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The Message Bible Remix - History Part2

01CHRONICLES    

02 CHRONICLES   

EZRA            

NEHEMIAH        

ESTHER

01CHRONICLES

Israel’s Family Tree: The Trunk

001 Adam Seth

Enosh

Kenan

Mahalalel

Jared

Enoch

Methuselah

Lamech

Noah

Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

The Japheth Branch

Japheth had Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.

Gomer had Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.

Javan had Elisha, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim.

The Ham Branch

Ham had Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

Cush had Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raamah, and Sabteca.

Raamah had Sheba and Dedan.

Cush had Nimrod, the first great hero on earth.

Mizraim was ancestor to the Ludim, the Anamim, the Lehabim, the Naphtuhim, the Pathrusim, the Casluhim, and the Caphtorim from whom the Philistines descended.

Canaan had Sidon (his firstborn) and Heth, and was ancestor to the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites.

The Shem Branch

Shem had Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech.

Arphaxad had Shelah and Shelah had Eber.

 Eber had two sons: Peleg (Division) because in his time the earth was divided up; his brother was Joktan.

Joktan had Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab—all sons of Joktan.

The three main branches in summary: Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, and Abram (Abraham).

 And Abraham had Isaac and Ishmael.

The Family of Abraham

Abraham’s family tree developed along these lines: Ishmael had Nebaioth (his firstborn), then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah—the Ishmael branch.

Keturah, Abraham’s concubine, gave birth to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.

 Then Jokshan had Sheba and Dedan.

 And Midian had Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah.

 These made up the Keturah branch.

Abraham had Isaac, and Isaac had Esau and Israel (Jacob).

 Esau had Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.

 Eliphaz had Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, Kenaz, Timna, and Amalek.

 And Reuel had Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.

Seir then had Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan.

 Lotan had Hori and Homam.

 Timna was Lotan’s sister.

 Shobal had Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.

 Zibeon had Aiah and Anah.

 Anah had Dishon.

 Dishon had Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Keran.

 Ezer had Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.

 And Dishan had Uz and Aran.

The Edomite King List

A list of the kings who ruled in the country of Edom before Israel had a king: Bela son of Beor; his city was Dinhabah.

Bela died; Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah was the next king.

Jobab died; Husham from the country of the Temanites was the next king.

Husham died; Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, was the next king; his city was Avith.

Hadad died; Samlah from Masrekah was the next king.

Samlah died; Shaul from Rehoboth-by-the-River was the next king.

Shaul died; Baal-Hanan son of Acbor was the next king.

Baal-Hanan died; Hadad was the next king; his city was Pau and his wife was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-Zahab.

Last of all Hadad died.

The chieftains of Edom after that were Chief Timna, Chief Alvah, Chief Jetheth, Chief Oholibamah, Chief Elah, Chief Pinon, Chief Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar, Chief Magdiel, and Chief Iram.

 These were the chieftains of Edom.

The Family of Israel (Jacob)

002 Israel’s (that is, Jacob’s) sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

Judah had Er, Onan, and Shelah; their mother was Bathshua the Canaanite.

 Er, Judah’s firstborn, was so bad before GOD that God killed him.

 Judah also had Perez and Zerah by his daughter-in-law Tamar—a total of five sons.

 Perez had Hezron and Hamul; Zerah had Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Darda—five sons.

 Carmi had Achar, who brought doom on Israel when he violated a holy ban.

 Ethan’s son was Azariah.

 And Hezron had Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai.

Ram had Amminadab and Amminadab had Nahshon, a prominent leader in the Judah family.

 Nahshon had Salmon and Salmon had Boaz.

 Boaz had Obed and Obed had Jesse.

 Jesse’s firstborn was Eliab, followed by Abinadab, Shimea, Nethanel, Raddai, Ozem, and finally David; David was the seventh.

 Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail.

 Zeruiah gave birth to three sons: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel; Abigail was the mother of Amasa (the father was Jether the Ishmaelite).

The Family of Caleb

Caleb son of Hezron had children by his wife Azubah and also by Jerioth.

 Azubah’s sons were Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon.

 After Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, who gave birth to Hur.

 Hur had Uri and Uri had Bezalel.

 Some time later Hezron married the daughter of Makir the father of Gilead; he was sixty years old when he married her; she gave birth to Segub.

 Then Segub had Jair who owned twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead.

 Geshur and Aram captured the nomadic villages of Jair and Kenath and their satellite settlements—sixty towns.

 These all belonged to Makir the father of Gilead.

 After the death of Hezron, Caleb married Ephrathah the wife of his father Hezron; she then gave birth to Ashhur the father of Tekoa.

The Family of Jerahmeel

The sons of Jerahmeel, Hezron’s firstborn: Ram his firstborn, followed by Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah.

 Jerahmeel had another wife whose name was Atarah; she gave birth to Onam.

The sons of Ram, Jerahmeel’s firstborn: Maaz, Jamin, and Eker.

The sons of Onam: Shammai and Jada.

The sons of Shammai: Nadab and Abishur.

 Abishur’s wife was Abihail; she gave birth to Ahban and Molid.

Nadab had Seled and Appaim.

 Seled died leaving no sons.

Appaim had Ishi; Ishi had Sheshan; and Sheshan had Ahlai.

Jada, Shammai’s brother, had Jether and Jonathan.

 Jether died leaving no sons.

 Jonathan had Peleth and Zaza.

This is the family tree of the sons of Jerahmeel.

Sheshan had no sons, only daughters.

 But Sheshan had an Egyptian servant, Jarha.

 Sheshan married his daughter to Jarha and she gave birth to Attai.

 Attai had Nathan, Nathan had Zabad, Zabad had Ephlal, Ephlal had Obed, Obed had Jehu, Jehu had Azariah, Azariah had Helez, Helez had Eleasah, Eleasah had Sismai, Sismai had Shallum, Shallum had Jekamiah, and Jekamiah had Elishama.

Jerahmeel’s brother Caleb had a son, his firstborn, named Mesha; Mesha had Ziph; Ziph’s son was Mareshah the father of Hebron.

The sons of Hebron: Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema.

 Shema had Raham the father of Jorkeam; Rekem had Shammai.

Shammai’s son was Maon and Maon was the father of Beth Zur.

 Caleb’s concubine Ephah gave birth to Haran, Moza, and Gazez; Haran had Gazez.

 The sons of Jahdai: Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph.

Another concubine of Caleb, Maacah, gave birth to Sheber and Tirhanah.

 She also bore Shaaph the father of Madmannah and Sheva the father of Macbenah and Gibea.

 Caleb’s daughter was Acsah.

 These made up the Caleb branch of the family tree.

The sons of Hur, Ephrathah’s firstborn: Shobal who had Kiriath Jearim, Salma who had Bethlehem, and Hareph father of Beth Gader.

The family of Shobal, father of Kiriath Jearim: Haroeh, half of the population of Manahath, the families of Kiriath Jearim, the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites, and the Mishraites.

 The Zorathites and Eshtaolites also came from this line.

The sons of Salma: Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth Beth Joab, half of the Manahathites, the Zorites, and the families of Sopherim who lived at Jabez—the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and the Sucathites.

 They made up the Kenites who came from Hammath the father of the house of Recab.

The Family of David

003 These are the sons that David had while he lived at Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon by Ahinoam of Jezreel; second, Daniel by Abigail of Carmel; third, Absalom born of Maacah, daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; fourth, Adonijah born of Haggith; fifth, Shephatiah born of Abital; sixth, Ithream born of his wife Eglah.

He had these six sons while he was in Hebron; he was king there for seven years and six months.

He went on to be king in Jerusalem for another thirty-three years.

 These are the sons he had in Jerusalem: first Shammua, then Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon.

 Bathsheba daughter of Ammiel was the mother of these four.

 And then there were another nine sons: Ibhar, Elishua, Eliphelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, Eliphelet—David’s sons, plus Tamar their sister.

 There were other sons by his concubines.

In the next generation Solomon had Rehoboam, who had Abijah, who had Asa, who had Jehoshaphat, who had Jehoram, who had Ahaziah, who had Joash, who had Amaziah, who had Azariah, who had Jotham, who hadAhaz, who had Hezekiah, who had Manasseh, who had Amon, who had Josiah.

Josiah’s firstborn was Johanan, followed by Jehoiakim, then Zedekiah, and finally Shallum.

Jehoiakim’s sons were Jeconiah (Jehoiachin) and Zedekiah.

The sons of Jeconiah born while he was captive in Babylon: Shealtiel, Malkiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.

Pedaiah had Zerubbabel and Shimei; Zerubbabel had Meshullam and Hananiah.

 Shelomith was their sister.

 And then five more—Hashubah, Ohel, Berekiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-Hesed.

Hananiah’s sons were Pelatiah and Jeshaiah.

 There were also sons of Rephaiah, sons of Arnan, sons of Obadiah, and sons of Shecaniah.

Shecaniah had Shemaiah who in his turn had Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat—six of them.

Neariah had three sons: Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam.

And Elioenai had seven sons: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani.

An Appendix to the Family of Judah

004 Sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.

 Reaiah, Shobal’s son, had Jahath; and Jahath had Ahumai and Lahad.

 These made up the families of the Zorathites.

Sons of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash.

 Their sister was named Hazzelelponi.

 Penuel had Gedor and Ezer had Hushah.

 These were the sons of Hur, firstborn son of Ephrathah, who was the father of Bethlehem.

Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.

 Naarah gave birth to Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari—Naarah’s children.

 Helah’s sons were Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan, and Koz, who had Anub, Hazzobebah, and the families of Aharhel son of Harum.

Jabez was a better man than his brothers, a man of honor.

 His mother had named him Jabez (Oh, the pain!), saying, “A painful birth! I bore him in great pain!” Jabez prayed to the God of Israel: “Bless me, O bless me! Give me land, large tracts of land.

 And provide your personal protection—don’t let evil hurt me.

” God gave him what he asked.

Kelub, Shuhah’s brother, had Mehir; Mehir had Eshton; Eshton had Beth Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, who founded Ir Nahash (City of Smiths).

 These were known as the men of Recah.

The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah.

The sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai.

Meonothai had Ophrah; Seraiah had Joab, the founder of Ge Harashim (Colony of Artisans).

The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam.

The son of Elah: Kenaz.

The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.

The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon.

 One of Mered’s wives, Pharaoh’s daughter Bithiah, gave birth to Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.

 His Judean wife gave birth to Jered father of Gedor, Heber father of Soco, and Jekuthiel father of Zanoah.

The sons of Hodiah’s wife, Naham’s sister: the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maacathite.

The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan, and Tilon.

The sons of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth.

The sons of Shelah son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah and the family of linen workers at Beth Ashbea, Jokim, the men of Cozeba, and Joash and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and Jashubi Lehem.

 (These records are from very old traditions.

) They were the potters who lived at Netaim and Gederah, resident potters who worked for the king.

The Family of Simeon

The Simeon family tree: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul; Shaul had Shallum, Shallum had Mibsam, and Mibsam had Mishma.

The sons of Mishma: Hammuel had Zaccur and Zaccur had Shimei.

Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers were not nearly as prolific and never became a large family like Judah.

 They lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar Shual, Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susim, Beth Biri, and Shaaraim.

 They lived in these towns until David became king.

 Other settlements in the vicinity were the five towns of Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Token, and Ashan, and all the villages around these towns as far as Baalath.

 These were their settlements.

 And they kept good family records.

Meshobab; Jamlech; Joshah the son of Amaziah; Joel; Jehu the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel; Elioenai; Jaakobah; Jeshohaiah; Asaiah; Adiel; Jesimiel; Benaiah; and Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah—all these were the leaders in their families.

 They prospered and increased in numbers so that they had to go as far as Gedor (Gerar) to the east of the valley looking for pasture for their flocks.

 And they found it—lush pasture, lots of elbow room, peaceful and quiet.

Some Hamites had lived there in former times.

 But the men in these family trees came when Hezekiah was king of Judah and attacked the Hamites, tearing down their tents and houses.

 There was nothing left of them, as you can see today.

 Then they moved in and took over because of the great pastureland.

 Five hundred of these Simeonites went on and invaded the hill country of Seir, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi.

 They killed all the escaped Amalekites who were still around.

 And they still live there.

The Family of Reuben

005 The family of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Though Reuben was Israel’s firstborn, after he slept with his father’s concubine, a defiling act, his rights as the firstborn were passed on to the sons of Joseph son of Israel.

 He lost his “firstborn” place in the family tree.

 And even though Judah became the strongest of his brothers and King David eventually came from that family, the firstborn rights stayed with Joseph.

The sons of Reuben, firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

The descendants of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son, Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son, and Beerah his son, whom Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria took into exile.

 Beerah was the prince of the Reubenites.

Beerah’s brothers are listed in the family tree by families: first Jeiel, followed by Zechariah: then Bela son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel.

 Joel lived in the area from Aroer to Nebo and Baal Meon.

 His family occupied the land up to the edge of the desert that goes all the way to the Euphrates River, since their growing herds of livestock spilled out of Gilead.

 During Saul’s reign they fought and defeated the Hagrites; they then took over their tents and lived in them on the eastern frontier of Gilead.

The family of Gad were their neighbors in Bashan, as far as Salecah: Joel was the chief, Shapham the second-in-command, and then Janai, the judge in Bashan.

Their brothers, by families, were Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber—seven in all.

 These were the sons of Abihail son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz.

 Ahi son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was head of their family.

The family of Gad lived in Gilead and Bashan, including the outlying villages and extending as far as the pastures of Sharon.

They were all written into the official family tree during the reigns of Jotham king of Judah and Jeroboam king of Israel.

The families of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 men trained for war—physically fit and skilled in handling shield, sword, and bow.

 They fought against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab.

 God helped them as they fought.

 God handed the Hagrites and all their allies over to them, because they cried out to him during the battle.

 God answered their prayers because they trusted him.

 They plundered the Hagrite herds and flocks: 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, and 2,000 donkeys.

 They also captured 100,000 people.

 Many were killed, because the battle was God’s.

 They lived in that country until the exile.

The half-tribe of Manasseh had a large population.

 They occupied the land from Bashan to Baal Hermon, that is, to Senir (Mount Hermon).

 The heads of their families were Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel—brave warriors, famous, and heads of their families.

 But they were not faithful to the God of their ancestors.

 They took up with the ungodly gods of the peoples of the land whom God had gotten rid of before they arrived.

 So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria) to take the families of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile.

 He deported them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan.

 They’ve been there ever since.

The Family of Levi

006 The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

 The sons of were Kohath Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

 The children of Amram were Aaron, Moses, and Miriam.

 The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

Eleazar had Phinehas, Phinehas had Abishua, Abishua had Bukki, Bukki had Uzzi, Uzzi had Zerahiah, Zerahiah had Meraioth, Meraioth had Amariah, Amariah had Ahitub, Ahitub had Zadok, Zadok had Ahimaaz, Ahimaaz had Azariah, Azariah had Johanan, and Johanan had Azariah (who served as priest in the temple Solomon built in Jerusalem).

 Azariah had Amariah, Amariah had Ahitub, Ahitub had Zadok, Zadok had Shallum, Shallum had Hilkiah, Hilkiah had Azariah, Azariah had Seraiah, and Seraiah had Jehozadak.

Jehozadak went off to exile when GOD used Nebuchadnezzar to take Judah and Jerusalem into exile.

The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

 These are the names of the sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei.

 The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi.

 These are the Levitical clans according to families: the sons of Gershon were Libni his son, Jehath his son, Zimmah his son, Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, and Jeatherai his son.

 The sons of Kohath were Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son, Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son.

 The sons of Elkanah were Amasai and Ahimoth, Elkanah his son, Zophai his son, Nahath his son, Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, and Elkanah his son.

 The sons of Samuel were Joel his firstborn son and Abijah his second.

 The sons of Merari were Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son, Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, and Asaiah his son.

David’s Worship Leaders

These are the persons David appointed to lead the singing in the house of GOD after the Chest was placed there.

 They were the ministers of music in the place of worship, which was the Tent of Meeting until Solomon built The Temple of GOD in Jerusalem.

 As they carried out their work, they followed the instructions given to them.

These are the persons, together with their sons, who served by preparing for and directing worship: from the family of the Kohathites was Heman the choirmaster, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel.

Heman’s associate Asaph stood at his right hand.

 Asaph was the son of Berekiah, the son of Shimea, the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malkijah, the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, the son of Jahath, the son of Gershon, the son of Levi.

Of the sons of Merari, the associates who stood at his left hand, was Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer, the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.

The rest of the Levites were assigned to all the other work in the place of worship, the house of God.

Aaron and his sons offered the sacrifices on the Altar of Burnt Offering and the Altar of Incense; they were in charge of all the work surrounding the Holy of Holies.

 They made atonement for Israel following the instructions commanded by Moses, servant of God.

These are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, Zadok his son, and Ahimaaz his son.

The Priestly Cities

And these are the places where the priestly families were assigned to live.

 The first assignment went by lot to the sons of Aaron of the Kohathite family; they were given Hebron in the land of Judah and all the neighboring pastures.

 Caleb the son of Jephunneh got the fields and villages around the city.

 The family of Aaron was also given the cities of refuge, with pastures included: Hebron, Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Hilen, Debir, Ashan, and Beth Shemesh.

 They were also given Geba from the tribe of Benjamin, Alemeth, and Anathoth, all with pastures included.

 In all, thirteen cities were distributed among the Kohathite families.

 The rest of the Kohathites were given another ten cities, distributed by lot from the half-tribe of Manasseh.

 The sons of Gershon were given, family by family, thirteen cities from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh in Bashan.

 The sons of Merari, family by family, were assigned by lot twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.

 The sons of Israel gave the Levites both the cities and their pastures.

 They also distributed by lot cities from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.

 Some of the Kohath families were given their cities from the tribe of Ephraim, cities of refuge: Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer, Jokmeam, Beth Horon, Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon—all with their pastures.

 The rest of the sons of Kohath were given Aner and Bileam with their pastures from the half-tribe of Manasseh.

 The sons of Gershon were given, family by family, from the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan and Ashtaroth; from the tribe of Issachar, Kedesh, Daberath, Ramoth, and Anem; from the tribe of Asher, Mashal, Abdon, Hukok, and Rehob; from the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon, and Kiriathaim.

 The rest of the sons of Merari got Rimmono and Tabor from the tribe of Zebulun; Bezer in the desert, Jahzah, Kedemoth, and Mephaath from the tribe of Reuben to the east of the Jordan; and Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, Heshbon, and Jazer from the tribe of Gad.

 Pastures were included in all these towns.

The Family of Issachar

007 The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron—four sons.

 The sons of Tola were Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Samuel—the chiefs of their families.

 During David’s reign, the Tola family counted 22,600 warriors in their lineage.

 The son of Uzzi was Izrahiah; the sons of Izrahiah were Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah—five sons and all of them chiefs.

 They counted 36,000 warriors in their lineage because they had more wives and sons than their brothers.

The extended families of Issachar accounted for 87,000 warriors—all of them listed in the family tree.

The Family of Benjamin

Benjamin had three sons: Bela, Beker, and Jediael.

 Bela had five: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri, all of them chiefs and warriors.

 They counted 22,034 names in their family tree.

 Beker’s sons were Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth.

 Through these chiefs their family tree listed 20,200 warriors.

 Jediael’s son was Bilhan and the sons of Bilhan were Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Kenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar—all sons of Jediael and family chiefs; they counted 17,200 combat-ready warriors.

 Shuppim and Huppim were the sons of Ir; Hushim were from the family of Aher.

The Family of Naphtali

The sons of Naphtali were Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum; they are listed under the maternal line of Bilhah, their grandfather’s concubine.

The Family of Manasseh

Manasseh’s sons, born of his Aramean concubine, were Asriel and Makir the father of Gilead.

 Makir got his wife from the Huppites and Shuppites.

 His sister’s name was Maacah.

 Another son, Zelophehad, had only daughters.

 Makir’s wife Maacah bore a son whom she named Peresh; his brother’s name was Sheresh and his sons were Ulam and Rakem.

 Ulam’s son was Bedan.

 This accounts for the sons of Gilead son of Makir, the son of Manasseh.

 His sister Hammoleketh gave birth to Ishdod, Abiezer, and Mahlah.

 The sons of Shemida were Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.

The Family of Ephraim

The sons of Ephraim were Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son, Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead, cattle-rustlers, killed on one of their raids by the natives of Gath.

 Their father Ephraim grieved a long time and his family gathered to give him comfort.

 Then he slept with his wife again.

 She conceived and produced a son.

 He named him Beriah (Unlucky), because of the bad luck that had come to his family.

 His daughter was Sheerah.

 She built Lower and Upper Beth Horon and Uzzen Sheerah.

Rephah was Ephraim’s son and also Resheph; Telah was his son, Tahan his son, Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, Nun his son, and Joshua his son.

 They occupied Bethel and the neighboring country from Naaran on the east to Gezer and its villages on the west, along with Shechem and its villages, and extending as far as Ayyah and its villages.

 Stretched along the borders of Manasseh were Beth Shan, Taanach, Megiddo, and Dor, together with their satellite villages.

 The families descended from Joseph son of Israel lived in all these places.

The Family of Asher

The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah; Serah was their sister.

 The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malkiel, who had Birzaith.

 Heber had Japhlet, Shomer, Hotham, and Shua their sister.

Japhlet had Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath.

 His brother Shomer had Rohgah, Hubbah, and Aram.

 His brother Helem had Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal.

 Zophah had Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera.

 Jether had Jephunneh, Pispah, and Ara.

 Ulla had Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia.

 These were Asher’s sons, all of them responsible, excellent in character, and brave in battle—good leaders.

 They listed 26,000 combat-ready men in their family tree.

The Family of Benjamin (Continued)

008 Benjamin’s firstborn son was Bela, followed by Ashbel, Aharah, Nohah, and Rapha—five in all.

 Bela’s sons were Addar, Gera, Abihud, Abishua, Naaman,

Ahoah, Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram.

These are the families of Ehud that lived in Geba and were exiled to Manahath: Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera, who led them to exile and had Uzza and Ahihud.

In the land of Moab, Shaharaim had children after he divorced his wives Hushim and Baara.

 From his new wife Hodesh he had Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, Jeuz, Sakia, and Mirmah—sons who became heads of families.

 From his earlier wife Hushim he had Abitub and Elpaal.

 Elpaal’s sons were Eber, Misham, and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod with all their villages.

Beriah and Shema were family chiefs who lived at Aijalon.

 They drove out the citizens of Gath.

 Their brothers were Shashak and Jeremoth.

 The sons of Beriah were Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, Michael, Ishpah, and Joha.

 The sons of Elpaal were Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, Ishmerai, Izliah, and Jobab.

 The sons of Shimei were Jakim, Zicri, Zabdi, Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath.

 The sons of Shashak were Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, Abdon, Zicri, Hanan, Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, Iphdeiah, and Penuel.

 The sons of Jeroham were Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, Jaareshiah, Elijah, and Zicri.

 These were the chiefs of the families as listed in their family tree.

 They lived in Jerusalem.

Jeiel the father of Gibeon lived in Gibeon.

 His wife’s name was Maacah.

 Abdon was his firstborn son, followed by Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab, Gedor, Ahio, Zeker, and Mikloth.

 Mikloth had Shimeah.

 They lived in the neighborhood of their extended families in Jerusalem.

Ner had Kish, Kish had Saul, and Saul had Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab, and Esh-Baal.

 Jonathan had Merib-Baal, and Merib-Baal had Micah.

 Micah’s sons were Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz.

 Ahaz had Jehoaddah and Jehoaddah had Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri.

 Zimri had Moza and Moza had Binea.

 Raphah was his son, Eleasah his son, and Azel his son.

 Azel had six sons named Azrikam, Bokeru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan.

 His brother Eshek’s sons were Ulam his firstborn, followed by Jeush and Eliphelet.

 Ulam’s sons were warriors well known as archers.

 They had lots of sons and grandsons—at least 150.

 These were all in Benjamin’s family tree.

009

This is the complete family tree for all Israel, recorded in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Israel and Judah at the time they were exiled to Babylon because of their unbelieving and disobedient lives.

The Back-from-Exile Community in Jerusalem

The first Israelites to return from exile to their homes and cities were the priests, the Levites, and the temple support staff.

Returning to Jerusalem from the families of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh were the following: Uthai son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, from the line of Perez son of Judah; from the Shilonites were Asaiah the firstborn and his sons; from the family of Zerah there was Jeuel.

 There were 690 in the Judah group.

From the family of Benjamin were Sallu son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah, and Ibneiah son of Jeroham, and Elah son of Uzzi, the son of Micri, and Meshullam son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah.

 There were 956 in the Benjamin group.

 All these named were heads of families.

From the company of priests there were Jedaiah; Jehoiarib; Jakin; Azariah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, who was in charge of taking care of the house of God; Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malkijah; also Maasai son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer.

 The priests, all of them heads of families, numbered 1,760, skilled and seasoned servants in the work of worshiping God.

From the Levites were Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, a Merarite; then Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zicri, the son of Asaph; also Obadiah son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun; and finally Berekiah son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites.

The security guards were Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their brothers.

 Shallum was the chief and up to now the security guard at the King’s Gate on the east.

 They also served as security guards at the camps of Levite families.

Shallum son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, along with his brothers in the Korahite family, were in charge of the services of worship as doorkeepers of the Tent, as their ancestors had guarded the entrance to the camp of God.

 In the early days, Phinehas son of Eleazar was in charge of the security guards—God be with him! Now Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was the security guard at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.

 The number of those who had been chosen to be security guards was 212—they were officially registered in their own camps.

 David and Samuel the seer handpicked them for their dependability.

 They and their sons had the permanent responsibility for guarding the gates of God’s house, the house of worship; the main security guards were posted at the four entrances, east, west, north, and south; their brothers in the villages were scheduled to give them relief weekly—the four main security guards were responsible for round-the-clock surveillance.

Being Levites, they were responsible for the security of all supplies and valuables in the house of God.

 They kept watch all through the night and had the key to open the doors each morning.

 Some were in charge of the articles used in The Temple worship—they counted them both when they brought them in and when they took them out.

 Others were in charge of supplies in the sanctuary—flour, wine, oil, incense, and spices.

 And some of the priests were assigned to mixing the oils for the perfume.

 The Levite Mattithiah, the firstborn son of Shallum the Korahite, was responsible for baking the bread for the services of worship.

 Some of the brothers, sons of the Kohathites, were assigned to preparing the bread set out on the table each Sabbath.

And then there were the musicians, all heads of Levite families.

 They had permanent living quarters in The Temple; because they were on twenty-four-hour duty, they were exempt from all other duties.

 These were the heads of Levite families as designated in their family tree.

 They lived in Jerusalem.

The Family of Saul

Jeiel the father of Gibeon lived at Gibeon; his wife was Maacah.

 His first-born son was Abdon, followed by Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth.

 Mikloth had Shimeam.

 They lived in the same neighborhood as their relatives in Jerusalem.

Ner had Kish, Kish had Saul, Saul had Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab, and Esh-Baal.

 Merib-Baal was the son of Jonathan and Merib-Baal had Micah.

 Micah’s sons were Pithon, Melech, and Tahrea.

 Ahaz had Jarah, Jarah had Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri; Zimri had Moza, Moza had Binea, Rephaiah was his son, Eleasah was his son, and Azel was his son.

 Azel had six sons: Azrikam, Bokeru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan—the sons of Azel.

010 The Philistines went to war against Israel; the Israelites ran for their lives from the Philistines but fell, slaughtered on Mount Gilboa.

 The Philistines zeroed in on Saul and his sons and killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua.

 The battle went hard against Saul—the archers found him and wounded him.

 Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword and finish me off before these pagan pigs get to me and make a sport of my body.

” But his armor bearer, restrained by both reverence and fear, wouldn’t do it.

 So Saul took his own sword and killed himself.

 The armor bearer, panicked because Saul was dead, then killed himself.

So Saul and his three sons—all four the same day—died.

 When all the Israelites in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and ran off; the Philistines came and moved in.

The next day the Philistines came to plunder the dead bodies and found Saul and his sons dead on Mount Gilboa.

 They stripped Saul, removed his head and his armor, and put them on exhibit throughout Philistia, reporting the victory news to their idols and the people.

 Then they put Saul’s armor on display in the temple of their gods and placed his skull as a trophy in the temple of their god Dagon.

The people of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul.

 All of their fighting men went into action—retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons and brought them to Jabesh, gave them a dignified burial under the oak at Jabesh, and mourned their deaths for seven days.

Saul died in disobedience, disobedient to GOD.

 He didn’t obey GOD’s words.

 Instead of praying, he went to a witch to seek guidance.

 Because he didn’t go to GOD for help, GOD took his life and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

King David

011 Then all Israel assembled before David at Hebron.

 “Look at us,” they said.

 “We’re your very flesh and blood.

 In the past, yes, even while Saul was king, you were the real leader of Israel.

 GOD told you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel; you are to be the ruler of my people Israel.

’ ” When all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, David made a covenant with them in the presence of GOD at Hebron.

 Then they anointed David king over Israel exactly as GOD had commanded through Samuel.

David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (it was the old Jebus, where the Jebusites lived).

 The citizens of Jebus told David, “No trespassing—you can’t come here.

” David came on anyway and captured the fortress of Zion, the City of David.

 David had said, “The first person to kill a Jebusite will be commander-in-chief.

” Joab son of Zeruiah was the first; and he became the chief.

David took up residence in the fortress city; that’s how it got its name, “City of David.

” David fortified the city all the way around, both the outer bulwarks (the Millo) and the outside wall.

 Joab rebuilt the city gates.

 David’s stride became longer, his embrace larger—yes, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies was with him!

David’s Mighty Men

These are the chiefs of David’s Mighty Men, the ones who linked arms with him as he took up his kingship, with all Israel joining in, helping him become king in just the way GOD had spoken regarding Israel.

 The list of David’s Mighty Men:

Jashobeam son of Hacmoni was chief of the Thirty.

 Singlehandedly he killed three hundred men, killed them all in one skirmish.

Next was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite, one of the Big Three of the Mighty Men.

 He was with David at Pas Dammim, where the Philistines had mustered their troops for battle.

 It was an area where there was a field of barley.

 The army started to flee from the Philistines and then took its stand right in that field—and turned the tide! They slaughtered the Philistines, GOD helping them—a huge victory.

The Big Three from the Thirty made a rocky descent to David at the Cave of Adullam while a company of Philistines was camped in the Valley of Rephaim.

 David was holed up in the Cave while the Philistines were prepared for battle at Bethlehem.

 David had a sudden craving: “What I wouldn’t give for a drink of water from the well in Bethlehem, the one at the gate!” The Three penetrated the Philistine camp, drew water from the well at the Bethlehem gate, shouldered it, and brought it to David.

 And then David wouldn’t drink it! He poured it out as a sacred offering to GOD, saying, “I’d rather be damned by God than drink this! It would be like drinking the lifeblood of these men—they risked their lives to bring it.

” So he refused to drink it.

 These are the kinds of things that the Big Three of the Mighty Men did.

Abishai brother of Joab was the chief of the Thirty.

 Singlehandedly he fought three hundred men, and killed the lot, but he never made it into the circle of the Three.

 He was highly honored by the Thirty—he was their chief—still, he didn’t measure up to the Three.

Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a Mighty Man from Kabzeel with many exploits to his credit: he killed two famous Moabites; he climbed down into a pit and killed a lion on a snowy day; and he killed an Egyptian, a giant seven and a half feet tall.

 The Egyptian had a spear like a ship’s boom but Benaiah went at him with a mere club, tore the spear from the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with it.

 These are some of the things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did.

 But he was never included with the Three.

 He was highly honored among the Thirty, but didn’t measure up to the Three.

 David put him in charge of his personal bodyguard.

The Mighty Men of the military were Asahel brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem, Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite, Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjaminite, Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hurai from the ravines of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan son of Shagee the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sacar the Haranite, Eliphal son of Ur, Hepher the Mekerathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai son of Ezbai, Joel brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Hagri, Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armor bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah, Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, Uriah the Hittite, Zabad son of Ahlai, Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, the Reubenite chief of the Thirty, Hanan son of Maacah, Joshaphat the Mithnite, Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, Jediael son of Shimri, Joha the Tizite his brother, Eliel the Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite, Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

012

These are the men who joined David in Ziklag; it was during the time he was banished by Saul the son of Kish; they were among the Mighty Men, good fighters.

 They were armed with bows and could sling stones and shoot arrows either right- or left-handed.

 They hailed from Saul’s tribe, Benjamin.

The first was Ahiezer; then Joash son of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah; Jehu the Anathothite; Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a Mighty Man among the Thirty, a leader of the Thirty; Jeremiah; Jahaziel; Johanan; Jozabad the Gederathite; Eluzai; Jerimoth; Bealiah; Shemariah; Shephatiah the Haruphite; Elkanah; Isshiah; Azarel; Joezer; Jashobeam; the Korahites; and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham from Gedor.

There were some Gadites there who had defected to David at his wilderness fortress; they were seasoned and eager fighters who knew how to handle shield and spear.

 They were wild in appearance, like lions, but as agile as gazelles racing across the hills.

 Ezer was the first, then Obadiah, Eliab, Mishmannah, Jeremiah, Attai, Eliel, Johanan, Elzabad, Jeremiah, and Macbannai—eleven of them.

 These Gadites were the cream of the crop—any one of them was worth a hundred lesser men, and the best of them were worth a thousand.

 They were the ones who crossed the Jordan when it was at flood stage in the first month, and put everyone in the lowlands to flight, both east and west.

There were also men from the tribes of Benjamin and Judah who joined David in his wilderness fortress.

 When David went out to meet them, this is what he said: “If you have come in peace and to help me, you are most welcome to join this company; but if you have come to betray me to my enemies, innocent as I am, the God of our ancestors will see through you and bring judgment on you.

”

Just then Amasai chief of the Thirty, moved by God’s Spirit, said,

We’re on your side, O David,

We’re committed, O son of Jesse;

All is well, yes, all is well with you,

And all’s well with whoever helps you.

Yes, for your God has helped and does help you.

So David took them on and assigned them a place under the chiefs of the raiders.

Some from the tribe of Manasseh also defected to David when he started out with the Philistines to go to war against Saul.

 In the end, they didn’t actually fight because the Philistine leaders, after talking it over, sent them home, saying, “We can’t trust them with our lives—they’ll betray us to their master Saul.

”

The men from Manasseh who defected to David at Ziklag were Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, all leaders among the families of Manasseh.

 They helped David in his raids against the desert bandits; they were all stalwart fighters and good leaders among his raiders.

 Hardly a day went by without men showing up to help—it wasn’t long before his band seemed as large as God’s own army!

Here are the statistics on the battle-seasoned warriors who came down from the north to David at Hebron to hand over Saul’s kingdom, in accord with GOD’s word: from Judah, carrying shield and spear, 6,800 battle-ready; from Simeon, 7,100 stalwart fighters; from Levi, 4,600, which included Jehoiada leader of the family of Aaron, bringing 3,700 men and the young and stalwart Zadok with twenty-two leaders from his family; from Benjamin, Saul’s family, 3,000, most of whom had stuck it out with Saul until now; from Ephraim, 20,800, fierce fighters and famous in their hometowns; from the half-tribe of Manasseh, 18,000 elected to come and make David king; from Issachar, men who understood both the times and Israel’s duties, 200 leaders with their families; from Zebulun, 50,000 well-equipped veteran warriors, unswervingly loyal; from Naphtali, 1,000 chiefs leading 37,000 men heavily armed; from Dan, 28,600 battle-ready men; from Asher, 40,000 veterans, battle-ready; and from East of Jordan, men from Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, heavily armed, 120,000.

All these soldiers came to David at Hebron, ready to fight if necessary; they were both united and determined to make David king over all Israel.

 And everyone else in Israel was of the same mind—“Make David king!” They were with David for three days of feasting celebration, with food and drink supplied by their families.

 Neighbors ranging from as far north as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali arrived with donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen loaded down with food for the party: flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine, oil, cattle, and sheep—joy in Israel!

David Goes to Get the Chest of God

013 David consulted with all of his leaders, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds.

 Then David addressed the entire assembly of Israel, “If it seems right to you, and it is GOD’s will, let’s invite all our relatives wherever they are throughout Israel, along with their relatives, including their priests and Levites from their cities and surrounding pastures, to join us.

 And let’s bring the Chest of our God back—the Chest that was out of sight, out of mind during the days of Saul.

” The entire assembly of Israel agreed—everybody agreed that it was the right thing to do.

 So David gathered all Israel together, from Egypt’s Pond of Horus in the southwest to the Pass of Hamath in the northeast, to go and get the Chest of God from Kiriath Jearim.

 Then David and all Israel went to Baalah (Kiriath Jearim) in Judah to bring back the Chest of God, the “Cherubim-Throne-of-GOD,” where GOD’s Name is invoked.

 They moved the Chest of God on a brand-new cart from the house of Abinadab with Uzzah and Ahio in charge.

 In procession with the Chest of God, David and all Israel worshiped exuberantly in song and dance, with a marching band of all kinds of instruments.

 When they were at the threshing floor of Kidon, the oxen stumbled and Uzzah grabbed the Chest to keep it from falling off.

 GOD erupted in anger against Uzzah and killed him because he grabbed the Chest.

 He died on the spot—in the presence of God.

 David lost his temper, angry because GOD exploded against Uzzah; the place is still called Perez Uzzah (Exploded Uzzah).

 David was terrified of God that day; he said, “How can I possibly continue this parade with the Chest of God?” So David called off the parade of the Chest to the City of David; instead he stored it in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.

 The Chest of God was in storage in the house of Obed-Edom for three months.

 GOD blessed the family of Obed-Edom and everything around him.

David Builds

014 King Hiram of Tyre sent an envoy to David, along with cedar lumber, masons, and carpenters to build him a royal palace.

 Then David knew for sure that GOD had confirmed him as king over Israel, because of the rising reputation that GOD was giving his kingdom for the benefit of his people Israel.

 David married more wives and had more children in Jerusalem.

 His children born in Jerusalem were Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

The minute the Philistines heard that David had been made king over a united Israel, they went out in force to capture David.

 When David got the report, he marched out to confront them.

 On their way, the Philistines stopped off to plunder the Valley of Rephaim.

David prayed to God: “Is this the right time to attack the Philistines? Will you give me the victory?”

GOD answered, “Attack; I’ll give you the victory.

”

David attacked at Baal Perazim and slaughtered them.

 David said, “God exploded my enemies, as water explodes from a burst pipe.

” That’s how the place got its name, Baal Perazim (Baal-Explosion).

 The Philistines left their gods behind and David ordered that they be burned up.

And then the Philistines were back at it again, plundering in the valley.

 David again prayed to God.

 God answered, “This time don’t attack head-on; circle around and come at them out of the balsam grove.

 When you hear a sound like shuffling feet in the tops of the balsams, attack; God will be two steps ahead of you, slaughtering the Philistines.

”

David did exactly as God commanded, slaughtering Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

David was soon famous all over the place, far and near; and GOD put the fear of God into the godless nations.

David Worships

015 After David built houses for himself in the City of David, he cleared a place for the Chest and pitched a tent for it.

 Then David gave orders: “No one carries the Chest of God except the Levites; GOD designated them and them only to carry the Chest of GOD and be available full time for service in the work of worship.

”

David then called everyone in Israel to assemble in Jerusalem to bring up the Chest of GOD to its specially prepared place.

 David also called in the family of Aaron and the Levites.

 From the family of Kohath, Uriel the head with 120 relatives; from the family of Merari, Asaiah the head with 220 relatives; from the family of Gershon, Joel the head with 130 relatives; from the family of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the head with 200 relatives; from the family of Hebron, Eliel the head with 80 relatives; from the family of Uzziel, Amminadab the head with 112 relatives.

Then David called in Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab the Levites.

 He said, “You are responsible for the Levitical families; now consecrate yourselves, both you and your relatives, and bring up the Chest of the GOD of Israel to the place I have set aside for it.

 The first time we did this, you Levites did not carry it properly, and GOD exploded in anger at us because we didn’t make proper preparation and follow instructions.

”

So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the Chest of the GOD of Israel.

 The Levites carried the Chest of God exactly as Moses, instructed by GOD, commanded—carried it with poles on their shoulders, careful not to touch it with their hands.

David ordered the heads of the Levites to assign their relatives to sing in the choir, accompanied by a well-equipped marching band, and fill the air with joyful sound.

The Levites assigned Heman son of Joel, and from his family, Asaph son of Berekiah, then Ethan son of Kushaiah from the family of Merari, and after them in the second rank their brothers Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel as security guards.

The members of the choir and marching band were: Heman, Asaph, and Ethan with bronze cymbals; Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah with lyres carrying the melody; Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah with harps filling in the harmony; Kenaniah, the Levite in charge of music, a very gifted musician, was music director.

Berekiah and Elkanah were porters for the Chest.

 The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer blew the trumpets before the Chest of God.

 Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also porters for the Chest.

Now they were ready.

 David, the elders of Israel, and the commanders of thousands started out to get the Chest of the Covenant of GOD and bring it up from the house of Obed-Edom.

 And they went rejoicing.

 Because God helped the Levites, strengthening them as they carried the Chest of the Covenant of GOD, they paused to worship by sacrificing seven bulls and seven rams.

 They were all dressed in elegant linen—David, the Levites carrying the Chest, the choir and band, and Kenaniah who was directing the music.

 David also wore a linen prayer shawl (called an ephod).

 On they came, all Israel on parade bringing up the Chest of the Covenant of GOD, shouting and cheering, playing every kind of brass and percussion and string instrument.

When the Chest of the Covenant of GOD entered the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, was watching from a window.

 When she saw King David dancing ecstatically she was filled with contempt.

016 They brought the Chest of God and placed it right in the center of the tent that David had pitched for it; then they worshiped by presenting burnt offerings and peace offerings to God.

 When David had completed the offerings of worship, he blessed the people in the name of GOD.

 Then he passed around to every one there, men and women alike, a loaf of bread, a slice of barbecue, and a raisin cake.

Then David assigned some of the Levites to the Chest of GOD to lead worship—to intercede, give thanks, and praise the God of Israel.

 Asaph was in charge; under him were Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, who played the musical instruments.

 Asaph was on percussion.

 The priests Benaiah and Jahaziel blew the trumpets before the Chest of the Covenant of God at set times through the day.

That was the day that David inaugurated regular worship of praise to GOD, led by Asaph and his company.

Thank GOD! Call out his Name!

Tell the whole world who he is and what he’s done!

Sing to him! Play songs for him!

Broadcast all his wonders!

Revel in his holy Name,

GOD-seekers, be jubilant!

Study GOD and his strength,

seek his presence day and night;

Remember all the wonders he performed,

the miracles and judgments that came out of his mouth.

Seed of Israel his servant!

Children of Jacob, his first choice!

He is GOD, our God;

wherever you go you come on his judgments and decisions.

He keeps his commitments across thousands

of generations, the covenant he commanded,

The same one he made with Abraham,

the very one he swore to Isaac;

He posted it in big block letters to Jacob,

this eternal covenant with Israel:

“I give you the land of Canaan,

this is your inheritance;

Even though you’re not much to look at,

a few straggling strangers.

”

They wandered from country to country,

camped out in one kingdom after another;

But he didn’t let anyone push them around,

he stood up for them against bully-kings:

“Don’t you dare touch my anointed ones,

don’t lay a hand on my prophets.

”

Sing to GOD, everyone and everything!

Get out his salvation news every day!

Publish his glory among the godless nations,

his wonders to all races and religions.

And why? Because GOD is great—well worth praising!

No god or goddess comes close in honor.

All the popular gods are stuff and nonsense,

but GOD made the cosmos!

Splendor and majesty flow out of him,

strength and joy fill his place.

Shout Bravo! To GOD, families of the peoples,

in awe of the Glory, in awe of the Strength: Bravo!

Shout Bravo! To his famous Name,

lift high an offering and enter his presence!

Stand resplendent in his robes of holiness!

GOD is serious business, take him seriously;

he’s put the earth in place and it’s not moving.

So let Heaven rejoice, let Earth be jubilant,

and pass the word among the nations, “GOD reigns!”

Let Ocean, all teeming with life, bellow,

let Field and all its creatures shake the rafters;

Then the trees in the forest will add their applause

to all who are pleased and present before GOD

—he’s on his way to set things right!

Give thanks to GOD—he is good

and his love never quits.

Say, “Save us, Savior God,

round us up and get us out of these godless places,

So we can give thanks to your holy Name,

and bask in your life of praise.

”

Blessed be GOD, the God of Israel,

from everlasting to everlasting.

Then everybody said, “Yes! Amen!” and “Praise GOD!”

David left Asaph and his coworkers with the Chest of the Covenant of GOD and in charge of the work of worship; they were responsible for the needs of worship around the clock.

 He also assigned Obed-Edom and his sixty-eight relatives to help them.

 Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah were in charge of the security guards.

 The priest Zadok and his family of priests were assigned to the Tent of GOD at the sacred mound at Gibeon to make sure that the services of morning and evening worship were conducted daily, complete with Whole-Burnt-Offerings offered on the Altar of Burnt Offering, as ordered in the Law of GOD, which was the norm for Israel.

 With them were Heman, Jeduthun, and others specifically named, with the job description: “Give thanks to GOD, for his love never quits!” Heman and Jeduthun were also well equipped with trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments for accompanying sacred songs.

 The sons of Jeduthun formed the security guard.

Arrangements completed, the people all left for home.

 And David went home to bless his family.

David Submits and Prays

017 After the king had made himself at home, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Look at this: Here I am comfortable in a luxurious palace of cedar and the Chest of the Covenant of GOD sits under a tent.

”

Nathan told David, “Whatever is on your heart, go and do it; God is with you.

”

But that night, the word of God came to Nathan, saying, “Go and tell my servant David, This is GOD’s word on the matter: You will not build me a ‘house’ to live in.

 Why, I haven’t lived in a ‘house’ from the time I brought up the children of Israel from Egypt till now; I’ve gone from one tent and makeshift shelter to another.

 In all my travels with all Israel, did I ever say to any of the leaders I commanded to shepherd Israel, ‘Why haven’t you built me a house of cedar?’

“So here is what you are to tell my servant David: The GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies has this word for you: I took you from the pasture, tagging after sheep, and made you prince over my people Israel.

 I was with you everywhere you went and mowed your enemies down before you; and now I’m about to make you famous, ranked with the great names on earth.

 I’m going to set aside a place for my people Israel and plant them there so they’ll have their own home and not be knocked around anymore; nor will evil nations afflict them as they always have, even during the days I set judges over my people Israel.

 And finally, I’m going to conquer all your enemies.

“And now I’m telling you this: GOD himself will build you a house! When your life is complete and you’re buried with your ancestors, then I’ll raise up your child to succeed you, a child from your own body, and I’ll firmly establish his rule.

 He will build a house to honor me, and I will guarantee his kingdom’s rule forever.

 I’ll be a father to him, and he’ll be a son to me.

 I will never remove my gracious love from him as I did from the one who preceded you.

 I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will always be there, rock solid.

”

Nathan gave David a complete and accurate report of everything he heard and saw in the vision.

King David went in, took his place before GOD, and prayed:

Who am I, my Master GOD, and what is my family, that you have brought me to this place in life? But that’s nothing compared to what’s coming, for you’ve also spoken of my family far into the future, given me a glimpse into tomorrow and looked on me, Master GOD, as a Somebody.

 What’s left for David to say to this—to your honoring your servant, even though you know me, just as I am? O GOD, out of the goodness of your heart, you’ve taken your servant to do this great thing and put your great work on display.

 There’s none like you, GOD, no God but you, nothing to compare with what we’ve heard with our own ears.

 And who is like your people, like Israel, a nation unique on earth, whom God set out to redeem as his own people (and became most famous for it), performing great and fearsome acts, throwing out nations and their gods left and right as you saved your people from Egypt? You established for yourself a people—your very own Israel!—your people forever.

 And you, GOD, became their God.

So now, great GOD, this word that you have spoken to me and my family, guarantee it forever! Do exactly what you’ve promised! Then your reputation will be confirmed and flourish always as people exclaim, “The GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God over Israel, is Israel’s God!” And the house of your servant David will remain rock solid under your watchful presence.

 You, my God, have told me plainly, “I will build you a house.

” That’s how I was able to find the courage to pray this prayer to you.

 GOD, being the God you are, you have spoken all these wonderful words to me.

 As if that weren’t enough, you’ve blessed my family so that it will continue in your presence always.

 Because you have blessed it, GOD, it’s really blessed—blessed for good!

David Fights

018 In the days that followed, David struck hard at the Philistines, bringing them to their knees, captured Gath, and took control of the surrounding countryside.

He also fought and defeated Moab.

 The Moabites came under David’s rule and paid regular tribute.

On his way to restore his sovereignty at the Euphrates River, David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah (over toward Hamath).

 David captured a thousand chariots, seven thousand cavalry, and twenty thousand infantry from him.

 He hamstrung all the chariot horses, but saved back a hundred.

When the Arameans from Damascus came to the aid of Hadadezer king of Zobah, David killed twenty-two thousand of them.

 David set up a puppet government in Aram-Damascus.

 The Arameans became subjects of David and were forced to bring tribute.

 GOD gave victory to David wherever he marched.

David plundered the gold shields that belonged to the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.

 He also looted Tebah and Cun, cities of Hadadezer, of a huge quantity of bronze that Solomon later used to make the Great Bronze Sea, the Pillars, and bronze equipment in The Temple.

Tou king of Hamath heard that David had struck down the entire army of Hadadezer king of Zobah.

 He sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet and congratulate him for fighting and defeating Hadadezer.

 Tou and Hadadezer were old enemies.

 Hadoram brought David various things made of silver, gold, and bronze.

 King David consecrated these things along with the silver and gold that he had plundered from other nations: Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amalek.

Abishai son of Zeruiah fought and defeated the Edomites in the Valley of Salt—eighteen thousand of them.

 He set up a puppet government in Edom and the Edomites became subjects under David.

GOD gave David victory wherever he marched.

Thus David ruled over all of Israel.

 He ruled well, fair and evenhanded in all his duties and relationships.

Joab son of Zeruiah was head of the army;

Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was in charge of public records;

Zadok son of Ahitub and Abimelech son of Abiathar were priests;

Shavsha was secretary;

Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the special forces, the Kerethites and Pelethites;

And David’s sons held high positions, close to the king.

019 Some time after this Nahash king of the Ammonites died and his son succeeded him as king.

 David said, “I’d like to show some kindness to Hanun son of Nahash—treat him as well and as kindly as his father treated me.

” So David sent condolences about his father’s death.

But when David’s servants arrived in Ammonite country and came to Hanun to bring condolences, the Ammonite leaders warned Hanun, “Do you for a minute suppose that David is honoring your father by sending you comforters? Don’t you know that he’s sent these men to snoop around the city and size it up so that he can capture it?”

So Hanun seized David’s men, shaved them clean, cut off their robes half way up their buttocks, and sent them packing.

When this was all reported to David, he sent someone to meet them, for they were seriously humiliated.

 The king told them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow out; only then come back.

”

When it dawned on the Ammonites that as far as David was concerned, they stank to high heaven, they hired, at a cost of a thousand talents of silver (thirty-seven and a half tons!), chariots and horsemen from the Arameans of Naharaim, Maacah, and Zobah—thirty-two thousand chariots and drivers; plus the king of Maacah with his troops who came and set up camp at Medeba; the Ammonites, too, were mobilized from their cities and got ready for battle.

When David heard this, he dispatched Joab with his strongest fighters in full force.

 The Ammonites marched out and spread out in battle formation at the city gate; the kings who had come as allies took up a position in the open fields.

 When Joab saw that he had two fronts to fight, before and behind, he took his pick of the best of Israel and deployed them to confront the Arameans.

 The rest of the army he put under the command of Abishai, his brother, and deployed them to deal with the Ammonites.

 Then he said, “If the Arameans are too much for me, you help me; and if the Ammonites prove too much for you, I’ll come and help you.

 Courage! We’ll fight might and main for our people and for the cities of our God.

 And GOD will do whatever he sees needs doing!”

But when Joab and his soldiers moved in to fight the Arameans, they ran off in full retreat.

 Then the Ammonites, seeing the Arameans run for dear life, took to their heels and ran from Abishai into the city.

So Joab withdrew from the Ammonites and returned to Jerusalem.

When the Arameans saw how badly they’d been beaten by Israel, they picked up the pieces and regrouped; they sent for the Arameans who were across the river; Shophach, commander of Hadadezer’s army, led them.

When all this was reported to David, he mustered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, advanced, and prepared to fight.

 The Arameans went into battle formation, ready for David, and the fight was on.

 But the Arameans again scattered before Israel.

 David killed seven thousand chariot drivers and forty thousand infantry.

 He also killed Shophach, the army commander.

 When all the kings who were vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with David and served him.

 The Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites ever again.

020 That spring, the time when kings usually go off to war, Joab led the army out and ravaged the Ammonites.

 He then set siege to Rabbah.

 David meanwhile was back in Jerusalem.

 Joab hit Rabbah hard and left it in ruins.

 David took the crown off the head of their king.

 Its weight was found to be a talent of gold and set with a precious stone.

 It was placed on David’s head.

 He hauled great quantities of loot from the city and put the people to hard labor with saws and picks and axes.

 This is what he did to all the Ammonites.

 Then David and his army returned to Jerusalem.

Later war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer.

 That was the time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai of the clan of giants.

 The Philistines had to eat crow.

 In another war with the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite whose spear was like a ship’s boom.

 And then there was the war at Gath that featured a hulking giant who had twenty-four fingers and toes, six on each hand and foot—yet another from the clan of giants.

 When he mocked Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him.

 These came from the clan of giants and were killed by David and his men.

David, Satan, and Araunah

021 Now Satan entered the scene and seduced David into taking a census of Israel.

 David gave orders to Joab and the army officers under him, “Canvass all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and get a count of the population.

 I want to know the number.

”

Joab resisted: “May GOD multiply his people by hundreds! Don’t they all belong to my master the king? But why on earth would you do a thing like this—why risk getting Israel into trouble with God?”

But David wouldn’t take no for an answer, so Joab went off and did it—canvassed the country and then came back to Jerusalem and reported the results of the census: There were 1,100,000 fighting men; of that total, Judah accounted for 470,000.

 Joab, disgusted by the command—it, in fact, turned his stomach!—protested by leaving Levi and Benjamin out of the census-taking.

 And God, offended by the whole thing, punished Israel.

Then David prayed, “I have sinned badly in what I have just done, substituting statistics for trust; forgive my sin—I’ve been really stupid.

”

GOD answered by speaking to Gad, David’s pastor: “Go and give David this message: ‘GOD’s word: You have your choice of three punishments; choose one and I’ll do the rest.

’ ”

Gad delivered the message to David: “Do you want three years of famine, three months of running from your enemies while they chase you down, or three days of the sword of GOD—an epidemic unleashed on the country by an angel of GOD? Think it over and make up your mind.

 What shall I tell the One who sent me?”

David told Gad, “They’re all terrible! But I’d rather be punished by GOD whose mercy is great, than fall into human hands.

”

So GOD unleashed an epidemic in Israel—seventy thousand Israelites died.

 God then sent the angel to Jerusalem but when he saw the destruction about to begin, he compassionately changed his mind and ordered the death angel, “Enough’s enough! Pull back!”

The angel of GOD had just reached the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

 David looked up and saw the angel hovering between earth and sky, sword drawn and about to strike Jerusalem.

 David and the elders bowed in prayer and covered themselves with rough burlap.

David prayed, “Please! I’m the one who sinned; I’m the one at fault.

 But these sheep, what did they do wrong? Punish me, not them, me and my family; don’t take it out on them.

”

The angel of GOD ordered Gad to tell David to go and build an altar to GOD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

 David did what Gad told him in obedience to GOD’s command.

Meanwhile Araunah had quit threshing the wheat and was watching the angel; his four sons took cover and hid.

 David came up to Araunah.

 When Araunah saw David, he left the threshing floor and bowed deeply before David, honoring the king.

David said to Araunah, “Give me the site of the threshing floor so I can build an altar to GOD.

 Charge me the market price; we’re going to put an end to this disaster.

”

“O Master, my king,” said Araunah, “just take it; do whatever you want with it! Look, here’s an ox for the burnt offering and threshing paddles for the fuel and wheat for the meal offering—it’s all yours!”

David replied to Araunah, “No.

 I’m buying it from you, and at the full market price.

 I’m not going to offer GOD sacrifices that are no sacrifice.

” So David bought the place from Araunah for six hundred shekels of gold.

 He built an altar to GOD there and sacrificed Whole-Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings.

 He called out to GOD and GOD answered by striking the altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering with lightning.

 Then GOD told the angel to put his sword back into its scabbard.

And that’s the story of what happened when David saw that GOD answered him on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite at the time he offered the sacrifice.

At this time the Tabernacle that Moses had constructed in the desert, and with it the Altar of Burnt Offering, were set up at the worship center at Gibeon.

 But David, terrified by the angel’s sword, wouldn’t go there to pray to God anymore.

 So David declared, “From now on, this is the site for the worship of GOD; this is the place for Israel’s Altar of Burnt Offering.

”

David Charges Solomon to Build The Temple

022 David ordered all the resident aliens in the land to come together; he sent them to the stone quarries to cut dressed stone to build The Temple of God.

 He also stockpiled a huge quantity of iron for nails and bracings for the doors of the gates, more bronze than could be weighed, and cedar logs past counting (the Sidonians and Tyrians shipped in huge loads of cedar logs for David).

David was thinking, “My son Solomon is too young to plan ahead for this.

 But the sanctuary that is to be built for GOD has to be the greatest, the talk of all the nations; so I’ll get the construction materials together.

” That’s why David prepared this huge stockpile of building materials before he died.

 Then he called in Solomon his son and commanded him to build a sanctuary for the GOD of Israel.

David said to Solomon, “I wanted in the worst way to build a sanctuary to honor my GOD.

 But GOD prevented me, saying, ‘You’ve killed too many people, fought too many wars.

 You are not the one to honor me by building a sanctuary—you’ve been responsible for too much killing, too much bloodshed.

 But you are going to have a son and he will be a quiet and peaceful man, and I will calm his enemies down on all sides.

 His very name will speak peace—that is, Solomon, which means Peace—and I’ll give peace and rest under his rule.

 He will be the one to build a sanctuary in my honor.

 He’ll be my royal adopted son and I’ll be his father; and I’ll make sure that the authority of his kingdom over Israel lasts forever.

’

“So now, son, GOD be with you.

 GOD-speed as you build the sanctuary for your GOD, the job God has given you.

 And may GOD also give you discernment and understanding when he puts you in charge of Israel so that you will rule in reverent obedience under GOD’s Revelation.

 That’s what will make you successful, following the directions and doing the things that GOD commanded Moses for Israel.

 Courage! Take charge! Don’t be timid; don’t hold back.

 Look at this—I’ve gone to a lot of trouble to stockpile materials for the sanctuary of GOD: a hundred thousand talents (3,775 tons) of gold, a million talents (37,750 tons) of silver, tons of bronze and iron—too much to weigh—and all this timber and stone.

 And you’re free to add more.

 And workers both plentiful and prepared: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, artisans in gold and silver, bronze and iron.

 You’re all set—get to work! And GOD-speed!”

David gave orders to all of Israel’s leaders to help his son Solomon, saying, “Isn’t it obvious that your GOD is present with you; that he has given you peaceful relations with everyone around? My part in this was to put down the enemies, subdue the land to GOD and his people; your part is to give yourselves, heart and soul, to praying to your GOD.

 So get moving—build the sacred house of worship to GOD! Then bring the Chest of the Covenant of GOD and all the holy furnishings for the worship of God into the sanctuary built in honor of GOD.

”

Preparations for Worship

023 When David got to be an old man, he made his son Solomon king over Israel.

 At the same time he brought together all the leaders of Israel, the priests, and the Levites.

 The Levites thirty years and older were counted; the total was thirty-eight thousand.

 David sorted them into work groups: “Twenty-four thousand are in charge of administering worship in the sanctuary; six thousand are officials and judges; four thousand are security guards; and four thousand are to serve in the orchestra, praising GOD with instruments that I have provided for praise.

”

David then divided the Levites into groupings named after the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

The Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.

 The three sons of Ladan: Jehiel, Zetham, and Joel.

 The three sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, all heads of the families of Ladan.

 The four sons of Shimei: Jahath, Ziza, Jeush, and Beriah.

 Jahath came first, followed by Ziza.

 Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons so they were counted as one family with one task.

The four sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

 The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses.

 Aaron was especially ordained to work in the Holy of Holies, to burn incense before GOD, to serve God and bless his Name always.

 This was a permanent appointment for Aaron and his sons.

 Moses and his sons were counted in the tribe of Levi.

The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

 Shubael was the first son of Gershom.

 Rehabiah was the first and only son of Eliezer; but though Eliezer had no other sons, Rehabiah had many sons.

Shelomith was the first son of Izhar.

 Hebron had four sons: Jeriah, Amariah, Jahaziel, and Jekameam.

 Uzziel had two sons: Micah and Isshiah.

 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi.

 The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.

 Eleazar died without any sons, only daughters.

 Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married the daughters.

 Mushi had three sons: Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.

These are the sons of Levi twenty years and older, divided up accord-ing to families and heads of families and listed in the work groups that took care of the worship in the sanctuary of GOD.

David said, “Now that the GOD of Israel has given rest to his people and made Jerusalem his permanent home, the Levites no longer have to carry the Tabernacle and all the furniture required for the work of worship.

” These last words of David referred only to Levites twenty years old and above.

From now on the assigned work of the Levites was to assist Aaron’s sons in the work of worship in GOD’s house: maintain courtyards and closets, keep the furniture and utensils of worship clean, take care of any extra work needed in the work of worship, and provide bread for the table and flour for the Meal Offerings and the unraised wafers—all baking and mixing, all measuring and weighing.

 Also they were to be present for morning prayers, thanking and praising GOD, for evening prayers, and at the service of Whole-Burnt-Offerings to GOD on Sabbath, at New Moons, and at all festivals.

 They were on regular duty to serve GOD according to their assignment and the required number.

In short, the Levites, with the sons of Aaron as their companions in the ministry of holy worship, were responsible for everything that had to do with worship: the place and times and ordering of worship.

024

The family of Aaron was grouped as follows: Aaron’s sons were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

 Nadab and Abihu died before their father and left no sons.

