole desire, and he was [Note: [h] So long as they serued him aright, so long did he preserue and prosper them. ] founde of them. And the Lorde gaue them rest rounde about.

¹⁶ ¶ And King Asa deposed [Note: 1.King.15.13. ] Maachah his [Note: [i] Or grandmother: and herein he shewed that he lacked zeale: for she ought to haue dyed both by the couenant, as vers 13. and by the Lawe of God: but he gaue place to foolish pitie, and woulde also seeme after a sorte to satisfie the Law. ] mother from her regencie, because she had made an idole in a groue: and Asa brake downe her idole, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brooke Kidron.
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¹⁷ But the hie places were not [Note: [k] Which partly came through lacke of zeale in him, partly through the negligence of his officers, and partly by the superstition of the people, that all were not taken away. ] taken away out of [Note: [l] Because that God was called the God of Israel by reason of his promes to Iaakob: therefore Israel is sometime taken for Iudah, because Iudah was his chiefe people. ] Israel: yet the heart of Asa was [Note: [m] In respect of his predecessours. ] perfit all his dayes.

¹⁸ Also he brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicate, and that he had dedicate, siluer, and golde, and vessels.

¹⁹ And there was no warre vnto the fiue and thirtieth yeere of the reigne of Asa.

2 Asa for feare of Baasha King of Israel, maketh a couenant with Benhadad King of Aram. 7 He is reproued by the Prophet, 10 Whome he putteth in prison. 12 He putteth his trust in the Phisitions. 13 His death.

¹ In the sixe and thirtieth yeere of the reigne of Asa came [Note: [a] Who reigned after Nadab the sonne of Ieroboam. ] [Note: 1.King.15.17. ] Baasha king of Israel vp against Iudah, and built [Note: [b] He fortified it with walles and ditches: it was a citie in Beniamin neere to Gibeon. ] Ramah to let none passe out or goe in to Asa king of Iudah.

² Then Asa brought out siluer and gold out of the treasures of the house of the Lorde, and of the Kings house, and sent to Benhadad King of Aram that dwelt at [Note: Or, Darmesek. ] Damascus, saying,

³ There is a couenant betweene me & thee, and betweene my father and thy father: behold, I haue sent thee siluer and golde: come, [Note: [c] He thought to repulse his aduersarie by an vnlawfull meanes, that is, by seeking helpe of infidels, as they that seeke the Turkes amitie, thinking thereby to make them selues more strong. ] breake thy league with Baasha King of Israel that hee may depart from me.

⁴ And Benhadad hearkened vnto King Asa, and sent the captaines of the armies which hee had, against the cities of Israel. And they smote Iion, and Dan, and Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali.

⁵ And when Baasha heard it, he left building of Ramah, and let his worke cease.

⁶ Then Asa the King tooke all Iudah, and caryed away the stones of Ramah and the tymber thereof, wherewith Baasha did builde, and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.

⁷ ¶ And at that same time Hanani the [Note: Or, Prophet. ] Seer came to Asa King of Iudah, and saide vnto him, Because thou hast rested vpon the king of Aram, and not rested in the Lorde thy God, therefore is the hoste of the King of Aram escaped out of thine hande.

⁸ [Note: Chap.14.9. ] The Ethiopians and the Lubims, were they not a great hoste with charets & horsemen, exceeding many? yet because thou diddest rest vpon the Lord, he deliuered them into thine had.

⁹ [Note: 2.Macca.9.5. and 12.22. ] For the eyes of the Lorde beholde all the earth to shewe him selfe strong with them that are of perfite heart towarde him: thou hast then done foolishly in this: therefore from henceforth thou shalt haue warres.

¹⁰ Then Asa was wroth with the Seer, and put him into a [Note: Ebr. prison house. ] prison: for he was [Note: [d] Thus in steade of turning to God by repentance, he disdained the admonition of the Prophet, and punished him, as the wicked doe when they be tolde of their faultes. ] displeased wt him, because of this thing. And Asa oppressed certaine of the people at the same time.

¹¹ And behold, the actes of Asa first and last, loe, they are written in the booke of the Kings of Iudah and Israel.

¹² ¶ And Asa in the nine and thirtieth yeere of his reigne was [Note: Or, goutie, or swollen. ] [Note: 1.King.15.23. ] diseased in his feete, and his disease was [Note: Or, to the top of his head. ] [Note: [e] God plagued his rebellion, and hereby declareth that it is nothing to beginne well, except we so continue to the ende, that is, zealous of Gods glorie, and put our whole trust in him. ] extreme: yet he sought not the Lorde in his disease, but to the [Note: [f] He sheweth that it is in vaine to seeke to the Phisitions, except first we seeke to God to purge our sinnes, which are the chiefe cause of all our diseases, and after vse the helpe of the Physition, as a meane by whome God worketh. ] Phisicions.

¹³ So Asa slept with his fathers, and dyed in the one and fourtieth yeere of his reigne.

¹⁴ And they buryed him in one of his sepulchres, which he had made for him selfe in the citie of Dauid, and layed him in the bed, which they had filled with sweete odours and diuers kindes of spices made by the arte of the apoticarie: and they burnt odours for him with an exceeding great fire.

5 Iehoshaphat trusting in the Lorde, prospereth in riches & honour. 6 He abolisheth idolatrie, 7 And causeth the people to be taught. 11 He receiueth tribute of strangers. 13 His munitions, and men of warre.

¹ And Iehosphat his sonne reigned in his steade, and preuailed against Israel.

² And he put garisons in all the strong cities of Iudah, and set bandes in the lande of Iudah and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken.

³ And the Lorde was with Iehoshaphat, because he walked in the [Note: [a] That is, his vertues: meaning, before he had committed with Bath-sheba and against Vriah. ] first wayes of his father Dauid, and sought not [Note: [b] Sought not helpe at strange gods. ] Baalim,

⁴ But sought the Lorde God of his father, and walked in his commandements, and not after the [Note: Ebr. worke. ] trade of Israel.

⁵ Therefore the Lorde stablished the kingdome in his hande, and all Iudah brought presents to Iehoshaphat, so that he had of riches and honour in abundance.

⁶ And he [Note: [c] He gaue him selfe wholy to serue the Lorde. ] lift vp his heart vnto the wayes of the Lorde, and he tooke away moreouer the hie places and the groues out of Iudah.

⁷ ¶ And in the thirde yere of his reigne he sent his princes, Ben-hail, and Obadiah, and Zechariah, and Nethaneel, and Michaiah, that they should [Note: [d] He knewe it was in vaine to professe religion, except such were appointed which could instruct the people in the same, and had authoritie to put away all idolatrie. ] teach in the cities of Iudah,

⁸ And with them Leuites, Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Iehonathan, and Adoniiah, and Tobiiah, and Tob-adoniiah, Leuites, and with the Elishama and Iehoram Priestes.

⁹ And they taught in Iudah, and had the booke of the Lawe of the Lorde with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Iudah, and taught the people.

¹⁰ And the feare of the Lorde fell vpon all the kingdomes of ye lands that were round about Iudah, & they [Note: [e] Thus God prospereth all such that with a pure heart seeke his glorie, and keepeth their enemies in feare that they can not be able to execute their rage against them. ] fought not against Iehoshaphat.

¹¹ Also some of the Philistims brought Iehoshaphat giftes and tribute siluer, and the Arabians brought him flockes, seuen thousande and seuen hundreth rammes, and seuen thousande and seuen hundreth hee goates.

¹² So Iehoshaphat prospered and grewe vp on hie: and he built in Iudah palaces and cities of store.

¹³ And he had great workes in the cities of Iudah, and men of warre, and valiant men in Ierusalem.

¹⁴ And these are the nombers of them after the house of their fathers, In Iudah were captaines of thousands, Adnah the captaine, & [Note: Ebr. in his hand. ] with him of valiant men three hundreth thousande.

¹⁵ And [Note: Or, next to him. ] at his hande Iehohanan a captaine, and with him two hundreth and fourescore thousande.

¹⁶ And at his hande Amasiah the sonne of Zichri, which [Note: [f] Meaning, which was a Nazarite, Nomb.6. ] willingly offered him selfe vnto the Lorde, and with him two hundreth thousand valiant men.

¹⁷ And of Beniamin, Eliada a valiant man,

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and with him armed men with bowe and shielde two hundreth thousand.
¹⁸ And at his hand Iehozabad, and with him an hundreth and fourescore thousand armed to the warre.

¹⁹ These [Note: [g] That is, they were as his ordinarie garde. ] waited on the King, besides those which the King put in the strong cities thoroughout all Iudah.

1 Iehoshaphat maketh affinitie with Ahab. 10 Foure hundreth Prophets counsell Ahab to goe to warre. 16 Michaiah is against them. 23 Zidkiah smiteth him. 25 The King putteth him in prison. 29 The effect of his prophesie.

¹ And [Note: 1.King.22 3. ] Iehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance, but he was ioyned in [Note: [a] For Ioram Iehoshaphats sonne maried Ahabs daughter. ] affinitie with Ahab.

² And after certaine [Note: [b] That is, the third yere, 1. King.22.2. ] yeeres he went downe to Ahab to Samaria: and Ahab slew sheepe and oxen for him in great nomber, and for the people that he had with him, and entised him to goe vp vnto [Note: [c] To recouer it out of the handes of the Syrians. ] Ramoth Gilead.

³ And Ahab King of Israel saide vnto Iehoshaphat King of Iudah, Wilt thou goe with mee to Ramoth Gilead? And hee answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people, and wee will ioyne with thee in the warre.

⁴ And Iehoshaphat sayde vnto the King of Israel, Aske counsel, I pray thee, at the [Note: [d] Heare the aduise of some Prophet, to knowe whether it bee Gods will. ] worde of the Lord this day.

⁵ Therefore the King of Israel gathered of [Note: [e] Which were the Prophets of Baal, signifying that the wicked esteeme not but flatterers and such as will beare with their inordinate affections. ] Prophets foure hundreth men, and sayde vnto them, Shall we goe to Ramoth Gilead to battel, or shall I cease? And they sayd, Go vp: for God shall deliuer it into the Kings hand.

⁶ But Iehoshaphat sayde, Is there heere neuer a Prophet more of the Lorde that wee might inquire of him?

⁷ And the King of Israel sayd vnto Iehoshaphat, There is yet one man, by whome wee may aske counsell of the Lorde, but I [Note: [f] Yet the true ministers of god ought not to cease to do their duetie, though the wicked magistrates can not abide them to speake ye trueth. ] hate him: for he doeth not prophesie good vnto me, but alway euil: it is Michaiah the sonne of Imla. Then Iehoshaphat said, Let not the King say [Note: [g] Meaning, that he ought not to refnse to heare auy that was of God. ] so.

⁸ And the King of Israel called an eunuche, & said, Call quickly Michaiah the sonne of Imla.

⁹ ¶ And the King of Israel, and Iehoshaphat King of Iudah sate either of them on his throne clothed in their [Note: [h] That is, in their maiestie and royall apparell. ] apparel: they sate euen in the threshing floore at the entring in of the gate of Samaria: and all the Prophets prophesied before them.

¹⁰ And Zidkiah ye sonne of Chenaanah made him [Note: [i] Read 1.King. 22.11. ] hornes of yron, and sayde, Thus sayth the Lorde, With these shalt thou push the Aramites vntill thou hast consumed them.

¹¹ And all the Prophets prophesied so, saying, Go vp to Ramoth Gilead, & prosper: for the Lord shall deliuer it into the hand of the King.

¹² ¶ And the messenger that went to call Michaiah, spake to him, saying, Beholde, the wordes of the Prophets declare good to the King with one [Note: [k] Thinking, that whereas foure hudreth Prophets had agreed in one thing, that he being but one man, and in least estimation durst not gainesay it. ] accord: let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speake thou good.

¹³ And Michaiah saide, As the Lorde liueth, whatsoeuer my God saith, that will I speake.

¹⁴ ¶ So he came to the King, and the King said vnto him, Michaiah, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battel, or shall I leaue off? And he said, [Note: [l] He spake this by derision of the false Prophets, as the King well perseiued. ] Goe yee vp, and prosper, and they shalbe deliuered into your hand.

¹⁵ And the King sayd to him, Howe oft shall I charge thee, that thou tell mee nothing but the trueth in the Name of the Lord?

¹⁶ Then he said, I saw al Israel scattered in the mountaines, as sheepe that haue no shepheard: & the Lord sayd, [Note: [m] He prophesieth how the people should bee dispersed and Ahab slaine. ] These haue no Master: let them returne euery man to his house in peace.

¹⁷ And the King of Israel sayde to Iehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee, that he would not prophesie good vnto me, but euill?

¹⁸ Againe hee saide, Therefore heare ye the worde of the Lord: I sawe the Lorde sit vpon his throne, and all the [Note: [n] Meaning, his Angels. ] hoste of heauen standing at his right hand, and at his left.

¹⁹ And the Lorde sayd, Who shall [Note: Or, deceiue. ] perswade Ahab King of Israel, that he may go vp, and fall at Ramoth Gilead? And one spake and said thus, and another said that.

²⁰ Then there came forth a spirit and stoode before the Lord, and said, I will perswade him. And the Lord said vnto him, Wherein?

²¹ And he saide, I will goe out, and bee a false spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets. And [Note: [o] That is, the Lord. ] hee said, Thou shalt perswade, and shalt also preuaile: goe forth and do so.

²² Now therefore behold, the Lord hath put a [Note: [p] To them that will not beleeue the trueth, God sendeth strong delusion, that they should beleeue lyes, 2.Thes. 2.10. ] false spirit in the mouth of these thy Prophets, and the Lord hath determined euill against thee.

²³ Then Zidkiah the sonne of Chenaanah came neere, & smote Michaiah vpon the [Note: [q] By this crueltie his ambition and hypocrisie was discouered: thus the hypocrites boast of the Spirit which they haue not, and declare their malice against them in whome the true spirit is. ] cheeke, and sayde, By what way went the Spirit of the Lorde from me, to speake with thee?

²⁴ And Michaiah saide, Behold, thou shalt see that day when thou shalt goe from chamber to chamber to hide thee.

²⁵ And the King of Israel sayde, Take ye Michaiah, and cary him to Amon the gouernour of the citie, and to Ioash the Kings sonne,

²⁶ And say, Thus saith the King, Put this man in the prison house, and feede him with bread of [Note: [r] Keepe him streightly in prison, and let him feele hunger and thirst. ] affliction and with water of affliction vntil I returne in peace.

²⁷ And Michaiah said, If thou returne in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me. And [Note: Or, Michaiah. ] he saide, Heare, all ye people.

²⁸ So the King of Israel and Iehoshaphat the King of Iudah went vp to Ramoth Gilead.

²⁹ And the King of Israel said vnto Iehoshaphat, I will [Note: [s] Thus the wicked thinke by their owne subtiltie to escape Gods iudgements which he threatneth by his word. ] change my selfe, and enter into the battel: but put thou on thine apparel. So the King of Israel changed himselfe, and they went into the battel.

³⁰ And the King of Aram had commaunded the captaines of the charets that were with him, saying, Fight you not with small, nor great, but against the King of Israel onely.

³¹ And when the captaines of the charets saw Iehoshaphat, they sayde, It is the King of Israel: and they compassed about him to fight. But Iehoshaphat [Note: [t] He cried to the Lord by acknowledging his fault in going with this wicked King to warre against the word of the Lord by his Prophet, and also by desiring mercie for the same. ] cryed, and the Lorde helped him & moued them to depart from him.

³² For when the captaines of the charets saw that hee was not the King of Israel, they turned backe from him.

³³ Then a certaine man drewe a bowe [Note: Ebr. in his simplicitie, or ignorantly. ] mightily, and smote the King of Israel betweene the ioyntes of [Note: Or, betweene the habergins, ] his brigandine: Therefore he saide to his charetman, Turne thine hand, and carie mee out of the host: for I am hurt.
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³⁴ And the battel increased that day: and the King of Israel [Note: [u] He dissembled his hurt, that his souldiers might fight more courageously. ] stood still in his charet against the Aramites vntil euen, and dyed at the time of the sunne going downe.

4 After Iehoshaphat was rebuked by the Prophet, he called againe the people to the honouring of the Lord. 5 Hee appoynteth iudges and ministers, 9 And exhorteth them to feare God.

¹ And Iehoshaphat the King of Iudah returned [Note: Ebr. in peace. ] safe to his house in Ierusalem.

² And Iehu the sonne of Hanani the Seer went out to meete him, and said to King Iehoshaphat, [Note: [a] He declareth that the wrath and iudgement of God is ouer all such, that support the wicked, and rather shew not in deede that they are enemies to all such as hate the Lord. ] Wouldest thou helpe the wicked, and loue them that hate the Lorde? therefore for this thing the wrath [Note: Ebr. wrath from the Lord. ] of the Lord is vpon thee.

³ Neuertheles good things are found in thee, because thou hast taken away ye groues out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seeke God.

⁴ ¶ So Iehoshaphat dwelt at Ierusalem, and returned & went [Note: [b] He visited all his countrey and brought his people from idolatrie to ye knowledge of the true God. ] through the people from Beer-sheba to mount Ephraim, and brought them againe vnto the Lord God of their fathers.

⁵ And hee set iudges in the lande throughout all the strong cities of Iudah, citie by citie,

⁶ And said to the iudges, Take heede what ye doe: for yee execute not the iudgements of man, but of the Lorde, and he will be [Note: [c] Both to preserue you, if you do iustly, or to punish you, if you do the contrary. ] with you in the cause and iudgement.

⁷ Wherefore nowe let the feare of the Lorde be vpon you: take heede, and do it: for there is no [Note: [d] Hee wil declare by the sharpenesse of the punishment, that hee hateth al iniquitie. ] iniquitie with the Lord our God, neither [Note: Deut.10.17. iob. 34.19. actes 10.34. rom.2.11. gal. 2.6. ephe. 6.9. col. 3.25. 1. pet. 1.17. ] respect of persons, nor receiuing of reward.

⁸ Moreouer in Ierusalem did Iehoshaphat set of the Leuites, and of the Priests and of the chiefe of the families of Israel, for the iudgement and cause of the Lord: & they [Note: [e] The Priests and Leuites, which should iudge matters according to the word of the Lorde. ] returned to Ierusale.

⁹ And he charged them, saying, Thus shall yee doe in the feare of the Lord faithfully and with a perfite heart.

¹⁰ And in euery cause that shall come to you of your brethren yt dwel in their cities, betweene [Note: [f] That is, to trie whether the murther was done at vnwares or els on set purpose, Nomb. 35.11. deut. 4.41. ] blood and blood, betweene law and precept, statutes and iudgements, ye shall iudge them, and admonish them that they trespasse not against the Lord, that [Note: [g] Meaning, that God would punish them most sharpely, if they would not execute iustice aright. ] wrath come not vpon you and vpon your brethren. This shall ye do and trespasse not.

¹¹ And behold, Amariah the Priest shalbe the chiefe ouer you in all matters of the Lord, & Zebadiah ye sonne of Ishmael, a ruler of the house of Iudah, shalbe for al the [Note: [h] Shalbe chiefe ouerseer of the publike affaires of the realme. ] Kings affaires, & the Leuites shalbe officers [Note: [i] They shall haue the handling of inferiour causes. ] before you. Bee of courage, and doe it, and the Lord shalbe with the [Note: [k] God will assist them that doe iustice. ] good.

3 Iehoshaphat and the people pray vnto the Lorde. 22 The marueilous victorie that the Lord gaue him against his enemies. 30 His reigne and actes.

¹ After this also came the children of Moab and the children of Ammon, & with them of the [Note: [a] That is, which counterfaited the Ammonites in language and apparell. The Hebrewes thinke that they were the Amalekites, but as may appeare by the tenth verse they were the Idumeans of mount Seir. ] Ammonites against Iehoshaphat to battell.

² Then there came that tolde Iehoshaphat, saying, There commeth a great multitude against thee from beyonde the [Note: [b] Called the dead Sea, where God destroyed the fiue cities for sinne. ] Sea, out of Aram: and beholde, they bee in Hazzon Tamar, which is En-gedi.

³ And Iehoshaphat feared, and set him selfe

[Note: [c] This declareth what the feare of ye godly is, which is as a pricke to stirre them to prayer, and to depend on the Lord, where as it mooueth the wicked either to seeke after worldly meanes and policies, or els to fal into despaire. ] to seeke the Lord, & proclaimed a fast throughout all Iudah.

⁴ And Iudah gathered them selues together to aske counsel of the Lord: they came euen out of all the cities of Iudah to inquire of the Lord,

⁵ And Iehoshaphat stoode in the Congregation of Iudah and Ierusalem in the house of the Lord before the new court,

⁶ And saide, O Lorde God of our fathers, art not thou God in heauen? and reignest not thou on all the kingdomes of the heathen? and in thine hande is power and might, and none is able to withstand thee.

⁷ Diddest not thou our God cast out ye inhabitants of this lande before thy people Israel, and [Note: [d] He groundeth his prayer vpon Gods power, whereby he is able to helpe, and also on his mercie, which he will continue toward his, for as much as he hath once chosen them and begun to shewe his graces towarde them. ] gauest it to the seede of Abraham thy friende for euer?

⁸ And they dwelt therein, and haue built thee a Sanctuarie therein for thy Name, saying,

⁹ [Note: 1.King.8.37. chap.6.28. ] If euill come vpon vs, as the [Note: [e] Meaning, warre which commeth by Gods iudgements for our sinnes. ] sworde of iudgement, or pestilence, or famine, we will stande before this house & in thy presence (for thy name [Note: [f] That is, it is here called vpon, and thou declarest thy presence and fauour. ] is in this house) and will crie vnto thee in our tribulation, and thou wilt heare and helpe.

¹⁰ And now beholde, the children of [Note: Deut.2.9. nehem. 13.1. ] Ammon and Moab, and mount Seir, by whome thou wouldest not let Israel goe, when they came out of the land of Egypt: but they turned aside from them, and destroyed them not:

¹¹ Behold, I say, they reward vs, in comming to cast vs out of thine inheritance, which thou hast caused vs to inherit.

¹² O our God, wilt thou not iudge them? for there is no strength in vs to stand before this great multitude that commeth against vs, neither doe wee knowe what to doe: but our eyes [Note: [g] We onely put our trust in thee and wayte for our deliuerance from heauen. ] are toward thee.

¹³ And all Iudah stoode [Note: [h] That is, before the Arke of the couenant. ] before the Lorde with their yong ones, their wiues, and their children.

¹⁴ And Iahaziel the sonne of Zechariah the sonne of Benaiah, the sonne of Ieiel, the sonne of Mattaniah, a Leuite of the sonnes of Asaph was there, vpon whome came [Note: [i] Which was moued by the Spirit of God to prophecie. ] the Spirite of ye Lord, in the middes of the Congregation.

¹⁵ And he said, Hearken ye, all Iudah, and ye inhabitantes of Ierusalem, and thou, King Iehoshaphat: thus saith the Lord vnto you, Feare you not, neither be afraide for this great multitude: for the [Note: [k] They fight against God and not against you: therefore he will fight for you. ] battel is not yours, but Gods.

¹⁶ To morowe goe yee downe against them: beholde, they come vp by the cleft of Ziz, and ye shall finde them at the ende of the brooke before the wildernesse of Ieruel.

¹⁷ Ye shall not neede to fight in this battell: [Note: Exod. 14.13,14. ] stand still, moue not, and behold the [Note: Or, deliuerance. ] saluation of the Lord towardes you: O Iudah, and Ierusalem, feare ye not, neither be afraid: to morow goe out against them, and the Lord wilbe with you.

¹⁸ ¶ Then Iehoshaphat [Note: [l] Declaring his faith and obedience to the word of the Lord, and giuing thankes for the deliuerance promised. ] bowed downe with his face to the earth, and all Iudah and the inhabitants of Ierusalem fell downe before the Lord, worshipping the Lord.

¹⁹ And the Leuites of the children of the Kohathites and of the childre of the Corhites stood vp to prayse the Lord God of Israel with a loude voyce on hie.

²⁰ And when they arose early in the morning, they went forth to the wildernesse of Tekoa: and as they departed, Iehoshaphat stoode and sayde,

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Heare ye me, O Iudah, and ye inhabitants of Ierusalem: put your trust in the Lord your God, & ye shalbe assured: beleeue his [Note: [m] Giue credite to their wordes and doctrine. ] Prophets, and ye shall prosper.
²¹ And when he had consulted with the people, and appoynted singers vnto the Lorde, and them that should prayse him that is in the beautifull Sanctuarie, in going forth before the men of armes, and saying, [Note: [n] This was a Psalme of thankesgiuing, which they vsed commonly to sing when they praised the Lord for his benefites, and was made by Dauid, Psal. 136. ] Prayse ye the Lorde, for his mercy lasteth for euer,

²² And when they began to shoute, and to prayse, the Lord layed ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and [Note: [o] Meaning, the Idumeans, which dwelt in mount Seir. ] mount Seir, which were come against Iudah, and they slewe one another.

²³ For the children of Ammon & Moab rose against the inhabitants of mount Seir, to slay and to destroy them and when they had made an end of the inhabitantes of Seir, euery one helped to [Note: [p] Thus the Lord according to Iehoshaphats praier declared his power, when he deliuered his by causing their enemies to kill one another. ] destroy another.

²⁴ And when Iudah came towarde Mizpah in the wildernes, they looked vnto the multitude: & behold, the carkeises were fallen to the earth, and none escaped.

²⁵ And when Iehoshaphat & his people came to take away the spoyle of them, they founde among them in abundance both of substance and also of bodies laden with precious iewels, which they tooke for themselues, till they could cary no more: they were three dayes in gathering of the spoyle: for it was much.

²⁶ And in the fourth day they [Note: [q] To giue thanks to the Lord for the victorie: and therefore the valley was called Berachah, that is, blessing or thankesgiuing, which was also called the valley of Iehoshaphat, Ioel. 3.2. & 12. because the Lord iudged ye enemies according to Iehoshaphats prayer. ] assembled themselues in the valley of Berachah: for there they blessed the Lorde: therefore they called the name of that place, The valley of Berachah vnto this day.

²⁷ Then euery man of Iudah and Ierusalem returned with Iehoshaphat their head, to goe againe to Ierusalem with ioy: for the Lorde had made them to reioyce ouer their enemies.

²⁸ And they came to Ierusalem with viols and with harpes, and with trumpets, euen vnto the house of the Lord.

²⁹ And the [Note: [r] He declareth hereby, that the workes of God bring euer cofort or deliuerance to his, and feare or destruction to his enemies. ] feare of God was vpon all the kingdomes of the earth, whe they had heard that the Lord had fought against ye enemies of Israel.

³⁰ So the kingdom of Iehoshaphat was quiet, and his God gaue him rest on euery side.

³¹ ¶ And [Note: 1.King.22.42. ] Iehoshaphat reigned ouer Iudah, and was fiue and thirtie yeere olde, when he began to reigne: and reigned fiue and twentie yeere in Ierusalem, and his mothers name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.

³² And he walked in the [Note: [s] Meaning, in his vertues and those wayes, wherein he folowed God. ] way of Asa his father, & departed not therefrom, doing that which was right in the sight of the Lord.

³³ Howbeit the hie places were [Note: [t] If the great care & diligence of this good king was not able vtterly to abolish all superstition and idolatrie out of this people, but that they would still reteine their filth & idolatrie, howe much lesse are they able to reforme euill, which either haue litle zeale, or not such as he had: though herein he was not to be excused? ] not taken away: for the people had not yet prepared their hearts vnto the God of their fathers.

³⁴ Concerning the rest of the actes of Iehoshaphat first and last, beholde, they are written in the booke of Iehu the sonne of Hanani, which [Note: 1. King. 16.1. ] is mentioned in the booke of the kings of Israel.

³⁵ ¶ Yet after this did Iehoshaphat King of Iudah ioyne himselfe with Ahaziah King of Israel, who was giuen to do euill.

³⁶ And he ioyned with him, to [Note: 1. King. 22.48,49. ] make ships to go to Tarshish: and they made the shippes in Ezion Gaber.

³⁷ Then Eliezer ye sonne of Dodauah of Mareshah

prophecied against Iehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast [Note: [u] Thus God would not haue his to ioyne in societie with idolaters and wicked men. ] ioyned thy selfe with Ahaziah, the Lorde hath broken thy workes. and the shippes were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.

1 Iehoshaphat dyeth. 3 Iehoram succeedeth him, 4 which killeth his brethren. 6 He was brought to idolatrie, 11 and seduceth the people. 16 He is oppressed of the Philistims. 18 His miserable ende.

¹ Iehoshaphat then slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the citie of Dauid: and Iehoram his sonne reigned in his steade.

² And he had brethren the sonnes of Iehoshaphat, Azariah, and Iehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, & Michael, & Shephatiah. All these were the sonnes of Iehoshaphat King of [Note: [a] Reade Chap. 15. 17, how by Israel is meant Iudah. ] Israel.

³ And their father gaue them great giftes of siluer and of golde, and of precious things, with strong cities in Iudah, but the kingdome gaue he to Iehoram: for he was the eldest.

⁴ [Note: 2.King.8.16. ] And Iehoram rose vp vpon the kingdom of his father, and made himselfe strong, & [Note: [b] Because the wicked liue euer in feare & also are ambitious, they become cruel, and spare not to murther them, whome by nature they ought most to cherish & defend. ] slew all his brethren with the sworde, and also of the princes of [Note: [c] Meaning, of Iudah and Beniamin. ] Israel.

⁵ Iehoram was two and thirtie yeere olde, when he began to reigne, and he reigned eyght yeere in Ierusalem.

⁶ And he walked in the way of the Kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done: for he had the daughter of Ahab to [Note: [d] So that we see how it cannot be that we shoulde ioyne with the wicked and serue God. ] wife, and he wrought euill in the eyes of the Lord.

⁷ Howbeit the Lord would not destroy the house of Dauid, because of the [Note: 2.Sam.7.12,16. 1.king.2.4. & 9.5. 2.king.8.19. chap. 6.16. ] couenant that he had made with Dauid, and because he had promised to giue a light to him, and to his sonnes for euer.

⁸ ¶ In his dayes Edom rebelled from vnder the hand of Iudah, and made a King ouer them.

⁹ And Iehoram went forth with his princes, and all his charets with him: and hee rose vp by night, & smote Edom, which had compassed him in, and the captaines of the charets.

¹⁰ But Edom rebelled from vnder the hande of Iudah vnto this day. then did [Note: [e] Reade 2.King. 8.22. ] Libnah rebell at the same time from vnder his hand, because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers.

¹¹ ¶ Moreouer hee made hie places in the mountaines of Iudah, and caused the inhabitants of Ierusalem to commit [Note: [f] Meaning idolatrie, because that the idolater breaketh promes with God, as doeth the adulteresse to her husband. ] fornication, and compelled Iudah thereto.