 So Eleazar and Ithamar filled the office of priest.

 David assigned Zadok from the family of Eleazar and Ahimelech from the family of Ithamar and assigned them to separate divisions for carrying out their appointed ministries.

 It turned out that there were more leaders in Eleazar’s family than in Ithamar’s and so they divided them proportionately: sixteen clan leaders from Eleazar’s family and eight clan leaders from Ithamar’s family.

 They assigned the leaders by lot, treating both families alike, for there were officials of the sanctuary and officials of God among both the Eleazar and Ithamar families.

The secretary Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, wrote down their names in the presence of the king, the officials, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the leaders of the priestly and Levitical families.

 They took turns: One family was selected from Eleazar and then one from Ithamar.

The first lot fell to Jehoiarib,

the second to Jedaiah,

the third to Harim,

the fourth to Seorim,

the fifth to Malkijah,

the sixth to Mijamin,

the seventh to Hakkoz,

the eighth to Abijah,

the ninth to Jeshua,

the tenth to Shecaniah,

the eleventh to Eliashib,

the twelfth to Jakim,

the thirteenth to Huppah,

the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,

the fifteenth to Bilgah,

the sixteenth to Immer,

the seventeenth to Hezir,

the eighteenth to Happizzez,

the nineteenth to Pethahiah,

the twentieth to Jehezkel,

the twenty-first to Jakin,

the twenty-second to Gamul,

the twenty-third to Delaiah,

and the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.

They served in this appointed order when they entered The Temple of GOD, following the procedures laid down by their ancestor Aaron as GOD, the God of Israel, had commanded him.

The rest of the Levites are as follows:

From the sons of Amram: Shubael; from the sons of Shubael: Jehdeiah.

Concerning Rehabiah: from his sons, Isshiah was the first.

From the Izharites: Shelomoth; from the sons of Shelomoth: Jahath.

The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

The son of Uzziel: Micah, and from the sons of Micah: Shamir.

 The brother of Micah was Isshiah, and from the sons of Isshiah: Zechariah.

The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi.

 The son of Jaaziah: Beno.

 The sons of Merari from Jaaziah: Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri.

From Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons.

From Kish: Jerahmeel, the son of Kish.

And from the sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.

These were the Levites by their families.

 They also cast lots, the same as their kindred the sons of Aaron had done, in the presence of David the king, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the leaders of the priestly and Levitical families.

 The families of the oldest and youngest brothers were treated the same.

The Musicians for Worship

025 Next David and the worship leaders selected some from the family of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun for special service in preaching and music.

 Here is the roster of names and assignments: From the family of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah; they were supervised by Asaph, who spoke for GOD backed up by the king’s authority.

 From the family of Jeduthun there were six sons: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah; they were supervised by their father Jeduthun, who preached and accompanied himself with the zither—he was responsible for leading the thanks and praise to GOD.

 From the family of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth.

 These were the sons of Heman the king’s seer; they supported and assisted him in his divinely appointed work.

 God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.

 Under their father’s supervision they were in charge of leading the singing and providing musical accompaniment in the work of worship in the sanctuary of God (Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman took their orders directly from the king).

 They were well-trained in the sacred music, all of them masters.

 There were 288 of them.

They drew names at random to see who would do what.

 Nobody, whether young or old, teacher or student, was given preference or advantage over another.

The first name from Asaph’s family was Joseph and his twelve sons and brothers; second, Gedaliah and his twelve sons and brothers; third, Zaccur and his twelve sons and brothers; fourth, Izri and his twelve sons and brothers; fifth, Nethaniah and his twelve sons and brothers; sixth, Bukkiah and his twelve sons and brothers; seventh, Jesarelah and his twelve sons and brothers; eighth, Jeshaiah and his twelve sons and brothers; ninth, Mattaniah and his twelve sons and brothers; tenth, Shimei and his twelve sons and brothers; eleventh, Azarel and his twelve sons and brothers; twelfth, Hashabiah and his twelve sons and brothers; thirteenth, Shubael and his twelve sons and—brothers; fourteenth, Mattithiah and his twelve sons and brothers; fifteenth, Jerimoth and his twelve sons and brothers; sixteenth, Hananiah and his twelve sons and brothers; seventeenth, Joshbekashah and his twelve sons and brothers; eighteenth, Hanani and his twelve sons and brothers; nineteenth, Mallothi and his twelve sons and brothers; twentieth, Eliathah and his twelve sons and brothers; twenty-first, Hothir and his twelve sons and brothers; twenty-second, Giddalti and his twelve sons and brothers; twenty-third, Mahazioth and his twelve sons and brothers; twenty-fourth, Romamti-Ezer and his twelve sons and brothers.

The Security Guards

026 The teams of security guards were from the family of Korah: Meshelemiah son of Kore (one of the sons of Asaph).

 Meshelemiah’s sons were Zechariah, the firstborn, followed by Jediael, Zebadiah, Jathniel, Elam, Jehohanan, and Eliehoenai—seven sons.

 Obed-Edom’s sons were Shemaiah, the firstborn, followed by Jehozabad, Joah, Sacar, Nethanel, Ammiel, Issachar, and Peullethai—God blessed him with eight sons.

 His son Shemaiah had sons who provided outstanding leadership in the family: Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad; his relatives Elihu and Semakiah were also exceptional.

 These all came from the line of Obed-Edom—all of them outstanding and strong.

 There were sixty-two of them.

 Meshelemiah had eighteen sons and relatives who were outstanding.

 The sons of Hosah the Merarite were Shimri (he was not the firstborn but his father made him first), then Hilkiah, followed by Tabaliah and Zechariah.

 Hosah accounted for thirteen.

These teams of security guards, supervised by their leaders, kept order in The Temple of GOD, keeping up the traditions of their ancestors.

 They were all assigned to their posts by the same method regardless of the prominence of their families—each picked his gate assignment from a hat.

 Shelemiah was assigned to the East Gate; his son Zechariah, a shrewd counselor, got the North Gate.

 Obed-Edom got the South Gate; and his sons pulled duty at the storehouse.

 Shuppim and Hosah were posted to the West Gate and the Shalleketh Gate on the high road.

The guards stood shoulder to shoulder: six Levites per day on the east, four per day on the north and on the south, and two at a time at the storehouse.

 At the open court to the west, four guards were posted on the road and two at the court.

These are the teams of security guards from the sons of Korah and Merari.

Financial Affairs: Accountants and Bookkeepers

Other Levites were put in charge of the financial affairs of The Temple of God.

 From the family of Ladan (all Gershonites) came Jehieli, and the sons of Jehieli, Zetham and his brother Joel.

 They supervised the finances of the sanctuary of GOD.

From the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites: Shubael, descended from Gershom the son of Moses, was the chief financial officer.

 His relatives through Eliezer: his son Rehabiah, his son Jeshaiah, his son Joram, his son Zicri, and his son Shelomith.

 Shelomith and his relatives were in charge of valuables consecrated by David the king, family heads, and various generals and commanders from the army.

 They dedicated the plunder that they had gotten in war to the work of the worship of GOD.

 In addition, everything that had been dedicated by Samuel the seer, Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah—anything that had been dedicated, ever, was the responsibility of Shelomith and his family.

From the family of the Izharites, Kenaniah and sons were appointed as officials and judges responsible for affairs outside the work of worship and sanctuary.

 From the family of the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his relatives—1,700 well-qualified men—were responsible for administration of matters related to the worship of GOD and the king’s work in the territory west of the Jordan.

According to the family tree of the Hebronites, Jeriah held pride of place.

 In the fortieth year of David’s reign (his last), the Hebron family tree was researched and outstanding men were found at Jazer in Gilead, namely, Jeriah and 2,700 men of his extended family: David the king made them responsible for administration of matters related to the worship of God and the work of the king in the territory east of the Jordan—the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

Military Organization

027 Here is the listing of the sons of Israel by family heads, commanders and captains, and other officers who served the king in everything military.

 Army divisions were on duty a month at a time for the twelve months of the year.

 Each division comprised 24,000 men.

First division, first month: Jashobeam son of Zabdiel was in charge with 24,000 men.

 He came from the line of Perez.

 He was over all the army officers during the first month.

The division for the second month: Dodai the Ahohite was in charge: 24,000 men; Mikloth was the leader of his division.

Commander for the third month: Benaiah son of Jehoiada the priest with 24,000 men.

 This was the same Benaiah who was a Mighty Man among the Thirty and their chief.

 His son Ammizabad was in charge of the division.

Fourth division for the fourth month: Asahel brother of Joab; his son Zebadiah succeeded him: 24,000 men.

Fifth division, fifth month: commander Shamhuth the Izrahite: 24,000 men.

Sixth division, sixth month: Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite: 24,000 men.

Seventh division, seventh month: Helez the Pelonite, an Ephraimite: 24,000 men.

Eighth division, eighth month: Sibbecai the Hushathite, a Zerahite: 24,000 men.

Ninth division, ninth month: Abiezer the Anathothite, a Benjaminite: 24,000 men.

Tenth division, tenth month: Maharai the Netophathite, a Zerahite: 24,000 men.

Eleventh division, eleventh month: Benaiah the Pirathomite, an Ephraimite: 24,000 men.

Twelfth division, twelfth month: Heldai the Netophathite from the family of Othniel: 24,000 men.

Tribal Administrators

Administrators of the affairs of the tribes: for Reuben: Eliezer son of Zicri;

for Simeon: Shephatiah son of Maacah; for Levi: Hashabiah son of Kemuel; for Aaron: Zadok; for Judah: Elihu, David’s brother; for Issachar: Omri son of Michael; for Zebulun: Ishmaiah son of Obadiah; for Naphtali: Jerimoth son of Azriel; for Ephraim: Hoshea son of Azaziah; for one half-tribe of Manasseh: Joel son of Pedaiah; for the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead: Iddo son of Zechariah; for Benjamin: Jaasiel son of Abner; for Dan: Azarel son of Jeroham.

These are the administrative officers assigned to the tribes of Israel.

David didn’t keep a count of men under the age of twenty, because GOD had promised to give Israel a population as numerous as the stars in the sky.

 Joab son of Zeruiah started out counting the men, but he never finished.

 God’s anger broke out on Israel because of the counting.

 As it turned out, the numbers were never entered into the court records of King David.

Supply Officers

The king’s storage facilities were supervised by Azmaveth son of Adiel.

 Jonathan son of Uzziah was responsible for the warehouses in the outlying areas.

Ezri son of Kelub was in charge of the field workers on the farms.

Shimei the Ramathite was in charge of the vineyards and Zabdi the Shiphmite was in charge of grapes for the wine vats.

Baal-Hanan the Gederite was in charge of the olive and sycamore-fig trees in the western hills, and Joash was in charge of the olive oil.

Shitrai the Sharonite was in charge of herds grazing in Sharon and Shaphat son of Adlai was in charge of herds in the valley.

Obil the Ishmaelite was in charge of the camels, Jehdeiah the Meronothite was in charge of the donkeys, and Jaziz the Hagrite was in charge of the flocks.

These were the ones responsible for taking care of King David’s property.

David’s Counselors

Jonathan, David’s uncle, a wise and literate counselor, and Jehiel son of Hacmoni, were responsible for rearing the king’s sons.

Ahithophel was the king’s counselor; Hushai the Arkite was the king’s friend.

 Ahithophel was later replaced by Jehoiada son of Benaiah and by Abiathar.

Joab was commander of the king’s army.

David’s Valedictory Address

028 David called together all the leaders of Israel—tribal administrators, heads of various governmental operations, military commanders and captains, stewards in charge of the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons—everyone who held responsible positions in the kingdom.

King David stood tall and spoke: “Listen to me, my people: I fully intended to build a permanent structure for the Chest of the Covenant of GOD, God’s footstool.

 But when I got ready to build it, God said to me, ‘You may not build a house to honor me—you’ve done too much fighting—killed too many people.

’ GOD chose me out of my family to be king over Israel forever.

 First he chose Judah as the lead tribe, then he narrowed it down to my family, and finally he picked me from my father’s sons, pleased to make me the king over all Israel.

 And then from all my sons—and GOD gave me many!—he chose my son Solomon to sit on the throne of GOD’s rule over Israel.

 He went on to say, ‘Your son Solomon will build my house and my courts: I have chosen him to be my royal adopted son; and I will be to him a father.

 I will guarantee that his kingdom will last if he continues to be as strong-minded in doing what I command and carrying out my decisions as he is doing now.

’

“And now, in this public place, all Israel looking on and God listening in, as GOD’s people, obey and study every last one of the commandments of your GOD so that you can make the most of living in this good land and pass it on intact to your children, insuring a good future.

“And you, Solomon my son, get to know well your father’s God; serve him with a whole heart and eager mind, for GOD examines every heart and sees through every motive.

 If you seek him, he’ll make sure you find him, but if you abandon him, he’ll leave you for good.

 Look sharp now! GOD has chosen you to build his holy house.

 Be brave, determined! And do it!”

Then David presented his son Solomon with the plans for The Temple complex: porch, storerooms, meeting rooms, and the place for atoning sacrifice.

 He turned over the plans for everything that God’s Spirit had brought to his mind: the design of the courtyards, the arrangements of rooms, and the closets for storing all the holy things.

 He gave him his plan for organizing the Levites and priests in their work of leading and ordering worship in the house of God, and for caring for the liturgical furnishings.

 He provided exact specifications for how much gold and silver was needed for each article used in the services of worship: the gold and silver Lampstands and lamps, the gold tables for consecrated bread, the silver tables, the gold forks, the bowls and the jars, and the Incense Altar.

 And he gave him the plan for sculpting the cherubs with their wings outstretched over the Chest of the Covenant of GOD—the cherubim throne.

 “Here are the blueprints for the whole project as GOD gave me to understand it,” David said.

David continued to address Solomon: “Take charge! Take heart! Don’t be anxious or get discouraged.

 GOD, my God, is with you in this; he won’t walk off and leave you in the lurch.

 He’s at your side until every last detail is completed for conducting the worship of GOD.

 You have all the priests and Levites standing ready to pitch in, and skillful craftsmen and artisans of every kind ready to go to work.

 Both leaders and people are ready.

 Just say the word.

”

They Get Ready to Build

029 Then David the king addressed the congregation: “My son Solomon was singled out and chosen by God to do this.

 But he’s young and untested and the work is huge—this is not just a place for people to meet each other, but a house for GOD to meet us.

 I’ve done my best to get everything together for building this house for my God, all the materials necessary: gold, silver, bronze, iron, lumber, precious and varicolored stones, and building stones—vast stockpiles.

 Furthermore, because my heart is in this, in addition to and beyond what I have gathered, I’m turning over my personal fortune of gold and silver for making this place of worship for my God: 3,000 talents (about 113 tons) of gold—all from Ophir, the best—and 7,000 talents (214 tons) of silver for covering the walls of the buildings, and for the gold and silver work by craftsmen and artisans.

“And now, how about you? Who among you is ready and willing to join in the giving?”

Ready and willing, the heads of families, leaders of the tribes of Israel, commanders and captains in the army, stewards of the king’s affairs, stepped forward and gave willingly.

 They gave 5,000 talents (188 tons) and 10,000 darics (185 pounds) of gold, 10,000 talents of silver (377 tons), 18,000 talents of bronze (679 tons), and 100,000 talents (3,775 tons) of iron.

 Anyone who had precious jewels put them in the treasury for the building of The Temple of GOD in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite.

And the people were full of a sense of celebration—all that giving! And all given willingly, freely! King David was exuberant.

David blessed GOD in full view of the entire congregation:

Blessed are you, GOD of Israel, our father

from of old and forever.

To you, O GOD, belong the greatness and the might,

the glory, the victory, the majesty, the splendor;

Yes! Everything in heaven, everything on earth;

the kingdom all yours! You’ve raised yourself high over all.

Riches and glory come from you,

you’re ruler over all;

You hold strength and power in the palm of your hand

to build up and strengthen all.

And here we are, O GOD, our God, giving thanks to you,

praising your splendid Name.

“But me—who am I, and who are these my people, that we should presume to be giving something to you? Everything comes from you; all we’re doing is giving back what we’ve been given from your generous hand.

 As far as you’re concerned, we’re homeless, shiftless wanderers like our ancestors, our lives mere shadows, hardly anything to us.

GOD, our God, all these materials—these piles of stuff for building a house of worship for you, honoring your Holy Name—it all came from you! It was all yours in the first place! I know, dear God, that you care nothing for the surface—you want us, our true selves—and so I have given from the heart, honestly and happily.

 And now see all these people doing the same, giving freely, willingly—what a joy! O GOD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, keep this generous spirit alive forever in these people always, keep their hearts set firmly in you.

 And give my son Solomon an uncluttered and focused heart so that he can obey what you command, live by your directions and counsel, and carry through with building The Temple for which I have provided.

”

David then addressed the congregation: “Bless GOD, your God!” And they did it, blessed GOD, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped reverently in the presence of GOD and the king.

The very next day they butchered the sacrificial animals and offered in the worship of Israel to GOD a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, a thousand sheep, and in addition drink offerings and many other sacrifices.

 They feasted all day, eating and drinking before GOD, exuberant with joy.

Then they ceremonially reenacted Solomon’s coronation, anointing David’s son before GOD as their leader, and Zadok as priest.

 Solomon sat on the throne of GOD as king in place of David his father.

 And everything went well; all Israel obeyed him.

 All the leaders of the people, including all the sons of King David, accepted Solomon as their king and promised their loyalty.

 Solomon rode high on a crest of popular acclaim—it was all GOD’s doing.

 GOD gave him position and honor beyond any king in Israel before him.

David son of Jesse ruled over all Israel.

 He was king for forty years.

 He ruled from Hebron seven years and from Jerusalem thirty-three.

 He died at a ripe old age, full of days, wealth, and glory.

 His son Solomon ruled after him.

 The history of David the king, from start to finish, is written in the chronicles of Samuel the seer, Nathan the prophet, and Gad the seer, including a full account of his rule, his exploits, and the times through which he and Israel and the surrounding kingdoms passed.

02 CHRONICLES

King Solomon

001 Solomon son of David took a firm grip on the reins of his kingdom.

 GOD was with him and gave him much help.

 Solomon addressed all Israel—the commanders and captains, the judges, every leader, and all the heads of families.

 Then Solomon and the entire company went to the worship center at Gibeon—that’s where the Tent of Meeting of God was, the one that Moses the servant of GOD had made in the wilderness.

 The Chest of God, though, was in Jerusalem—David had brought it up from Kiriath Jearim, prepared a special place for it, and pitched a tent for it.

 But the Bronze Altar that Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made was in Gibeon, in its place before the Tabernacle of GOD; and that is where Solomon and the congregation gathered to pray.

 Solomon worshiped GOD at the Bronze Altar in front of the Tent of Meeting; he sacrificed a thousand Whole-Burnt-Offerings on it.

That night God appeared to Solomon.

 God said, “What do you want from me? Ask.

” Solomon answered, “You were extravagantly generous with David my father, and now you have made me king in his place.

 Establish, GOD, the words you spoke to my father, for you’ve given me a staggering task, ruling this mob of people.

 Yes, give me wisdom and knowledge as I come and go among this people—for who on his own is capable of leading these, your glorious people?”

God answered Solomon, “This is what has come out of your heart: You didn’t grasp for money, wealth, fame, and the doom of your enemies; you didn’t even ask for a long life.

 You asked for wisdom and knowledge so you could govern well my people over whom I’ve made you king.

 Because of this, you get what you asked for—wisdom and knowledge.

 And I’m presenting you the rest as a bonus—money, wealth, and fame beyond anything the kings before or after you had or will have.

”

Then Solomon left the worship center at Gibeon and the Tent of Meeting and went to Jerusalem.

 He set to work as king of Israel.

Solomon collected chariots and horses: fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses! He stabled them in the special chariot-cities as well as in Jerusalem.

 The king made silver and gold as common as rocks, and cedar as common as the fig trees in the lowland hills.

 His horses were brought in from Egypt and Cilicia, specially acquired by the king’s agents.

 Chariots from Egypt went for fifteen pounds of silver and a horse for about three and three-quarters of a pound of silver.

 Solomon carried on a brisk horse-trading business with the Hittite and Aramean royal houses.

The Temple Construction Begins

002 Solomon gave orders to begin construction on the house of worship in honor of GOD and a palace for himself.

Solomon assigned seventy thousand common laborers, eighty thousand to work the quarries in the mountains, and thirty-six hundred foremen to manage the workforce.

Then Solomon sent this message to King Hiram of Tyre: “Send me cedar logs, the same kind you sent David my father for building his palace.

 I’m about to build a house of worship in honor of GOD, a holy place for burning perfumed incense, for setting out holy bread, for making Whole-Burnt-Offerings at morning and evening worship, and for Sabbath, New Moon, and Holy Day services of worship—the acts of worship required of Israel.

“The house I am building has to be the best, for our God is the best, far better than competing gods.

 But who is capable of building such a structure? Why, the skies—the entire cosmos!—can’t begin to contain him.

 And me, who am I to think I can build a house adequate for God—burning incense to him is about all I’m good for! I need your help: Send me a master artisan in gold, silver, bronze, iron, textiles of purple, crimson, and violet, and who knows the craft of engraving; he will supervise the trained craftsmen in Judah and Jerusalem that my father provided.

 Also send cedar, cypress, and algum logs from Lebanon; I know you have lumberjacks experienced in the Lebanon forests.

 I’ll send workers to join your crews to cut plenty of timber—I’m going to need a lot, for this house I’m building is going to be absolutely stunning—a showcase temple! I’ll provide all the food necessary for your crew of lumberjacks and loggers: 130,000 bushels of wheat, 120,000 gallons of wine, and 120,000 gallons of olive oil.

”

Hiram king of Tyre wrote Solomon in reply: “It’s plain that GOD loves his people—he made you king over them!”

He wrote on, “Blessed be the GOD of Israel, who made heaven and earth, and who gave King David a son so wise, so knowledgeable and shrewd, to build a temple for GOD and a palace for himself.

 I’ve sent you Huram-Abi—he’s already on his way—he knows the construction business inside and out.

 His mother is from Dan and his father from Tyre.

 He knows how to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, in purple, violet, linen, and crimson textiles; he is also an expert engraver and competent to work out designs with your artists and architects, and those of my master David, your father.

“Go ahead and send the wheat, barley, olive oil, and wine you promised for my work crews.

 We’ll log the trees you need from the Lebanon forests and raft them down to Joppa.

 You’ll have to get the timber up to Jerusalem yourself.

”

Solomon then took a census of all the foreigners living in Israel, using the same census-taking method employed by his father.

 They numbered 153,600.

 He assigned 70,000 of them as common laborers, 80,000 to work the quarries in the mountains, and 3,600 as foremen to manage the work crews.

003

So Solomon broke ground, launched construction of the house of GOD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, the place where GOD had appeared to his father David.

 The precise site, the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, had been designated by David.

 He broke ground on the second day in the second month of the fourth year of his rule.

 These are the dimensions that Solomon set for the construction of the house of God: ninety feet long and thirty feet wide.

 The porch in front stretched the width of the building, that is, thirty feet; and it was thirty feet high.

The interior was gold-plated.

 He paneled the main hall with cypress and veneered it with fine gold engraved with palm tree and chain designs.

 He decorated the building with precious stones and gold from Parvaim.

 Everything was coated with gold veneer: rafters, doorframes, walls, and doors.

 Cherubim were engraved on the walls.

He made the Holy of Holies a cube, thirty feet wide, long, and high.

 It was veneered with six hundred talents (something over twenty-two tons) of gold.

 The gold nails weighed fifty shekels (a little over a pound).

 The upper rooms were also veneered in gold.

He made two sculptures of cherubim, gigantic angel-like figures, for the Holy of Holies, both veneered with gold.

 The combined wingspread of the side-by-side cherubim (each wing measuring seven and a half feet) stretched from wall to wall, thirty feet.

 They stood erect facing the main hall.

He fashioned the curtain of violet, purple, and crimson fabric and worked a cherub design into it.

He made two huge free-standing pillars, each fifty-two feet tall, their capitals extending another seven and a half feet.

 The top of each pillar was set off with an elaborate filigree of chains, like necklaces, from which hung a hundred pomegranates.

 He placed the pillars in front of The Temple, one on the right, and the other on the left.

 The right pillar he named Jakin (Security) and the left pillar he named Boaz (Stability).

Temple Furnishings

004 He made the Bronze Altar thirty feet long, thirty feet wide, and ten feet high.

He made a Sea—an immense round basin of cast metal fifteen feet in diameter, seven and a half feet high, and forty-five feet in circumference.

 Just under the rim, there were two parallel bands of something like bulls, ten to each foot and a half.

 The figures were cast in one piece with the Sea.

 The Sea was set on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east.

 All the bulls faced outward and supported the Sea on their hindquarters.

 The Sea was three inches thick and flared at the rim like a cup, or a lily.

 It held about 18,000 gallons.

He made ten Washbasins, five set on the right and five on the left, for rinsing the things used for the Whole-Burnt-Offerings.

 The priests washed themselves in the Sea.

He made ten gold Lampstands, following the specified pattern, and placed five on the right and five on the left.

He made ten tables and set five on the right and five on the left.

 He also made a hundred gold bowls.

He built a Courtyard especially for the priests and then the great court and doors for the court.

 The doors were covered with bronze.

He placed the Sea on the right side of The Temple at the southeast corner.

He also made ash buckets, shovels, and bowls.

And that about wrapped it up: Huram completed the work he had contracted to do for King Solomon:

two pillars;

two bowl-shaped capitals for the tops of the pillars;

two decorative filigrees for the capitals;

four hundred pomegranates for the filigrees (a double row of pomegranates for each

filigree);

ten washstands with their basins;

one Sea and the twelve bulls under it;

miscellaneous buckets, forks, shovels, and bowls.

All these artifacts that Huram-Abi made for King Solomon for The Temple of GOD were made of burnished bronze.

 The king had them cast in clay in a foundry on the Jordan plain between Succoth and Zarethan.

 These artifacts were never weighed—there were far too many! Nobody has any idea how much bronze was used.

Solomon was also responsible for the furniture and accessories in The Temple of God:

the gold Altar;

the tables that held the Bread of the Presence;

the Lampstands of pure gold with their lamps, to be lighted

before the Inner Sanctuary, the Holy of Holies;

the gold flowers, lamps, and tongs (all solid gold);

the gold wick trimmers, bowls, ladles, and censers;

the gold doors of The Temple, doors to the Holy of Holies, and the doors to the main

sanctuary.

005

That completed the work King Solomon did on The Temple of GOD.

 He then brought in the holy offerings of his father David, the silver and the gold and the artifacts.

 He placed them all in the treasury of GOD’s Temple.

Installing the Chest

Bringing all this to a climax, Solomon got all the leaders together in Jerusalem—all the chiefs of tribes and the family patriarchs—to move the Chest of the Covenant of GOD from Zion and install it in The Temple.

 All the men of Israel assembled before the king on the feast day of the seventh month, the Feast of Booths.

When all the leaders of Israel were ready, the Levites took up the Chest.

 They carried the Chest, the Tent of Meeting, and all the sacred things in the Tent used in worship.

 The priests, all Levites, carried them.

 King Solomon and the entire congregation of Israel were there before the Chest, worshiping and sacrificing huge numbers of sheep and cattle—so many that no one could keep track.

The priests brought the Chest of the Covenant of GOD to its place in the Inner Sanctuary, the Holy of Holies, under the wings of the cherubim.

 The outspread wings of the cherubim formed a canopy over the Chest and its poles.

 The ends of the poles were so long that they stuck out from the entrance of the Inner Sanctuary, but were not noticeable further out—they’re still there today.

 There was nothing in the Chest itself but the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb where GOD made a covenant with Israel after bringing them up from Egypt.

The priests then left the Holy Place.

 All the priests there were consecrated, regardless of rank or assignment; and all the Levites who were musicians were there—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their families, dressed in their worship robes; the choir and orchestra assembled on the east side of the Altar and were joined by 120 priests blowing trumpets.

 The choir and trumpets made one voice of praise and thanks to GOD—orchestra and choir in perfect harmony singing and playing praise to GOD:

Yes! God is good!

His loyal love goes on forever!

Then a billowing cloud filled The Temple of GOD.

 The priests couldn’t even carry out their duties because of the cloud—the glory of GOD!—that filled The Temple of God.

Solomon’s Dedication and Prayer

006 Then Solomon said, GOD said he would dwell in a cloud,

But I’ve built a temple most splendid,

A place for you to live in forever.

The king then turned to face the congregation that had come together and blessed them:

“Blessed be GOD, the God of Israel, who spoke personally to my father David.

 Now he has done what he promised when he said, ‘From the day I brought my people Israel up from Egypt, I haven’t set apart one city among the tribes of Israel in which to build a temple to honor my Name, or chosen one person to be the leader.

 But now I have chosen both a city and a person: Jerusalem for honoring my Name and David to lead my people Israel.

’

“My father David very much wanted to build a temple honoring the Name of GOD, the God of Israel, but GOD told him, ‘It was good that you wanted to build a temple in my honor—most commendable! But you are not the one to do it.

 Your son, who will carry on your dynasty, will build it for my Name.

’

“And now you see the promise completed.

 GOD has done what he said he would do; I have succeeded David my father and now rule Israel; and I have built a temple to honor GOD, the God of Israel, and have secured a place for the Chest that holds the Covenant of GOD, the covenant he made with the people of Israel.

”

Before the entire congregation of Israel, Solomon took his position at the Altar of GOD and stretched out his hands.

 Solomon had made a bronze dais seven and a half feet square and four and a half feet high and placed it inside the court; that’s where he now stood.

 Then he knelt in full view of the whole congregation, stretched his hands to heaven, and prayed:

GOD, O God of Israel, there is no God like you in the skies above or on the earth below, who unswervingly keeps covenant with his servants and unfailingly loves them while they sincerely live in obedience to your way.

 You kept your word to David my father, your promise.

 You did exactly what you promised—every detail.

The proof is before us today!

Keep it up, GOD, O God of Israel! Continue to keep the promises you made to David my father when you said, “You’ll always have a descendant to represent my rule on Israel’s throne, on the one condition that your sons are as careful to live obediently in my presence as you have.

”

O GOD, God of Israel, let this all happen—confirm and establish it!

Can it be that God will actually move into our neighborhood? Why, the cosmos itself isn’t large enough to give you breathing room, let alone this Temple I’ve built.

 Even so, I’m bold to ask: Pay attention to these my prayers, both intercessory and personal, O GOD, my God.

 Listen to my prayers, energetic and devout, that I’m setting before you right now.

 Keep your eyes open to this Temple day and night, this place you promised to dignify with your Name.

 And listen to the prayers that I pray in this place.

 And listen to your people Israel when they pray at this place.

Listen from your home in heaven and when you hear, forgive.

When someone hurts a neighbor and promises to make things right, and then comes and repeats the promise before your Altar in this Temple,

Listen from heaven and act; judge your servants, making the offender pay for the offense

And set the offended free, dismissing all charges.

When your people Israel are beaten by an enemy because they’ve sinned against you, but then turn to you and acknowledge your rule in prayers desperate and devout in this Temple,

Listen from your home in heaven; forgive the sin of your people Israel, return them to the land you gave to them and their ancestors.