¹² And there came a writing to him from [Note: [g] Some thinke that this was Elisha, so called, because he had the Spirit in abundace, as had Eliiah. ] Elijah the Prophet, saying, Thus sayth the Lord God of Dauid thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the wayes of Iehoshaphat thy father, nor in the wayes of Asa King of Iudah,

¹³ But hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, & hast made Iudah & the inhabitantes of Ierusalem to go a whoring, as the house of Ahab went a whoring, & hast also slaine thy brethre of thy fathers house, which were better then thou,

¹⁴ Beholde, with a great plague will the Lord smite thy people, and thy children, and thy wiues, and all thy substance,

¹⁵ And thou shalt be in great diseases in the disease of thy bowels, vntill [Note: [h] We see this example dayly practised vpo them that fal away from God, and become idolaters and murtherers of their brethren. ] thy bowels fall out for the disease, day by day.

¹⁶ ¶ So the Lord stirred vp against Iehoram the spirite of the Philistims, & the Arabians that were beside the [Note: [i] There were other Arabians in Africa Southward toward Egypt. ] Ethiopians.
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¹⁷ And they came vp into Iudah, and brake into it, & caryed away all the substance that was found in the Kings house, & his sonnes also, & his wiues, so that there was not a sonne left him, saue [Note: [k] Called also Ahaziah, as Chap. 22.1 or Azariah, vers. 6. following. ] Iehoahaz, the yongest of his sonnes.

¹⁸ And after all this, the Lorde smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease.

¹⁹ And in processe of time, euen after the end of two yeeres, his guttes fell out with his disease: so he dyed of sore diseases: & his people made no burning for him like the burning of his fathers.

²⁰ When he began to reigne, he was two and thirtie yeere olde, and reigned in Ierusalem eight yeere, [Note: [l] That is, as some write, he was not regarded, but deposed for his wickednes, & idolatry: so that his sonne reigned 22. yeeres, (his father yet liuing) without honour, and after his fathers death he was confirmed to reigne still, as Chap.22.2. ] and liued without being desired: yet they buryed him in the citie of Dauid, but not among the sepulchres of the Kings.

1 Ahaziah reigneth after Iehoram. 9 Iehu king of Israel killeth Ahaziah. 10 Athaliah putteth to death all the Kings linage. 11 Ioash escapeth.

¹ And [Note: 2.King.8 24. ] the inhabitants of Ierusalem made Ahaziah his yongest sonne King in his steade: for the armie that came with [Note: [a] Meaning, the Philistims. ] the Arabians to the campe, had slayne all the eldest: therefore Ahaziah the sonne of Iehoram King of Iudah reigned.

² Two and [Note: [b] Reade Chap. 21.20. ] fourtie yeere olde was Ahaziah when he began to reigne, and he reigned [Note: [c] That is, after the death of his father. ] one yeere in Ierusalem. and his mothers name was Athaliah the daughter [Note: [d] She was Ahabs daughter, who was the sonne of Omri. ] of Omri.

³ He walked also in the wayes of the house of Ahab: for his mother counselled him to doe wickedly.

⁴ Wherefore he did euill in the sight of the Lorde, like the house of Ahab: for they were his [Note: [e] He sheweth, that it must needes follow that the rulers are such as their counsellers be, and that there cannot be a good King, that suffreth wicked counsellers. ] counsellers after the death of his father, to his destruction.

⁵ And he walked after their counsel, & went with Iehoram the sonne of Ahab King of Israel to fight against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead: and the Aramites smote Ioram.

⁶ ¶ And he returned to be healed in Izreel, because of the woundes wherewith they had wounded him at Ramah, when he fought with Hazael King of Aram. Nowe Azariah the sonne of Iehoram King of Iudah went downe to see Iehoram the sonne of Ahab at Izreel, because hee was diseased.

⁷ And the destruction of Ahaziah [Note: [f] Hereby we see how nothing can come to any, but by Gods prouidence & as he hath appoynted, and therefore he causeth all meanes to serue to his will. ] came of God in that he went to Ioram: for when he was come, he went forth with Iehoram against Iehu the sonne of Nimshi, [Note: 2.King.9.7. ] whom the Lord had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab.

⁸ Therefore when Iehu [Note: Or, tooke vengeance. ] executed iudgemet vpon the house of Ahab, and found the princes of Iudah and the sonnes of the brethren of Ahaziah that waited on Ahaziah, he slew them also.

⁹ And he sought Ahaziah, and they caught him where he was hid in Samaria, and brought him to Iehu, and slewe him, and buryed him, because, sayd they, he is the sonne of [Note: [g] This was the iust plague of God because he ioyned himself with Gods enemies: yet God to declare the worthines of Iehoshaphat his grandfather, moued the to giue him the honour of burial. ] Iehoshaphat, which sought the Lorde with all his heart. So the house of Ahaziah was not able to reteine the kingdome.

¹⁰ ¶ [Note: 2.King.11.1. ] Therefore when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah sawe that her sonne was dead, shee arose and [Note: [h] To the intent that there should be none to make title to ye crowne, and so she might vsurpe the gouernement. ] destroyed all the Kings seede of the house of Iudah.

¹¹ But Iehoshabeath the daughter of ye King, tooke Ioash the sonne of Ahaziah, and stale him

from among the Kings sonnes, that shoulde be slayne, & put him & his nource in the bed chamber: so Iehoshabeath the daughter of King Iehoram the wife of Iehoiada the Priest (for shee was the sister of Ahaziah) hid him from Athaliah: so she slew him not.

¹² And hee has with them hid in the [Note: [i] Meaning, in the chamber, where the Priests & Leuites slept, which kept their courses weekely in the Temple. ] house of God sixe yeeres, whiles Athaliah reigned ouer the [Note: [k] To wit, of Iudah. ] land.

1 Ioash the sonne of Ahaziah is made King. 15 Athaliah is put to death. 17 The Temple of Baal is destroyed. 19 Iehoiada appoynteth ministers in the Temple.

¹ And [Note: 2. King. 11 4. ] [Note: [a] Of the reigne of Athaliah, or after the death of Ahaziah. ] in the seuenth yeere Iehoiada waxed bolde, & tooke the captaines of hundreths, to wit, Azariah the sonne of Ieroham, and Ishmael the sonne of Iehohanan, and Azariah the sonne of Obed, and Maasiah the sonne of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the sonne of Zichri in couenant with him.

² And they went about in Iudah, & gathered the Leuites out of all the cities of Iudah, and the chiefe fathers [Note: [b] Meaning, of Iudah & Beniamin: reade why they are called Israel, Chap. 15.17. ] of Israel: & they came to Ierusale.

³ And al the Congregation made a couenant with the King in the house of God: and he sayde vnto them, Behold, the Kings sonne must reigne, [Note: 2. Sam. 7.12, 16. 1.king.2.4. chap. 21.7. ] as the Lord hath sayd of the sonnes of Dauid.

⁴ This is it that ye shal do, The third part of you that come on the Sabbath of the Priests, and the Leuites, shalbe porters of the doores.

⁵ And another third part towarde the Kings house, and another thirde part at the [Note: 2.King. 11.6. ] gate of the [Note: [c] Which was the chiefe gate of the Temple toward the East. ] foundation, & al the people shalbe in the courts of the house of the Lord.

⁶ But let none come into the house of the Lord, saue the Priests, & the Leuites that minister: they shal go in, for they are holy: but all the people shal keepe the watch of the Lord.

⁷ And the Leuites shall compasse the King rounde about, and euery man with his weapon in his hand, & he that entreth [Note: [d] Meaning, to make any tumult or to hinder their enterprise. ] into the house, shal be slaine, & be you with the King, when he commeth in, and when he goeth out.

⁸ ¶ So the Leuites and all Iudah did according to all things that Iehoiada the Priest had commanded, and tooke euery man his men that came on the Sabbath, with them that [Note: [e] Which had finished their course on the Sabbath, & so the other part entred to keepe their turne. ] went out on the Sabbath: for Iehoiada the Priest did not discharge the courses.

⁹ And Iehoiada the Priest deliuered to the captaines of hundreths speares, and shieldes, and bucklers which had bene King Dauids, and were in the house of God.

¹⁰ And he caused all the people to stand (euery man with his weapon in his hande) from the right side of the house, to ye left side of the house by the altar & by the [Note: [f] Meaning, the most holy place where the Arke stoode. ] house round about ye king.

¹¹ Then they brought out the Kings sonne, and put vpon him the crowne and gaue him the [Note: [g] That is, the booke of the Law, or as some reade, they put vpon him his royal apparel. ] testimonie, and made him King. And Iehoiada and his sonnes anoynted him, and sayd, God saue the King.

¹² ¶ But when Athaliah heard the noyse of the people running & praising the king, she came to the people into the house of the Lord.

¹³ And when she [Note: Or, sawe the King standing. ] looked, beholde, the King stoode by his pillar at the entring in, & the princes and the trumpets by the King, & all the people of the land reioyced, and blew the trumpets, and the singers were with instruments of musike,

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and they that could sing prayse: then Athaliah rent her clothes, and said, [Note: [h] Declaring her vile impudencie, which hauing vniustly, and by murther vsurped the crowne, woulde still haue defeated the true possessour, and therefore called true obedience, treason. ] Treason, treason.
¹⁴ Then Iehoiada the Priest brought out the captaines of hundreths that were gouernours of the hoste, and said vnto them, Haue her foorth of the ranges, and he that [Note: [i] To ioyne with her partie, and to maintaine her authoritie. ] followeth her, let him dye by the sword: for the Priest had said, Slay her not in the house of the Lord.

¹⁵ So they layde hands on her: and when she was come to the entring of the horsegate by the Kings house, they slew her there.

¹⁶ ¶ And Iehoiada made a [Note: [k] That they would onely serue him and renounce all idolatrie. ] couenant betweene him, and all the people, & the King, that they would be the Lords people.

¹⁷ And all the people went to the house of Baal, and [Note: [l] According to their couenant made to the Lorde. ] destroyed, and brake his altars and his images, and slew [Note: [m] As the Lord commanded in his Lawe both for the person & also the citie, Deut.13.9. & 15. ] Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

¹⁸ And Iehoiada appointed officers for the house of the Lorde, vnder the [Note: Or, charge. ] handes of the Priestes and Leuites, whome Dauid had distributed for the house of the Lorde, to offer burnt offrings vnto the Lord, [Note: Nom.28.3. ] as it is written in the Law of Moses, with reioycing and singing by the appoyntment of Dauid.

¹⁹ And he set porters by the gates of ye house of the Lord, that none that was vncleane in any thing, should enter in.

²⁰ And he tooke the captaines of hundreths, and the noble men, and the gouernours of the people, and all the people of the land, & he caused the King to come downe out of the house of the Lorde, and they went thorowe [Note: [n] Which was the principall gate, that the King might be seene of all the people. ] the hie gate of the Kings house, and set the King vpon the throne of the kingdome.

²¹ Then all the people of the land reioyced, & the citie was quiet, [Note: [o] For where a tyrant & an idolater reigneth, there can be no quietnes: for the plagues of God are euer among such people. ] after that they had slaine Athaliah with the sword.

4 Ioash repayreth the house of the Lord. 17 After the death of Iehoiada he falleth to idolatrie. 21 He stoneth to death Zechariah the Prophet. 25 Ioash is killed of his owne seruants. 27 After him reigneth Amaziah.

¹ Ioash [Note: 1.King.12.1. ] was seuen yere olde, when he began to reigne, & he reigned fourty yeere in Ierusalem: and his mothers name was Zibiah of Beer-sheba.

² And Ioash did vprightly in the sight of the Lord, all the dayes of [Note: [a] Who was a faithfull counseler, and gouerned him by the word of God. ] Iehoiada the Priest.

³ And Iehoiada [Note: Or, gaue him two wiues. ] tooke him two wiues, and he begate sonnes and daughters.

⁴ ¶ And afterward it came into Ioash mind, to renew the house of the Lord.

⁵ And he assembled the Priests and the Leuites, and said to them, Goe out vnto the cities of Iudah, & gather of all [Note: [b] He meaneth not the ten tribes, but only the two tribes of Iudah & Beniamin. ] Israel money to repaire the house of your God, from yeere to yeere, and haste the thing: but the Leuites hasted not.

⁶ Therefore the King called Iehoiada, the [Note: [c] For he was the hie Priest. ] chiefe, and said vnto him, Why hast thou not required of the Leuites to bring in out of Iudah and Ierusalem [Note: Exod.30.13. ] the taxe of Moses the seruant of the Lord, and of the Congregation of Israel, for the Tabernacle of the testimonie?

⁷ For [Note: [d] The Scripture doeth terme her thus, because she was a cruel murtherer, and a blasphemous idolatresse. ] wicked Athaliah, and her children brake vp the house of God: & all the things that were dedicate for the house of the Lord, did they bestowe vpon Baalim.

⁸ Therefore the King commaunded, [Note: 2.King.12.9. ] and they made a chest, and set it at the gate of the house of the Lord without.

⁹ And they made proclamation thorow Iudah and Ierusalem, to bring vnto the Lord [Note: Exod.30.13. ] the taxe of Moses the seruant of God, layde vpon Israel in the wildernesse.

¹⁰ And all the princes and all the people reioyced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, vntill they had finished.

¹¹ And when it was time, [Note: [e] Such as were faithfull men, whom the King had appointed for that matter. ] they brought the chest vnto the Kings officer by the hand of the Leuites: and when they saw that there was much siluer, then the Kings Scribe (and one appoynted by the hie Priest) came and emptied the chest, and tooke it, & caried it to his place againe: thus they did day by day, and gathered siluer in abundance.

¹² And the King and [Note: [f] Signifying, that this thing was done by aduise and counsel, and not by any one mans affection. ] Iehoiada gaue it to such as did the labour and worke in the house of the Lorde, and hyred masons and carpenters to repayre the house of the Lorde: they gaue it also to workers of yron and brasse, to repayre the house of the Lord.

¹³ So the workemen wrought, and the worke [Note: Ebr. a medicine was vpon the worke, meaning, it was repaired. ] amended through their hands: & they restored the house of God to his state, & strengthened it.

¹⁴ And when they had finished it, they brought the rest of the siluer before the King and Iehoiada, and he made thereof [Note: [g] For the wicked kings his predecessors & Athaliah had destroyed the vessels of the Temple, or turned them to the vse of their idoles. ] vessels for the house of the Lorde, euen vessels to minister, both morters and incense cuppes, and vessels of golde, and of siluer: and they offred burnt offrings in the house of the Lorde continually all the dayes of Iehoiada.

¹⁵ ¶ But Iehoiada waxed olde, and was ful of dayes and dyed. An hundreth and thirtie yeere olde was he when he dyed.

¹⁶ And they buried him in the citie of Dauid with the [Note: [h] Signifying, that they could not honour him too much, who had so excellently serued in the worke of the Lord, and in the affaires of ye common wealth. ] kings, because he had done good in Israel, and toward God and his house.

¹⁷ ¶ And after the death of Iehoiada, came the [Note: [i] Which were flatterers, & knew now that the king was destitute of him who did watch ouer him as a father, & therefore brought him to most vile idolatrie. ] princes of Iudah, and did reuerence to the King, and the King hearkened vnto them.

¹⁸ And they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers, and serued groues and idoles: & wrath came vpon Iudah and Ierusalem, because of this their trespasse.

¹⁹ And God sent Prophets amog the, to bring them againe vnto the Lord: & they [Note: [k] They tooke heauen & earth & all creatures to witnes, that except they returned to ye Lorde, he would most grieuously punish their infidelitie and rebellion, Nehe.9.26. ] made protestation among them, but they would not heare.

²⁰ And the Spirit of God came vpon Zechariah the sonne of Iehoiada the Priest, which stoode [Note: [l] In a place aboue the people, to the intent that hee might be heard. ] aboue the people, and sayde vnto them, Thus sayth God, Why transgresse ye the commaundements of the Lorde? surely ye shall not prosper: because ye haue forsaken the Lorde, he also hath forsaken you.