When the skies shrivel up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, but then they pray at this place, acknowledging your rule and quit their sins because you have scourged them,

Listen from your home in heaven, forgive the sins of your servants, your people Israel.

Then start over with them; train them to live right and well;

Send rain on the land you gave as inheritance to your people.

When disasters strike, famine or catastrophe, crop failure or disease, locust or beetle, or when an enemy attacks their defenses—calamity of any sort—any prayer that’s prayed from anyone at all among your people Israel, their hearts penetrated by disaster, hands and arms thrown out for help to this Temple,

Listen from your home in heaven, forgive and reward us: reward each life and circumstance,

For you know each life from the inside, (you’re the only one with such inside knowledge!),

So they’ll live before you in lifelong reverence and believing obedience on this land you gave our ancestors.

And don’t forget the foreigner who is not a member of your people Israel but has come from a far country because of your reputation—people are going to be attracted here by your great reputation, your wonderworking power—and who come to pray to this Temple.

Listen from your home in heaven and honor the prayers of the foreigner,

So that people all over the world will know who you are and what you’re like,

And live in reverent obedience before you, just as your own people Israel do,

So they’ll know that you personally make this Temple that I’ve built what it is.

When your people go to war against their enemies at the time and place you send them and they pray to GOD toward the city you chose and The Temple I’ve built to honor your Name,

Listen from heaven to what they pray and ask for and do what is right for them.

When they sin against you—and they certainly will; there’s no one without sin!—and in anger you turn them over to the enemy and they are taken captive to the enemy’s land, whether far or near, but repent in the country of their captivity and pray with changed hearts in their exile, “We’ve sinned; we’ve done wrong; we’ve been most wicked,” and turn back to you heart and soul in the land of the enemy who conquered them, and pray to you toward their homeland, the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you chose, and this Temple I have built to the honor of your Name,

Listen from your home in heaven to their prayers desperate and devout; Do what is best for them.

Forgive your people who have sinned against you.

 And now, dear God, be alert and attentive to prayer, all prayer, offered in this place.

Up, GOD, enjoy your new place of quiet repose, you and your mighty covenant Chest;

Dress your priests up in salvation clothes, let your holy people celebrate goodness.

And don’t, GOD, back out on your anointed ones, keep in mind the love promised to David your servant.

The Temple Dedication

007 When Solomon finished praying, a bolt of lightning out of heaven struck the Whole-Burnt-Offering and sacrifices and the Glory of GOD filled The Temple.

 The Glory was so dense that the priests couldn’t get in—GOD so filled The Temple that there was no room for the priests! When all Israel saw the fire fall from heaven and the Glory of GOD fill The Temple, they fell on their knees, bowed their heads, and worshiped, thanking GOD: Yes! God is good!

His love never quits!

Then the king and all Israel worshiped, offering sacrifices to GOD.

 King Solomon worshiped by sacrificing 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep at the dedication of The Temple.

 The priests were all on duty; the choir and orchestra of Levites that David had provided for singing and playing anthems to the praise and love of GOD were all there; across the courtyard the priests blew trumpets.

 All Israelites were on their feet.

Solomon set apart the central area of the courtyard in front of GOD’s Temple for sacred use and there sacrificed the Whole-Burnt-Offerings, Grain-Offerings, and fat from the Peace-Offerings—the Bronze Altar was too small to handle all these offerings.

 This is how Solomon kept the great autumn Feast of Booths.

 For seven days there were people there all the way from the far northeast (the Entrance to Hamath) to the far southwest (the Brook of Egypt)—a huge congregation.

 They started out celebrating for seven days, and then did it for another seven days, a week for dedicating the Altar and another for the Feast itself—two solid weeks of celebration! On the twenty-third day of the seventh month Solomon dismissed his congregation.

 They left rejoicing, exuberant over all the good GOD had done for David and Solomon and his people Israel.

God’s Confirmation

Solomon completed building The Temple of GOD and the royal palace—the projects he had set his heart on doing.

 Everything was done—success! Satisfaction!

GOD appeared to Solomon that very night and said, “I accept your prayer; yes, I have chosen this place as a temple for sacrifice, a house of worship.

 If I ever shut off the supply of rain from the skies or order the locusts to eat the crops or send a plague on my people, and my people, my God-defined people, respond by humbling themselves, praying, seeking my presence, and turning their backs on their wicked lives, I’ll be there ready for you: I’ll listen from heaven, forgive their sins, and restore their land to health.

From now on I’m alert day and night to the prayers offered at this place.

 Believe me, I’ve chosen and sanctified this Temple that you have built: My Name is stamped on it forever; my eyes are on it and my heart in it always.

 As for you, if you live in my presence as your father David lived, pure in heart and action, living the life I’ve set out for you, attentively obedient to my guidance and judgments, then I’ll back your kingly rule over Israel—make it a sure thing on a sure foundation.

 The same covenant guarantee I gave to David your father I’m giving to you, namely, ‘You can count on always having a descendant on Israel’s throne.

’

“But if you or your sons betray me, ignoring my guidance and judgments, taking up with alien gods by serving and worshiping them, then the guarantee is off: I’ll wipe Israel right off the map and repudiate this Temple I’ve just sanctified to honor my Name.

 And Israel will be nothing but a bad joke among the peoples of the world.

 And this Temple, splendid as it now is, will become an object of contempt; tourists will shake their heads, saying, ‘What happened here? What’s the story behind these ruins?’ Then they’ll be told, ‘The people who used to live here betrayed their GOD, the very God who rescued their ancestors from Egypt; they took up with alien gods, worshiping and serving them.

 That’s what’s behind this God-visited devastation.

’ ”

More on Solomon

008 At the end of twenty years, Solomon had quite a list of accomplishments.

 He had:

built The Temple of GOD and his own palace;

rebuilt the cities that Hiram had given him and colonized them withIsraelites;

marched on Hamath Zobah and took it;

fortified Tadmor in the desert and all the store-cities he had founded in Hamath;

built the fortress cities Upper Beth Horon and Lower Beth Horon,complete with walls, gates, and bars;

built Baalath and store-cities;

built chariot-cities for his horses.

Solomon built impulsively and extravagantly—whenever a whim took him.

 And in Jerusalem, in Lebanon—wherever he fancied.

The remnants from the original inhabitants of the land (Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites—all non-Israelites), survivors of the holy wars, were rounded up by Solomon for his gangs of slave labor.

 The policy is in effect today.

 But true Israelites were not treated this way; they were used in his army and administration—government leaders and commanders of his chariots and charioteers.

 They were also the project managers responsible for Solomon’s building operations—250 in all in charge of the workforce.

Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter from the City of David to a house built especially for her, “Because,” he said, “my wife cannot live in the house of David king of Israel, for the areas in which the Chest of GOD has entered are sacred.

”

Then Solomon offered Whole-Burnt-Offerings to GOD on the Altar of GOD that he had built in front of The Temple porch.

 He kept to the regular schedule of worship set down by Moses: Sabbaths, New Moons, and the three annual feasts of Unraised Bread (Passover), Weeks (Pentecost), and Booths.

He followed the practice of his father David in setting up groups of priests carrying out the work of worship, with the Levites assigned to lead the sacred music for praising God and to assist the priests in the daily worship; he assigned security guards to be on duty at each gate—that’s what David the man of God had ordered.

 The king’s directions to the priests and Levites and financial stewards were kept right down to the fine print—no innovations—including the treasuries.

All that Solomon set out to do, from the groundbreaking of The Temple of GOD to its finish, was now complete.

Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and Elath on the coast of Edom.

 Hiram sent him ships and with them veteran sailors.

 Joined by Solomon’s men they sailed to Ophir (in east Africa), loaded on fifteen tons of gold, and brought it back to King Solomon.

009 The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s reputation and came to Jerusalem to put his reputation to the test, asking all the tough questions.

 She made a showy entrance—an impressive retinue of attendants and camels loaded with perfume and much gold and precious stones.

 She emptied her heart to Solomon, talking over everything she cared about.

 And Solomon answered everything she put to him—nothing stumped him.

 When the queen of Sheba experienced for herself Solomon’s wisdom and saw with her own eyes the palace he had built, the meals that were served, the impressive array of court officials, the sharply dressed waiters, the cupbearers, and then the elaborate worship extravagant with Whole-Burnt-Offerings at The Temple of GOD, it all took her breath away.

She said to the king, “It’s all true! Your reputation for accomplishment and wisdom that reached all the way to my country is confirmed.

 I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself; they didn’t exaggerate! Such wisdom and elegance—far more than I could ever have imagined.

 Lucky the men and women who work for you, getting to be around you every day and hear your wise words firsthand! And blessed be your GOD who has taken such a liking to you, making you king.

 Clearly, GOD’s love for Israel is behind this, making you king to keep a just order and nurture a God-pleasing people.

”

She then gave the king four and a half tons of gold and sack after sack of spices and precious stones.

 There hasn’t been a cargo of spices like the shipload the queen of Sheba brought to King Solomon.

 The ships of Hiram also imported gold from Ophir along with fragrant sandalwood and expensive gems.

 The king used the sandalwood for fine cabinetry in The Temple of GOD and the royal palace, and for making harps and dulcimers for the musicians.

 Nothing like that shipment of sandalwood has been seen since.

King Solomon, for his part, gave the queen of Sheba all her heart’s desire—everything she asked for.

 She took away more than she brought.

 Satisfied, she returned home with her train of servants.

Solomon received twenty-five tons of gold annually.

 This was above and beyond the taxes and profit on trade with merchants and traders.

 All kings of Arabia and various and assorted governors also brought silver and gold to Solomon.

King Solomon crafted two hundred body-length shields of hammered gold—about fifteen pounds of gold to each shield—and about three hundred small shields about half that size.

 He stored the shields in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

The king made a massive throne of ivory with a veneer of gold.

 The throne had six steps leading up to it with an attached footstool of gold.

 The armrests on each side were flanked by lions.

 Lions, twelve of them, were placed at either end of the six steps.

 There was no throne like it in any other kingdom.

King Solomon’s chalices and tankards were made of gold, and all the dinnerware and serving utensils in the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold.

 Nothing was made of silver; silver was considered common and cheap in the time of Solomon.

The king’s ships, manned by Hiram’s sailors, made a round trip to Tarshish every three years, returning with a cargo of gold, silver, and ivory, apes and peacocks.

King Solomon was richer and wiser than all the kings of the earth—he surpassed them all.

 Kings came from all over the world to be with Solomon and get in on the wisdom God had given him.

 Everyone who came brought gifts—artifacts of gold and silver, fashionable robes and gowns, the latest in weapons, exotic spices, horses, and mules—parades of visitors, year after year.

Solomon collected horses and chariots.

 He had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen in barracks in the chariot-cities and in Jerusalem.

 He ruled over all the kings from the River Euphrates in the east, throughout the Philistine country, and as far west as the border of Egypt.

 The king made silver as common as rocks and cedar as common as the fig trees in the lowland hills.

 He carried on a brisk horse-trading business with Egypt and other places.

The rest of Solomon’s life and rule, from start to finish, one can read in the records of Nathan the prophet, the prophecy of Ahijah of Shiloh, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat.

 Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years.

 Solomon died and was buried in the City of David his father.

 His son Rehoboam was the next king.

King Rehoboam

010 Rehoboam traveled to Shechem where all Israel had gathered to inaugurate him as king.

 Jeroboam was then in Egypt, where he had taken asylum from King Solomon; when he got the report of Solomon’s death, he came back.

Summoned by Israel, Jeroboam and all Israel went to Rehoboam and said, “Your father made life hard for us—worked our fingers to the bone.

 Give us a break; lighten up on us and we’ll willingly serve you.

”

“Give me,” said Rehoboam, “three days to think it over; then come back.

” So the people left.

King Rehoboam talked it over with the elders who had advised his father when he was alive: “What’s your counsel? How do you suggest that I answer the people?”

They said, “If you will be a servant to this people, be considerate of their needs and respond with compassion, work things out with them, they’ll end up doing anything for you.

”

But he rejected the counsel of the elders and asked the young men he’d grown up with who were now currying his favor, “What do you think? What should I say to these people who are saying, ‘Give us a break from your father’s harsh ways—lighten up on us’?”

The young turks he’d grown up with said, “These people who complain, ‘Your father was too hard on us; lighten up’—well, tell them this: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist.

 If you think life under my father was hard, you haven’t seen the half of it.

 My father thrashed you with whips; I’ll beat you bloody with chains!’ ”

Three days later Jeroboam and the people showed up, just as Rehoboam had directed when he said, “Give me three days to think it over; then come back.

” The king’s answer was harsh and rude.

 He spurned the counsel of the elders and went with the advice of the younger set: “If you think life under my father was hard, you haven’t seen the half of it: my father thrashed you with whips; I’ll beat you bloody with chains!”

Rehoboam turned a deaf ear to the people.

 God was behind all this, confirming the message that he had given to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah of Shiloh.

When all Israel realized that the king hadn’t listened to a word they’d said, they stood up to him and said,

Get lost, David!

We’ve had it with you, son of Jesse!

Let’s get out of here, Israel, and fast!

From now on, David, mind your own business.

And with that they left.

 Rehoboam continued to rule only those who lived in the towns of Judah.

When King Rehoboam next sent out Adoniram, head of the workforce, the Israelites ganged up on him, pelted him with stones, and killed him.

 King Rehoboam jumped in his chariot and escaped to Jerusalem as fast as he could.

 Israel has been in rebellion against the Davidic dynasty ever since.

011

When Rehoboam got back to Jerusalem he called up the men of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 of their best soldiers, to go to war against Israel and recover the kingdom.

At the same time the word of GOD came to Shemaiah, a holy man, “Tell this to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, along with all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin, This is GOD’s word: Don’t march out; don’t fight against your brothers the Israelites.

 Go back home, every last one of you; I’m in charge here.

” And they did it; they did what GOD said and went home.

Rehoboam continued to live in Jerusalem but built up a defense system for Judah all around: in Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, Beth Zur, Soco, Adullam, Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron—a line of defense protecting Judah and Benjamin.

 He beefed up the fortifications, appointed commanders, and put in supplies of food, olive oil, and wine.

 He installed arms—large shields and spears—in all the forts, making them very strong.

 So Judah and Benjamin were secure for the time.

The priests and Levites from all over Israel came and made themselves available to Rehoboam.

 The Levites left their pastures and properties and moved to Judah and Jerusalem because Jeroboam and his sons had dismissed them from the priesthood of GOD and replaced them with his own priests to preside over the worship centers at which he had installed goat and calf demon-idols.

 Everyone from all the tribes of Israel who determined to seek the GOD of Israel migrated with the priests and Levites to Jerusalem to worship there, sacrificing to the GOD of their ancestors.

 That gave a tremendous boost to the kingdom of Judah.

 They stuck with Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years, loyal to the ways of David and Solomon for this period.

Rehoboam married Mahalath daughter of Jerimoth, David’s son, and Abihail daughter of Eliab, Jesse’s son.

 Mahalath bore him Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.

 Then he married Maacah, Absalom’s daughter, and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.

 Maacah was Rehoboam’s favorite wife; he loved her more than all his other wives and concubines put together (and he had a lot—eighteen wives and sixty concubines who produced twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters!).

Rehoboam designated Abijah son of Maacah as the “first son” and leader of the brothers—he intended to make him the next king.

 He was shrewd in deploying his sons in all the fortress cities that made up his defense system in Judah and Benjamin; he kept them happy with much food and many wives.

012 By the time Rehoboam had secured his kingdom and was strong again, he, and all Israel with him, had virtually abandoned GOD and his ways.

In Rehoboam’s fifth year, because he and the people were unfaithful to GOD, Shishak king of Egypt invaded as far as Jerusalem.

 He came with twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand cavalry, and soldiers from all over—the Egyptian army included Libyans, Sukkites, and Ethiopians.

 They took the fortress cities of Judah and advanced as far as Jerusalem itself.

Then the prophet Shemaiah, accompanied by the leaders of Judah who had retreated to Jerusalem before Shishak, came to Rehoboam and said, “GOD’s word: You abandoned me; now I abandon you to Shishak.

”

The leaders of Israel and the king were repentant and said, “GOD is right.

”

When GOD saw that they were humbly repentant, the word of GOD came to Shemaiah: “Because they are humble, I’ll not destroy them—I’ll give them a break; I won’t use Shishak to express my wrath against Jerusalem.

 What I will do, though, is make them Shishak’s subjects—they’ll learn the difference between serving me and serving human kings.

”

Then Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem.

 He plundered the treasury of The Temple of GOD and the treasury of the royal palace—he took everything he could lay his hands on.

 He even took the gold shields that Solomon had made.

King Rehoboam replaced the gold shields with bronze shields and gave them to the guards who were posted at the entrance to the royal palace.

 Whenever the king went to GOD’s Temple, the guards went with him carrying the shields, but they always returned them to the guardroom.

Because Rehoboam was repentant, GOD’s anger was blunted, so he wasn’t totally destroyed.

 The picture wasn’t entirely bleak—there were some good things going on in Judah.

King Rehoboam regrouped and reestablished his rule in Jerusalem.

 He was forty-one years old when he became king and continued as king for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city GOD chose out of all the tribes of Israel as the special presence of his Name.

 His mother was Naamah from Ammon.

 But the final verdict on Rehoboam was that he was a bad king—GOD was not important to him; his heart neither cared for nor sought after GOD.

The history of Rehoboam, from start to finish, is written in the memoirs of Shemaiah the prophet and Iddo the seer that contain the family trees.

 There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam the whole time.

 Rehoboam died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David.

 His son Abijah ruled after him.

King Abijah

013 In the eighteenth year of the rule of King Jeroboam, Abijah took over the throne of Judah.

 He ruled in Jerusalem three years.

 His mother was Maacah daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.

War broke out between Abijah and Jeroboam.

 Abijah started out with 400,000 of his best soldiers; Jeroboam countered with 800,000 of his best.

Abijah took a prominent position on Mount Zemaraim in the hill country of Ephraim and gave this speech: “Listen, Jeroboam and all Israel! Don’t you realize that GOD, the one and only God of Israel, established David and his sons as the permanent rulers of Israel, ratified by a ‘covenant of salt’—GOD’s kingdom ruled by GOD’s king? And what happened? Jeroboam, the son of Solomon’s slave Nebat, rebelled against his master.

 All the riffraff joined his cause and were too much for Rehoboam, Solomon’s true heir.

 Rehoboam didn’t know his way around—besides he was a real wimp; he couldn’t stand up against them.

“Taking advantage of that weakness, you are asserting yourself against the very rule of GOD that is delegated to David’s descendants—you think you are so big with your huge army backed up by the golden-calf idols that Jeroboam made for you as gods! But just look at what you’ve done—you threw out the priests of GOD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests to suit yourselves, priests just like the pagans have.

 Anyone who shows up with enough money to pay for it can be a priest! A priest of No-God!

“But for the rest of us in Judah, we’re sticking with GOD.

 We have not traded him in for the latest model—we’re keeping the tried-and-true priests of Aaron to lead us to GOD and the Levites to lead us in worship by sacrificing Whole-Burnt-Offerings and aromatic incense to GOD at the daily morning and evening prayers, setting out fresh holy bread on a clean table, and lighting the lamps on the golden Lampstand every night.

 We continue doing what GOD told us to in the way he told us to do it; but you have rid yourselves of him.

“Can’t you see the obvious? God is on our side; he’s our leader.

 And his priests with trumpets are all ready to blow the signal to battle.

 O Israel—don’t fight against GOD, the God of your ancestors.

 You will not win this battle.

”

While Abijah was speaking, Jeroboam had sent men around to take them by surprise from the rear: Jeroboam in front of Judah and the ambush behind.

 When Judah looked back, they saw they were attacked front and back.

 They prayed desperately to GOD, the priests blew their trumpets, and the soldiers of Judah shouted their battle cry.

 At the battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

 The army of Israel scattered before Judah; God gave them the victory.

 Abijah and his troops slaughtered them—500,000 of Israel’s best fighters were killed that day.

 The army of Israel fell flat on its face—a humiliating defeat.

 The army of Judah won hands down because they trusted GOD, the God of their ancestors.

Abijah followed up his victory by pursuing Jeroboam, taking the towns of Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron with their surrounding villages.

 Jeroboam never did recover from his defeat while Abijah lived.

 Later on GOD struck him down and he died.

 Meanwhile Abijah flourished; he married fourteen wives and ended up with a family of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

The rest of the history of Abijah, what he did and said, is written in the study written by Iddo the prophet.

King Asa

014 Abijah died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David.

 His son Asa became the next king.

For ten years into Asa’s reign the country was at peace.

Asa was a good king.

 He did things right in GOD’s eyes.

 He cleaned house: got rid of the pagan altars and shrines, smashed the sacred stone pillars, and chopped down the sex-and-religion groves (Asherim).

 He told Judah to center their lives in GOD, the God of their fathers, to do what the law said, and to follow the commandments.

 Because he got rid of all the pagan shrines and altars in the cities of Judah, his kingdom was at peace.

 Because the land was quiet and there was no war, he was able to build up a good defense system in Judah.

 GOD kept the peace.

Asa said to his people, “While we have the chance and the land is quiet, let’s build a solid defense system, fortifying our cities with walls, towers, gates, and bars.

 We have this peaceful land because we sought GOD; he has given us rest from all troubles.

” So they built and enjoyed prosperity.

Asa had an army of 300,000 Judeans, equipped with shields and spears, and another 280,000 Benjaminites who were shield bearers and archers.

 They were all courageous warriors.

Zerah the Ethiopian went to war against Asa with an army of a million plus three hundred chariots and got as far as Mareshah.

 Asa met him there and prepared to fight from the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.

 Then Asa prayed to GOD, “O GOD, you aren’t impressed by numbers or intimidated by a show of force once you decide to help: Help us, O GOD; we have come out to meet this huge army because we trust in you and who you are.

 Don’t let mere mortals stand against you!”

GOD defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah; the Ethiopians ran for their lives.

 Asa and his men chased them as far as Gerar; so many of the Ethiopians were killed that there was no fight left in them—a massacre before GOD and his troops; Judah carted off loads of plunder.

 They devastated all the towns around Gerar whose people were helpless, paralyzed by the fear of GOD, and looted the country.

 They also attacked herds-men and brought back a lot of sheep and camels to Jerusalem.

015

Then Azariah son of Obed, moved by the Spirit of God, went out to meet Asa.

 He said, “Listen carefully, Asa, and listen Judah and Benjamin: GOD will stick with you as long as you stick with him.

 If you look for him he will let himself be found; but if you leave him he’ll leave you.

 For a long time Israel didn’t have the real God, nor did they have the help of priest or teacher or book.

 But when they were in trouble and got serious, and decided to seek GOD, the God of Israel, GOD let himself be found.

 At that time it was a dog-eat-dog world; life was constantly up for grabs—no one, regardless of country, knew what the next day might bring.

 Nation battered nation, city pummeled city.

 God let loose every kind of trouble among them.

“But it’s different with you: Be strong.

 Take heart.

 Payday is coming!”

Asa heard the prophecy of Azariah son of Obed, took a deep breath, then rolled up his sleeves, and went to work: He cleaned out the obscene and polluting sacred shrines from the whole country of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had taken in the hill country of Ephraim.

 He spruced up the Altar of GOD that was in front of The Temple porch.

 Then he called an assembly for all Judah and Benjamin, including those from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were living there at the time (for many from Israel had left their homes and joined forces with Asa when they saw that GOD was on his side).

They all arrived in Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign for a great assembly of worship.

 From their earlier plunder they offered sacrifices of seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep for the worship.

 Then they bound themselves in a covenant to seek GOD, the God of their fathers, wholeheartedly, holding nothing back.

 And they agreed that anyone who refused to seek GOD, the God of Israel, should be killed, no matter who it was, young or old, man or woman.

 They shouted out their promise to GOD, a joyful sound accompanied with blasts from trumpets and rams’ horns.

 The whole country felt good about the covenant promise—they had given their promise joyfully from the heart.

 Anticipating the best, they had sought God—and he showed up, ready to be found.

 GOD gave them peace within and without—a most peaceable kingdom!

In his cleanup of the country, Asa went so far as to remove his mother, Queen Maacah, from her throne because she had built a shockingly obscene image of the sex goddess Asherah.

 Asa tore it down, smashed it, and burned it up in the Kidron Valley.

 Unfortunately he didn’t get rid of the local sex-and-religion shrines.

 But he was wellintentioned—his heart was in the right place, loyal to GOD.

 All the gold and silver vessels and artifacts that he and his father had consecrated for holy use he installed in The Temple of God.

 There wasn’t a trace of war up to the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.

016

But in the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, Baasha king of Israel attacked.

 He started it by building a fort at Ramah and closing the border between Israel and Judah to keep Asa king of Judah from leaving or entering.

Asa took silver and gold from the treasuries of The Temple of GOD and the royal palace and sent it to Ben-Hadad, king of Aram who lived in Damascus, with this message: “Let’s make a treaty like the one between our fathers.

 I’m showing my good faith with this gift of silver and gold.

 Break your deal with Baasha king of Israel so he’ll quit fighting against me.

”

Ben-Hadad went along with King Asa and sent his troops against the towns of Israel.

 They sacked Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim, and all the store-cities of Naphtali.

 When Baasha got the report, he quit fortifying Ramah.

Then King Asa issued orders to his people in Judah to haul away the logs and stones Baasha had used in the fortification of Ramah and used them himself to fortify Geba and Mizpah.

Just after that, Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said, “Because you went for help to the king of Aram and didn’t ask GOD for help, you’ve lost a victory over the army of the king of Aram.

 Didn’t the Ethiopians and Libyans come against you with superior forces, completely outclassing you with their chariots and cavalry? But you asked GOD for help and he gave you the victory.

 GOD is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him.

 You were foolish to go for human help when you could have had God’s help.

 Now you’re in trouble—one round of war after another.

”

At that, Asa lost his temper.

 Angry, he put Hanani in the stocks.

 At the same time Asa started abusing some of the people.

A full account of Asa is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah.

 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa came down with a severe case of foot infection.

 He didn’t ask GOD for help, but went instead to the doctors.

 Then Asa died; he died in the forty-first year of his reign.

 They buried him in a mausoleum that he had built for himself in the City of David.

 They laid him in a crypt full of aromatic oils and spices.

 Then they had a huge bonfire in his memory.

Jehoshaphat of Judah

017 Asa’s son Jehoshaphat was the next king; he started out by working on his defense system against Israel.

 He put troops in all the fortress cities of Judah and deployed garrisons throughout Judah and in the towns of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.

 GOD was on Jehoshaphat’s side because he stuck to the ways of his father Asa’s early years.

 He didn’t fool around with the popular Baal religion—he was a seeker and follower of the God of his father and was obedient to him; he wasn’t like Israel.

 And GOD secured the kingdom under his rule, gave him a firm grip on it.

 And everyone in Judah showed their appreciation by bringing gifts.

 Jehoshaphat ended up very rich and much honored.

 He was single-minded in following GOD; and he got rid of the local sex-and-religion shrines.

In the third year of his reign he sent his officials—excellent men, every one of them—Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah on a teaching mission to the cities of Judah.

 They were accompanied by Levites—Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah; the priests Elishama and Jehoram were also in the company.

 They made a circuit of the towns of Judah, teaching the people and using the Book of The Revelation of GOD as their text.

There was a strong sense of the fear of GOD in all the kingdoms around Judah—they didn’t dare go to war against Jehoshaphat.

 Some Philistines even brought gifts and a load of silver to Jehoshaphat, and the desert bedouin brought flocks—7,700 rams and 7,700 goats.

 So Jehoshaphat became stronger by the day, and constructed more and more forts and store-cities—an age of prosperity for Judah!

He also had excellent fighting men stationed in Jerusalem.

 The captains of the military units of Judah, classified according to families, were: Captain Adnah with 300,000 soldiers; his associate Captain Jehohanan with 280,000; his associate Amasiah son of Zicri, a volunteer for GOD, with 200,000.

 Officer Eliada represented Benjamin with 200,000 fully equipped with bow and shield; and his associate was Jehozabad with 180,000 armed and ready for battle.

 These were under the direct command of the king; in addition there were the troops assigned to the fortress cities spread all over Judah.

018

But even though Jehoshaphat was very rich and much honored, he made a marriage alliance with Ahab of Israel.

 Some time later he paid a visit to Ahab at Samaria.

 Ahab celebrated his visit with a feast—a huge barbecue with all the lamb and beef you could eat.

 But Ahab had a hidden agenda; he wanted Jehoshaphat’s support in attacking Ramoth Gilead.

 Then Ahab brought it into the open: “Will you join me in attacking Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat said, “You bet.

 I’m with you all the way; you can count on me and my troops.

”

Then Jehoshaphat said, “But before you do anything, ask GOD for guidance.

”

The king of Israel got the prophets together—all four hundred of them—and put the question to them: “Should I attack Ramoth Gilead or should I hold back?”

“Go for it,” they said.

 “God will hand it over to the king.

”

But Jehoshaphat dragged his feet, “Is there another prophet of GOD around here we can consult? Let’s get a second opinion.

”

The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, “As a matter of fact, there is another.

 But I hate him.

 He never preaches anything good to me, only doom, doom, doom—Micaiah son of Imlah.

”

“The king shouldn’t talk about a prophet like that!” said Jehoshaphat.

So the king of Israel ordered one of his men, “Quickly, get Micaiah son of Imlah.

”

Meanwhile, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat were seated on their thrones, dressed in their royal robes, resplendent in front of the Samaria city gates.

 All the prophets were staging a prophecy-performance for their benefit.

 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had even made a set of iron horns, and brandishing them, called out, “GOD’s word! With these horns you’ll gore Aram until there’s nothing left of them!” All the prophets chimed in, “Yes! Go for Ramoth Gilead! An easy victory! GOD’s gift to the king!”

The messenger who went to get Micaiah told him, “The prophets have all said Yes to the king.

 Make it unanimous—vote Yes!”

But Micaiah said, “As sure as GOD lives, what God says, I’ll say.

”

With Micaiah before him, the king asked him, “So, Micaiah—do we attack Ramoth Gilead? Or do we hold back?”

“Go ahead,” he said, “an easy victory! God’s gift to the king.

”

“Not so fast,” said the king.

 “How many times have I made you promise under oath to tell me the truth and nothing but the truth?”

“All right,” said Micaiah, “since you insist .

 .

 .

I saw all of Israel scattered over the hills,

sheep with no shepherd.

Then GOD spoke, ‘These poor people

have no one to tell them what to do.

Let them go home and do

the best they can for themselves.

’ ”

The king of Israel turned to Jehoshaphat, “See! What did I tell you? He never has a good word for me from GOD, only doom.

”

Micaiah kept on, “I’m not done yet; listen to GOD’s word:

I saw GOD enthroned,

and all the Angel Armies of heaven

standing at attention,

ranged on his right and his left.

And GOD said, “How can we seduce Ahab

into attacking Ramoth Gilead?”

Some said this,

and some said that.

Then a bold angel stepped out,

stood before GOD, and said,

“I’ll seduce him.

”

“And how will you do it?” said GOD.

“Easy,” said the angel,

“I’ll get all the prophets to lie.

”

“That should do it,” said GOD;

“On your way—seduce him!”