²¹ Then they conspired against him & stoned him with stones at the [Note: [m] There is no rage so cruel and beastly as of them whose hearts God hath hardened, & which delite more in superstition and idolatrie, then in the true seruice of God and pure simplicitie of his worde. ] commandement of the King, in the court of the house of the Lord.

²² Thus Ioash the King remembred not the kindnesse which Iehoiada his father had done to him, but slewe his sonne. And when he dyed, he sayd, The Lord [Note: [n] Reuenge my death and require my blood at your hands: or he speaketh this by prophecie, because he knew that God would doe it. This Zacharie is also called the sonne of Barachie, Matt. 23.35. because his progenitours were Iddo, Barachiah, Iehoiada, &c. ] looke vpon it, and require it.

²³ ¶ And when the yeere was out, the host of Aram came vp against him, and they came against Iudah and Ierusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoyle of them vnto the King of Damascus.

²⁴ Though the armie of Aram came with a small company of men, yet the Lord deliuered [Page]

a very great armie into their hand, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers: and they [Note: [o] That is, reproued and checked him, and handled him rigorously. ] gaue sentence against Ioash.

²⁵ And when they were departed from him, (for they left him in great diseases) his owne seruants conspired against him for the blood of the [Note: [p] Meaning Zacharie, which was one of Iehoiadas sonnes and a Prophet of the Lord. ] children of Iehoiada the Priest, and slewe him on his bed, and he dyed, and they buryed him in the citie of Dauid: but they buryed him not in the sepulchres of the Kings.

²⁶ And these are they that conspired against him, Zabad the sonne of Shimrath an Ammonitesse, and Iehozabad the sonne of Shimrith a Moabitesse.

²⁷ But [Note: [q] That is, concerning his sonnes, &c. ] his sonnes, and the summe of the taxe gathered by him, and the [Note: [r] That is, the reparation. ] foundation of the house of God, behold, they are written in the storie of the booke of the Kings. And Amaziah his sonne reigned in his steade.

3 Amaziah putteth them to death which slewe his father. 10 He sendeth backe them of Israel. 11 He ouercommeth the Edomites. 14 He falleth to idolatrie. 17 And Ioash King of Israel ouercommeth Amaziah. 27 Hee is slaine by a conspiracie.

¹ Amaziah was fiue and twentie yere old when he began to reigne, and he reigned nine and twentie yeere in [Note: 2.King.14.2. ] Ierusalem: and his mothers name was Iehoaddan, of Ierusalem.

² And he did [Note: [a] Meaning, in respect of his predecessors, albeit he had his imperfections. ] vprightly in the eyes of the Lord, but not with a perfite heart.

³ And when the kingdome was established vnto him, he slewe his seruants, that had slaine the King his father.

⁴ But he slewe not their children, but did as it is written in the Lawe, and in the booke of Moses, where the Lord commanded, saying, [Note: Deut.24.16. 2.king 14.6. iere.31.30. exek.18.20. ] The fathers shall not dye for the [Note: [b] That is, for that fault wherefore the childe is punished, except he be culpable of the same. ] children, neyther shall the children die for the fathers, but euery man shall dye for his owne sinne.

⁵ ¶ And Amaziah assembled Iudah, and made them captaines ouer thousandes, and captaines ouer hundreths, according to the houses of their fathers, thorowout all Iudah & Beniamin: and he nombred them from [Note: [c] So many as were able men to beare weapons & goe to the warre. ] twentie yeere olde and aboue, and founde among them three hundreth thousand chosen men, to goe foorth to the warre, and to handle speare and shield.

⁶ He hyred also an hundreth thousand valiant men [Note: [d] That is, out of the ten tribes, which had separated themselues before, both from God and their true King. ] out of Israel for an hundreth talents of siluer.

⁷ But a man of God came to him, saying, O King, let not the armie of Israel goe with thee: for the Lord is not [Note: [e] And therefore to thinke to haue helpe of them, whom the Lord fauoureth not, is to cast off the helpe of the Lorde. ] with Israel, neither with all the house of Ephraim.

⁸ If [Note: [f] If thou wilt not giue credite to my wordes. ] not, goe thou on, doe it, make thy selfe strong to the battel, but God shall make thee fall before the enemie: for God hath power to helpe, and to cast downe.

⁹ And Amaziah sayde to the man of God, What shal we doe then for the hundreth talents, which I haue giuen to the hoste of Israel? Then the man of God answered, The Lorde is able to [Note: [g] He sheweth that if we depend onely vpon God, we shall not neede to be troubled wt these worldly respects: for he will giue at all times that which shalbe necessarie, if we obey his worde. ] giue thee more then this.

¹⁰ So Amaziah separated them, to wit, the armie that was come to him out of Ephraim, to returne to their place: wherefore their wrath was kindled greatly against Iudah, and they returned to their places with great anger.

¹¹ Then Amaziah was encouraged, and led forth his people, and went to the salt valley, and

smote of the children of [Note: [h] For the Idnmeans means whom Dauid had brought to subiection, rebelled vnder Iehoram Iehoshaphats sonne. ] Seir, ten thousand.

¹² And other ten thousand did the children of Iudah take aliue, and caryed them to the top of a [Note: [i] In the 2.Kings 14.7. this rocke is called the citie Sela. ] rocke, and cast them downe from the top of the rocke, and they all burst to pieces.

¹³ But the men of the [Note: [k] That is, the hundreth thousand of Israel. ] armie, which Amaziah sent away, that they should not goe with his people to battell, fell vpon the cities of Iudah fro Samaria vnto Beth-horon, & smote three thousand of them, and tooke much spoyle.

¹⁴ Now after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them vp to be his gods, and [Note: [l] Thus where he should haue giuen the praise to God for his benefites and great victory, he fell from God, and did most vilely dishonour him. ] worshipped them, and burned incense vnto them.

¹⁵ Wherefore the Lorde was wroth with Amaziah, and sent vnto him a Prophet, which sayd vnto him, Why hast thou sought the gods of the people, which were not able to [Note: [m] He proueth that whatsoeuer can not saue him selfe nor his worshippers, is no god but an idole. ] deliuer their owne people out of thine hand?

¹⁶ And as he talked with him, [Note: [n] Meaning, the King. ] he said vnto him, Haue they made thee the Kings counseler? cease thou: why should they [Note: [o] So hard it is for the carnall man to be admonished of his fault, that he contemneth, mocketh and threatneth him that warneth him: yea, imprisoneth him and putteth him to death, as Chap. 16.10. & 18.26. & 14.21. ] smite thee? And the Prophet ceased, but said, I knowe that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not obeyed my counsell.

¹⁷ ¶ Then Amaziah King of Iudah tooke counsell, and sent to Ioash the sonne of Iehoahaz, the sonne of Iehu King of Israel, saying, Come, [Note: [p] That is, let vs trye the matter hand to hand: for he was offended, that the armie of the Israelites, whom he had in wages, and dimissed by the counsell of the Prophet, had destroyed certaine of the cities of Iudah. ] let vs see one another in the face.

¹⁸ But Ioash King of Israel sent to Amaziah King of Iudah, saying, The thistle that is in Lebanon, sent to the cedar that is in Lebanon, saying, [Note: 2.King.14.9. ] Giue thy daughter to my sonne to wife: and the wilde beast that was in Lebanon went and trode downe the thistle.

¹⁹ Thou thinkest: lo, thou hast smitten Edom, and thine heart lifteth thee vp to bragge: abide now at home: why doest thou prouoke to thine hurt, that thou shouldest fall, and Iudah with thee?

²⁰ But Amaziah would not heare: for [Note: [q] Thus God oft times plagueth by those meanes, wherein men most trust, to teach them to haue their recourse onely to him: and to shew his iudgements, moueth their hearts to follow that which shalbe their destruction. ] it was of God, that he might deliuer them into his had, because they had sought the gods of Edom.

²¹ So Ioash the King of Israel went vp: and he, and Amaziah King of Iudah saw one another in the face at Bethshemesh, which is in Iudah.

²² And Iudah was put to the worse before Israel, and they fled euery man to his tents.

²³ But Ioash the King of Israel tooke Amaziah King of Iudah, the sonne of Ioash, the sonne of Iehoahaz in Bethshemesh, and brought him to Ierusalem, and brake downe the wall of Ierusalem, from the gate of Ephraim vnto the corner gate, foure hundreth cubites.

²⁴ And he tooke all the gold and the siluer, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God with [Note: [r] Meaning, the successors of Obed Edom: for the house bare the name of the chiefe father. ] Obed Edom, and in the treasures of the Kings house, and the children that were in hostage, and returned to Samaria.

²⁵ ¶ And Amaziah the sonne of Ioash King of Iudah liued after the death of Ioash sonne of Iehoahaz King of Israel, fifteene yeere.

²⁶ Concerning the rest of the actes of Amaziah first and last, are they not written in the booke of the Kings of Iudah and Israel?

²⁷ Nowe after the time that Amaziah did turne away from ye Lord, [Note: 2.King.14.19. ] they wrought treason against him in Ierusalem: and when he was fled to Lachish, they sent to Lachish after him, and

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slewe him there.
²⁸ And they brought him vpon horses, & buried him with his fathers in the citie of Iudah.

1. 5 Vzziah obeying the Lord, prospereth in his enterprises. 16 He waxeth proude and vsurpeth the Priestes office. 19 The Lord plagueth him. 20 The Priests driue him out of the Temple, and exclude him out of the Lords house. 23 His buriall, and his successour.

¹ Then [Note: 2.King.14.21. ] all the people of Iudah tooke [Note: [a] Called also Azariah. ] Vzziah, which was sixteene yeere olde, and made him King in the steade of his father Amaziah.

² He buylt [Note: [b] He fortified it & made it strong: this citie was also called Elath and Elanon, neere to the red Sea. ] Eloth, and restored it to Iudah after that the King slept with his fathers.

³ [Note: 2.King 15.2. ] Sixteene yeere olde was Vzziah, when he began to reigne, & he reigned two and fiftie yere in Ierusalem, and his mothers name was Iecoliah of Ierusalem.

⁴ And hee did vprightly in the sight of the Lord, according to al that his father Amaziah did.

⁵ And he sought God in the dayes of [Note: [c] This was not that Zechariah that was the sonne of Iehoiada, but some other Prophet of that name. ] Zechariah (which vnderstoode the visions of God) and when as [Note: [d] For God neuer forsaketh any that seeketh vnto him, & therefore man is the cause of his owne destruction. ] he sought the Lorde, God made him to prosper.

⁶ For he went forth and fought against the Philistims & brake downe the wall of Gath, and the wall of Iabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities in Ashdod, and among the Philistims.

⁷ And God helped him against ye Philistims, and against the Arabians that dwelt in Gur-baal and Hammeunim.

⁸ And the Ammonites gaue [Note: [e] That is, they payed tribute in signe of subiection ] gifts to Vzziah, & his name spred to the entring in of Egypt: for he did most valiantly.

⁹ Moreouer Vzziah buylt towres in Ierusalem at the corner gate, and at the valley gate, and at the [Note: Neb.3.19. & 24. ] [Note: [f] Where as the wall or towre turneth. ] turning, and made them strong.

¹⁰ And he built towres in the wildernesse, & digged many [Note: Or, pits. ] cisternes: for he had much cattell both in the valleyes and playnes, plowmen, and dressers of vines in the mountaines, and in [Note: [g] That is, in mout Carmel, or as the word signifieth, in the fruitfull field. it is also taken for a greene eare of corne, when it is full, as Leui.2.14. ] Carmel: for he loued husbandrie.

¹¹ Vzziah had also an hoste of fighting men that went out to warre by bandes, according to the count of their nomber vnder the hande of Ieiel the Scribe, and Maaseiah the ruler, and vnder the hand of Hananiah, one of the Kings captaines.

¹² The whole [Note: [h] Of the chiefe officers of ye Kings house, or of the captaines and sergeants for warre. ] nomber of the chiefe of the families of the valiant men were two thousande and sixe hundreth.

¹³ And vnder their hande was the armie for warre, three hundreth and seuen thousand, & fiue hundreth that fought valiantly to helpe the King against the enemie.

¹⁴ And Vzziah prepared them throughout all the hoste, shieldes, and speares, and helmets, and brigandines, and bowes, and stones to sling.

¹⁵ He made also very [Note: Ebr. engins by the inuention of an inuentiue man. ] artificial engins in Ierusalem, to be vpon the towres and vpon the corners, to shoote arrowes and great stones: and his name spred farre abroade, because God did helpe him marueilously, till he was mightie.

¹⁶ ¶ But when he was strong, his heart [Note: [i] Thus prosperitie causeth men to trust in theselues, and by forgetting him, which is the autor thereof, procure their owne perdition. ] was lift vp to his destruction: for he trasgressed against the Lord his God, & went into the Temple of the Lord to burne incense vpon the altar of incense.

¹⁷ And Azariah the Priest went in after him, and with him foure score Priests of the Lord, valiant men.

¹⁸ And they withstoode Vzziah the King, &

said vnto him, [Note: Nomb.18.7. ] It perteineth not to thee, Vzziah, to burne incense vnto the Lord, but to the Priests the sonnes of Aaron, that are consecrated for to offer incense: [Note: [k] Though his zeale seemed to be good and also his iutention, yet because they were not gouerned by the word of God, he did wickedly, & was therfore both iustly resisted and also punished. ] goe forth of the Sanctuarie: for thou hast transgressed, and thou shalt haue none honour of the Lord God.

¹⁹ Then Vzziah was wroth, and had incense in his hand to burne it: and while he was wroth with the Priestes, the leprosie rose vp in his forehead before the Priestes in the house of the Lord beside the incense altar.

²⁰ And wen Azariah the chiefe Priest with al the Priestes looked vpon him, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, & they caused him hastily to depart thence: and he was euen compelled to go out, because the Lord had smitten him.

²¹ [Note: 2.King.15.5. ] And Vzziah the king was a leper vnto the day of his death, & dwelt as a leper in an [Note: [l] According to ye commandement of the Lord, Leuit.13. 46. ] house apart, because he was cut off from the house of ye Lord: and Iotham his sonne ruled ouer the Kings house, and iudged the peple of the land.

²² Concerning the rest of the acts of Vzziah, first and last, did Isaiah the Prophet the sonne of Amoz write.

²³ So Vzziah slept with his fathers, and they buryed him with his fathers in the fielde of the burial, which perteined to the kings: for they said, He [Note: [m] And therefore was buried apart in the same fielde, but not in ye same sepulchres with his predecessors. ] is a leper. And Iotham his sonne reigned in his steade.

1 Iotham reigneth, & ouercommeth the Ammonites. 8 His reigne and death. 9 Ahaz his sonne reigneth in his steade.

¹ Iotham [Note: 2.King.15.33. ] was fiue and twentie yere olde when he began to reigne, and reigned sixteene yeere in Ierusalem, and his mothers name was Ierushah the daughter of Zadok.

² And hee did vprightly in the sight of the Lorde according to all that his father Vzziah did, saue that hee entred not into the [Note: [a] To wit, to offer incense against the worde of God, which thing is spoken in the commendation of Iotham. ] Temple of the Lorde, and the people did yet [Note: [b] They were not cleane purged from idolatrie. ] corrupt their wayes.

³ He buylt the hie [Note: [c] Which was sixe score cubites hie, and was for the height called Ophel: it was at the East gate, & mention is made of it, Chap.3.4. ] gate of the house of the Lord, and he buylt very much on the wal of the castle.

⁴ Moreouer hee buylt cities in the mountaines of Iudah, and in the forests he buylt palaces and towres.

⁵ And he fought with the King of the children of Ammon, & preuailed against them. And the children of Ammon gaue him the same yere an hundreth talents of siluer, and ten thousande [Note: Ebr. Corim. ] measures of wheate, & ten thousand of barley: this did the children of Ammon giue him [Note: Or, yeerely. ] both in the second yeere and the third.

⁶ So Iotham became mightie [Note: [d] He sheweth yt all prosperitie cometh of God, who neuer faileth, whe we put our trust in him. ] because hee directed his way before the Lord his God.

⁷ Concerning the rest of the acts of Iotham, & all his warres & his wayes, loe, they are written in the booke of the Kings of Israel, and Iudah.

⁸ He was fiue and twentie yeere olde when he began to reigne, and reigned sixteene yeere in Ierusalem.

⁹ And Iotham slept with his fathers, & they buryed him in the citie of Dauid: and Ahaz his sonne reigned in his stead.

1 Ahaz an idolater is giuen into the hands of the Syrians, and the King of Israel. 9 The Prophet reproueth the Israelites crueltie. 18 Iudah is molested with enemies. 23 Ahaz increaseeth his idolatrie. 26 His death and successour.
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¹ Ahaz [Note: 2.King.16.2. ] was twentie yeere old when he began to reigne, and reigned sixteene yeere in Ierusalem, and did not vprightly in the sight of the Lord, like Dauid his [Note: Or, predecessour. ] father.

² But [Note: [a] He was an idolater like them. ] he walked in the wayes of ye Kings of Israel, & made euen molten images for [Note: [b] As the idolaters haue certein chiefe idoles, who are as patrons: (as were these Baalim) so haue they others which are inferior & do represent the great idoles. ] Baalim.

³ Moreouer he burnt incense in the valley of Ben-hinnom, & [Note: Or, made them passe through the fire, as chap.33.6. leuit.18.21. ] burnt his sonnes with fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.

⁴ He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the hie places, and on hilles, and vnder euery greene tree.

⁵ Wherefore the Lorde his God deliuered him into the hand of the King of the Aramites, & they smote him, & tooke of his, [Note: Ebr. a great captiuitie. ] many prisoners, and brought them to Damascus: and he was also deliuered into the hande of the King of Israel, which smote him with a great slaughter.

⁶ For [Note: [c] Who was King of Israel. ] Pekah the sonne of Remaliah slewe in Iudah sixe score thousand in one day, all [Note: Ebr. sonnes of strength. ] valiant men, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers.

⁷ And Zichri a [Note: Or, tyrant. ] mighty man of Ephraim slew Maaseiah the Kings sonne, and Azrikam the gouernour of the house, and Elkanah the second after the King.

⁸ And the children of Israel tooke prisoners of their brethren, [Note: [d] Thus by the iust iudgement of God Israel destroyed Iudah. ] two hudreth thousand of women, sonnes & daughters, and caried away much spoyle of them, & brought the spoyle to Samaria.

⁹ ¶ But there was a Prophet of the Lordes, (whose name was Oded) and he went out before the hoste that came to Samaria, & said vnto them, Behold, [Note: [e] For they thought they had ouercome them by their owne valiantnes, & did not consider that God had deliuered the into their hands, because Iudah had offended him. ] because the Lord God of your fathers is wroth with Iudah, he hath deliuered them into your hand, and ye haue slaine them in a rage, that reacheth vp to heauen.

¹⁰ And nowe ye purpose to keepe vnder the children of Iudah and Ierusalem, as seruants and handmaides vnto you: but are not you such, that [Note: [f] May not God aswel punish you for your sinnes, as he hath done these men for theirs, seeing yours are greater? ] sinnes are with you before the Lord your God?

¹¹ Nowe therefore heare me, and deliuer the captiues againe, which ye haue taken prisoners of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the Lord is toward you.

¹² Wherefore certaine of the chiefe of the children of [Note: [g] Which tribe was now greatest, and had most authoritie. ] Ephraim, Azariah the sonne of Iehohanan, Berechiah the sonne of Meshillemoth, & Iehizkiah the sonne of Shallum, & Amasa the sonne of Hadlai, stood vp against them that came from the warre,

¹³ And said vnto them, Bring not in the captiues hither: for this shalbe [Note: [h] God will not suffer this sinne, which we commit against him, to be vnpunished. ] a sinne vpon vs against the Lord: ye entende to adde more to our sinnes & to our trespasse, though our trespasse be great, & the fierce wrath of God is against Israel.

¹⁴ So the armie left the captiues & the spoyle before the princes and all the Congregation.

¹⁵ And the men that were [Note: [i] Whose names were rehearsed before, verse 12. ] named by name, rose vp and tooke the prisoners, and with the spoyle clothed all that were naked among them, and arayed them, and shod them, and gaue them meate, and gaue them drinke, and [Note: [k] Either for their woundes or wearines. ] anoynted them, and caryed all that were feeble of them vpon asses, and brought them to Iericho the citie of Palme trees to their [Note: [l] To them of the tribe of Iudah. ] brethren: so they returned to Samaria.

¹⁶ ¶ At that time did King Ahaz sende vnto the [Note: [m] To Tilgath Pilneeser, & those Kings that were vnder his dominion, 2.King.16.7. ] Kings of Asshur, to helpe him.

¹⁷ (For the Edomites came moreouer, & slew of Iudah, and caryed away captiues.

¹⁸ The Philistims also inuaded the cities in the low countrey, & toward the South of Iudah, and tooke Bethshemesh, and Aialon, and Gederoth and Shocho, with the villages thereof, and Timnah, with her villages, and Gimzo, with her villages, and they dwelt there.

¹⁹ For the Lord had humbled Iudah, because of Ahaz King of [Note: [n] He meaneth Iudah, because Ahaz forsooke the Lord, & sought helpe of the infidels. Reade of Israel taken for Iudah, Cha.15.17. ] Israel: for he had brought vengeance vpon Iudah, and had grieuously transgressed against the Lord)

²⁰ And Tilgath Pilneeser king of Asshur came vnto him, who troubled him and did not strengthen him.

²¹ For Ahaz [Note: Ebr. deuided. ] tooke a portion [Note: 2.King.16.8. ] out of the house of the Lord & out of the Kings house and of the Princes, and gaue vnto the king of Asshur: yet it helped him not.

²² And in ye time of his tribulation did he yet trespasse more against ye Lord, (this is King Ahaz)

²³ For he sacrificed vnto the gods of Damascus, which [Note: [o] As he falsely supposed. ] plagued him, and he sayd, Because the gods of the Kings of Aram helped them, I wil sacrifice vnto them, and they will [Note: [p] Thus the wicked measure Gods fauour by prosperitie & aduersitie: for if idolaters prosper, they make their idoles gods, not considering that God punisheth the oft times whom he loueth, & giueth his enemies good successe for a time, whome afterward he will destroy. ] helpe me: yet they were his ruine, and of all [Note: Or, Iudah and Beniamin. ] Israel.

²⁴ And Ahaz gathered the vessels of ye house of God, & brake the vessels of the house of God, & shut vp the doores of the house of the Lord, & made him altars in euery corner of Ierusalem.

²⁵ And in euery citie of Iudah hee made hie places, to burne incense vnto other gods, & prouoked to anger the Lord God of his fathers.

²⁶ Concerning the rest of his actes, and all his wayes first and last, beholde, they are written in the booke of the Kings of Iudah, and Israel.

²⁷ And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the citie [Note: Or, in Ierusalem ] of Ierusalem, but brought him not vnto the [Note: [q] They buried him not in the citie of Dauid, where were the sepulchres of the Kings. ] sepulchres of the Kings of Israel: & Hezekiah his sonne reigned in his stead.

3. 5 Hezekiah repaireth the Temple, & aduertiseth the Leuites of the corruption of religion. 12 The Leuites prepare the Temple. 20 The King and his princes sacrifice in the Temple. 25 The Leuites sing praises. 31 The oblation of the people.

¹ Hezekiah [Note: 2.King.18.1. ] began to reigne, when he was fiue and twentie yeere olde, and reigned nine and twentie yeres in Ierusalem: and his mothers name was [Note: Or, Abi. ] Abiiah the daughter of Zechariah.

² And hee did vprightly in the sight of the Lorde, according to all that Dauid his father had done.

³ He opened the [Note: [a] Which Ahaz had shut vp, Chap. 28.24. ] doores of the house of the Lorde in the first yeere, and in the [Note: [b] This is a notable example for all princes first to establish the pure religion of God, & to procure that the Lord may be honoured and serued aright. ] first moneth of his reigne, and repared them.

⁴ And he brought in the Priests and the Leuites, and gathered them into the East streete,

⁵ And said vnto them, Heare me, ye Leuites: sanctifie nowe your selues, and sanctifie the house of the Lorde God of your fathers, and cary forth [Note: [c] Meaning, all the idoles, altars, groues & whatsoeuer was occupied in their seruice & wherewith the Temple was polluted. ] the filthinesse out of the Sanctuarie.

⁶ For our fathers haue trespassed, and done euill in the eyes of the Lord our God, and haue forsaken him, & turned away their faces from the Tabernacle of the Lord, and turned their backes.

⁷ They haue also shut the doores of ye porch, and quenched the lampes, and haue neither burnt incense, nor offred burnt offrings in the Sanctuarie vnto the God of Israel.

⁸ [Note: [d] He sheweth that the contempt of religion is the cause of all Gods plagues. ] Wherfore the wrath of the Lord hath bin

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on Iudah and Ierusalem: and he hath made them a [Note: Or, a nodding of the head and mockery. ] scattering, a desolation, and an hissing, as ye see with your eyes.
⁹ For lo, our fathers are fallen by the sword, and our sonnes, and our daughters, and our wiues are in captiuitie for the same cause.

¹⁰ Now [Note: Ebr. it is in mine heart. ] I purpose to make a couenant with the Lord God of Israel, that he may [Note: [e] He proueth by the iudgements of God vpon those that haue contemned his word, that there is no way to auoyd his plagues, but by coforming themselues to his will. ] turne away his fierce wrath from vs.

¹¹ Now my sonnes, be not deceiued: for the Lorde hath [Note: Nomb.18.6. ] chosen you to stand before him, to serue him, and to be his ministers, and to burne incense.

¹² ¶ Then the Leuites arose, Mahath ye sonne of Amashai, and Ioel the sonne of Azariah of the sonnes of the Kohathites: & of the sonnes of Merari, Kish the sonne of Abdi, & Azariah the sonne of Iehalelel: and of the Gershonites, Ioah the sonne of Zimmah, and Eden the sonne of Ioah:

¹³ And of the sonnes of Elizaphan, Shimri, and Iehiel: and of the sonnes of Asaph, Zechariah, and Mattaniah:

¹⁴ And of the sonnes of Heman, Iehiel, and Shimei: and of the sonnes of Ieduthun, Shemaiah and Vzziel.

¹⁵ And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselues and came according to the commaundement of the King, & [Note: Or, concerning the things of the Lord. ] by the words of the Lord, for to clense the house of the Lord.

¹⁶ And the Priests went into the inner partes of the house of the Lord, to [Note: [f] From the pollutions and filth that Ahaz had brought in. ] clense it, & brought out all the vncleannesse that they founde in the Temple of the Lord, into the court of the house of the Lord: and the Leuites tooke it, to cary it out vnto the brooke Kidron.

¹⁷ They began the first day of the [Note: [g] Which conteined part of March and part of April. ] first moneth to sanctifie it, and the eight day of the moneth came they to the porche of the Lorde: so they sanctified the house of the Lorde in eight dayes, and in the sixeteenth day of the first moneth they made an ende.

¹⁸ ¶ Then they went in to Hezekiah ye King, and sayde, We haue clensed all the house of the Lord and the altar of burnt offring, with all the vessels thereof, and the [Note: Or, table where the bread was set in order. ] shewbread table, with all the vessels thereof:

¹⁹ And all the vessels which King Ahaz had cast aside when he reigned, and transgressed, haue we prepared and sanctified: and beholde, they are before the altar of the Lord.

²⁰ ¶ And Hezekiah the King [Note: [h] By this maner of speach the Ebrewes meane a certaine diligence & speede to doe a thing, and when there is no delay. ] rose early, and gathered the princes of the citie, and went vp to the house of the Lord.

²¹ And they brought seuen bullockes, and seuen rammes, and seuen lambes, and seuen hee goates, for a [Note: Leuit.4.14. ] sinne offring for the kingdome, & for the sanctuarie, and for Iudah. And he commanded the Priests the sonnes of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the Lord.

²² So they slewe the bullockes, & the Priests receiued the blood, and [Note: [i] For without sprinkling of blood nothing could be sanctified, Hebr.9.21. exod.24.8. ] sprinkled it vpon the altar: they slew also the rammes & sprinkled the blood vpon the altar, and they slew the lambes, and they sprinkled the blood vpon the altar.

²³ Then they brought the hee goates for the sinne offring before the King and the Congregation, [Note: [k] That is, the King and the Elders, as Leuit.4. 15. for they that offred a sinne offring, must lay their hands vpon it, to signifie that they had deserued that death, and also that they did consecrate it to God to be thereby sanctified, Exod.29.10. ] and they layde their hands vpon them.

²⁴ And the Priests slewe them, and with the blood of them they clensed the altar to reconcile all Israel: for the King had commanded for

all Israel the burnt offring and the sinne offring.

²⁵ He appointed also the Leuites in the house of the Lord with cymbales, with violes, and with harpes, [Note: 1.Chro.16.4. ] according to the commaundement of Dauid, and Gad the Kings Seer, and Nathan the Prophet: for the [Note: [l] This thing was not appoynted of man, but it was the commandement of God. ] commaundement was by the hande of the Lorde, and by the hande of his Prophets.

²⁶ And the Leuites stood with the instrumets of Dauid, and the Priests with the trumpets.

²⁷ And Hezekiah commaunded to offer the burnt offring vpon the altar: and when the burnt offring began, the song of the [Note: [m] The Psalme which Dauid had appointed to be sung for thaks giuing. ] Lorde beganne with the trumpets, and the instruments [Note: [n] Which Dauid had appointed to prayse the Lord with. ] of Dauid King of Israel.

²⁸ And al the Congregation worshipped, singing a song, and they blew the trumpets: all this continued vntill the burnt offring was finished.

²⁹ And when they had made an ende of offring, the King and all that were present with him, bowed themselues, and worshipped.

³⁰ ¶ Then Hezekiah the King and the princes commaunded the Leuites to prayse the Lorde with the [Note: [o] With that Psalme whereof mentio is made, 1.Chro.16.8. ] wordes of Dauid, and of Asaph the Seer. so they praysed with ioy, and they bowed themselues, and worshipped.

³¹ And Hezekiah spake, and sayde, Now ye haue [Note: Ebr. filled your hands. ] consecrate your selues to the Lord: come neere and bring the sacrifices and offerings of prayse into the house of the Lord. And the Congregation brought sacrifices; and offrings of prayses, and euery man that was willing in heart, offred burnt offrings.

³² And the nomber of the burnt offrings, which the Congregation brought, was seuentie bullockes, an hundreth rammes, and two hundreth lambes: all these were for a burnt offring to the Lord:

³³ And for [Note: [p] That is, for the holy offrings. ] sanctification sixe hundreth bullockes, and three thousand sheepe.

³⁴ But the Priests were too few, and were not able to flay all the burnt offrings: therefore their brethren the Leuites did helpe them, til they had ended the worke, & vntill other Priests were sanctified: for the Leuites were [Note: [q] Meaning, were more zealous to set forward the religion. ] more vpright in heart to sanctifie themselues, then the Priests.

³⁵ And also the burnt offerings were many with the [Note: Leuit. 3.2,3. ] fat of the peace offrings & the drinke offrings for the burnt offring. so the seruice of the house of the Lord was set in order.