“And that’s what has happened.

 GOD filled the mouths of your puppet prophets with seductive lies.

 GOD has pronounced your doom.

”

Just then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah came up and slapped Micaiah in the face, saying, “Since when did the Spirit of GOD leave me and take up with you?”

Micaiah said, “You’ll know soon enough; you’ll know it when you’re frantically and futilely looking for a place to hide.

”

The king of Israel had heard enough: “Get Micaiah out of here! Turn him over to Amon the city magistrate and to Joash the king’s son with this message: ‘King’s orders! Lock him up in jail; keep him on bread and water until I’m back in one piece.

’ ”

Micaiah said,

If you ever get back in one piece,

I’m no prophet of GOD.

He added,

When it happens, O people,

remember where you heard it!

So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went ahead and attacked Ramoth Gilead.

 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Wear my kingly robe; I’m going into battle disguised.

” So the king of Israel entered the battle in disguise.

Meanwhile, the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders (there were thirty-two of them), “Don’t bother with anyone whether small or great; go after the king of Israel and him only.

”

When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “There he is! The king of Israel!” and took after him.

 Jehoshaphat yelled out, and the chariot commanders realized they had the wrong man—it wasn’t the king of Israel after all.

 God intervened and they let him go.

Just then someone, without aiming, shot an arrow into the crowd and hit the king of Israel in the chink of his armor.

 The king told his charioteer, “Turn back! Get me out of here—I’m wounded.

”

All day the fighting continued, hot and heavy.

 Propped up in his chariot, the king watched from the sidelines.

 He died that evening.

019

But Jehoshaphat king of Judah got home safe and sound.

 Jehu, son of Hanani the seer, confronted King Jehoshaphat: “You have no business helping evil, cozying up to GOD-haters.

 Because you did this, GOD is good and angry with you.

 But you’re not all bad—you made a clean sweep of the polluting sex-and-religion shrines; and you were single-minded in seeking God.

”

Jehoshaphat kept his residence in Jerusalem but made a regular round of visits among the people, from Beersheba in the south to Mount Ephraim in the north, urging them to return to GOD, the God of their ancestors.

And he was diligent in appointing judges in the land—each of the fortress cities had its judge.

 He charged the judges: “This is serious work; do it carefully.

 You are not merely judging between men and women; these are GOD’s judgments that you are passing on.

 Live in the fear of GOD—be most careful, for GOD hates dishonesty, partiality, and bribery.

”

In Jerusalem Jehoshaphat also appointed Levites, priests, and family heads to decide on matters that had to do with worship and mediating local differences.

 He charged them: “Do your work in the fear of GOD; be dependable and honest in your duties.

 When a case comes before you involving any of your fellow citizens, whether it seems large (like murder) or small (like matters of interpretation of the law), you are responsible for warning them that they are dealing with GOD.

 Make that explicit, otherwise both you and they are going to be dealing with GOD’s wrath.

 Do your work well or you’ll end up being as guilty as they are.

“Amariah the chief priest is in charge of all cases regarding the worship of GOD; Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the leader of the tribe of Judah, is in charge of all civil cases; the Levites will keep order in the courts.

 Be bold and diligent.

 And GOD be with you as you do your best.

”

020 Some time later the Moabites and Ammonites, accompanied by Meunites, joined forces to make war on Jehoshaphat.

 Jehoshaphat received this intelligence report: “A huge force is on its way from beyond the Dead Sea to fight you.

There’s no time to waste—they’re already at Hazazon Tamar, the oasis of En Gedi.

”

Shaken, Jehoshaphat prayed.

 He went to GOD for help and ordered a nationwide fast.

 The country of Judah united in seeking GOD’s help—they came from all the cities of Judah to pray to GOD.

Then Jehoshaphat took a position before the assembled people of Judah and Jerusalem at The Temple of GOD in front of the new courtyard and said, “O GOD, God of our ancestors, are you not God in heaven above and ruler of all kingdoms below? You hold all power and might in your fist—no one stands a chance against you! And didn’t you make the natives of this land leave as you brought your people Israel in, turning it over permanently to your people Israel, the descendants of Abraham your friend? They have lived here and built a holy house of worship to honor you, saying, ‘When the worst happens—whether war or flood or disease or famine—and we take our place before this Temple (we know you are personally present in this place!) and pray out our pain and trouble, we know that you will listen and give victory.

’

“And now it’s happened: men from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir have shown up.

You didn’t let Israel touch them when we got here at first—we detoured around them and didn’t lay a hand on them.

 And now they’ve come to kick us out of the country you gave us.

 O dear God, won’t you take care of them? We’re helpless before this vandal horde ready to attack us.

 We don’t know what to do; we’re looking to you.

”

Everyone in Judah was there—little children, wives, sons—all present and attentive to GOD.

Then Jahaziel was moved by the Spirit of GOD to speak from the midst of the congregation.

 (Jahaziel was the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah the Levite of the Asaph clan.

) He said, “Attention everyone—all of you from out of town, all you from Jerusalem, and you King Jehoshaphat—GOD’s word: Don’t be afraid; don’t pay any mind to this vandal horde.

 This is God’s war, not yours.

 Tomorrow you’ll go after them; see, they’re already on their way up the slopes of Ziz; you’ll meet them at the end of the ravine near the wilderness of Jeruel.

 You won’t have to lift a hand in this battle; just stand firm, Judah and Jerusalem, and watch GOD’s saving work for you take shape.

 Don’t be afraid, don’t waver.

 March out boldly tomorrow—GOD is with you.

”

Then Jehoshaphat knelt down, bowing with his face to the ground.

 All Judah and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping GOD.

 The Levites (both Kohathites and Korahites) stood to their feet to praise GOD, the God of Israel; they praised at the top of their lungs!

They were up early in the morning, ready to march into the wilderness of Tekoa.

 As they were leaving, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, “Listen Judah and Jerusalem! Listen to what I have to say! Believe firmly in GOD, your God, and your lives will be firm! Believe in your prophets and you’ll come out on top!”

After talking it over with the people, Jehoshaphat appointed a choir for GOD; dressed in holy robes, they were to march ahead of the troops, singing,

Give thanks to GOD,

His love never quits.

As soon as they started shouting and praising, GOD set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir as they were attacking Judah, and they all ended up dead.

The Ammonites and Moabites mistakenly attacked those from Mount Seir and massacred them.

 Then, further confused, they went at each other, and all ended up killed.

As Judah came up over the rise, looking into the wilderness for the horde of barbarians, they looked on a killing field of dead bodies—not a living soul among them.

When Jehoshaphat and his people came to carry off the plunder they found more loot than they could carry off—equipment, clothing, valuables.

 It took three days to cart it away! On the fourth day they came together at the Valley of Blessing (Beracah) and blessed GOD (that’s how it got the name, Valley of Blessing).

Jehoshaphat then led all the men of Judah and Jerusalem back to Jerusalem—an exuberant parade.

 GOD had given them joyful relief from their enemies! They entered Jerusalem and came to The Temple of GOD with all the instruments of the band playing.

When the surrounding kingdoms got word that GOD had fought Israel’s enemies, the fear of God descended on them.

 Jehoshaphat heard no more from them; as long as Jehoshaphat reigned, peace reigned.

That about sums up Jehoshaphat’s reign over Judah.

 He was thirty-five years old when he became king and ruled as king in Jerusalem for twenty-five years.

 His mother was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.

 He continued the kind of life characteristic of his father Asa—no detours, no dead-ends—pleasing GOD with his life.

 But he failed to get rid of the neighborhood sex-and-religion shrines—people continued to pray and worship at these idolatrous god shops.

The rest of Jehoshaphat’s life, from start to finish, is written in the memoirs of Jehu son of Hanani, which are included in the Royal Annals of Israel’s Kings.

Late in life Jehoshaphat formed a trading syndicate with Ahaziah king of Israel—which was very wrong of him to do.

 He went in as partner with him to build ocean-going ships at Ezion Geber to trade with Tarshish.

 Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah preached against Jehoshaphat’s venture: “Because you joined forces with Ahaziah, GOD has shipwrecked your work.

” The ships were smashed and nothing ever came of the trade partnership.

021 Jehoshaphat died and was buried in the family cemetery in the City of David.

 Jehoram his son was the next king.

King Jehoram

Jehoram’s brothers were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah—the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Judah.

 Their father had lavished them with gifts—silver, gold, and other valuables, plus the fortress cities in Judah.

 But Jehoram was his firstborn son and he gave him the kingdom of Judah.

 But when Jehoram had taken over his father’s kingdom and had secured his position, he killed all his brothers along with some of the government officials.

Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king and ruled in Jerusalem for eight years.

 He imitated Israel’s kings and married into the Ahab dynasty.

 GOD considered him an evil man.

 But despite that, because of his covenant with David, GOD was not yet ready to destroy the descendants of David; he had, after all, promised to keep a light burning for David and his sons.

During Jehoram’s reign, Edom revolted from Judah’s rule and set up their own king.

 Jehoram responded by setting out with his officers and chariots.

 Edom surrounded him, but in the middle of the night he and his charioteers broke through the lines and hit Edom hard.

Edom continues in revolt against Judah right up to the present.

 Even little Libnah revolted at that time.

 The evidence accumulated: Since Jehoram had abandoned GOD, the God of his ancestors, God was abandoning him.

 He even went so far as to build pagan sacred shrines in the mountains of Judah.

 He brazenly led Jerusalem away from God, seducing the whole country.

One day he got a letter from Elijah the prophet.

 It read, “From GOD, the God of your ancestor David—a message: Because you have not kept to the ways of Jehoshaphat your father and Asa your grandfather, kings of Judah, but have taken up with the ways of the kings of Israel in the north, leading Judah and Jerusalem away from God, going step by step down the apostate path of Ahab and his crew—why, you even killed your own brothers, all of them better men than you!—GOD is going to afflict your people, your wives, your sons, and everything you have with a terrible plague.

 And you are going to come down with a terrible disease of the colon, painful and humiliating.

”

The trouble started with an invasion.

 GOD incited the Philistines and the Arabs who lived near the Ethiopians to attack Jehoram.

 They came to the borders of Judah, forced their way in, and plundered the place—robbing the royal palace of everything in it including his wives and sons.

 One son, his youngest, Ahaziah, was left behind.

 The terrible and fatal disease in his colon followed.

 After about two years he was totally incontinent and died writhing in pain.

 His people didn’t honor him by lighting a great bonfire, as was customary with his ancestors.

 He was thirty-two years old when he became king and reigned for eight years in Jerusalem.

 There were no tears shed when he died—it was good riddance!—and they buried him in the City of David, but not in the royal cemetery.

King Ahaziah

022 The people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, Jehoram’s youngest son,king.

 Raiders from the desert, who had come with the Arabs against the settlement, had killed all the older sons.

 That’s how Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah became king.

 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, but reigned only one year in Jerusalem.

 His mother was Athaliah, granddaughter of Omri.

 He lived and ruled just like the Ahab family had done, his mother training him in evil ways.

 GOD also considered him evil, related by both marriage and sin to the Ahab clan.

 After the death of his father, he attended the sin school of Ahab, and graduated with a degree in doom.

 He did what they taught him, went with Joram son of Ahab king of Israel in the war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead.

 Joram, wounded by the Arameans, retreated to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he received in Ramah in his war with Hazael king of Aram.

 Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah paid a visit to Joram son of Ahab on his sickbed at Jezreel.

The fate of Ahaziah when he went to visit was God’s judgment on him.

 When Ahaziah arrived at Jezreel, he and Joram met with Jehu son of Nimshi, whom GOD had already authorized to destroy the dynasty of Ahab.

 Jehu, already at work, executing doom on the dynasty of Ahab, came upon the captains of Judah and Ahaziah’s nephews, part of the Ahaziah delegation, and killed them outright.

 Then he sent out a search party looking for Ahaziah himself.

 They found him hiding out in Samaria and hauled him back to Jehu.

 And Jehu killed him.

They didn’t, though, just leave his body there.

 Out of respect for his grandfather Jehoshaphat, famous as a sincere seeker after GOD, they gave him a decent burial.

 But there was no one left in Ahaziah’s family capable of ruling the kingdom.

Queen Athaliah

When Ahaziah’s mother Athaliah saw that her son was dead, she took over.

 She began by massacring the entire royal family.

 Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram, took Ahaziah’s son Joash, and kidnapped him from among the king’s sons slated for slaughter.

 She hid him and his nurse in a private room away from Athaliah.

 So Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram and Ahaziah’s sister—she was also the wife of Jehoiada the priest—saved Joash from the murderous Queen Athaliah.

 He was there with her, hidden away for six years in The Temple of God.

 Athaliah, oblivious to his existence, ruled the country.

023

In the seventh year the priest Jehoiada decided to make his move and worked out a strategy with certain influential officers in the army.

 He picked Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zicri as his associates.

 They dispersed throughout Judah and called in the Levites from all the towns in Judah along with the heads of families.

 They met in Jerusalem.

 The gathering met in The Temple of God.

 They made a covenant there in The Temple.

The priest Jehoiada showed them the young prince and addressed them: “Here he is—the son of the king.

 He is going to rule just as GOD promised regarding the sons of David.

 Now this is what you must do: A third of you priests and Levites who come on duty on the Sabbath are to be posted as security guards at the gates; another third will guard the palace; and the other third will guard the foundation gate.

 All the people will gather in the courtyards of The Temple of GOD.

 No one may enter The Temple of GOD except the priests and designated Levites—they are permitted in because they’ve been consecrated, but all the people must do the work assigned them.

 The Levites are to form a ring around the young king, weapons at the ready.

 Kill anyone who tries to break through your ranks.

 Your job is to stay with the king at all times and places, coming and going.

”

All the Levites and officers obeyed the orders of Jehoiada the priest.

 Each took charge of his men, both those who came on duty on the Sabbath and those who went off duty on the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest hadn’t exempted any of them from duty.

 Then the priest armed the officers with spears and the large and small shields originally belonging to King David that were stored in The Temple of God.

 Well-armed, the guards took up their assigned positions for protecting the king, from one end of The Temple to the other, surrounding both Altar and Temple.

Then the priest brought the prince into view, crowned him, handed him the scroll of God’s covenant, and made him king.

 As Jehoiada and his sons anointed him they shouted, “Long live the king!”

Athaliah, hearing all the commotion, the people running around and praising the king, came to The Temple to see what was going on.

 Astonished, she saw the young king standing at the entrance flanked by the captains and heralds, with everybody beside themselves with joy, trumpets blaring, the choir and orchestra leading the praise.

 Athaliah ripped her robes in dismay and shouted, “Treason! Treason!”

Jehoiada the priest ordered the military officers, “Drag her outside—and kill anyone who tries to follow her!” (The priest had said, “Don’t kill her inside The Temple of GOD.

”) So they dragged her out to the palace’s horse corral and there they killed her.

Jehoiada now made a covenant between himself and the king and the people: they were to be GOD’s special people.

The people poured into the temple of Baal and tore it down, smashing altar and images to smithereens.

 They killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altar.

Jehoiada turned the care of GOD’s Temple over to the priests and Levites, the way David had directed originally.

 They were to offer the Whole-Burnt-Offerings of GOD as set out in The Revelation of Moses, and with praise and song as directed by David.

 He also assigned security guards at the gates of GOD’s Temple so that no one who was unprepared could enter.

 Then he got everyone together—officers, nobles, governors, and the people themselves—and escorted the king down from The Temple of GOD, through the Upper Gate, and placed him on the royal throne.

 Everybody celebrated the event.

 And the city was safe and undisturbed—Athaliah had been killed; no more Athaliah terror.

King Joash

024 Joash was seven years old when he became king; he was king for forty years in Jerusalem.

 His mother’s name was Gazelle (Zibiah).

 She was from Beersheba.

 Taught and trained by Jehoiada the priest, Joash did what pleased GOD throughout Jehoiada’s lifetime.

 Jehoiada picked out two wives for him; he had a family of both sons and daughters.

The time came when Joash determined to renovate The Temple of GOD.

 He got the priests and Levites together and said, “Circulate through the towns of Judah every year and collect money from the people to repair The Temple of your God.

 You are in charge of carrying this out.

” But the Levites dragged their feet and didn’t do anything.

Then the king called in Jehoiada the chief priest and said, “Why haven’t you made the Levites bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax Moses, servant of GOD and the congregation, set for the upkeep of the place of worship? You can see how bad things are—wicked Queen Athaliah and her sons let The Temple of God go to ruin and took all its sacred artifacts for use in Baal worship.

”

Following the king’s orders, they made a chest and placed it at the entrance to The Temple of GOD.

 Then they sent out a tax notice throughout Judah and Jerusalem: “Pay the tax that Moses the servant of GOD set when Israel was in the wilderness.

”

The people and their leaders were glad to do it and cheerfully brought their money until the chest was full.

Whenever the Levites brought the chest in for a royal audit and found it to be full, the king’s secretary and the official of the chief priest would empty the chest and put it back in its place.

 Day after day they did this and collected a lot of money.

 The king and Jehoiada gave the money to the managers of The Temple project; they in turn paid the masons and carpenters for the repair work on The Temple of GOD.

 The construction workers kept at their jobs steadily until the restoration was complete—the house of GOD as good as new! When they had finished the work, they returned the surplus money to the king and Jehoiada, who used the money for making sacred vessels for Temple worship, vessels for the daily worship, for the Whole-Burnt-Offerings, bowls, and other gold and silver liturgical artifacts.

Whole-Burnt-Offerings were made regularly in The Temple of GOD throughout Jehoiada’s lifetime.

 He died at a ripe old age—130 years old! They buried him in the royal cemetery because he had such a distinguished life of service to Israel and God and God’s Temple.

But after the death of Jehoiada things fell apart.

 The leaders of Judah made a formal 2 presentation to the king and he went along with them.

 Things went from bad to worse; they deserted The Temple of GOD and took up with the cult of sex goddesses.

 An angry cloud hovered over Judah and Jerusalem because of this sin.

 GOD sent prophets to straighten them out, warning of judgment.

 But nobody paid attention.

Then the Spirit of God moved Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest to speak up: “God’s word: Why have you deliberately walked away from GOD’s commandments? You can’t live this way! If you walk out on GOD, he’ll walk out on you.

”

But they worked out a plot against Zechariah, and with the complicity of the king—he actually gave the order!—they murdered him, pelting him with rocks, right in the court of The Temple of GOD.

 That’s the thanks King Joash showed the loyal Jehoiada, the priest who had made him king.

 He murdered Jehoiada’s son.

 Zechariah’s last words were, “Look, GOD! Make them pay for this!”

A year or so later Aramean troops attacked Joash.

 They invaded Judah and Jerusalem, massacred the leaders, and shipped all their plunder back to the king in Damascus.

 The Aramean army was quite small, but GOD used them to wipe out Joash’s large army—their punishment for deserting GOD, the God of their ancestors.

 Arameans implemented God’s judgment against Joash.

They left Joash badly wounded and his own servants finished him off—it was a palace 2 conspiracy, avenging the murder of the son of Jehoiada the priest.

 They killed him in his bed.

 Afterward they buried him in the City of David, but he was not honored with a grave in the royal cemetery.

 The temple conspirators were Zabad, whose mother was Shimeath from Ammon, and Jehozabad, whose mother was Shimrith from Moab.

 The story of his sons, the many sermons preached to Joash, and the account of his repairs on The Temple of God can be found contained in the commentary on the royal history.

Amaziah, Joash’s son, was the next king.

King Amaziah

025 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king and reigned twenty- 2 nine years in Jerusalem.

 His mother was Jehoaddin from Jerusalem.

 He lived well before GOD, doing the right thing for the most part.

 But he wasn’t wholeheartedly devoted to God.

 When he had the affairs of the kingdom well in hand, he executed the palace guard who had assassinated his father the king.

 But he didn’t kill the sons of the assassins—he was mindful of what GOD commanded in The Revelation of Moses, that parents shouldn’t be executed for their childrens’ sins, nor children for their parents’.

 We each pay personally for our sins.

Amaziah organized Judah and sorted out Judah and Benjamin by families and by mili- 2 tary units.

 Men twenty years and older had to register—they ended up with 300,000 judged capable of military service.

 In addition he hired 100,000 soldiers from Israel in the north at a cost of about four and a half tons of silver.

A holy man showed up and said, “No, O King—don’t let those northern Israelite soldiers into your army; GOD is not on their side, nor with any of the Ephraimites.

 Instead, you go by yourself and be strong.

 God and God only has the power to help or hurt your cause.

”

But Amaziah said to the holy man, “But what about all this money—these tons of silver I have already paid out to hire these men?”

“GOD’s help is worth far more to you than that,” said the holy man.

So Amaziah fired the soldiers he had hired from the north and sent them home.

 They were very angry at losing their jobs and went home seething.

But Amaziah was optimistic.

 He led his troops into the Valley of Salt and killed ten thousand men of Seir.

 They took another ten thousand as prisoners, led them to the top of the Rock, and pushed them off a cliff.

 They all died in the fall, smashed on the rocks.

But the troops Amaziah had dismissed from his army, angry over their lost opportunity for plunder, rampaged through the towns of Judah all the way from Samaria to Beth Horon, killing three thousand people and taking much plunder.

On his return from the destruction of the Edomites, Amaziah brought back the gods of the men of Seir and installed them as his own gods, worshiping them and burning incense to them.

 That ignited GOD’s anger; a fiery blast of GOD’s wrath put into words by a God-sent prophet: “What is this? Why on earth would you pray to inferior gods who couldn’t so much as help their own people from you—gods weaker than Amaziah?”

Amaziah interrupted him, “Did I ask for your opinion? Shut up or get thrown out!”

The prophet quit speaking, but not before he got in one last word: “I have it on good authority: GOD has made up his mind to throw you out because of what you’ve done, and because you wouldn’t listen to me.

”

One day Amaziah sent envoys to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, challenging him to a fight: “Come and meet with me, I dare you.

 Let’s have it out face-to-face!”

Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah, “One day a thistle in Lebanon sent word to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.

’ But then a wild animal of Lebanon passed by and stepped on the thistle, crushing it.

 Just because you’ve defeated Edom in battle, you now think you’re a big shot.

 Go ahead and be proud, but stay home.

 Why press your luck? Why bring defeat on yourself and Judah?”

Amaziah wouldn’t take no for an answer—God had already decided to let Jehoash defeat him because he had defected to the gods of Edom.

 So Jehoash king of Israel came on ahead and confronted Amaziah king of Judah.

 They met at Beth Shemesh, a town of Judah.

 Judah was thoroughly beaten by Israel—all the soldiers straggled home in defeat.

Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh.

 But Jehoash didn’t stop at that; he went on to attack Jerusalem.

 He demolished the Wall of Jerusalem all the way from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate—a stretch of about six hundred feet.

 He looted the gold, silver, and furnishings—anything he found that was worth taking—from both the palace and The Temple of God—and, for good measure, he took hostages.

 Then he returned to Samaria.

Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah continued as king fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel.

 The rest of the life and times of Amaziah from start to finish is written in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

During those last days, after Amaziah had defected from GOD, they cooked up a plot against Amaziah in Jerusalem, and he had to flee to Lachish.

 But they tracked him down in Lachish and killed him there.

 They brought him back on horseback and buried him in Jerusalem with his ancestors in the City of David.

King Uzziah

026 The people of Judah then took Uzziah, who was only sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.

 The first thing he did after his father was dead and buried was to recover Elath for Judah and rebuild it.

Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king and reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem.

 His mother was Jecoliah from Jerusalem.

 He behaved well in the eyes of GOD, following in the footsteps of his father Amaziah.

 He was a loyal seeker of God.

 He was well trained by his pastor and teacher Zechariah to live in reverent obedience before God, and for as long as Zechariah lived, Uzziah lived a godly life.

 And God prospered him.

He ventured out and fought the Philistines, breaking into the fortress cities of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod.

 He also built settlements around Ashdod and other Philistine areas.

 God helped him in his wars with the Philistines, the Arabs in Gur Baal, and the Meunites.

 The Ammonites also paid tribute.

 Uzziah became famous, his reputation extending all the way to Egypt.

 He became quite powerful.

Uzziah constructed defense towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, the Valley Gate, and at the corner of the wall.

 He also built towers and dug cisterns out in the country.

 He had herds of cattle down in the foothills and out on the plains, had farmers and vinedressers at work in the hills and fields—he loved growing things.

On the military side, Uzziah had a well-prepared army ready to fight.

 They were organized by companies under the direction of Jeiel the secretary, Maaseiah the field captain, and Hananiah of the general staff.

 The roster of family leaders over the fighting men accounted for 2,600.

 Under them were reinforcement troops numbering 307,000, with 500 of them on constant alert—a strong royal defense against any attack.

 Uzziah had them well-armed with shields, spears, helmets, armor, bows, and slingshots.

 He also installed the latest in military technology on the towers and corners of Jerusalem for shooting arrows and hurling stones.

 He became well known for all this—a famous king.

 Everything seemed to go his way.

But then the strength and success went to his head.

 Arrogant and proud, he fell.

 One day, contemptuous of GOD, he walked into The Temple of GOD like he owned it and took over, burning incense on the Incense Altar.

 The priest Azariah, backed up by eighty brave priests of GOD, tried to prevent him.

 They confronted Uzziah: “You must not, you cannot do this, Uzziah—only the Aaronite priests, especially consecrated for the work, are permitted to burn incense.

 Get out of God’s Temple; you are unfaithful and a disgrace!”

But Uzziah, censer in hand, was already in the middle of doing it and angrily rebuffed the priests.

 He lost his temper; angry words were exchanged—and then, even as they quarreled, a skin disease appeared on his forehead.

 As soon as they saw it, the chief priest Azariah and the other priests got him out of there as fast as they could.

 He hurried out—he knew that GOD then and there had given him the disease.

 Uzziah had his skin disease for the rest of his life and had to live in quarantine; he was not permitted to set foot in The Temple of GOD.

 His son Jotham, who managed the royal palace, took over the government of the country.

The rest of the history of Uzziah, from start to finish, was written by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.

 When Uzziah died, they buried him with his ancestors in a field next to the royal cemetery.

 His skin disease disqualified him from burial in the royal cemetery.

 His son Jotham became the next king.

King Jotham

027 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king; he reigned sixteen years at Jerusalem.

 His mother was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok.

 In GOD’s eyes he lived a good life, following the path marked out by his father Uzziah.

 Unlike his father, though, he didn’t desecrate The Temple of GOD.

 But the people pushed right on in their lives of corruption.

Jotham constructed the Upper Gate of The Temple of GOD, considerably extended the Wall of the Ophel, and built cities in the high country of Judah and forts and towers down in the forests.

 He fought and beat the king of the Ammonites—that year the Ammonites turned over three and a quarter tons of silver and about 65,000 bushels of wheat, and another 65,000 bushels of barley.

 They repeated this for the next two years.

 Jotham’s strength was rooted in his steady and determined life of obedience to GOD.

The rest of the history of Jotham, including his wars and achievements,are all written in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

 He was twenty-five years old when he became king; he reigned for sixteen years at Jerusalem.

 Jotham died and was buried in the City of David.

 His son Ahaz became the next king.

King Ahaz

028 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.

 He didn’t live right in the eyes of GOD; he wasn’t at all like his ancestor David.

 Instead he followed in the track of Israel in the north, even casting metal figurines for worshiping the pagan Baal gods.

 He participated in the outlawed burning of incense in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and—incredibly!—indulged in the outrageous practice of “passing his sons through the fire,” a truly abominable thing he picked up from the pagans GOD had earlier thrown out of the country.

 He also joined in the activities of the neighborhood sex-and-religion shrines that flourished all over the place.

GOD, fed up, handed him over to the king of Aram, who beat him badly and took many prisoners to Damascus.

 God also let the king of Israel loose on him and that resulted in a terrible slaughter: Pekah son of Remaliah killed 120,000 in one day, all of them first-class soldiers, and all because they had deserted GOD, the God of their ancestors.

 Furthermore, Zicri, an Ephraimite hero, killed the king’s son Maaseiah, Azrikam the palace steward, and Elkanah, second in command to the king.

 And that wasn’t the end of it—the Israelites captured 200,000 men, women, and children, besides huge cartloads of plunder that they took to Samaria.

GOD’s prophet Oded was in the neighborhood.

 He met the army when it entered Samaria and said, “Stop right where you are and listen! GOD, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah and used you to punish them; but you took things into your own hands and used your anger, uncalled for and irrational, to turn your brothers and sisters from Judah and Jerusalem into slaves.

 Don’t you see that this is a terrible sin against your GOD? Careful now; do exactly what I say—return these captives, every last one of them.

 If you don’t, you’ll find out how real anger, GOD’s anger, works.

”

Some of their Ephraimite leaders—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—stood up against the returning army and said, “Don’t bring the captives here! We’ve already sinned against GOD; and now you are about to compound our sin and guilt.

 We’re guilty enough as it is, enough to set off an explosion of divine anger.

”

So the soldiers turned over both the captives and the plunder to the leaders and the people.

 Personally designated men gathered the captives together, dressed the ones who were naked using clothing from the stores of plunder, put shoes on their feet, gave them all a square meal, provided first aid to the injured, put the weak ones on donkeys, and then escorted them to Jericho, the City of Palms, restoring them to their families.

 Then they went back to Samaria.

At about that time King Ahaz sent to the king of Assyria asking for personal help.

 The Edomites had come back and given Judah a bad beating, taking off a bunch of captives.

 Adding insult to injury the Philistines raided the cities in the foothills to the west and the southern desert and captured Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, and Gederoth, along with Soco, Timnah, and Gimzo, with their surrounding villages, and moved in, making themselves at home.

 Arrogant King Ahaz, acting as if he could do without God’s help, had unleashed an epidemic of depravity.

 Judah, brought to its knees by GOD, was now reduced to begging for a handout.

 But the king of Assyria, Tiglath-Pileser, wouldn’t help—he came instead and humiliated Ahaz even more by attacking and bullying him.

 Desperate, Ahaz ransacked The Temple of GOD, the royal palace, and every other place he could think of, scraping together everything he could, and gave it to the king of Assyria—and got nothing in return, not a bit of help.

But King Ahaz didn’t learn his lesson—at the very time that everyone was turning against him, he continued to be against GOD! He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus.

 He had just been defeated by Damascus; he thought, “If I worship the gods who helped Damascus, those gods just might help me, too.

” But things only went from bad to worse: first Ahaz in ruins and then the country.

 He cleaned out The Temple of God of everything useful and valuable, boarded up the doors of The Temple, and then went out and set up pagan shrines for his own use all over Jerusalem.

 And not only in Jerusalem, but all over Judah—neighborhood shrines for worshiping any and every god on sale.

 And was GOD ever angry!

The rest of Ahaz’s infamous life, all that he did from start to finish, is written in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

 When Ahaz died, they buried him in Jerusalem, but he was not honored with a burial in the cemetery of the kings.

 His son Hezekiah was the next king.

King Hezekiah

029 Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years old and was king in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years.

 His mother was Abijah daughter of Zechariah.

 In GOD’s opinion he was a good king; he kept to the standards of his ancestor David.

In the first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah, having first repaired the doors of The Temple of GOD, threw them open to the public.

 He assembled the priests and Levites in the court on the east side and said, “Levites, listen! Consecrate yourselves and consecrate The Temple of GOD—give this much-defiled place a good housecleaning.