³⁶ Then Hezekiah reioyced and all the people, that God had made the people so [Note: [r] He sheweth that religion can not proceede, except God touch the heart of the people. ] ready: for the thing was done suddenly.

1. 13 The keeping of the Passeouer by the Kings commaundement. 6 He exhorteth Israel to turne to the Lorde. 18 He prayeth for the people. 24 His oblation and the princes. 27 The Leuites blesse the people.

¹ And Hezekiah sent to all Israel, and Iudah, and also wrote letters to [Note: [a] Meaning, all Israel, whom Tilgath Pilneesar had not taken away into the captiuitie, 2.King.15.29. ] Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Ierusalem, to keepe the Passeouer vnto the Lord God of Israel.

² And the King and his princes and all the Congregation had taken counsel in Ierusalem to keepe the Passeouer in the [Note: [b] Though they ought to haue done it in the first moneth, as Exod.12.18. Nom.9.3, yet if any were not cleane, or els had a long iourney, they migh defer it vnto the second moneth, as Nom.9.10,11. ] second moneth.

³ For they could not keepe it at this time, because there were not Priests enow sanctified, neither was the people gathered to Ierusalem.
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⁴ And the thing pleased the King, and all the Congregation.

⁵ And they decreed to make proclamation throughout all Israel from [Note: [c] From one ende of the land to the other, North and South. ] Beersheba euen to Dan, that they should come to keepe the Passeouer vnto the Lorde God of Israel at Ierusalem: for they had not done it of a great time, [Note: [d] In such sort and perfection, as God had appointed. ] as it was written.

⁶ ¶ So the postes went with letters by the commission of the King, and his princes, thorowout all Israel and Iudah, and with the commaundement of the King, saying, Ye children of Israel, turne againe vnto the Lorde God of Abraham, Izhak, and Israel, and [Note: [e] He will haue compassion on the & preserue them. ] he will returne to the remnant that are escaped of you, out of ye hands of the Kings of Asshur.

⁷ And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the Lorde God of their fathers: and therfore he made them desolate, as ye see.

⁸ Be not ye now stiffenecked like your fathers, but [Note: [f] Submit your selues to the Lord, and rebell no more. ] giue the hand to the Lorde, and come into his sanctuarie, which he hath sanctified for euer, and serue the Lorde your God, & the fiercenesse of his wrath shall turne away from you.

⁹ For if ye returne vnto the Lord, your brethren and your children shall finde mercy before them that led them captiues, and they shall [Note: [g] God will not onely preserue you, but through your repentance restore your brethren, which for their sinnes hee gaue into the hands of the enemies. ] returne vnto this lande: for the Lord your God is gracious and mercifull, and will not turne away his face from you, if ye conuert vnto him.

¹⁰ ¶ So the postes went from citie to citie thorow the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, euen vnto Zebulun: but they [Note: [h] Though the wicked mocke at the seruants of God, by whome he calleth them to repentance, as Gen.19.14, yet the word ceaseth not to fructifie in the hearts of Gods elect. ] laughed them to scorne, and mocked them.

¹¹ Neuerthelesse diuers of Asher, and Manasseh, and of Zebulun submitted themselues, and came to Ierusalem.

¹² And the hand of God was in Iudah, so that he gaue them one [Note: [i] He sheweth the cause why some obey & some mocke at Gods calling, to wit, because his Spirit is with the one sort, and moueth their heart, and the other are left to theselues. ] heart to doe the commaundement of the King, and of the rulers, according to the worde of the Lord.

¹³ And there assembled to Ierusalem much people, to keepe the feast of ye vnleauened bread in the second moneth, a very great assemblie.

¹⁴ ¶ And they arose, and tooke away the [Note: [k] Which declareth that we must put away those thinges wherewith God is offended, before we can serue him aright. ] altars that were in Ierusalem: and all those for incense tooke they away, and cast them into the brooke Kidron.

¹⁵ Afterwarde they slewe the Passeouer the fourteenth day of the seconde moneth: and the Priestes and Leuites were [Note: [l] Seeing their owne negligence (who should haue bin most prompt) and the readinesse of the people, Chap.19.36. ] ashamed, and sanctified themselues, and brought the burnt offrings into the house of the Lord.

¹⁶ And they stoode in their place after their maner, according to the Lawe of Moses the man of God: and the Priestes sprinkled the [Note: [m] To wit, of the lambe of the Passeouer. ] blood, receiued of the handes of the Leuites.

¹⁷ Because there were many in the Congregation that were not sanctified, therefore the Leuites had the charge of the killing of ye Passeouer for all that were not cleane, to sanctifie it to the Lord.

¹⁸ For a multitude of the people, euen a multitude of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not cleansed themselues, yet did eate the Passeouer, but not as it was written: wherefore Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The [Note: [n] He knew, that faith and synceritie of heart was more agreeable to God, then the obseruation of these ceremonies, and therefore he prayed vnto God to pardon this fault vnto the people, which did not offend of malice but of ignorance. ] good Lord be mercifull toward him,

¹⁹ That prepareth his whole heart to seeke

the Lord God, the God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed, according to the purification of the Sanctuarie.

²⁰ And the Lord heard Hezekiah, and [Note: [o] That is, did accept them as purified. ] healed the people.

²¹ And the children of Israel that were present at Ierusalem, kept the feast of the vnleauened bread seuen dayes with great ioye, and the Leuites, and the Priestes praysed the Lorde, day by day, singing with loude instruments vnto the Lorde.

²² And Hezekiah [Note: Ebr. spake to the heart. ] spake comfortably vnto all the Leuites that had good knowledge to sing vnto the Lorde: and they did eate in that feast seuen dayes, and offred peace offrings, and praysed the Lord God of their fathers.

²³ And the whole assembly tooke counsel to keepe it other seuen dayes. So they kept it seuen dayes with ioy.

²⁴ For Hezekiah King of Iudah had giuen to the Congregation a [Note: [p] This great liberalitie declareth how Kings, Princes, and all they, to whome God hath giuen wherewith, ought to be most ready to bestowe it in setting forth of Gods glory. ] thousande bullockes, and seuen thousand sheepe. And the princes had giuen to the Congregation a thousand bullocks, and ten thousand sheepe: and many Priests were sanctified.

²⁵ And all the Congregation of Iudah reioyced with the Priestes and the Leuites, and all the Congregation that came out of Israel, and the strangers that came out of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Iudah.

²⁶ So there was great ioye in Ierusalem: for since the time of Salomon the sonne of Dauid King of Israel there was not the like thing in Ierusalem.

²⁷ Then the Priests and the Leuites arose, and [Note: [q] According to that which is written, Nomb.6.23. when they should dimisse ye people. ] blessed the people, and their voyce was heard, and their prayer came vp vnto heauen, to his holy habitation.

1 The people destroy idolatrie. 2 Hezekiah appoynteth Priests and Leuites, 4 and prouideth for their liuing. 13 He ordeineth ouerseers to distribute to euery one his portion.

¹ And when all these thinges were finished, all Israel that were found in the cities of Iudah, went out and [Note: [a] According to the commandement of the Lord, Deut.7.25. iosh.7. 1. 2.Mac.12.40. ] brake the images, and cut downe the groues, and brake downe the hie places, and the altars thorowout all Iudah and Beniamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, vntil they had made an ende: afterwarde all the [Note: [b] That is, all they which came to the Passeouer. ] children of Israel returned euery man to his possession, into their owne cities.

² And Hezekiah appoynted the courses of the Priests and Leuites by their turnes, euery man according to his office, both Priestes and Leuites, for the burnt offring and peace offrings, to minister and to giue thankes, & to prayse in the gates of the [Note: [c] That is, in the Temple where they assembled as in a tent. ] tentes of the Lord.

³ (And the Kings portion was of his owne substance for the burnt offrings, euen for ye burnt offrings of the morning and of the euening, and the burnt offrings for the Sabbaths, and for the new moones, and for the solemne feastes, [Note: Nom.28.3,9. ] as it is written in the Law of the Lord)

⁴ He commanded also the people that dwelt in Ierusalem, to giue a [Note: [d] The tithes and first fruites for the maintenance of the Priestes and Leuites. ] part to the Priestes, and Leuites, that they might be [Note: [e] That their mindes might not be entangled with prouision of worldly things, but that they might wholy and cherefully serue the Lord. ] encouraged in the Law of the Lord.

⁵ ¶ And when the commaundement was [Note: Or, published. ] spread, the children of Israel brought abundance of first fruites, of corne, wine, and oyle, and

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honie, and of all the increase of the fielde, and the tithes of all things brought they abundantly.
⁶ And the children of Israel and Iudah that dwelt in ye cities of Iudah, they also brought the tithes of bullockes and sheepe, and the holy tithes [Note: [f] Which they had dedicated to the Lorde by a vowe. ] which were consecrate vnto the Lorde their God, and laide them on [Note: [g] For the reliefe of the Priestes, Leuites, widowes, pupilles, fatherlesse, strangers, and such as were in necessitie. ] many heapes.

⁷ In the thirde moneth they beganne to lay the foundation of the heapes, and finished them in the seuenth moneth.

⁸ ¶ And when Hezekiah and the princes came, and saw the heapes, they [Note: [h] They praised the Lord, and prayed for al prosperitie to his people. ] blessed the Lord and his people Israel.

⁹ And Hezekiah questioned with the Priests and the Leuites concerning the heapes.

¹⁰ And Azariah the chiefe Priest of the house of Zadok answered him, and sayde, Since the people beganne to bring the offrings into the house of the Lorde, we haue [Note: [i] He sheweth that this plenteous liberalitie is expedient for the maintenance of the ministers, and that God therefore prospereth his people, and increaseth by his blessing that which is giuen. ] eaten and haue bene satisfied, and there is left in abundance: for the Lorde hath blessed his people, and this abundance that is left.

¹¹ ¶ And Hezekiah commanded to prepare chambers in the house of the Lorde: and they prepared them,

¹² And caryed in the first fruites, and the tithes, and the dedicate things faithfully: and ouer them was Conaniah the Leuite, the chiefe, and Shimei his brother the seconde.

¹³ And Iehiel, and Azariah, and Nahath, and Asahel, and Ierimoth, and Iozabad, and Eliel, and Ismachiah, and Mahath, and Benaiah were ouerseers [Note: Ebr. by the hand. ] by the appointment of Conaniah, & Shimei his brother, and by the commandement of Hezekiah the King, and of Azariah the chiefe of the house of God.

¹⁴ And Kore the sonne of Imnah the Leuite porter towarde the East, was ouer the things that were willingly offred vnto God, to distribute the oblations of the Lorde, and the holy things that were consecrate.

¹⁵ And at his hande were Eden, and Miniamin, and Ieshua, and Shemaiah, Amariah, & Shechaniah, in the cities of the Priestes, to distribute with fidelitie to their brethren by courses, both to the great and small,

¹⁶ Their daily portion: beside their generation being males [Note: [k] Who had also a portion and allowance in this distribution. ] from three yeere olde and aboue, euen to all that entred into the house of the Lorde to their office in their charge, according to their courses:

¹⁷ Both to the generation of the Priestes after the house of their fathers, and to the Leuites from twentie yeere olde and aboue, according to their charge in their courses:

¹⁸ And to the generation of all their children, their wiues, and their sonnes & their daughters throughout all ye Congregation: for by their [Note: [l] Meaning, that either by the faithfull distributions of the officers, euery one had their part in the things that were offred, or else that their wiues and children were relieued, because the Leuites were faithfull in their office, and so depended on them. ] fidelitie are they partakers of the holy things.

¹⁹ Also to the sonnes of Aaron, the Priestes, which were in the fieldes & suburbes of their cities, in euery citie the men that were appointed by names, shoulde giue portions to all the males of the Priestes, and to all the generation of the Leuites.

²⁰ And thus did Hezekiah throughout al Iudah, and did well, and vprightly, and truely before the Lorde his God.

²¹ And in all the workes that he began for the seruice of the house of God, both in the Law

and in the commandements, to seeke his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.

1 Saneherib inuadeth Iudah. 3 Hezekiah prepareth for the warre. 7 He exhorteth the people to put their trust in the Lorde. 9 Saneherib blasphemeth God. 20 Hezekiah prayeth. 21 The Angell destroyeth the Assyrians, and the King is slaine. 25 Hezekiah is not thankefull towarde the Lorde. 33 His death.

¹ After these things faithfully described, [Note: 2.King.18.13. isa.30.1. ecclus.48.18. ] Saneherib King of Asshur came and entred into Iudah, and besieged the strong cities, & thought to [Note: Ebr. breake them vp. ] winne them for him selfe.

² When Hezekiah sawe that Saneherib was come, and that his [Note: Ebr. face. ] purpose was to fight against Ierusalem,

³ Then he tooke counsell with his princes and his nobles, to stoppe the water of the fountaines without the citie: and they did helpe him.

⁴ So many of the people assembled themselues, and stopt all the fountaines, and the riuer that ranne through the middes of the countrey, saying, Why should the Kings of Asshur come, and finde much water?

⁵ And [Note: Ebr. he was strengthened. ] he tooke courage, and built all the broken wall, and made vp the towers, and another wall without, and repayred [Note: [a] He made a double wall. ] Millo in the [Note: [b] Reade 2.Sam. 5.9. ] citie of Dauid, & made many [Note: [c] Some reade, swordes or daggers. ] dartes & shields.

⁶ And he set captaines of warre ouer the people, and assembled them to him in the broade place of the gate of the citie, and [Note: Ebr. he spake to their heart. ] spake comfortably vnto them, saying,

⁷ Be strong and couragious: feare not, neither be afraide for the King of Asshur, neither for all the multitude that is with him: [Note: 2.King.6.16. ] for there be mo with vs, then is with him.

⁸ With him is an [Note: [d] That is, the power of man. ] arme of flesh, but with vs is the [Note: [e] This declareth that Hezekiah did euer put his trust in God, and yet made him selfe strong and vsed lawfull meanes, least he should seeme to tempt God. ] Lord our God for to helpe vs, & to fight our battels. Then the people were confirmed by the wordes of Hezekiah King of Iudah.

⁹ [Note: 2.King.18.17. ] After this, did Saneherib King of Asshur send his seruants to Ierusalem (while he was [Note: [f] While he besieged Lachish. ] against Lachish, and all his dominion with him) vnto Hezekiah King of Iudah and vnto all Iudah that were at Ierusalem, saying,

¹⁰ Thus saith Saneherib the King of Asshur, Wherein doe ye trust, that ye will remaine in Ierusalem, during the siege?

¹¹ Doeth not Hezekiah entice you to giue ouer your selues vnto death by famine and by thirst, saying, The Lorde our God shall deliuer vs out of the hande of the King of Asshur?

¹² Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his hie places and his [Note: [g] Thus the wicked put no difference betweene true religion and false, God and idoles: for Hezekiah onely destroyed idolatrie and placed true religion. thus the Papists slander the seruants of God: for when they destroy idolatrie, they say that they abolish religion. ] altars, and commaunded Iudah and Ierusalem, saying, Ye shall worshippe before one altar, and burne incense vpon it?

¹³ Knowe ye not what I and my fathers haue done vnto all the people of other countreyes? were the gods of the nations of other landes able to deliuer their land out of mine hande?

¹⁴ Who is he of al the [Note: [h] This is his blasphemie, that he will compare the liuing God to vile idoles. ] gods of those natios (that my fathers haue destroied) that could deliuer his people out of mine hande? that your God should be able to deliuer you out of mine hand?

¹⁵ Nowe therefore let not Hezekiah deceiue you, nor seduce you after this sort, neither beleeue ye him: for none of all the gods of any nation or kingdome was able to deliuer his people out of [Note: [i] When man hath prosperitie, he swelleth in pride and thinketh himselfe able to resist and ouercome euen God him selfe. ] mine hande and out of the hande of my fathers: howe much lesse shall your gods deliuer you out of mine hande?
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¹⁶ And his seruants spake yet more against the Lorde God, and against his [Note: [k] Herein we see that when the wicked speake euill of the seruants of God, they care not to blaspheme God him selfe: for if they feared god, they would loue his seruants. ] seruant Hezekiah.

¹⁷ He wrote also letters, blaspheming the Lorde God of Israel and speaking against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other countreies could not deliuer their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliuer his people out of mine hande.

¹⁸ Then they [Note: [l] Their wordes are written, 2.King.18.19. ] cryed with a loude voyce in the Iewes speach vnto the people of Ierusalem that were on the wall, to feare them and to astonish them, that they might take the citie.

¹⁹ Thus they spake against the God of Ierusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, euen the [Note: [m] Which were inuented, made and autorized by man. ] workes of mans hands,

²⁰ But Hezekiah the King, and the Prophet Isaiah the sonne of Amoz [Note: [n] This sheweth what is the best refuge in all troubles and dangers. ] prayed against this and cryed to heauen.

²¹ And the Lorde sent an Angel which destroyed all the valiant men, and the princes and [Note: [o] To the nomber of an hundreth, fourescore and fiue thousande, as 2.King.19.35,36. ] captaines of the hoste of the King of Asshur: so he returned [Note: Ebr. with shame of face. ] with shame to his owne lande. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came foorth of his [Note: [p] Meaning, Adramelech, and Sharezer his sonnes. ] owne bowels, slewe him there with the sworde.

²² So the Lorde saued Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Ierusalem from the hande of Saneherib King of Asshur, and from the hande of all other, and [Note: Or, gouerned. ] maintained them on euery side.

²³ And many brought offrings vnto the Lord to Ierusalem, and presents to Hezekiah King of Iudah, so that he was [Note: [q] Thus after trouble, God sendeth comfort to all them that paciently waite on him, and constantly put their trust in his mercies. ] magnified in the sight of all nations from thencefoorth.

²⁴ [Note: 2.King.20.1. isa 38.1. ] In those dayes Hezekiah was sicke vnto the death, and prayed vnto the Lorde, who spake vnto him, and gaue him [Note: [r] To confirme his faith in Gods promes, who declared to him by his Prophet that his life should be prolonged fifteene yeere. ] a signe.

²⁵ But Hezekiah did not render according to the rewarde bestowed vpon him: for his heart [Note: [s] He was lifted vp with the pride of his victorie and treasures, and shewed them for an ostentation to the ambassadours of Babylon. ] was lift vp, and wrath came vpon him, and vpon Iudah and Ierusalem.

²⁶ Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled him selfe (after that his heart was lifted vp) he and the inhabitants of Ierusalem, and the wrath of the Lorde came not vpon them in the dayes of Hezekiah.

²⁷ Hezekiah also had exceeding much riches and honour, and he gate him treasures of siluer, and of golde, and of precious stones, and of sweete odours, and of shieldes, and of all pleasant vessels:

²⁸ And of store houses for the increase of wheat and wine & oyle, and stalles for all beasts, and [Note: Or, ranges, and partitions. ] rowes for the [Note: Or, rackes. ] stables.

²⁹ And he made him cities, and had possession of sheepe and oxen in abundance: for God had giuen him substance exceeding much.

³⁰ This same Hezekiah also stopped the vpper water springs of [Note: [t] Which also was called Siloe, whereof mention is made, Isa 8.6. Iohn 9.7. ] Gihon, & led them streight vnderneath towarde the citie of Dauid Westwarde. so Hezekiah prospered in all his workes.

³¹ But because of the ambassadours of the princes of Babel, which sent vnto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the lande, God left him to [Note: [u] Here we see the cause, why the faithfull are tempted, which is to trie whether they haue faith or no, and that they may feele the presence of God, who suffreth them not to be ouercome by tentations, but in their weakenesse ministreth strength. ] trie him, and to knowe all that was in his heart.

³² Concerning the rest of the actes of Hezekiah, and his goodnesse, beholde, they are written in the vision of Ishiah the Prophet, the sonne of Amoz, in the booke of the Kings of Iudah

and Israel.

³³ So Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buryed him in the highest sepulchre of the sonnes of Dauid: and all Iudah and the inhabitants of Ierusalem did him honour at his death: and Manasseh his sonne reigned in his stead.

1 Manasseh an idolater. 9 He causeth Iudah to erre. 11 He is led away prisoner into Babylon. 12 He prayeth to the Lord, and is deliuered. 14 He abolisheth idolatrie, 16 And setteth vp true religion. 20 He dyeth and Amon his sonne succeedeth, 24 Whome his owne seruants slay.

¹ Manasseh was twelue yeere olde, [Note: 2.King.21.1. ] when he beganne to reigne, and he reigned fiue and fiftie yeere in Ierusalem:

² And he did euill in the sight of the Lorde, like the abominations of the heathen, [Note: Deut.18.9. ] who the Lorde had cast out before the children of Israel.

³ For he went backe and built the hie places, [Note: 2.King.18.4. ] which Hezekiah his father had broken downe: [Note: Ierem.31.34. 2.king.17.10. ] and he set vp altars for Baalim, and made groues, and worshipped all the hoste of the heauen, and serued them.

⁴ Also he built altars in the house of the Lorde, whereof the Lorde had saide, [Note: 2.King.21.4. ] In Ierusalem shall my Name be for euer.

⁵ And he built altars for all the hoste of the heauen in the two courtes of the house of the Lorde.

⁶ [Note: [a] Reade 2.King. 16.3. ] And he caused his sonnes to passe through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom: he gaue him selfe to witchcraft and to charming and to sorcerie, and he vsed them that had familiar spirits, and soothsayers: hee did very much euill in the sight of the Lord to anger him.

⁷ He put also the carued image, which he had made, in the house of God: whereof God had said to Dauid and to Salomon his sonne, [Note: 1.King.8.29. and 9.3. 2.king.21.7. and 23.27. ] In this house and in Ierusalem, which I haue chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my Name for euer,

⁸ Neither will [Note: 2.Sam.7.10. ] I make the foote of Israel to remooue any more out of the lande which I haue appointed for your fathers, so that they take heede, and do all that I haue commanded them, according to the Lawe and statutes and iudgements by the [Note: [b] By the charge giuen to Moses. ] hande of Moses.

⁹ So Manasseh made Iudah and the inhabitants of Ierusalem to erre, and to doe worse then the heathen, whome the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel.

¹⁰ ¶ And the Lorde spake [Note: [c] Meaning, by his Prophets, but their heartes were not touched to beleeue and repent, without the which the preaching of the worde taketh no place. ] to Manasseh and to his people, but they would not regarde.

¹¹ Wherefore the Lorde brought vpon them the captaines of the hoste of the King of Asshur, which tooke Manasseh and put him in fetters, & bound him in chaines, & caryed him to Babel.

¹² And when he was in tribulation, he prayed to the Lorde his God, and humbled him selfe greatly before the God of his fathers,

¹³ And prayed vnto him: and God was [Note: [d] Thus affliction giueth vnderstanding: for he that hated God in his prosperitie, nowe in his miserie he seeketh vnto him. ] entreated of him, and heard his prayer, and brought him againe to Ierusalem into his kingdome: then Manasseh knewe that the Lorde was God.

¹⁴ Nowe after this he built a wall without the citie of Dauid, on the Westside of [Note: [e] Reade Chap. 32.30. ] Gihon in the valley, euen at the entrie of the fish gate, and compassed about [Note: [f] Keade Chap. 27.3. ] Ophel, and raised it very hie, and put captaines of warre in all the strong cities of Iudah.

¹⁵ And he tooke away the strange gods and

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the image out of the house of the Lord, & all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the Lorde, and in Ierusalem, and cast them out of the citie.
¹⁶ Also he prepared the [Note: [g] Which Salomon had caused to be made. ] altar of the Lord, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings, and of thankes, & commanded Iudah to serue the Lord God of Israel.

¹⁷ Neuerthelesse the people did sacrifice stil in the hie places, but vnto the [Note: [h] Thus by ignorance they were deceiued, thinking it nothing to keepe the altars, so that they worshipped God: but it is idolatrie to worship God any otherwise then he hath appointed. ] Lorde their God.

¹⁸ ¶ Concerning the rest of the actes of Manasseh, & his [Note: [i] Which albeit that it is not conteined in the Ebrew, yet because it is heere mentioned and is written in the Greeke, wee haue placed it in ye end of this booke. ] prayer vnto his God, & the words of the Seers, that spake to him in ye Name of the Lord God of Israel, beholde, they are written in the booke of the Kings of Israel.

¹⁹ And his prayer and how God was intreated of him, and all his sinne, and his trespasse, and the places wherein he built hie places, and set groues and images (before he was humbled) behold, they are written in the booke of the [Note: Or, Hozai. ] Seers.

²⁰ So Manasseh slept with his fathers, & they buried him in his owne [Note: [k] Because he had so horribly offended against the Lord, they did not bury him in the sepulchres of the Kings, but in the garde of the Kings house. ] house: and Amon his sonne reigned in his stead.

²¹ ¶ Amon was two and twentie yeere olde, when he began to reigne, and reigned two yeere in Ierusalem.

²² But he did euill in the sight of the Lorde, as did Manasseh his father: for Amon sacrificed to all the images, which Manasseh his father had made, and serued them,

²³ And he humbled not him selfe before the Lord, as Manasseh his father had humbled himselfe: but this Amon trespassed more and more.

²⁴ And his seruants [Note: 2.King.21.23. ] conspired against him, & slewe him in his owne house.

²⁵ But the people of the land slewe all them that had conspired against King Amon: and the people of the land made Iosiah his sonne King in his steade.

1 Iosiah destroyeth the idoles, 8 And restoreth the Temple. 14 The booke of the Law is found. 21 He sendeth to Huldah the Prophetesse for counsel. 27 God heareth his prayer. 31 He maketh a couenant with God.

¹ Iosiah [Note: 2.King.22.1. ] was eight yeere olde when hee began to reigne, and he reigned in Ierusalem one and thirtie yeere.

² And he did vprightly in the sight of ye Lord, and walked in the wayes of [Note: [a] He followed Dauid in all points that he followed the Lorde. ] Dauid his father, & bowed neither to the right hand nor to the left.

³ And in the eight yeere of his reigne (when he was yet a [Note: [b] When he was but sixteene yeere olde, he shewed himselfe zealous of Gods glorie, & at twentie yeere olde he abolished idolatry and restored the true religion. ] childe) he began to seeke after the God of Dauid his father: and in the twelft yeere he began to purge Iudah, and Ierusalem from the hie places, and the groues, and the carued images, and molten images:

⁴ And they brake downe [Note: [c] Which sheweth that he would see the reformation wt his own eyes. ] in his sight the altars of Baalim, and hee caused to cut downe the images that were on hie vpon them: he brake also the groues, and the carued images, and the molten images, & stampt them to pouder, & strowed it vpon the graues of them that had sacrificed vnto them.

⁵ Also he burnt the [Note: [d] Read 2.King. 23.16. ] bones of the Priests vpon their altars, and purged Iudah & Ierusalem.

⁶ And in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, euen vnto Naphtali, wt their maules they brake all round about.

⁷ And when he had [Note: [e] This great zeale of this godly King the holy Ghost setteth forth as an example and paterne to other Kings and rulers, to teache them what God requireth of them. ] destroyed the altars and the groues, and had broken and stamped to pouder

the images, and had cut downe all the idoles throughout all the land of Israel, hee returned to Ierusalem.

⁸ ¶ [Note: 2.King.22.3. ] Then in the eightenth yere of his reigne, when hee had purged the lande and the Temple, he sent Shaphan the sonne of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the gouernour of the citie, & Ioah the sonne of Ioahaz the recorder, to repaire the house of the Lord his God.

⁹ And when they came to Hilkiah the hie Priest, they deliuered ye money that was brought into the house of God, which the Leuites that kept the doore, had gathered at the hand of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and of all the residue of Israel, and of all Iudah and Beniamin, and [Note: Or, they returned to Ierusalem, meaning, Shaphan, &c. ] of the inhabitantes of Ierusalem.

¹⁰ And they put it in the hands of them that should doe the worke and had the ouersight in the house of the Lorde: and they gaue it to the workemen that wrought in the house of ye Lorde, to repaire and amend the house.

¹¹ Euen to the workemen and to the builders gaue they it, to bye hewed stone and timber for couples and for beames of the [Note: [f] For there were many portions & pieces annexed to the Temple. ] houses, which the Kings of Iudah had destroyed.

¹² And the men did the worke [Note: [g] Meaning, that they were in such credite for their fidelitie, that they made none accomtes of that which they receiued, 2.King.22.7,9. ] faithfully, & the ouerseers of them were Iahath and Obadiah the Leuites, of the children of Merari, and Zechariah, and Meshullam, of the children of the Kohathites to set it forward: and of the Leuites all that could skill of instruments of musike.

¹³ And they were ouer the bearers of burdens, and them that set forwarde all the workemen in euery worke: and of the Leuites were scribes, and officers and porters.

¹⁴ ¶ And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the Priest found the [Note: [h] Read .2.King. 22.8. ] booke of the Lawe of the Lord giuen by the hand of Moses.

¹⁵ Therefore Hilkiah answered and sayde to Shaphan the chaceler, I haue found the booke of the Law in the house of the Lord: & Hilkiah gaue the booke to Shaphan.

¹⁶ And Shaphan caried the booke to [Note: [i] For the King was commanded to haue continually a copie of this booke, and to reade therein day and night, Deut. 17.18. ] the King, and brought the King worde againe, saying, All that is committed to the hand of thy seruants, that do they.

¹⁷ For they haue gathered the money that was found in the house of the Lord, and haue deliuered it into the handes of the ouerseers, and to the handes of the workemen.

¹⁸ Also Shaphan ye chanceler declared to the King, saying, Hilkiah the Priest hath giuen mee a booke, and Shaphan read it before the King.

¹⁹ And when the King had heard the wordes of the Lawe, he [Note: [k] For sorow that the word of God had bene so long suppressed and the people kept in ignorance, considering also the curses conteined therein against the transgressours. ] tare his clothes.

²⁰ And the King commanded Hilkiah, & Ahikam the sonne of Shaphan, & Abdon the sonne of Micah, and Shaphan the chanceler, & Asaiah the Kings seruant, saying,

²¹ Goe and enquire of the Lorde for me, and for the rest in Israel and Iudah, concerning the wordes of this booke that is founde: for great is the wrath of the Lorde that is fallen vpon vs, because our [Note: [l] Thus the godly doe not onely lament their owne sinnes but also yt their fathers and predecessours haue offended God. ] fathers haue not kept the worde of the Lorde, to doe after all that is written in this booke.

²² Then Hilkiah and they that the King had appoynted, went to Huldah the Prophetesse ye wife of Shallum, the sonne of [Note: Or, Tikuah. ] Tokhath, the sonne of [Page]

[Note: Or, Harhas. ] Hasrah keeper of the [Note: [m] Meaning, eyther of the Priests apparel, or of the Kings. ] wardrobe (and she dwelt in Ierusalem within the [Note: [n] Read hereof, 2.King.22.15. ] colledge) and they communed hereof with her.