 Our ancestors went wrong and lived badly before GOD—they discarded him, turned away from this house where we meet with GOD, and walked off.

 They boarded up the doors, turned out the lights, and canceled all the acts of worship of the GOD of Israel in the holy Temple.

 And because of that, GOD’s anger flared up and he turned those people into a public exhibit of disaster, a moral history lesson—look and read! This is why our ancestors were killed, and this is why our wives and sons and daughters were taken prisoner and made slaves.

“I have decided to make a covenant with the GOD of Israel and turn history around so that GOD will no longer be angry with us.

 Children, don’t drag your feet in this! GOD has chosen you to take your place before him to serve in conducting and leading worship—this is your life work; make sure you do it and do it well.

”

The Levites stood at attention: Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah from the Kohathites; Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel from the Merarites; Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah from the Gershonites; Shimri and Jeiel sons of Elizaphan; Zechariah and Mattaniah sons of Asaph; Jehiel and Shimei of the family of Heman; Shemaiah and Uzziel of the family of Jeduthun.

 They presented themselves and their brothers, consecrated themselves, and set to work cleaning up The Temple of GOD as the king had directed—as GOD directed! The priests started from the inside and worked out; they emptied the place of the accumulation of defiling junk—pagan rubbish that had no business in that holy place—and the Levites hauled it off to the Kidron Valley.

 They began the Temple cleaning on the first day of the first month and by the eighth day they had worked their way out to the porch—eight days it took them to clean and consecrate The Temple itself, and in eight more days they had finished with the entire Temple complex.

Then they reported to Hezekiah the king, “We have cleaned up the entire Temple of GOD, including the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering and the Table of the Bread of the Presence with their furnishings.

 We have also cleaned up and consecrated all the vessels which King Ahaz had gotten rid of during his misrule.

 Take a look; we have repaired them.

 They’re all there in front of the Altar of GOD.

”

Then Hezekiah the king went to work: He got all the leaders of the city together and marched to The Temple of GOD.

 They brought with them seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven he-goats to sacrifice as an Absolution-Offering for the royal family, for the Sanctuary, and for Judah as a whole; he directed the Aaronite priests to sacrifice them on the Altar of GOD.

 The priests butchered the bulls and then took the blood and sprinkled it on the Altar, and then the same with the rams and lambs.

 Finally they brought the goats up; the king and congregation laid their hands upon them.

 The priests butchered them and made an Absolution-Offering with their blood at the Altar to atone for the sin of all Israel—the king had ordered that the Whole-Burnt-Offering and the Absolution-Offering be for all Israel.

The king ordered the Levites to take their places in The Temple of GOD with their musical instruments—cymbals, harps, zithers—following the original instructions of David, Gad the king’s seer, and Nathan the prophet; this was GOD’s command conveyed by his prophets.

 The Levites formed the orchestra of David, while the priests took up the trumpets.

Then Hezekiah gave the signal to begin: The Whole-Burnt-Offering was offered on the Altar; at the same time the sacred choir began singing, backed up by the trumpets and the David orchestra while the entire congregation worshiped.

 The singers sang and the trumpeters played all during the sacrifice of the Whole-Burnt-Offering.

 When the offering of the sacrifice was completed, the king and everyone there knelt to the ground and worshiped.

 Then Hezekiah the king and the leaders told the Levites to finish things off with anthems of praise to GOD using lyrics by David and Asaph the seer.

 They sang their praises with joy and reverence, kneeling in worship.

Hezekiah then made this response: “The dedication is complete—you’re consecrated to GOD.

 Now you’re ready: Come forward and bring your sacrifices and Thank-Offerings to The Temple of GOD.

”

And come they did.

 Everyone in the congregation brought sacrifices and Thank-Offerings and some, overflowing with generosity, even brought Whole-Burnt-Offerings, a generosity expressed in seventy bulls, a hundred rams, and two hundred lambs—all for Whole-Burnt-Offerings for GOD! The total number of animals consecrated for sacrifice that day amounted to six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep.

 They ran out of priests qualified to slaughter all the Whole-Burnt-Offerings so their brother Levites stepped in and helped out while other priests consecrated themselves for the work.

 It turned out that the Levites had been more responsible in making sure they were properly consecrated than the priests had been.

 Besides the overflow of Whole-Burnt-Offerings there were also choice pieces for the Peace-Offerings and lavish libations that went with the Whole-Burnt-Offerings.

 The worship in The Temple of GOD was on a firm footing again!

Hezekiah and the congregation celebrated: God had established a firm foundation for the lives of the people—and so quickly!

030 Then Hezekiah invited all of Israel and Judah, with personal letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, to come to The Temple of GOD in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover to Israel’s God.

 The king and his officials and the congregation in Jerusalem had decided to celebrate Passover in the second month.

 They hadn’t been able to celebrate it at the regular time because not enough of the priests were yet personally prepared and the people hadn’t had time to gather in Jerusalem.

 Under these circumstances, the revised date was approved by both king and people and they sent out the invitation from one end of the country to the other, from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the north: “Come and celebrate the Passover to Israel’s God in Jerusalem.

” No one living had ever celebrated it properly.

The king gave the orders, and the couriers delivered the invitations from the king and his leaders throughout Israel and Judah.

 The invitation read: “O Israelites! Come back to GOD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that he can return to you who have survived the predations of the kings of Assyria.

 Don’t repeat the sins of your ancestors who turned their backs on GOD, the God of their ancestors who then brought them to ruin—you can see the ruins all around you.

 Don’t be pigheaded as your ancestors were.

 Clasp GOD’s outstretched hand.

 Come to his Temple of holy worship, consecrated for all time.

 Serve GOD, your God.

 You’ll no longer be in danger of his hot anger.

 If you come back to GOD, your captive relatives and children will be treated compassionately and allowed to come home.

 Your GOD is gracious and kind and won’t snub you—come back and he’ll welcome you with open arms.

”

So the couriers set out, going from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, as far north as Zebulun.

 But the people poked fun at them, treated them as a joke.

 But not all; some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun weren’t too proud to accept the invitation and come to Jerusalem.

 It was better in Judah—God worked powerfully among them to make it unanimous, responding to the orders sent out by the king and his officials, orders backed up by the word of GOD.

It turned out that there was a tremendous crowd of people when the time came in the second month to celebrate the Passover (sometimes called the Feast of Unraised Bread).

 First they went to work and got rid of all the pagan altars that were in Jerusalem—hauled them off and dumped them in the Kidron Valley.

 Then, on the fourteenth day of the second month, they slaughtered the Passover lambs.

 The priests and Levites weren’t ready; but now, embarrassed in their laziness, they consecrated themselves and brought Whole-Burnt-Offerings to The Temple of GOD.

 Ready now, they stood at their posts as designated by The Revelation of Moses the holy man; the priests sprinkled the blood the Levites handed to them.

 Because so many in the congregation had not properly prepared themselves by consecration and so were not qualified, the Levites took charge of the slaughter of the Passover lambs so that they would be properly consecrated to GOD.

There were a lot of people, especially those from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, who did not eat the Passover meal because they had not prepared themselves adequately.

 Hezekiah prayed for these as follows: “May GOD who is all good, pardon and forgive everyone who sincerely desires GOD, the God of our ancestors.

 Even—especially!—these who do not meet the literal conditions stated for access to The Temple.

”

GOD responded to Hezekiah’s prayer and healed the people.

All the Israelites present in Jerusalem celebrated the Passover (Feast of Unraised Bread) for seven days, celebrated exuberantly.

 The Levites and priests praised GOD day after day, filling the air with praise sounds of percussion and brass.

 Hezekiah commended the Levites for the superb way in which they had led the people in the worship of GOD.

When the feast and festival—that glorious seven days of worship, the making of offerings, and the praising of GOD, the God of their ancestors—were over, the tables cleared and the floors swept, they all decided to keep going for another seven days! So they just kept on celebrating, and as joyfully as they began.

Hezekiah king of Judah gave one thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for the congregation’s worship; the officials gave an additional one thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep.

 And there turned out to be plenty of consecrated priests—qualified and well-prepared.

 The whole congregation of Judah, the priests and Levites, the congregation that came in from Israel, and the resident aliens from both Israel and Judah, were all in on the joyous celebration.

 Jerusalem was bursting with joy—nothing like this had taken place in Jerusalem since Solomon son of David king of Israel had built and dedicated The Temple.

The priests and Levites had the last word: they stood and blessed the people.

 And GOD listened, listened as the ascending sound of their prayers entered his holy heaven.

031 After the Passover celebration, they all took off for the cities of Judah and smashed the phallic stone monuments, chopped down the sacred Asherah groves, and demolished the neighborhood sex-and-religion shrines and local god shops.

 They didn’t stop until they had been all through Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh.

 Then they all went back home and resumed their everyday lives.

Hezekiah organized the groups of priests and Levites for their respective tasks, handing out job descriptions for conducting the services of worship: making the various offerings, and making sure that thanks and praise took place wherever and whenever GOD was worshiped.

He also designated his personal contribution for the Whole-Burnt-Offerings for the morning and evening worship, for Sabbaths, for New Moon festivals, and for the special worship days set down in The Revelation of GOD.

In addition, he asked the people who lived in Jerusalem to be responsible for providing for the priests and Levites so they, without distraction or concern, could give themselves totally to The Revelation of GOD.

As soon as Hezekiah’s orders had gone out, the Israelites responded generously: firstfruits of the grain harvest, new wine, oil, honey—everything they grew.

 They didn’t hold back, turning over a tithe of everything.

 They also brought in a tithe of their cattle, sheep, and anything else they owned that had been dedicated to GOD.

 Everything was sorted and piled in mounds.

 They started doing this in the third month and didn’t finish until the seventh month.

When Hezekiah and his leaders came and saw the extent of the mounds of gifts, they praised GOD and commended God’s people Israel.

 Hezekiah then consulted the priests and Levites on how to handle the abundance of offerings.

Azariah, chief priest of the family of Zadok, answered, “From the moment of this huge outpouring of gifts to The Temple of GOD, there has been plenty to eat for everyone with food left over.

 GOD has blessed his people—just look at the evidence!”

Hezekiah then ordered storerooms to be prepared in The Temple of GOD.

 When they were ready, they brought in all the offerings of tithes and sacred gifts.

 They put Conaniah the Levite in charge with his brother Shimei as assistant.

 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were project managers under the direction of Conaniah and Shimei, carrying out the orders of King Hezekiah and Azariah the chief priest of The Temple of God.

 Kore son of Imnah the Levite, security guard of the East Gate, was in charge of the Freewill-Offerings of God and responsible for distributing the offerings and sacred gifts.

 Faithful support out in the priestly cities was provided by Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah.

 They were even-handed in their distributions to their coworkers (all males thirty years and older) in each of their respective divisions as they entered The Temple of GOD each day to do their assigned work (their work was all organized by divisions).

 The divisions comprised officially registered priests by family and Levites twenty years and older by job description.

 The official family tree included everyone in the entire congregation—their small children, wives, sons, and daughters.

 The ardent dedication they showed in bringing themselves and their gifts to worship was total—no one was left out.

The Aaronites, the priests who lived out on the pastures that belonged to the priest-cities, had reputable men on hand to distribute regular rations to every priest—everyone listed in the official family tree of the Levites.

Hezekiah carried out this work and kept it up everywhere in Judah.

 He was the very best—good, right, and true before his GOD.

 Everything he took up, whether it had to do with worship in God’s Temple or the carrying out of God’s Law and Commandments, he did well in a spirit of prayerful worship.

 He was a great success.

032 And then, after this exemplary track record, this: Sennacherib king of Assyria came and attacked Judah.

 He put the fortified cities under siege, determined to take them.

When Hezekiah realized that Sennacherib’s strategy was to take Jerusalem, he talked to his advisors and military leaders about eliminating all the water supplies outside the city; they thought it was a good idea.

 There was a great turnout of people to plug the springs and tear down the aqueduct.

 They said, “Why should the kings of Assyria march in and be furnished with running water?”

Hezekiah also went to work repairing every part of the city wall that was damaged, built defensive towers on it, built another wall of defense further out, and reinforced the defensive rampart (the Millo) of the old City of David.

 He also built up a large store of armaments—spears and shields.

 He then appointed military officers to be responsible for the people and got them all together at the public square in front of the city gate.

Hezekiah rallied the people, saying, “Be strong! Take courage! Don’t be intimidated by the king of Assyria and his troops—there are more on our side than on their side.

 He only has a bunch of mere men; we have our GOD to help us and fight for us!”

Morale surged.

 Hezekiah’s words put steel in their spines.

Later on, Sennacherib, who had set up camp a few miles away at Lachish, sent messengers to Jerusalem, addressing Judah through Hezekiah: “A proclamation of Sennacherib king of Assyria: You poor people—do you think you’re safe in that so-called fortress of Jerusalem? You’re sitting ducks.

 Do you think Hezekiah will save you? Don’t be stupid—Hezekiah has fed you a pack of lies.

 When he says, ‘GOD will save us from the power of the king of Assyria,’ he’s lying—you’re all going to end up dead.

 Wasn’t it Hezekiah who cleared out all the neighborhood worship shrines and told you, ‘There is only one legitimate place to worship’? Do you have any idea what I and my ancestors have done to all the countries around here? Has there been a single god anywhere strong enough to stand up against me? Can you name one god among all the nations that either I or my ancestors have ravaged that so much as lifted a finger against me? So what makes you think you’ll make out any better with your god? Don’t let Hezekiah fool you; don’t let him get by with his barefaced lies; don’t trust him.

 No god of any country or kingdom ever has been one bit of help against me or my ancestors—what kind of odds does that give your god?”

The messengers felt free to throw in their personal comments, putting down both GOD and God’s servant Hezekiah.

Sennacherib continued to send letters insulting the GOD of Israel: “The gods of the nations were powerless to help their people; the god of Hezekiah is no better, probably worse.

”

The messengers would come up to the wall of Jerusalem and shout up to the people standing on the wall, shouting their propaganda in Hebrew, trying to scare them into demoralized submission.

 They contemptuously lumped the God of Jerusalem in with the handmade gods of other peoples.

King Hezekiah, joined by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz, responded by praying, calling up to heaven.

 GOD answered by sending an angel who wiped out everyone in the Assyrian camp, both warriors and officers.

 Sennacherib was forced to return home in disgrace, tail between his legs.

 When he went into the temple of his god, his own sons killed him.

GOD saved Hezekiah and the citizens of Jerusalem from Sennacherib king of Assyria and everyone else.

 And he continued to take good care of them.

 People streamed into Jerusalem bringing offerings for the worship of GOD and expensive presents to Hezekiah king of Judah.

 All the surrounding nations were impressed—Hezekiah’s stock soared.

Some time later Hezekiah became deathly sick.

 He prayed to GOD and was given a reassuring sign.

But the sign, instead of making Hezekiah grateful, made him arrogant.

 This made GOD angry, and his anger spilled over on Judah and Jerusalem.

 But then Hezekiah, and Jerusalem with him, repented of his arrogance, and GOD withdrew his anger while Hezekiah lived.

Hezekiah ended up very wealthy and much honored.

 He built treasuries for all his silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and valuables, barns for the grain, new wine, and olive oil, stalls for his various breeds of cattle, and pens for his flocks.

 He founded royal cities for himself and built up huge stocks of sheep and cattle.

 God saw to it that he was extravagantly rich.

 Hezekiah was also responsible for diverting the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and rerouting the water to the west side of the City of David.

 Hezekiah succeeded in everything he did.

 But when the rulers of Babylon sent emissaries to find out about the sign from God that had taken place earlier, God left him on his own to see what he would do; he wanted to test his heart.

The rest of the history of Hezekiah and his life of loyal service, you can read for yourself—it’s written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

 When Hezekiah died, they buried him in the upper part of the King David cemetery.

 Everyone in Judah and Jerusalem came to the funeral.

 He was buried in great honor.

Manasseh his son was the next king.

King Manasseh

033 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king.

 He ruled for fifty-five years in Jerusalem.

 In GOD’s opinion he was a bad king—an evil king.

 He reintroduced all the moral rot and spiritual corruption that had been scoured from the country when GOD dispossessed the pagan nations in favor of the children of Israel.

 He rebuilt the sex-and-religion shrines that his father Hezekiah had torn down, he built altars and phallic images for the sex god Baal and the sex goddess Asherah and worshiped the cosmic powers, taking orders from the constellations.

 He built shrines to the cosmic powers and placed them in both courtyards of The Temple of GOD, the very Jerusalem Temple dedicated exclusively by GOD’s decree to GOD’s Name (“in Jerusalem I place my Name”).

 He burned his own sons in a sacrificial rite in the Valley of Ben Hinnom.

 He practiced witchcraft and fortunetelling.

 He held séances and consulted spirits from the underworld.

 Much evil—in GOD’s view a career in evil.

 And GOD was angry.

As a last straw he placed a carved image of the sex goddess Asherah that he had commissioned in The Temple of God, a flagrant and provocative violation of God’s well-known command to both David and Solomon, “In this Temple and in this city Jerusalem, my choice out of all the tribes of Israel, I place my Name—exclusively and forever.

” He had promised, “Never again will I let my people Israel wander off from this land I’ve given to their ancestors.

 But on this condition, that they keep everything I’ve commanded in the instructions my servant Moses passed on to them.

”

But Manasseh led Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem off the beaten path into practices of evil exceeding even the evil of the pagan nations that GOD had earlier destroyed.

 When GOD spoke to Manasseh and his people about this, they ignored him.

Then GOD directed the leaders of the troops of the king of Assyria to come after Manasseh.

 They put a hook in his nose, shackles on his feet, and took him off to Babylon.

 Now that he was in trouble, he went to his knees in prayer asking for help—total repentance before the God of his ancestors.

 As he prayed, GOD was touched; GOD listened and brought him back to Jerusalem as king.

 That convinced Manasseh that GOD was in control.

After that Manasseh rebuilt the outside defensive wall of the City of David to the west of the Gihon spring in the valley.

 It went from the Fish Gate and around the hill of Ophel.

 He also increased its height.

 He tightened up the defense system by posting army captains in all the fortress cities of Judah.

 He also did a good spring cleaning on The Temple, carting out the pagan idols and the goddess statue.

 He took all the altars he had set up on The Temple hill and throughout Jerusalem and dumped them outside the city.

 He put the Altar of GOD back in working order and restored worship, sacrificing Peace-Offerings and Thank-Offerings.

 He issued orders to the people: “You shall serve and worship GOD, the God of Israel.

” But the people didn’t take him seriously—they used the name “GOD” but kept on going to the old pagan neighborhood shrines and doing the same old things.

The rest of the history of Manasseh—his prayer to his God, and the sermons the prophets personally delivered by authority of GOD, the God of Israel—this is all written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

 His prayer and how God was touched by his prayer, a list of all his sins and the things he did wrong, the actual places where he built the pagan shrines, the installation of the sex-goddess Asherah sites, and the idolatrous images that he worshiped previous to his conversion—this is all described in the records of the prophets.

When Manasseh died, they buried him in the palace garden.

 His son Amon was the next king.

King Amon

Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king.

 He was king for two years in Jerusalem.

 In GOD’s opinion he lived an evil life, just like his father Manasseh, but he never did repent to GOD as Manasseh repented.

 He just kept at it, going from one thing to another.

In the end Amon’s servants revolted and assassinated him—killed the king right in his own palace.

 The citizens in their turn then killed the king’s assassins.

 The citizens then crowned Josiah, Amon’s son, as king.

King Josiah

034 Josiah was eight years old when he became king.

 He ruled for thirty-one years in Jerusalem.

 He behaved well before GOD.

 He kept straight on the path blazed by his ancestor David, not one step to the left or right.

When he had been king for eight years—he was still only a teenager—he began to seek the God of David his ancestor.

 Four years later, the twelfth year of his reign, he set out to cleanse the neighborhood of sex-and-religion shrines, and get rid of the sacred Asherah groves and the god and goddess figurines, whether carved or cast, from Judah.

 He wrecked the Baal shrines, tore down the altars connected with them, and scattered the debris and ashes over the graves of those who had worshiped at them.

 He burned the bones of the priests on the same altars they had used when alive.

 He scrubbed the place clean, Judah and Jerusalem, clean inside and out.

 The cleanup campaign ranged outward to the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and the surrounding neighborhoods—as far north as Naphtali.

 Throughout Israel he demolished the altars and Asherah groves, pulverized the god and goddess figures, chopped up the neighborhood shrines into fire-wood.

 With Israel once more intact, he returned to Jerusalem.

One day in the eighteenth year of his kingship, with the cleanup of country and Temple complete, King Josiah sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the mayor of the city, and Joah son of Joahaz the historian to renovate The Temple of GOD.

 First they turned over to Hilkiah the high priest all the money collected by the Levitical security guards from Manasseh and Ephraim and the rest of Israel, and from Judah and Benjamin and the citizens of Jerusalem.

 It was then put into the hands of the foremen managing the work on The Temple of GOD who then passed it on to the workers repairing GOD’s Temple—the carpenters, construction workers, and masons—so they could buy the lumber and dressed stone for rebuilding the foundations the kings of Judah had allowed to fall to pieces.

 The workmen were honest and diligent.

 Their foremen were Jahath and Obadiah, the Merarite Levites, and Zechariah and Meshullam from the Kohathites—these managed the project.

 The Levites—they were all skilled musicians—were in charge of the common laborers and supervised the workers as they went from job to job.

 The Levites also served as accountants, managers, and security guards.

While the money that had been given for The Temple of GOD was being received and dispersed, Hilkiah the high priest found a copy of The Revelation of Moses.

 He reported to Shaphan the royal secretary, “I’ve just found the Book of GOD’s Revelation, instructing us in GOD’s way—found it in The Temple!” He gave it to Shaphan, who then gave it to the king.

 And along with the book, he gave this report: “The job is complete—everything you ordered done is done.

 They took all the money that was collected in The Temple of GOD and handed it over to the managers and workers.

”

And then Shaphan told the king, “Hilkiah the priest gave me a book.

” Shaphan proceeded to read it out to the king.

When the king heard what was written in the book, GOD’s Revelation, he ripped his robes in dismay.

 And then he called for Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the royal secretary, and Asaiah the king’s personal aide.

 He ordered them all: “Go and pray to GOD for me and what’s left of Israel and Judah.

 Find out what we must do in response to what is written in this book that has just been found! GOD’s anger must be burning furiously against us—our ancestors haven’t obeyed a thing written in this book of GOD, followed none of the instructions directed to us.

”

Hilkiah and those picked by the king went straight to Huldah the prophetess.

 She was the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, who was in charge of the palace wardrobe.

 She lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter.

 The men consulted with her.

 In response to them she said, “GOD’s word, the God of Israel: Tell the man who sent you here, ‘GOD has spoken, I’m on my way to bring the doom of judgment on this place and this people.

 Every word written in the book read by the king of Judah will happen.

 And why? Because they’ve deserted me and taken up with other gods; they’ve made me thoroughly angry by setting up their god-making businesses.

 My anger is raging white-hot against this place and nobody is going to put it out.

’

“And also tell the king of Judah, since he sent you to ask GOD for direction, GOD’s comment on what he read in the book: ‘Because you took seriously the doom of judgment I spoke against this place and people, and because you responded in humble repentance, tearing your robe in dismay and weeping before me, I’m taking you seriously.

 GOD’s word.

 I’ll take care of you; you’ll have a quiet death and be buried in peace.

 You won’t be around to see the doom that I’m going to bring upon this place and people.

’ ”

The men took her message back to the king.

The king acted immediately, assembling all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem, and then proceeding to The Temple of GOD bringing everyone in his train—priests and prophets and people ranging from the least to the greatest.

 Then he read out publicly everything written in the Book of the Covenant that was found in The Temple of GOD.

 The king stood by his pillar and before GOD solemnly committed himself to the covenant: to follow GOD believingly and obediently; to follow his instructions, heart and soul, on what to believe and do; to confirm with his life the entire covenant, all that was written in the book.

Then he made everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin commit themselves.

 And they did it.

 They committed themselves to the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors.

Josiah did a thorough job of cleaning up the pollution that had spread throughout Israelite territory and got everyone started fresh again, serving and worshiping their GOD.

 All through Josiah’s life the people kept to the straight and narrow, obediently following GOD, the God of their ancestors.

035 Josiah celebrated the Passover to GOD in Jerusalem.

 They killed the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the first month.

 He gave the priests detailed instructions and encouraged them in the work of leading worship in The Temple of GOD.

 He also told the Levites who were in charge of teaching and guiding Israel in all matters of worship (they were especially consecrated for this), “Place the sacred Chest in The Temple that Solomon son of David, the king of Israel, built.

 You don’t have to carry it around on your shoulders any longer! Serve GOD and God’s people Israel.

 Organize yourselves by families for your respective responsibilities, following the instructions left by David king of Israel and Solomon his son.

“Take your place in the sanctuary—a team of Levites for every grouping of your fellow citizens, the laity.

 Your job is to kill the Passover lambs, then consecrate yourselves and prepare the lambs so that everyone will be able to keep the Passover exactly as GOD commanded through Moses.

”

Josiah personally donated thirty thousand sheep, lambs, and goats and three thousand bulls—everything needed for the Passover celebration was there.

 His officials also pitched in on behalf of the people, including the priests and the Levites.

 Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, leaders in The Temple of God, gave twenty-six hundred lambs and three hundred bulls to the priests for the Passover offerings.

 Conaniah, his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, along with the Levitical chiefs Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, donated five thousand lambs and five hundred bulls to the Levites for the Passover offerings.

Preparations were complete for the service of worship; the priests took up their positions and the Levites were at their posts as instructed by the king.

 They killed the Passover lambs, and while the priests sprinkled the blood from the lambs, the Levites skinned them out.

 Then they set aside the Whole-Burnt-Offering for presentation to the family groupings of the people so that each group could offer it to GOD following the instructions in the Book of Moses.

 They did the same with the cattle.

 They roasted the Passover lamb according to the instructions and boiled the consecrated offerings in pots and kettles and pans and promptly served the people.

After the people had eaten the holy meal, the Levites served themselves and the Aaronite priests—the priests were busy late into the night making the offerings at the Altar.

The Asaph singers were all in their places following the instructions of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer.

 The security guards were on duty at each gate—the Levites also served them because they couldn’t leave their posts.

Everything went without a hitch in the worship of GOD that day as they celebrated the Passover and the offering of the Whole-Burnt-Offering on the Altar of GOD.

 It went just as Josiah had ordered.

 The Israelites celebrated the Passover, also known as the Feast of Unraised Bread, for seven days.

 The Passover hadn’t been celebrated like this since the days of Samuel the prophet.

 None of the kings had done it.

 But Josiah, the priests, the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were there that week, plus the citizens of Jerusalem—they did it.

 In the eighteenth year of the rule of King Josiah, this Passover was celebrated.

Some time later, after Josiah’s reformation of The Temple, Neco king of Egypt marched out toward Carchemish on the Euphrates River on his way to war.

 Josiah went out to fight him.

Neco sent messengers to Josiah saying, “What do we have against each other, O King of Judah? I haven’t come to fight against you but against the country with whom I’m at war.

 God commanded me to hurry, so don’t get in my way; you’ll only interfere with God, who is on my side in this, and he’ll destroy you.

”

But Josiah was spoiling for a fight and wouldn’t listen to a thing Neco said (in actuality it was God who said it).

 Though King Josiah disguised himself when they met on the plain of Megiddo, archers shot him anyway.

The king said to his servants, “Get me out of here—I’m badly wounded.

”

So his servants took him out of his chariot and laid him down in an ambulance chariot and drove him back to Jerusalem.

 He died there and was buried in the family cemetery.

 Everybody in Judah and Jerusalem attended the funeral.

 Jeremiah composed an anthem of lament for Josiah.

 The anthem is still sung by the choirs of Israel to this day.

 The anthem is written in the Laments.

The rest of the history of Josiah, his exemplary and devout life, conformed to The Revelation of God.

 The whole story, from start to finish, is written in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

 By popular choice, Jehoahaz son of Josiah was made king at Jerusalem, succeeding his father.

King Jehoahaz

036 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to rule.

 He was king in Jerusalem for a mere three months.

 The king of Egypt dethroned him and forced the country to pay him nearly four tons of silver and seventy-five pounds of gold.

King Jehoiakim

Neco king of Egypt then made Eliakim, Jehoahaz’s brother, king of Judah and Jerusalem, but changed his name to Jehoiakim; then he took Jehoahaz back with him to Egypt.

Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to rule; he was king for eleven years in Jerusalem.

 In GOD’s opinion he was an evil king.

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made war against him, and bound him in bronze chains, intending to take him prisoner to Babylon.

 Nebuchadnezzar also took things from The Temple of GOD to Babylon and put them in his royal palace.

The rest of the history of Jehoiakim, the outrageous sacrilege he com-mitted and what happened to him as a consequence, is all written in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

Jehoiachin his son became the next king.

King Jehoiachin

Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king.

 But he ruled for only three months and ten days in Jerusalem.

 In GOD’s opinion he was an evil king.

 In the spring King Nebuchadnezzar ordered him brought to Babylon along with the valuables remaining in The Temple of GOD.

 Then he made his uncle Zedekiah a puppet king over Judah and Jerusalem.

King Zedekiah

Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he started out as king.

 He was king in Jerusalem for eleven years.

 As far as GOD was concerned, he was just one more evil king; there wasn’t a trace of contrition in him when the prophet Jeremiah preached GOD’s word to him.

 Then he compounded his troubles by rebelling against King Nebuchadnezzar, who earlier had made him swear in God’s name that he would be loyal.

 He became set in his own stubborn ways—he never gave GOD a thought; repentance never entered his mind.

The evil mindset spread to the leaders and priests and filtered down to the people—it kicked off an epidemic of evil, repeating the abominations of the pagans and polluting The Temple of GOD so recently consecrated in Jerusalem.

GOD, the God of their ancestors, repeatedly sent warning messages to them.

 Out of compassion for both his people and his Temple he wanted to give them every chance possible.

 But they wouldn’t listen; they poked fun at God’s messengers, despised the message itself, and in general treated the prophets like idiots.

 GOD became more and more angry until there was no turning back—GOD called in Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who came and killed indiscriminately—and right in The Temple itself; it was a ruthless massacre: young men and virgins, the elderly and weak—they were all the same to him.

And then he plundered The Temple of everything valuable, cleaned it out completely; he emptied the treasuries of The Temple of God, the treasuries of the king and his officials, and hauled it all, people and possessions, off to Babylon.

 He burned The Temple of God to the ground, knocked down the wall of Jerusalem, and set fire to all the buildings—everything valuable was burned up.

 Any survivor was taken prisoner into exile in Babylon and made a slave to Nebuchadnezzar and his family.

 The exile and slavery lasted until the kingdom of Persia took over.

This is exactly the message of GOD that Jeremiah had preached: the desolate land put to an extended sabbath rest, a seventy-year Sabbath rest making up for all the unkept Sabbaths.

King Cyrus

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia—this fulfilled the message of GOD preached by Jeremiah—GOD moved Cyrus king of Persia to make an official announcement throughout his kingdom; he wrote it out as follows: “From Cyrus king of Persia a proclamation: GOD, the God of the heavens, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth.

 He has also assigned me to build him a Temple of worship at Jerusalem in Judah.

 All who belong to GOD’s people are urged to return—and may your GOD be with you! Move forward!”

INTRODUCTION EZRA

History had not treated the People of Israel well and they were in decline.

 A superpower military machine, Babylon, had battered them and then, leaving their city and temple a mound of rubble, hauled them off into exile.

 Now, 128 years later, a few Jews back in Jerusalem had been trying to put the pieces back together decade after weary decade.

 But it was not going well at all.

 They were hanging on by their fingernails.

 And then Ezra arrived.

This is an extreme case of a familiar story, repeated with variations in most centuries and in most places in the world.

 Men and women who find their basic identity in God, as God reveals himself in Israel and Messiah, don’t find an easy time of it.

 They never have.

 They never will.

 Their identity is under constant challenge and threat—sometimes by hostile assault, at other times by subtle and smiling seductions.

 Whether by assault or seduction, the People of God have come perilously close to obliteration several times.

 We are never out of danger.

Because of Ezra, Israel made it through.

 God didn’t leave Ezra to do this singlehandedly; he gave him substantial and critical help in the rescue operation in the person of Nehemiah, whose work providentially converged with his.

 (Important details of the Ezra story are in the memoirs of Nehemiah, the book that follows this one.

) The People-of-God identity was recovered and preserved.

 Ezra used Worship and Text to do it.

 Ezra engaged them in the worship of God, the most all-absorbing, comprehensive act in which men and women can engage.

 This is how our God-formed identities become most deeply embedded in us.

 And Ezra led them into an obedient listening to the text of Scripture.

 Listening and following God’s revelation are the primary ways in which we keep attentively obedient to the living presence of God among us.

Ezra made his mark: Worship and Text continue to be foundational for recovering and maintaining identity as the People of God.

From: Ezra was a priest and Bible scholar—not the ivory-tower sort, but a man with the faith and guts to lead a four-month, nine-hundred-mile journey through dry and bandit-ridden country.

 Beneath his quiet, private, bookish exterior lay a passionate, determined soul committed to helping the people live what the Scriptures taught.

 God’s whole story mattered to him, and he could trace that story through his own family line back to Moses’ brother.

To: The Jews had recovered just eight hundred square miles of their country, and a third of that was desert.

 Not much to sustain an economy.

 The neighbors were either hostile or eager for them to intermarry and assimilate.

 “Your god is okay, our gods are okay” was the tolerant attitude.

 There were so few Jews and so many non-Jews that unless the Jews resisted both assault and subtle seduction, they would likely assimilate and disappear within a generation or two.

Re: About 538-457 B.

C.

 The Persians invaded Greece in 490 B.

C.

 Athens repelled that assault in the famous Battle of Marathon, but the war went on for decades.

 Athens helped throw the Persians out of a major Egyptian city in 459.

 With Egypt in revolt and Greece helping, the Persian king needed Palestine to stay loyal.

 The next year he sent Ezra, a loyal subject of Persia, to Palestine.

 Ezra took with him a load of gold and silver and the authority to appoint a reliable government.

EZRA

Cyrus King of Persia: “Build The Temple of God!”

001 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia—this fulfilled the Message of GOD preached by Jeremiah—GOD prodded Cyrus king of Persia to make an official announcement throughout his kingdom.

 He wrote it out as follows: From Cyrus king of Persia, a Proclamation: GOD, the God of the heavens, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth.

 He has also assigned me to build him a Temple of worship in Jerusalem, Judah.

 Who among you belongs to his people? God be with you! Go to Jerusalem which is in Judah and build The Temple of GOD, the God of Israel, Jerusalem’s God.

 Those who stay behind, wherever they happen to live, will support them with silver, gold, tools, and pack animals, along with Freewill-Offerings for The Temple of God in Jerusalem.

The heads of the families of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites—everyone, in fact, God prodded—set out to build The Temple of GOD in Jerusalem.

 Their neighbors rallied behind them enthusiastically with silver, gold, tools, pack animals, expensive gifts, and, over and above these, Freewill-Offerings.

Also, King Cyrus turned over to them all the vessels and utensils from The Temple of GOD that Nebuchadnezzar had hauled from Jerusalem and put in the temple of his gods.

 Cyrus king of Persia put Mithredath the treasurer in charge of the transfer; he provided a full inventory for Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah, including the following: 30 gold dishes

1,000 silver dishes

29 silver pans

30 gold bowls

410 duplicate silver bowls

1,000 miscellaneous items.

All told, there were 5,400 gold and silver articles that Sheshbazzar took with him when he brought the exiles back from Babylon to Jerusalem.

002 These are the people from the province who now returned from the captivity, exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried off captive.

 They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his hometown.

 They came in company with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah.

The numbers of the returning Israelites by families of origin were as follows: Parosh, 2,172

Shephatiah, 372

Arah, 775

Pahath-Moab (sons of Jeshua and Joab), 2,812

Elam, 1,254

Zattu, 945

Zaccai, 760

Bani, 642

Bebai, 623

Azgad, 1,222

Adonikam, 666

Bigvai, 2,056

Adin, 454

Ater (sons of Hezekiah), 98

Bezai, 323

Jorah, 112

Hashum, 223

Gibbar, 95.

Israelites identified by place of origin were as follows: Bethlehem, 123

Netophah, 56

Anathoth, 128

Azmaveth, 42

Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth, 743

Ramah and Geba, 621

Micmash, 122

Bethel and Ai, 223

Nebo, 52

Magbish, 156

Elam (the other one), 1,254

Harim, 320

Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 725

Jericho, 345

Senaah, 3,630.

Priestly families: Jedaiah (sons of Jeshua), 973

Immer, 1,052

Pashhur, 1,247

Harim, 1,017.

Levitical families: Jeshua and Kadmiel (sons of Hodaviah), 74.

Singers: Asaph’s family line, 128.

Security guard families: Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai, 139.

Families of temple support staff: Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,

Keros, Siaha, Padon, Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub, Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, Besai, Asnah, Meunim, Nephussim, Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, Barkos, Sisera, Temah, Neziah, and Hatipha.

Families of Solomon’s servants: Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda,

Jaala, Darkon, Giddel, Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim, and Ami.

Temple support staff and Solomon’s servants added up to 392.

These are those who came from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer.

 They weren’t able to prove their ancestry, whether they were true Israelites or not: Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda, 652 in all.

Likewise with these priestly families: Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai, who had married a daughter of Barzillai the

Gileadite and took that name.

They had thoroughly searched for their family records but couldn’t find them.

 And so they were barred from priestly work as ritually unclean.

 The governor ruled that they could not eat from the holy food until a priest could determine their status with the Urim and Thummim.

The total count for the congregation was 42,360.

 That did not include the male and female slaves, which numbered 7,337.

 There were also 200 male and female singers, and they had 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

Some of the heads of families, on arriving at The Temple of GOD in Jerusalem, made Freewill-Offerings toward the rebuilding of The Temple of God on its site.

 They gave to the building fund as they were able, about 1,100 pounds of gold, about three tons of silver, and 100 priestly robes.

The priests, Levites, and some of the people lived in Jerusalem.

 The singers, security guards, and temple support staff found places in their hometowns.

 All the Israelites found a place to live.

The Building Begun: “The Foundation of the Temple Was Laid”

003 When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled into their towns, the people assembled together in Jerusalem.

 Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brother priests, along with Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and his relatives, went to work and built the Altar of the God of Israel to offer Whole-Burnt-Offerings on it as written in The Revelation of Moses the man of God.

Even though they were afraid of what their non-Israelite neighbors might do, they went ahead anyway and set up the Altar on its foundations and offered Whole-Burnt-Offerings on it morning and evening.

 They also celebrated the Festival of Booths as prescribed and the daily Whole-Burnt-Offerings set for each day.

 And they presented the regular Whole-Burnt-Offerings for Sabbaths, New Moons, and GOD’s Holy Festivals, as well as Freewill-Offerings for GOD.

They began offering Whole-Burnt-Offerings to GOD from the very first day of the seventh month, even though The Temple of GOD’s foundation had not yet been laid.

They gave money to hire masons and carpenters.

 They gave food, drink, and oil to the Sidonians and Tyrians in exchange for the cedar lumber they had brought by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, a shipment authorized by Cyrus the king of Persia.

In the second month of the second year after their arrival at The Temple of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jozadak, in company with their brother priests and Levites and everyone else who had come back to Jerusalem from captivity, got started.

 They appointed the Levites twenty years of age and older to direct the rebuilding of The Temple of GOD.

 Jeshua and his family joined Kadmiel, Binnui, and Hodaviah, along with the extended family of Henadad—all Levites—to direct the work crew on The Temple of God.

When the workers laid the foundation of The Temple of GOD, the priests in their robes stood up with trumpets, and the Levites, sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise GOD in the tradition of David king of Israel.

 They sang antiphonally praise and thanksgiving to GOD:

Yes! GOD is good!

Oh yes—he’ll never quit loving Israel!

All the people boomed out hurrahs, praising GOD as the foundation of The Temple of GOD was laid.

 As many were noisily shouting with joy, many of the older priests, Levites, and family heads who had seen the first Temple, when they saw the foundations of this Temple laid, wept loudly for joy.

 People couldn’t distinguish the shouting from the weeping.

 The sound of their voices reverberated for miles around.

The Building Stopped: Cease Rebuilding in That City

004 Old enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building The Temple of the GOD of Israel.

 They came to Zerubbabel and the family heads and said, “We’ll help you build.

 We worship your God the same as you.

 We’ve been offering sacrifices to him since Esarhaddon king of Assyria brought us here.

”

Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the family heads of Israel said to them, “Nothing doing.

 Building The Temple of our God is not the same thing to you as to us.

 We alone will build for the GOD of Israel.

 We’re the ones King Cyrus of Persia commanded to do it.

”

So these people started beating down the morale of the people of Judah, harassing them as they built.

 They even hired propagandists to sap their resolve.

 They kept this up for about fifteen years, throughout the lifetime of Cyrus king of Persia and on into the reign of Darius king of Persia.

In fact, in the reign of Xerxes, at the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against those living in Judah and Jerusalem.

Again later, in the time of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and their associates wrote regarding the Jerusalem business to Artaxerxes king of Persia.

 The letter was written in Aramaic and translated.

 (What follows is written in Aramaic.

)

Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:

From: Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary, backed by the rest of their associates, the judges and officials over the people from Tripolis, Persia, Erech, and Babylon, Elamites of Susa, and all the others whom the great and honor-able Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and other places in the land across the Euphrates.

(This is the copy of the letter they sent to him.

)

To: King Artaxerxes from your servants from the land across the Euphrates.

We are here to inform the king that the Jews who came from you to us have arrived in Jerusalem and have set about rebuilding that rebellious and evil city.

 They are busy at work finishing the walls and rebuilding the foundations.

 The king needs to know that once that city is rebuilt and the wall completed they will no longer pay a penny of tribute, tax, or duty.

 The royal treasury will feel the loss.

 We’re loyal to the king and cannot sit idly by while our king is being insulted—that’s why we are passing this information on.

 We suggest that you look into the court records of your ancestors; you’ll learn from those books that that city is a rebellious city, a thorn in the side to kings and provinces, a historic center of unrest and revolt.

 That’s why the city was wiped out.

 We are letting the king know that if that city gets rebuilt and its walls restored, you’ll end up with nothing in your province beyond the Euphrates.

The king sent his reply to Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the secretary, and the rest of their associates who lived in Samaria and other places beyond the Euphrates.

Peace be with you.

 The letter that you sent has been translated and read to me.

 I gave orders to search the records, and sure enough it turns out that this city has revolted against kings time and again—rebellion is an old story there.

 I find that they’ve had their share of strong kings who have taken over beyond the Euphrates and exacted taxes, tribute, and duty.

 So do this: Order these men to stop work immediately—not a lick of rebuilding in that city unless I order it.

 Act quickly and firmly; they’ve done enough damage to kings!

The letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates.

 They lost no time.

 They went to the Jews in Jerusalem and made them quit work.

That put a stop to the work on The Temple of God in Jerusalem.

 Nothing more was done until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

The Building Resumed: “Help the Leaders in the Rebuilding”

005 Meanwhile the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo were preaching to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the authority of the God of Israel who ruled them.

 And so Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak started again, rebuilding The Temple of God in Jerusalem.

 The prophets of God were right there helping them.

Tattenai was governor of the land beyond the Euphrates at this time.

 Tattenai, Shethar-Bozenai, and their associates came to the Israelites and asked, “Who issued you a permit to rebuild this Temple and restore it to use?” Then we told them the names of the men responsible for this construction work.

But God had his eye on the leaders of the Jews, and the work wasn’t stopped until a report could reach Darius and an official reply be returned.

Tattenai, governor of the land beyond the Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and his associates—the officials of that land—sent a letter to Darius the king.

 This is what they wrote to him:

To Darius the king.

 Peace and blessing!

We want to report to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to The Temple of the great God that is being rebuilt with large stones.

 Timbers are being fitted into the walls; the work is going on with great energy and in good time.

We asked the leaders, “Who issued you the permit to rebuild this Temple and restore it to use?” We also asked for their names so we could pass them on to you and have a record of the men at the head of the construction work.

This is what they told us: “We are servants of the God of the heavens and the earth.

We are rebuilding The Temple that was built a long time ago.

 A great king of Israel built it, the entire structure.

 But our ancestors made the God of the heavens really angry and he turned them over to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who knocked this Temple down and took the people to Babylon in exile.

“But when Cyrus became king of Babylon, in his first year he issued a building permit to rebuild this Temple of God.

 He also gave back the gold and silver vessels of The Temple of God that Nebuchadnezzar had carted off and put in the Babylon temple.

 Cyrus the king removed them from the temple of Babylon and turned them over to Sheshbazzar, the man he had appointed governor.

 He told him, ‘ Take these vessels and place them in The Temple of Jerusalem and rebuild The Temple of God on its original site.

’ And Sheshbazzar did it.

 He laid the foundation of The Temple of God in Jerusalem.

 It has been under construction ever since but it is not yet finished.

”

So now, if it please the king, look up the records in the royal archives in Babylon and see if it is indeed a fact that Cyrus the king issued an official building permit authorizing the rebuilding of The Temple of God in Jerusalem.

 And then send the king’s ruling on this matter to us.

006 So King Darius ordered a search through the records in the archives in Babylon.

 Eventually a scroll was turned up in the fortress of Ecbatana over in the province of Media, with this writing on it:

Memorandum

In his first year as king, Cyrus issued an official decree regarding The Temple of God in Jerusalem, as follows:

The Temple where sacrifices are offered is to be rebuilt on new foundations.

 It is to be ninety feet high and ninety feet wide with three courses of large stones topped with one course of timber.

 The cost is to be paid from the royal bank.

 The gold and silver vessels from The Temple of God that Nebuchadnezzar carried to Babylon are to be returned to The Temple at Jerusalem, each to its proper place; place them in The Temple of God.

Now listen, Tattenai governor of the land beyond the Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, associates, and all officials of that land: Stay out of their way.

 Leave the governor and leaders of the Jews alone so they can work on that Temple of God as they rebuild it.

I hereby give official orders on how you are to help the leaders of the Jews in the rebuilding of that Temple of God:

1.

 All construction costs are to be paid to these men from the royal bank out of the taxes coming in from the land beyond the Euphrates.

 And pay them on time, without delays.

2.

 Whatever is required for their worship—young bulls, rams, and lambs for Whole-Burnt-Offerings to the God-of-Heaven; and whatever wheat, salt, wine, and anointing oil the priests of Jerusalem request—is to be given to them daily without delay so that they may make sacrifices to the God-of-Heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons.

I’ve issued an official decree that anyone who violates this order is to be impaled on a timber torn out of his own house, and the house itself made a manure pit.

 And may the God who put his Name on that place wipe out any king or people who dares to defy this decree and destroy The Temple of God at Jerusalem.

I, Darius, have issued an official decree.

 Carry it out precisely and promptly.

Tattenai governor of the land across the Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, and their associates did it: They carried out the decree of Darius precisely and promptly.

The Building Completed: “Exuberantly Celebrated the Dedication”

So the leaders of the Jews continued to build; the work went well under the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo.

 They completed the rebuilding under orders of the God of Israel and authorization by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia.

 The Temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

And then the Israelites celebrated—priests, Levites, every last exile, exuberantly celebrated the dedication of The Temple of God.

 At the dedication of this Temple of God they sacrificed a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, and four hundred lambs—and, as an Absolution-Offering for all Israel, twelve he-goats, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.

 They placed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their places for the service of God at Jerusalem—all as written out in the Book of Moses.

On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover.

All the priests and Levites had purified themselves—all, no exceptions.

 They were all ritually clean.

 The Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for the exiles, their brother priests, and themselves.

Then the Israelites who had returned from exile, along with everyone who had removed themselves from the defilements of the nations to join them and seek GOD, the God of Israel, ate the Passover.

 With great joy they celebrated the Feast of Unraised Bread for seven days.

 GOD had plunged them into a sea of joy; he had changed the mind of the king of Assyria to back them in rebuilding The Temple of God, the God of Israel.

Ezra Arrives

007 After all this, Ezra.

 It was during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia.

 Ezra was the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the high priest.

That’s Ezra.

 He arrived from Babylon, a scholar well-practiced in the Revelation of Moses that the GOD of Israel had given.

 Because GOD’s hand was on Ezra, the king gave him everything he asked for.

 Some of the Israelites—priests, Levites, singers, temple security guards, and temple slaves—went with him to Jerusalem.

 It was in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.

They arrived at Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king’s reign.

 Ezra had scheduled their departure from Babylon on the first day of the first month; they arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month under the generous guidance of his God.

 Ezra had committed himself to studying the Revelation of GOD, to living it, and to teaching Israel to live its truths and ways.

What follows is the letter that King Artaxerxes gave Ezra, priest and scholar, expert in matters involving the truths and ways of GOD concerning Israel:

Artaxerxes, King of Kings, to Ezra the priest, a scholar of the Teaching of the God-of-Heaven.

Peace.

 I hereby decree that any of the people of Israel living in my kingdom who want to go to Jerusalem, including their priests and Levites, may go with you.

 You are being sent by the king and his seven advisors to carry out an investigation of Judah and Jerusalem in relation to the Teaching of your God that you are carrying with you.

 You are also authorized to take the silver and gold that the king and his advisors are giving for the God of Israel, whose residence is in Jerusalem, along with all the silver and gold that has been collected from the generously donated offerings all over Babylon, including that from the people and the priests, for The Temple of their God in Jerusalem.

 Use this money carefully to buy bulls, rams, lambs, and the ingredients for Grain-Offerings and Drink-Offerings and then offer them on the Altar of The Temple of your God in Jerusalem.

 You are free to use whatever is left over from the silver and gold for what you and your brothers decide is in keeping with the will of your God.

 Deliver to the God of Jerusalem the vessels given to you for the services of worship in The Temple of your God.

 Whatever else you need for The Temple of your God you may pay for out of the royal bank.

I, Artaxerxes the king, have formally authorized and ordered all the treasurers of the land across the Euphrates to give Ezra the priest, scholar of the Teaching of the God-of-Heaven, the full amount of whatever he asks for up to 100 talents of silver, 650 bushels of wheat, and 607 gallons each of wine and olive oil.

 There is no limit on the salt.

 Everything the God-of-Heaven requires for The Temple of God must be given without hesitation.

 Why would the king and his sons risk stirring up his wrath?

Also, let it be clear that no one is permitted to impose tribute, tax, or duty on any priest, Levite, singer, temple security guard, temple servant, or any other worker connected with The Temple of God.

I authorize you, Ezra, exercising the wisdom of God that you have in your hands, to appoint magistrates and judges so they can administer justice among all the people of the land across the Euphrates who live by the Teaching of your God.

 Anyone who does not know the Teaching, you teach them.

Anyone who does not obey the Teaching of your God and the king must be tried and sentenced at once—death, banishment, a fine, prison, whatever.

Ezra: “I Was Ready to Go”

Blessed be GOD, the God-of-Our-Fathers, who put it in the mind of the king to beautify The Temple of GOD in Jerusalem! Not only that, he caused the king and all his advisors and influential officials actually to like me and back me.

 My God was on my side and I was ready to go.

 And I organized all the leaders of Israel to go with me.

008 These are the family heads and those who signed up to go up with me from Babylon in the reign of Artaxerxes the king: From the family of Phinehas: Gershom

Family of Ithamar: Daniel Family of David: Hattush

Family of Shecaniah

Family of Parosh: Zechariah, and with him 150 men signed up Family of Pahath-Moab: Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and 200 men Family of Zattu: Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, and 300 men Family of Adin: Ebed son of Jonathan, and 50 men Family of Elam: Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and 70 men Family of Shephatiah: Zebadiah son of Michael, and 80 men Family of Joab: Obadiah son of Jehiel, and 218 men Family of Bani: Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and 160 men Family of Bebai: Zechariah son of Bebai, and 28 men Family of Azgad: Johanan son of Hakkatan, and 110 men Family of Adonikam (bringing up the rear): their names were Eliphelet, Jeuel, Shemaiah, and 60 men Family of Bigvai: Uthai and Zaccur, and 70 men.

I gathered them together at the canal that runs to Ahava.

 We camped there three days.

 I looked them over and found that they were all laymen and priests but no Levites.

 So I sent for the leaders Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, and for the teachers Joiarib and Elnathan.

 I then sent them to Iddo, who is head of the town of Casiphia, and told them what to say to Iddo and his relatives who lived there in Casiphia: “Send us ministers for The Temple of God.

”

Well, the generous hand of our God was on us, and they brought back to us a wise man from the family of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel.

 His name was Sherebiah.

 With sons and brothers they numbered eighteen.

 They also brought Hashabiah and Jeshaiah of the family of Merari, with brothers and their sons, another twenty.

 And then there were 220 temple servants, descendants of the temple servants that David and the princes had assigned to help the Levites in their work.

 They were all signed up by name.

I proclaimed a fast there beside the Ahava Canal, a fast to humble ourselves before our God and pray for wise guidance for our journey—all our people and possessions.

 I was embarrassed to ask the king for a cavalry bodyguard to protect us from bandits on the road.

 We had just told the king, “Our God lovingly looks after all those who seek him, but turns away in disgust from those who leave him.

”

So we fasted and prayed about these concerns.

 And he listened.

Then I picked twelve of the leading priests—Sherebiah and Hashabiah with ten of their brothers.

 I weighed out for them the silver, the gold, the vessels, and the offerings for The Temple of our God that the king, his advisors, and all the Israelites had given: 25 tons of silver

100 vessels of silver valued at three and three-quarter tons of gold

20 gold bowls weighing eighteen and a half pounds

2 vessels of bright red copper, as valuable as gold.

I said to them, “You are holy to GOD and these vessels are holy.

 The silver and gold are Freewill-Offerings to the GOD of your ancestors.

 Guard them with your lives until you’re able to weigh them out in a secure place in The Temple of our God for the priests and Levites and family heads who are in charge in Jerusalem.

”

The priests and Levites took charge of all that had been weighed out to them, and prepared to deliver it to Jerusalem to The Temple of our God.

We left the Ahava Canal on the twelfth day of the first month to travel to Jerusalem.

 God was with us all the way and kept us safe from bandits and highwaymen.

We arrived in Jerusalem and waited there three days.

 On the fourth day the silver and gold and vessels were weighed out in The Temple of our God into the hands of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest.

 Eleazar son of Phinehas was there with him, also the Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui.

 Everything was counted and weighed and the totals recorded.

When they arrived, the exiles, now returned from captivity, offered Whole-Burnt-Offerings to the God of Israel: 12 bulls, representing all Israel

96 rams

77 lambs

12 he-goats as an Absolution-Offering.

All of this was sacrificed as a Whole-Burnt-Offering to GOD.

They also delivered the king’s orders to the king’s provincial admin-istration assigned to the land beyond the Euphrates.

 They, in turn, gave their support to the people and The Temple of God.

Ezra Prays: “Look at Us .

 .

 .

 Guilty Before You”

009 After all this was done, the leaders came to me and said, “The People of Israel, priests and Levites included, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring people around here with all their vulgar obscenities—Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, Amorites.

 They have given some of their daughters in marriage to them and have taken some of their daughters for marriage to their sons.

 The holy seed is now all mixed in with these other peoples.

 And our leaders have led the way in this betrayal.

”

When I heard all this, I ripped my clothes and my cape; I pulled hair from my head and out of my beard; I slumped to the ground, appalled.

Many were in fear and trembling because of what God was saying about the betrayal by the exiles.

 They gathered around me as I sat there in despair, waiting for the evening sacrifice.

 At the evening sacrifice I picked myself up from my utter devastation, and in my ripped clothes and cape fell to my knees and stretched out my hands to GOD, my God.

 And I prayed:

“My dear God, I’m so totally ashamed, I can’t bear to face you.

 O my God—our iniquities are piled up so high that we can’t see out; our guilt touches the skies.

 We’ve been stuck in a muck of guilt since the time of our ancestors until right now; we and our kings and priests, because of our sins, have been turned over to foreign kings, to killing, to captivity, to looting, and to public shame—just as you see us now.

“Now for a brief time GOD, our God, has allowed us, this battered band, to get a firm foothold in his holy place so that our God may brighten our eyes and lighten our burdens as we serve out this hard sentence.

 We were slaves; yet even as slaves, our God didn’t abandon us.

 He has put us in the good graces of the kings of Persia and given us the heart to build The Temple of our God, restore its ruins, and construct a defensive wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

“And now, our God, after all this what can we say for ourselves? For we have thrown your commands to the wind, the commands you gave us through your servants the prophets.

 They told us, ‘ The land you’re taking over is a polluted land, polluted with the obscene vulgarities of the people who live there; they’ve filled it with their moral rot from one end to the other.

 Whatever you do, don’t give your daughters in marriage to their sons nor marry your sons to their daughters.

 Don’t cultivate their good opinion; don’t make over them and get them to like you so you can make a lot of money and build up a tidy estate to hand down to your children.

’

“And now this, on top of all we’ve already suffered because of our evil ways and accumulated guilt, even though you, dear God, punished us far less than we deserved and even went ahead and gave us this present escape.

 Yet here we are, at it again, breaking your commandments by intermarrying with the people who practice all these obscenities! Are you angry to the point of wiping us out completely, without even a few stragglers, with no way out at all? You are the righteous GOD of Israel.

 We are, right now, a small band of escapees.

 Look at us, openly standing here, guilty before you.

 No one can last long like this.

”

Ezra Takes Charge

010 Ezra wept, prostrate in front of The Temple of God.

 As he prayed and confessed, a huge number of the men, women, and children of Israel gathered around him.

 All the people were now weeping as if their hearts would break.

Shecaniah son of Jehiel of the family of Elam, acting as spokesman, said to Ezra: “We betrayed our God by marrying foreign wives from the people around here.

 But all is not lost; there is still hope for Israel.

 Let’s make a covenant right now with our God, agreeing to get rid of all these wives and their children, just as my master and those who honor God’s commandment are saying.

 It’s what The Revelation says, so let’s do it.

“Now get up, Ezra.

 Take charge—we’re behind you.

 Don’t back down.

”

So Ezra stood up and had the leaders of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel solemnly swear to do what Shecaniah proposed.

 And they did it.

Then Ezra left the plaza in front of The Temple of God and went to the home of Jehohanan son of Eliashib where he stayed, still fasting from food and drink, continuing his mourning over the betrayal by the exiles.

A notice was then sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem ordering all the exiles to meet in Jerusalem.

 Anyone who failed to show up in three days, in compliance with the ruling of the leaders and elders, would have all his possessions confiscated and be thrown out of the congregation of the returned exiles.

All the men of Judah and Benjamin met in Jerusalem within the three days.

 It was the twentieth day of the ninth month.

 They all sat down in the plaza in front of The Temple of God.

 Because of the business before them, and aggravated by the buckets of rain coming down on them, they were restless, uneasy, and anxious.

Ezra the priest stood up and spoke: “You’ve broken trust.

 You’ve married foreign wives.

 You’ve piled guilt on Israel.

 Now make your confession to GOD, the God of your ancestors, and do what he wants you to do: Separate yourselves from the people of the land and from your foreign wives.

”

The whole congregation responded with a shout, “Yes, we’ll do it—just the way you said it!”

They also said, “But look, do you see how many people there are out here? And it’s the rainy season; you can’t expect us to stand out here soaking wet until this is done—why, it will take days! A lot of us are deeply involved in this transgression.

 Let our leaders act on behalf of the whole congregation.

 Have everybody who lives in cities and who has married a foreign wife come at an appointed time, accompanied by the elders and judges of each city.

 We’ll keep at this until the hot anger of our God over this thing is turned away.

”

Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this.

 So the exiles went ahead with the plan.

 Ezra the priest picked men who were family heads, each one by name.

 They sat down together on the first day of the tenth month to pursue the matter.

 By the first day of the first month they had finished dealing with every man who had married a foreign wife.

Among the families of priests, the following were found to have married foreign wives:

The family of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.

 They all promised to divorce their wives and sealed it with a handshake.

 For their guilt they brought a ram from the flock as a Compensation-Offering.

The family of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.

The family of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.

The family of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

From the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah—that is, Kelita—Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

From the singers: Eliashib.

From the temple security guards: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.

And from the other Israelites:

The family of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malkijah, and Benaiah.

The family of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.

The family of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.

The family of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.

The family of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth.

The family of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.

The family of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.

The family of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.

The family of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi, Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu.

The family of Binnui: Shimei, Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, Macnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.

The family of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.

 All these had married foreign wives and some had also had children by them.

INTRODUCTION NEHEMIAH

Separating life into distinct categories of “sacred” and “secular” damages, sometimes irreparably, any attempt to live a whole and satisfying life, a coherent life with meaning and purpose, a life lived to the glory of God.

 Nevertheless, the practice is widespread.

 But where did all these people come up with the habit of separating themselves and the world around them into these two camps? It surely wasn’t from the Bible.

The Holy Scriptures, from beginning to end, strenuously resist such a separation.

The damage to life is most obvious when the separation is applied to daily work.

 It is common for us to refer to the work of pastors, priests, and missionaries as “sacred,” and that of lawyers, farmers, and engineers as “secular.

” It is also wrong.

 Work, by its very nature, is holy.

 The biblical story is dominated by people who have jobs in gardening, shepherding, the military, politics, carpentry, tent making, homemaking, fishing, and more.

Nehemiah is one of these.

 He started out as a government worker in the employ of a foreign king.

 Then he became—and this is the work he tells us of in these memoirs—a building contractor, called in to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

 His coworker Ezra was a scholar and teacher, working with the Scriptures.

 Nehemiah worked with stones and mortar.

 The stories of the two men are interwoven in a seamless fabric of vocational holiness.

 Neither job was more or less important or holy than the other.

 Nehemiah needed Ezra; Ezra needed Nehemiah.

 God’s people needed the work of both of them.

 We still do.

From: When we think of a man of action—practical, brave, a gifted organizer and administrator—we don’t necessarily expect him to be the type who would grieve, fast, and pray about a concern for four months to be sure he was following God’s lead and not acting impulsively.

 But that was Nehemiah: a man who prayed and acted, acted and prayed.

 He left a comfortable job as an official in a rich and powerful city to become governor of a tiny, impoverished, backwater province surrounded by enemies.