²³ And shee answered them, Thus sayth the Lord God of Israel, Tell yee [Note: [o] That is, to the King. ] the man that sent you to me,

²⁴ Thus saith the Lorde, Beholde, I will bring euill vpon this place, and vpon the inhabitantes thereof, euen all the curses, that are written in the booke which they haue read before the King of Iudah:

²⁵ Because they haue forsaken me, and burnt incense vnto other gods, to anger mee with al the workes of their [Note: [p] This she speaketh in contempt of the idolaters, who contrary to reason and nature make that a god, which they haue made and framed with their owne handes. ] hands, therefore shall my wrath fall vpon this place, and shall not be quenched.

²⁶ But to the King of Iudah, who sent you to enquire of the Lord, so shal ye say vnto him, Thus saith the Lorde God of Israel, The words which thou hast heard, shal come to passe.

²⁷ But because thine heart did [Note: [q] This declareth what is the ende of Gods threatnings, to call his to repentance, and to assure the vnrepentant of their destruction. ] melt, and thou didest humble thy selfe before God, when thou heardest his wordes against this place and against the inhabitantes thereof, and humbledst thy selfe before mee and tarest thy clothes, and weptest before mee, I haue also heard it, sayth the Lorde.

²⁸ Beholde, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt bee put in thy graue in peace, and thine eyes shall not see all the euill, which I will bring vpon this [Note: [r] It may appeare that very fewe were touched with true repentance, seeing that God spared them for a time onely for the Kings sake. ] place, & vpon the inhabitants of the same. Thus they brought ye King word againe.

²⁹ ¶ Then the King sent and gathered all the Elders of Iudah and Ierusalem.

³⁰ And the King went vp into the house of the Lord, and all the men of Iudah, and the inhabitants of Ierusalem, and the Priests and the Leuites, and all the people from the greatest to the [Note: [s] Forasmuch as neither yong nor olde coulde bee exempted from the curses conteined therein, if they did transgresse, he knewe it perteined to all, and was his duetie to see it read to all sorts, that euery one might learne to auoyde those punishments by seruing God aright. ] smallest, and hee read in their eares all the wordes of the booke of the couenant that was found in the house of the Lord.

³¹ And the King stood by his pillar, and made a couenant before the Lorde, to walke after the Lord, and to keepe his commandements, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soule, and that he would accomplish the wordes of the couenant written in the same booke.

³² And he caused all that were found in Ierusalem, and Beniamin to stande to it: and the inhabitants of Ierusalem did according to the couenant of God, euen the God of their fathers.

³³ So Iosiah tooke away al the abominations out of all the countreis that perteined to the children of Israel, & compelled all [Note: [t] Because he had charge ouer all & must answere for euery one that perished, he thought it his duetie to see yt al should make profession to receiue the worde of God. ] that were found in Israel, to serue the Lorde their God: so all his dayes they turned not backe from the Lord God of their fathers.

1 Iosiah keepeth the Passeouer. 2 He setteth forth Gods seruice. 20 He sighteth against the King of Egypt, and dyeth. 24 The people bewayle him.

¹ Moreouer [Note: 2.King.23.21. ] Iosiah kept a Passeouer vnto the Lord in Ierusalem, & they slewe the [Note: [a] The Scripture vseth in sundrie places to call the lambe the Passeouer, which was but ye signe of ye Passeouer, because in all sacraments the signes haue the names of the things which are signified. ] Passeouer in the fourtenth day of the first moneth.

² And he appointed the Priestes to their charges, and incouraged them to the seruice of the house of the Lord,

³ And he sayd vnto the Leuites that [Note: [b] So yt the Leuites charge was not onely to minister in the Temple, but also to instruct the people in the word of God. ] taught all Israel and were sanctified vnto the Lorde, Put

the holy Arke in the house which Salomon the sonne of Dauid King of Israel did build: it shalbe no more a [Note: [c] As it was before the Temple was built: therefore your office onely is now to teache the people, and to praise God. ] burden vpo your shoulders: serue now the Lord your God and his people Israel,

⁴ And prepare your selues by the houses of your fathers according to your courses, as [Note: 1.Chro. 23 24, 25. 26.chapters, &c. ] Dauid the King of Israel hath written, and according to the writing of Salomon his sonne,

⁵ And stande in the Sanctuarie according to the deuision of the families of your brethren [Note: Or, the people. ] the children of the people, and after the deuision of the familie of the Leuites:

⁶ So kil the Passeouer & sanctifie your selues, and [Note: [d] Exhort euery one to examine themselues, that they be not vnmeete to eate of the Passeouer. ] prepare your brethren that they may doe according to the worde of the Lorde by the hand of Moses.

⁷ Iosiah also gaue to the [Note: Ebr. sonnes of the people. ] people sheepe, lambs and kiddes, all for the Passeouer, euen to all that were present, to the nomber of thirtie thousand, and three thousande bullocks: these were of the Kings substance.

⁸ And his princes offred willingly vnto the people, to the Priests and to the Leuites: Hilkiah, and Zechariah, and Iehiel, rulers of the house of God, gaue vnto the Priests for the Passeouer, euen two thousand and sixe hundreth sheepe, and three hundreth bullockes.

⁹ [Note: [e] So that euery one and of all sorts gaue of that they had a liberall portion to the seruice of God. ] Conaniah also and Shemaiah and Nethaneel his brethren, and Hashabiah and Ieiel, & Iozabad, chiefe of the Leuites gaue vnto the Leuites for the Passeouer, fiue thousand sheepe, and fiue hundreth bullockes.

¹⁰ Thus the seruice was prepared, and the Priests stoode in their places, also the Leuites in their orders, according to the Kings commandement:

¹¹ And they slewe the Passeouer, and the Priests [Note: [f] Meaning, of the lambe, which was called the Passeouer: for onely the Priests might sprinkle, and in necessitie the Leuites might kill the sacrifice. ] sprinkled the blood with their handes, and the Leuites flayed them.

¹² And they tooke away from the [Note: [g] They reserued for the people that which was not expedient to be offred, that euery man might offer peace offrings, and so haue his portio. ] burnt offering to giue it according to the deuisions of the families of the children of the people, to offer vnto the Lord, as it is written in the booke of Moses, and so of the bullockes.

¹³ And [Note: Exod.12.8. ] they rosted the Passeouer with fire, according to ye custome, but the sanctified things they sod in pots, pannes, and cauldrons, and distributed them quickely to all the people.

¹⁴ Afterwarde also they prepared for them selues and for the Priestes: for the Priestes the sonnes of Aaron were occupied in offering of burnt offrings, and the fat vntill night: therefore the Leuites prepared for them selues, and for the Priests the sonnes of Aaron.

¹⁵ And the singers the sonnes of Asaph stoode in their standing [Note: 1.Chro.25.1. ] according to the commandement of Dauid, and Asaph, and Heman, and Ieduthun the Kings [Note: [h] Meaning hereby his Prophet, because hee appointed ye Psalmes and prophesies which were to be sung. ] Seer: and the porters at euery gate, who might not depart from their seruice: therefore their brethren the Leuites prepared for them.

¹⁶ So all the seruice of the Lord was prepared the same day, to keepe the Passeouer, and to offer burnt offerings vpon the altar of the Lord, according to the commandement of King Iosiah.

¹⁷ And the children of Israel that were present, kept the Passeouer the same time, and the feast of the vnleauened bread seuen dayes.

¹⁸ And there was no Passeouer kept like that, in Israel, from the dayes of Samuel the Prophet:

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neyther did all the Kings of Israel keepe such a Passeouer as Iosiah kept, and the Priestes and the Leuites, and all Iudah, and Israel that were [Note: Ebr. sounde. ] present, and the inhabitants of Ierusalem.
¹⁹ This Passeouer was kept in [Note: [i] Which was in the sixe and twentieth yeere of his age. ] the eighteenth yeere of the reigne of Iosiah.

²⁰ ¶ [Note: 2.King.23.29. ] After all this, when Iosiah had prepared the Temple, Necho King of Egypt came vp to fight against [Note: [k] Which was a citie of the Assyrians, and Iosiah fearing least he passing through Iudah, would haue taken his kingdome, made warre against him and consulted not with the Lord. ] Carchemish by [Note: Or, Euphrates. ] Perath, and Iosiah went out against him.

²¹ But he sent messengers to him, saying, What haue I to doe with thee, thou King of Iudah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house [Note: Ebr. of my battel. ] of mine enemie, and God commanded me to make haste: leaue of to come against God, which is with me, least he destroy thee.

²² But Iosiah would not turne his face from him, but [Note: [l] That is, armed him selfe, or disguised him selfe because he might not be knowen. ] changed his apparel to fight with him, and hearkened not vnto the wordes of Necho, which were of the mouth of God, but came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.

²³ And the shooters shot at king Iosiah: then the King saide to his seruants, Cary me away, for I am very sicke.

²⁴ So his seruants tooke him out of that charet, and put him in the seconde charet which he had, and when they had brought him to Ierusalem, he dyed, and was buryed in the sepulchres of his fathers: and all Iudah and Ierusalem [Note: [m] The people so much lamented the losse of this good King, that after when there was any great lamentation, this was spoken of as a prouerbe, reade Zach.12.11. ] mourned for Iosiah.

²⁵ And Ieremiah lamented Iosiah, and al singing men and singing women mourned for Iosiah in their lamentations to this day, and made the same for an ordinance vnto Israel: and beholde, they be written in the [Note: [n] Which some thinke Ieremie made, wherein he lamenteth the state of the Church after this Kings death. ] lamentations.

²⁶ Concerning the rest of the actes of Iosiah and his goodnesse, doing as it was written in the Lawe of the Lorde,

²⁷ And his deedes, first and last, behold, they are written in the booke of the Kings of Israel and Iudah.

1 After Iosiah, reigneth Iehoahaz. 4 After Iehoahaz, Iehoiakim. 8 After him Iehoiachim. 11 After him Zedekiah. 14. 17 In whose time all the people were caried away to Babel for contemning the admonitions of the Prophets, 22 And were restored againe the seuentieth yeere after by King Cyrus.

¹ Then [Note: 2.King.23.30. ] the people of the lande tooke Iehoahaz the sonne of Iosiah, and made him king in his fathers steade in Ierusalem.

² Iehoahaz was three and twentie yeere old when he began to reigne, and he reigned three [Note: [a] For three moneths after the death of Iosiah came Necho to Ierusalem, and so the plagues began, which Huldah, and the Prophets forewarned shoulde come vpon Ierusalem. ] moneths in Ierusalem.

³ And the King of Egypt tooke him away at Ierusalem, and condemned the lande in an [Note: [b] To pay this as a yerely tribute. ] hundreth talents of siluer, and a talent of gold.

⁴ ¶ And the King of Egypt made Eliakim his brother King ouer Iudah and Ierusalem, and turned his name to Iehoiakim: and Necho tooke Iehoahaz his brother, and caryed him to Egypt.

⁵ Iehoiakim was fiue and twentie yeere old, when he began to reigne, and he reigned eleuen yeere in Ierusalem, and did [Note: [c] Because he, and the people turned not to God by his first plague, he brought a new vpon him, and at length rooted them out. ] euill in the sight of the Lord his God.

⁶ Against him came vp Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel, and bounde him with chaines to cary him to Babel.

⁷ Nebuchadnezzar also [Note: 2.King.24.13. ] caryed of the vessels of the house of the Lorde to Babel, and put

them in his Temple at Babel.

⁸ Concerning the rest of the actes of Iehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and [Note: [d] He meaneth superstitious markes which were found vpon his body, when he was dead: which thing declared how deepely idolatrie was rooted in his heart seeing he bare the markes in his flesh. ] that which was founde vpon him, behold, they are written in the booke of the Kings of Israel and Iudah, and Iehoiachin his sonne reigned in his stead.

⁹ ¶ Iehoiachin was [Note: [e] That is, he began his reigne at eight yeere olde, and reigned ten yeeres when his father was aliue, and after his fathers death, which was the eighteenth yeere of his age, he reigned alone three moneths and ten dayes. ] eight yeere olde when he beganne to reigne, and he reigned three moneths and ten dayes in Ierusalem, and did euill in the sight of the Lorde.

¹⁰ And when the yeere was out, King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babel with the precious vessels of the house of the Lorde, and he made Zedekiah his [Note: Or, vncle. ] brother King ouer Iudah and Ierusalem.

¹¹ Zedekiah was one and twentie yeere olde, when he beganne to reigne, and reigned eleuen yeere in Ierusalem.

¹² [Note: 2.King.24.17,19. ierem.52.2. ] And he did euill in the sight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himselfe before Ieremiah the Prophet at the commandement of the Lorde,

¹³ But he rebelled moreouer against Nebuchadnezzar, which had caused him to sweare by God: and he hardened his necke and made his heart obstinate that he might not returne to the Lorde God of Israel.

¹⁴ All the chiefe of the Priestes also and of the people trespassed wonderfully, according to all the abominations of the heathen, and polluted the house of the Lorde which he had sanctified in Ierusalem.

¹⁵ Therefore the Lorde God of their fathers sent to them [Note: Ebr. by the hand of his. ] by his messengers, [Note: [f] By this phrase the Scripture meaneth, often times and diligently, as Ierem.11.7. and 25.3. and 26.5. and 32.33. ] rising earely and sending: for he had compassion on his people, and on his habitation.

¹⁶ But they mocked the messengers of God and despised his wordes, and misused his Prophets, vntill the wrath of the Lorde arose against his people, and till there was no [Note: [g] Till God could no longer suffer their sinnes, but must needes punish them. ] remedie.

¹⁷ For he brought vpon them the King of the Caldeans, who slewe their yong men with the sworde [Note: [h] Whither they fled, thinking to haue bene saued for the holinesse thereof. ] in the house of their Sanctuarie, and spared neither yong man, nor virgin, ancient, nor aged. God [Note: [i] Which is not because God approoueth him which yet is the minister of his iustice, but because God would by his iust iudgement punish this people: for this King was ledde with ambition and vaine glorie, whereunto were ioyned furie and crueltie: therefore his worke was condemnable, notwithstanding it was iust and holy on Gods part, who vsed this wicked instrument to declare his iustice. ] gaue all into his hande,

¹⁸ And all the vessels of the house of God great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lorde, and the treasures of the King, and of his princes: all these caryed he to Babel.

¹⁹ And they burnt the house of God, and brake downe the wall of Ierusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and all the precious vessels thereof, to destroy all.

²⁰ And they that were left by the sworde, caryed he away to Babel, and they were seruants to him and to his sonnes, vntill the kingdome of the [Note: [k] When Cyrus King of Persia had made the Babylonians subiect. ] Persians had rule,

²¹ To fulfill the worde of the Lorde by the [Note: [l] Who threatned the vengeance of God, and seuentie yeeres captiuitie, which he calleth the Sabbaths or rest of the land. Ier.25.11. ] mouth of Ieremiah, vntill the lande had her fill of her Sabbaths: for all the dayes that she lay desolate, she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seuentie yeeres.

²² ¶ [Note: Ier.25.13. & 29.10. 1.esd. 2.1. ] But in the [Note: [m] In the first yeere that he reigned ouer the Caldeans, Ezra.1.1. ] first yeere of Cyrus King of Persia (when the worde of the Lorde, spoken [Page]

by the mouth of Ieremiah, was finished) the Lord stirred vp the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia, and he made a proclamation through all his kingdome, and also by writing, saying,

²³ Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia, All the kingdomes of the earth hath the Lorde God of

heauen giuen me, and hath [Note: [n] God had so forewarned by his prophet aboue an hudreth yeres, before Cyrus was borne, Isa.44.28. that Ierusalem & the Teple should be built againe by Cyrus his anointed: so called, because God vsed his seruice for a time to deliuer his Church. ] commanded me to build him an house in Ierusalem, that is in Iudah. Who is among you of all his people, with whom the Lorde his God is? let him goe vp.

[Here the version consulted includes "Prayer of Manasseh" which, if you will read it, is here classed in ../Apocrypha -Dosius.]