To: Few among the People of God had Nehemiah’s backbone in the face of endless temptations.

 Rebuilding a nation was grueling work.

 A guy could get ahead so much more easily if he married a non-Jew and dabbled in his father-in-law’s religion.

 These people needed constant reminders that they were part of something larger than their own struggle to make a living, that sharing in God’s story was worth the sacrifices.

Re: About 446-433 B.

C.

 Athens was booming.

 The city had finally signed a peace treaty with Persia, and Pericles was building the Parthenon (a temple for the goddess

Athena) on the Acropolis.

 Socrates was a promising young man, not yet the philosopher who would see that Athens’ survival depended on the people’s willingness to admit that they didn’t have life figured out.

 But the disastrous war with Sparta, the Peloponnesian War, was about to start bleeding away the city’s resources and spirit, bringing to an end Athens’ golden age.

NEHEMIAH

001 The memoirs of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah.

It was the month of Kislev in the twentieth year.

 At the time I was in the pal ace

complex at Susa.

 Hanani, one of my brothers, had just arrived from Judah with some fellow Jews.

 I asked them about the conditions among the Jews there who had survived the exile, and about Jerusalem.

They told me, “The exile survivors who are left there in the province are in bad shape.

 Conditions are appalling.

 The wall of Jerusalem is still rubble; the city gates are still cinders.

”

When I heard this, I sat down and wept.

 I mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God-of-Heaven.

I said, “GOD, God-of-Heaven, the great and awesome God, loyal to his covenant and faithful to those who love him and obey his commands: Look at me, listen to me.

 Pay attention to this prayer of your servant that I’m praying day and night in intercession for your servants, the People of Israel, confessing the sins of the People of Israel.

 And I’m including myself, I and my ancestors, among those who have sinned against you.

“We’ve treated you like dirt: We haven’t done what you told us, haven’t followed your commands, and haven’t respected the decisions you gave to Moses your servant.

 All the same, remember the warning you posted to your servant Moses: ‘If you betray me, I’ll scatter you to the four winds, but if you come back to me and do what I tell you, I’ll gather up all these scattered peoples from wherever they ended up and put them back in the place I chose to mark with my Name.

’

“Well, there they are—your servants, your people whom you so powerfully and impressively redeemed.

 O Master, listen to me, listen to your servant’s prayer—and yes, to all your servants who delight in honoring you—and make me successful today so that I get what I want from the king.

”

I was cupbearer to the king.

002

It was the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king.

 At the hour for serving wine I brought it in and gave it to the king.

 I had never been hangdog in his presence before, so he asked me, “Why the long face? You’re not sick are you? Or are you depressed?”

That made me all the more agitated.

 I said, “Long live the king! And why shouldn’t I be depressed when the city, the city where all my family is buried, is in ruins and the city gates have been reduced to cinders?”

The king then asked me, “So what do you want?”

Praying under my breath to the God-of-Heaven, I said, “If it please the king, and if the king thinks well of me, send me to Judah, to the city where my family is buried, so that I can rebuild it.

”

The king, with the queen sitting alongside him, said, “How long will your work take and when would you expect to return?”

I gave him a time, and the king gave his approval to send me.

Then I said, “If it please the king, provide me with letters to the governors across the Euphrates that authorize my travel through to Judah; and also an order to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, to supply me with timber for the beams of The Temple fortress, the wall of the city, and the house where I’ll be living.

”

The generous hand of my God was with me in this and the king gave them to me.

 When I met the governors across The River (the Euphrates) I showed them the king’s letters.

 The king even sent along a cavalry escort.

When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very upset, angry that anyone would come to look after the interests of the People of Israel.

“Come—Let’s Build the Wall of Jerusalem”

And so I arrived in Jerusalem.

 After I had been there three days, I got up in the middle of the night, I and a few men who were with me.

 I hadn’t told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem.

 The only animal with us was the one I was riding.

Under cover of night I went past the Valley Gate toward the Dragon’s Fountain to the Dung Gate looking over the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken through and whose gates had been burned up.

 I then crossed to the Fountain Gate and headed for the King’s Pool but there wasn’t enough room for the donkey I was riding to get through.

 So I went up the valley in the dark continuing my inspection of the wall.

 I came back in through the Valley Gate.

 The local officials had no idea where I’d gone or what I was doing—I hadn’t breathed a word to the Jews, priests, nobles, local officials, or anyone else who would be working on the job.

Then I gave them my report: “Face it: we’re in a bad way here.

 Jerusalem is a wreck; its gates are burned up.

 Come—let’s build the wall of Jerusalem and not live with this disgrace any longer.

” I told them how God was supporting me and how the king was backing me up.

They said, “We’re with you.

 Let’s get started.

” They rolled up their sleeves, ready for the good work.

When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they laughed at us, mocking, “Ha! What do you think you’re doing? Do you think you can cross the king?”

I shot back, “The God-of-Heaven will make sure we succeed.

 We’re his servants and we’re going to work, rebuilding.

 You can keep your nose out of it.

 You get no say in this—Jerusalem’s none of your business!”

003 The high priest Eliashib and his fellow priests were up and at it: They went to work on the Sheep Gate; they repaired it and hung its doors, continuing on as far as the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel.

 The men of Jericho worked alongside them; and next to them, Zaccur son of Imri.

The Fish Gate was built by the Hassenaah brothers; they repaired it, hung its doors, and installed its bolts and bars.

 Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, worked; next to him Meshullam son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabel; next to him Zadok son of Baana; and next to him the Tekoites (except for their nobles, who wouldn’t work with their master and refused to get their hands dirty with such work).

The Jeshanah Gate was rebuilt by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah; they repaired it, hung its doors, and installed its bolts and bars.

 Melatiah the Gibeonite, Jadon the Meronothite, and the men of Gibeon and Mizpah, which was under the rule of the governor from across the Euphrates, worked alongside them.

 Uzziel son of Harhaiah of the goldsmiths’ guild worked next to him, and next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers.

 They rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall.

The next section was worked on by Rephaiah son of Hur, mayor of a half-district of Jerusalem.

 Next to him Jedaiah son of Harumaph rebuilt the front of his house; Hattush son of Hashabneiah worked next to him.

Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab rebuilt another section that included the Tower of Furnaces.

 Working next to him was Shallum son of Hallohesh, mayor of the other half-district of Jerusalem, along with his daughters.

The Valley Gate was rebuilt by Hanun and villagers of Zanoah; they repaired it, hung its doors, and installed its bolts and bars.

 They went on to repair 1,500 feet of the wall, as far as the Dung Gate.

The Dung Gate itself was rebuilt by Malkijah son of Recab, the mayor of the district of Beth Hakkerem; he repaired it, hung its doors, and installed its bolts and bars.

The Fountain Gate was rebuilt by Shallun son of Col-Hozeh, mayor of the Mizpah district; he repaired it, roofed it, hung its doors, and installed its bolts and bars.

 He also rebuilt the wall of the Pool of Siloam at the King’s Garden as far as the steps that go down from the City of David.

After him came Nehemiah son of Azbuk, mayor of half the district of Beth Zur.

 He worked from just in front of the Tomb of David as far as the Pool and the House of Heroes.

Levites under Rehum son of Bani were next in line.

 Alongside them, Hashabiah, mayor of half the district of Keilah, represented his district in the rebuilding.

 Next to him their brothers continued the rebuilding under Binnui son of Henadad, mayor of the other half-district of Keilah.

The section from in front of the Ascent to the Armory as far as the Angle was rebuilt by Ezer son of Jeshua, the mayor of Mizpah.

 From the Angle to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest was done by Baruch son of Zabbai.

 Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, took it from the door of Eliashib’s house to the end of Eliashib’s house.

 Priests from the neighborhood went on from there.

 Benjamin and Hasshub worked on the wall in front of their house, and Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, did the work alongside his house.

The section from the house of Azariah to the Angle at the Corner was rebuilt by Binnui son of Henadad.

 Palal son of Uzai worked opposite the Angle and the tower that projects from the Upper Palace of the king near the Court of the Guard.

 Next to him Pedaiah son of Parosh and The Temple support staff who lived on the hill of Ophel worked up to the point opposite the Water Gate eastward and the projecting tower.

 The men of Tekoa did the section from the great projecting tower as far as the wall of Ophel.

Above the Horse Gate the priests worked, each priest repairing the wall in front of his own house.

 After them Zadok son of Immer rebuilt in front of his house and after him Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the East Gate; then Hananiah son of Shelemiah and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph; then Meshullam son of Berekiah rebuilt the wall in front of his storage shed.

Malkijah the goldsmith repaired the wall as far as the house of The Temple support staff and merchants, up to the Inspection Gate, and the Upper Room at the Corner.

 The goldsmiths and the merchants made the repairs between the Upper Room at the Corner and the Sheep Gate.

“I Stationed Armed Guards”

004 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall he exploded in anger, vilifying the Jews.

 In the company of his Samaritan cronies and military he let loose: “What are these miserable Jews doing? Do they think they can get everything back to normal overnight? Make build-ing stones out of make-believe?”

At his side, Tobiah the Ammonite jumped in and said, “That’s right! What do they think they’re building? Why, if a fox climbed that wall, it would fall to pieces under his weight.

”

Nehemiah prayed, “Oh listen to us, dear God.

 We’re so despised: Boomerang their ridicule on their heads; have their enemies cart them off as war trophies to a land of no return; don’t forgive their iniquity, don’t wipe away their sin—they’ve insulted the builders!”

We kept at it, repairing and rebuilding the wall.

 The whole wall was soon joined together and halfway to its intended height because the people had a heart for the work.

When Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairs of the walls of Jerusalem were going so well—that the breaks in the wall were being fixed—they were absolutely furious.

 They put their heads together and decided to fight against Jerusalem and create as much trouble as they could.

 We countered with prayer to our God and set a round-the-clock guard against them.

But soon word was going around in Judah,

The builders are pooped,

the rubbish piles up;

We’re in over our heads,

we can’t build this wall.

And all this time our enemies were saying, “They won’t know what hit them.

 Before they know it we’ll be at their throats, killing them right and left.

 That will put a stop to the work!” The Jews who were their neighbors kept reporting, “They have us surrounded; they’re going to attack!” If we heard it once, we heard it ten times.

So I stationed armed guards at the most vulnerable places of the wall and assigned people by families with their swords, lances, and bows.

 After looking things over I stood up and spoke to the nobles, officials, and everyone else: “Don’t be afraid of them.

 Put your minds on the Master, great and awesome, and then fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.

”

Our enemies learned that we knew all about their plan and that God had frustrated it.

 And we went back to the wall and went to work.

 From then on half of my young men worked while the other half stood guard with lances, shields, bows, and mail armor.

 Military officers served as backup for everyone in Judah who was at work rebuilding the wall.

 The common laborers held a tool in one hand and a spear in the other.

 Each of the builders had a sword strapped to his side as he worked.

 I kept the trumpeter at my side to sound the alert.

Then I spoke to the nobles and officials and everyone else: “There’s a lot of work going on and we are spread out all along the wall, separated from each other.

 When you hear the trumpet call, join us there; our God will fight for us.

”

And so we kept working, from first light until the stars came out, half of us holding lances.

I also instructed the people, “Each person and his helper is to stay inside Jerusalem—guards by night and workmen by day.

”

We all slept in our clothes—I, my brothers, my workmen, and the guards backing me up.

 And each one kept his spear in his hand, even when getting water.

The “Great Protest”

005 A great protest was mounted by the people, including the wives, against their fellow Jews.

 Some said, “We have big families, and we need food just to survive.

”

Others said, “We’re having to mortgage our fields and vineyards and homes to get enough grain to keep from starving.

”

And others said, “We’re having to borrow money to pay the royal tax on our fields and vineyards.

 Look: We’re the same flesh and blood as our brothers here; our children are just as good as theirs.

 Yet here we are having to sell our children off as slaves—some of our daughters have already been sold—and we can’t do anything about it because our fields and vineyards are owned by somebody else.

”

I got really angry when I heard their protest and complaints.

 After thinking it over, I called the nobles and officials on the carpet.

 I said, “Each one of you is gouging his brother.

”

Then I called a big meeting to deal with them.

 I told them, “We did everything we could to buy back our Jewish brothers who had to sell themselves as slaves to foreigners.

 And now you’re selling these same brothers back into debt slavery! Does that mean that we have to buy them back again?”

They said nothing.

 What could they say?

“What you’re doing is wrong.

 Is there no fear of God left in you? Don’t you care what the nations around here, our enemies, think of you?

“I and my brothers and the people working for me have also loaned them money.

 But this gouging them with interest has to stop.

 Give them back their foreclosed fields, vineyards, olive groves, and homes right now.

 And forgive your claims on their money, grain, new wine, and olive oil.

”

They said, “We’ll give it all back.

 We won’t make any more demands on them.

 We’ll do everything you say.

”

Then I called the priests together and made them promise to keep their word.

 Then I emptied my pockets, turning them inside out, and said, “So may God empty the pockets and house of everyone who doesn’t keep this promise—turned inside out and emptied.

”

Everyone gave a wholehearted “Yes, we’ll do it!” and praised GOD.

 And the people did what they promised.

“Remember in My Favor, O My God”

From the time King Artaxerxes appointed me as their governor in the land of Judah—from the twentieth to the thirty-second year of his reign, twelve years—neither I nor my brothers used the governor’s food allowance.

 Governors who had preceded me had oppressed the people by taxing them forty shekels of silver (about a pound) a day for food and wine while their underlings bullied the people unmercifully.

 But out of fear of God I did none of that.

 I had work to do; I worked on this wall.

 All my men were on the job to do the work.

 We didn’t have time to line our own pockets.

I fed 150 Jews and officials at my table in addition to those who showed up from the surrounding nations.

 One ox, six choice sheep, and some chickens were prepared for me daily, and every ten days a large supply of wine was delivered.

 Even so, I didn’t use the food allowance provided for the governor—the people had it hard enough as it was.

Remember in my favor, O my God, Everything I’ve done for these people.

“I’m Doing a Great Work; I Can’t Come Down”

006 When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that there were no more breaks in it—even though I hadn’t yet installed the gates—Sanballat and Geshem sent this message: “Come and meet with us at Kephirim in the valley of Ono.

”

I knew they were scheming to hurt me so I sent messengers back with this: “I’m doing a great work; I can’t come down.

 Why should the work come to a standstill just so I can come down to see you?”

Four times they sent this message and four times I gave them my answer.

The fifth time—same messenger, same message—Sanballat sent an unsealed letter with this message:

“The word is out among the nations—and Geshem says it’s true—that you and the Jews are planning to rebel.

 That’s why you are rebuilding the wall.

 The word is that you want to be king and that you have appointed prophets to announce in Jerusalem, ‘There’s a king in Judah!’ The king is going to be told all this—don’t you think we should sit down and have a talk?”

I sent him back this: “There’s nothing to what you’re saying.

 You’ve made it all up.

”

They were trying to intimidate us into quitting.

 They thought, “They’ll give up; they’ll never finish it.

”

I prayed, “Give me strength.

”

Then I met secretly with Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, at his house.

 He said:

Let’s meet at the house of God,

inside The Temple;

Let’s find safety behind locked doors

because they’re coming to kill you,

Yes, coming by night to kill you.

I said, “Why would a man like me run for cover? And why would a man like me use The Temple as a hideout? I won’t do it.

”

I sensed that God hadn’t sent this man.

 The so-called prophecy he spoke to me was the work of Tobiah and Sanballat; they had hired him.

 He had been hired to scare me off—trick me—a layman, into desecrating The Temple and ruining my good reputation so they could accuse me.

“O my God, don’t let Tobiah and Sanballat get by with all the mischief they’ve done.

 And the same goes for the prophetess Noadiah and the other prophets who have been trying to undermine my confidence.

”

The wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul.

 It had taken fifty-two days.

 When all our enemies heard the news and all the surrounding nations saw it, our enemies totally lost their nerve.

 They knew that God was behind this work.

All during this time letters were going back and forth constantly between the nobles of Judah and Tobiah.

 Many of the nobles had ties to him because he was son-in-law to Shecaniah son of Arah and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah.

 They kept telling me all the good things he did and then would report back to him anything I would say.

 And then Tobiah would send letters to intimidate me.

The Wall Rebuilt: Names and Numbers

007

After the wall was rebuilt and I had installed the doors, and the security guards, the singers, and the Levites were appointed, I put my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the captain of the citadel, in charge of Jerusalem because he was an honest man and feared God more than most men.

3 I gave them this order: “Don’t open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is up.

 And shut and bar the gates while the guards are still on duty.

 Appoint the guards from the citizens of Jerusalem and assign them to posts in front of their own homes.

”

The city was large and spacious with only a few people in it and the houses not yet rebuilt.

God put it in my heart to gather the nobles, the officials, and the people in general to be registered.

 I found the genealogical record of those who were in the first return from exile.

 This is the record I found: These are the people of the province who returned from the captivity of the Exile, the ones Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried off captive; they came back to Jerusalem and Judah, each going to his own town.

 They came back in the company of Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.

The numbers of the men of the People of Israel by families of origin: Parosh, 2,172

Shephatiah, 372

Arah, 652

Pahath-Moab (sons of Jeshua and Joab), 2,818

Elam, 1,254

Zattu, 845

Zaccai, 760

Binnui, 648

Bebai, 628

Azgad, 2,322

Adonikam, 667

Bigvai, 2,067

Adin, 655

Ater (sons of Hezekiah), 98

Hashum, 328

Bezai, 324

Hariph, 112

Gibeon, 95.

Israelites identified by place of origin: Bethlehem and Netophah, 188

Anathoth, 128

Beth Azmaveth, 42

Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth, 743

Ramah and Geba, 621

Micmash, 122

Bethel and Ai, 123

Nebo (the other one), 52

Elam (the other one), 1,254

Harim, 320

Jericho, 345

Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 721

Senaah, 3,930.

Priestly families: Jedaiah (sons of Jeshua), 973

Immer, 1,052

Pashhur, 1,247

Harim, 1,017.

Levitical families: Jeshua (sons of Kadmiel and of Hodaviah), 74.

Singers:

Asaph’s family line, 148.

Security guard families: Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai, 138.

Families of support staff: Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,

Keros, Sia, Padon, Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai, Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, Besai, Meunim, Nephussim, Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, Barkos, Sisera, Temah, Neziah, and Hatipha.

Families of Solomon’s servants: Sotai, Sophereth, Perida,

Jaala, Darkon, Giddel, Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim, and Amon.

The Temple support staff and Solomon’s servants added up to 392.

These are those who came from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer.

 They weren’t able to prove their ancestry, whether they were true Israelites or not: The sons of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda, 642.

Likewise with these priestly families: The sons of Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai, who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and took that name.

They looked high and low for their family records but couldn’t find them.

 And so they were barred from priestly work as ritually unclean.

 The governor ruled that they could not eat from the holy food until a priest could determine their status by using the Urim and Thummim.

The total count for the congregation was 42,360.

 That did not include the male and female slaves who numbered 7,337.

 There were also 245 male and female singers.

 And there were 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

Some of the heads of families made voluntary offerings for the work.

 The governor made a gift to the treasury of 1,000 drachmas of gold (about nineteen pounds), 50 bowls, and 530 garments for the priests.

 Some of the heads of the families made gifts to the treasury for the work; it came to 20,000 drachmas of gold and 2,200 minas of silver (about one and a third tons).

 Gifts from the rest of the people totaled 20,000 drachmas of gold (about 375 pounds), 2,000 minas of silver, and 67 garments for the priests.

The priests, Levites, security guards, singers, and Temple support staff, along with some others, and the rest of the People of Israel, all found a place to live in their own towns.

Ezra and The Revelation

008 By the time the seventh month arrived, the People of Israel were settled in their towns.

 Then all the people gathered as one person in the town square in front of the Water Gate and asked the scholar Ezra to bring the Book of The Revelation of Moses that GOD had commanded for Israel.

So Ezra the priest brought The Revelation to the congregation, which was made up of both men and women—everyone capable of understanding.

 It was the first day of the seventh month.

 He read it facing the town square at the Water Gate from early dawn until noon in the hearing of the men and women, all who could understand it.

 And all the people listened—they were all ears—to the Book of The Revelation.

The scholar Ezra stood on a wooden platform constructed for the occasion.

 He was flanked on the right by Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, and on the left by Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

Ezra opened the book.

 Every eye was on him (he was standing on the raised platform) and as he opened the book everyone stood.

 Then Ezra praised GOD, the great God, and all the people responded, “Oh Yes! Yes!” with hands raised high.

 And then they fell to their knees in worship of GOD, their faces to the ground.

Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah, all Levites, explained The Revelation while people stood, listening respectfully.

 They translated the Book of The Revelation of God so the people could understand it and then explained the reading.

Nehemiah the governor, along with Ezra the priest and scholar and the Levites who were teaching the people, said to all the people, “This day is holy to GOD, your God.

 Don’t weep and carry on.

” They said this because all the people were weeping as they heard the words of The Revelation.

He continued, “Go home and prepare a feast, holiday food and drink; and share it with those who don’t have anything: This day is holy to God.

 Don’t feel bad.

 The joy of GOD is your strength!”

The Levites calmed the people, “Quiet now.

 This is a holy day.

 Don’t be upset.

”

So the people went off to feast, eating and drinking and including the poor in a great celebration.

 Now they got it; they understood the reading that had been given to them.

On the second day of the month the family heads of all the people, the priests, and the Levites gathered around Ezra the scholar to get a deeper understanding of the words of The Revelation.

 They found written in The Revelation that GOD commanded through Moses that the People of Israel are to live in booths during the festival of the seventh month.

 So they published this decree and had it posted in all their cities and in Jerusalem: “Go into the hills and collect olive branches, pine branches, myrtle branches, palm branches, and any other leafy branches to make booths, as it is written.

”

So the people went out, brought in branches, and made themselves booths on their roofs, courtyards, the courtyards of The Temple of God, the Water Gate plaza, and the Ephraim Gate plaza.

 The entire congregation that had come back from exile made booths and lived in them.

 The People of Israel hadn’t done this from the time of Joshua son of Nun until that very day—a terrific day! Great joy!

Ezra read from the Book of The Revelation of God each day, from the first to the last day—they celebrated the feast for seven days.

 On the eighth day they held a solemn assembly in accordance with the decree.

009

Then on the twenty-fourth day of this month, the People of Israel gathered for a fast, wearing burlap and faces smudged with dirt as signs of repentance.

 The Israelites broke off all relations with foreigners, stood up, and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their parents.

 While they stood there in their places, they read from the Book of The Revelation of GOD, their God, for a quarter of the day.

 For another quarter of the day they confessed and worshiped their GOD.

A group of Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Kenani—stood on the platform and cried out to GOD, their God, in a loud voice.

 The Levites Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said, “On your feet! Bless GOD, your God, for ever and ever!”

Blessed be your glorious name,

exalted above all blessing and praise!

You’re the one,

GOD, you alone;

You made the heavens,

the heavens of heavens, and all angels;

The earth and everything on it,

the seas and everything in them;

You keep them all alive;

heaven’s angels worship you!

You’re the one, GOD, the God

who chose Abram

And brought him from Ur of the Chaldees

and changed his name to Abraham.

You found his heart to be steady and true to you

and signed a covenant with him,

A covenant to give him the land of the Canaanites,

the Hittites, and the Amorites,

The Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites,

—to give it to his descendants.

And you kept your word

because you are righteous.

You saw the anguish of our parents in Egypt.

You heard their cries at the Red Sea;

You amazed Pharaoh, his servants, and the people of his land

with wonders and miracle-signs.

You knew their bullying arrogance against your people;

you made a name for yourself that lasts to this day.

You split the sea before them;

they crossed through and never got their feet wet;

You pitched their pursuers into the deep;

they sank like a rock in the storm-tossed sea.

By day you led them with a Pillar of Cloud,

and by night with a Pillar of Fire

To show them the way

they were to travel.

You came down onto Mount Sinai,

you spoke to them out of heaven;

You gave them instructions on how to live well,

true teaching, sound rules and commands;

You introduced them

to your Holy Sabbath;

Through your servant Moses you decreed

commands, rules, and instruction.

You gave bread from heaven for their hunger,

you sent water from the rock for their thirst.

You told them to enter and take the land,

which you promised to give them.

But they, our ancestors, were arrogant;

bullheaded, they wouldn’t obey your commands.

They turned a deaf ear, they refused

to remember the miracles you had done for them;

They turned stubborn, got it into their heads

to return to their Egyptian slavery.

And you, a forgiving God,

gracious and compassionate,

Incredibly patient, with tons of love—

you didn’t dump them.

Yes, even when they cast a sculpted calf

and said, “This is your god

Who brought you out of Egypt,”

and continued from bad to worse,

You in your amazing compassion

didn’t walk off and leave them in the desert.

The Pillar of Cloud didn’t leave them;

daily it continued to show them their route;

The Pillar of Fire did the same by night,

showed them the right way to go.

You gave them your good Spirit

to teach them to live wisely.

You never stinted with your manna,

gave them plenty of water to drink.

You supported them forty years in that desert;

they had everything they needed;

Their clothes didn’t wear out

and their feet never blistered.

You gave them kingdoms and peoples,

establishing generous boundaries.

They took over the country of Sihon king of Heshbon

and the country of Og king of Bashan.

You multiplied children for them,

rivaling the stars in the night skies,

And you brought them into the land

that you promised their ancestors

they would get and own.

Well, they entered all right,

they took it and settled in.

The Canaanites who lived there

you brought to their knees before them.

You turned over their land, kings, and peoples

to do with as they pleased.

They took strong cities and fertile fields,

they took over well-furnished houses,

Cisterns, vineyards, olive groves,

and lush, extensive orchards.

And they ate, grew fat on the fat of the land;

they reveled in your bountiful goodness.

But then they mutinied, rebelled against you,

threw out your laws and killed your prophets,

The very prophets who tried to get them back on your side—

and then things went from bad to worse.

You turned them over to their enemies,

who made life rough for them.

But when they called out for help in their troubles

you listened from heaven;

And in keeping with your bottomless compassion

you gave them saviors:

Saviors who saved them

from the cruel abuse of their enemies.

But as soon as they had it easy again

they were right back at it—more evil.

So you turned away and left them again to their fate,

to the enemies who came right back.

They cried out to you again; in your great compassion

you heard and helped them again.

This went on over and over and over.

You warned them to return to your Revelation,

they responded with haughty arrogance:

They flouted your commands, spurned your rules

—the very words by which men and women live!

They set their jaws in defiance,

they turned their backs on you and didn’t listen.

You put up with them year after year

and warned them by your spirit through your prophets;

But when they refused to listen

you abandoned them to foreigners.

Still, because of your great compassion,

you didn’t make a total end to them.

You didn’t walk out and leave them for good;

yes, you are a God of grace and compassion.

And now, our God, the great God,

God majestic and terrible, loyal in covenant and love,

Don’t treat lightly the trouble that has come to us,

to our kings and princes, our priests and prophets,

Our ancestors, and all your people from the time

of the Assyrian kings right down to today.

You are not to blame

for all that has come down on us;

You did everything right,

we did everything wrong.

None of our kings, princes, priests, or ancestors

followed your Revelation;

They ignored your commands,

dismissed the warnings you gave them.

Even when they had their own kingdom

and were enjoying your generous goodness,

Living in that spacious and fertile land

that you spread out before them,

They didn’t serve you

or turn their backs on the practice of evil.

And here we are, slaves again today;

and here’s the land you gave our ancestors

So they could eat well and enjoy a good life,

and now look at us—no better than slaves on this land.

Its wonderful crops go to the kings

you put over us because of our sins;

They act like they own our bodies

and do whatever they like with our cattle.

We’re in deep trouble.

“Because of all this we are drawing up a binding pledge, a sealed document signed by our princes, our Levites, and our priests.

”

010 The sealed document bore these signatures: Nehemiah the governor, son of Hacaliah, Zedekiah, Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah, Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah.

These were the priests.

The Levites:

Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel, and their kinsmen: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,

Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.

The heads of the people: Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,

Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.

The rest of the people, priests, Levites, security guards, singers, Temple staff, and all who separated themselves from the foreign neighbors to keep The Revelation of God, together with their wives, sons, daughters—everyone old enough to understand—all joined their noble kinsmen in a binding oath to follow The Revelation of God given through Moses the servant of God, to keep and carry out all the commandments of GOD our Master, all his decisions and standards.

 Thus: We will not marry our daughters to our foreign neighbors nor let our sons marry their daughters.

When the foreign neighbors bring goods or grain to sell on the Sabbath we won’t trade with them—not on the Sabbath or any other holy day.

Every seventh year we will leave the land fallow and cancel all debts.

We accept the responsibility for paying an annual tax of one-third of a shekel (about an eighth ounce) for providing The Temple of our God with bread for the Table regular Grain-Offerings regular Whole-Burnt-Offerings offerings for the Sabbaths, New Moons, and appointed feasts Dedication-Offerings Absolution-Offerings to atone for Israel maintenance of The Temple of our God.

We—priests, Levites, and the people—have cast lots to see when each of our families will bring wood for burning on the Altar of our God, following the yearly schedule set down in The Revelation.

We take responsibility for delivering annually to The Temple of God the firstfruits of our crops and our orchards, our firstborn sons and cattle, and the firstborn from our herds and flocks for the priests who serve in The Temple of our God—just as it is set down in The Revelation.

We will bring the best of our grain, of our contributions, of the fruit of every tree, of wine, and of oil to the priests in the storerooms of The Temple of our God.

We will bring the tithes from our fields to the Levites, since the Levites are appointed to collect the tithes in the towns where we work.

 We’ll see to it that a priest descended from Aaron will supervise the Levites as they collect the tithes and make sure that they take a tenth of the tithes to the treasury in The Temple of our God.

 We’ll see to it that the People of Israel and Levites bring the grain, wine, and oil to the storage rooms where the vessels of the Sanctuary are kept and where the priests who serve, the security guards, and the choir meet.

We will not neglect The Temple of our God.

011

The leaders of the people were already living in Jerusalem, so the rest of the people drew lots to get one out of ten to move to Jerusalem, the holy city, while the other nine remained in their towns.

 The people applauded those who voluntarily offered to live in Jerusalem.

These are the leaders in the province who resided in Jerusalem (some Israelites, priests, Levites, Temple staff, and descendants of Solomon’s slaves lived in the towns of Judah on their own property in various towns; others from both Judah and Benjamin lived in Jerusalem): From the family of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, from the family line of Perez; Maaseiah son of Baruch, the son of Col-Hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of the Shilonite.

 The descendants of Perez who lived in Jerusalem numbered 468 valiant men.

From the family of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah, and his brothers Gabbai and Sallai: 928 men.

 Joel son of Zicri was their chief and Judah son of Hassenuah was second in command over the city.

From the priests: Jedaiah son of Joiarib; Jakin; Seraiah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, supervisor of The Temple of God, along with their associates responsible for work in The Temple: 822 men.

 Also Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malkijah, and his associates who were heads of families: 242 men; Amashsai son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer, and his associates, all valiant men: 128 men.

 Their commander was Zabdiel son of Haggedolim.

From the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni; Shabbethai and Jozabad, two of the leaders of the Levites who were in charge of the outside work of The Temple of God; Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, the director who led in thanksgiving and prayer; Bakbukiah, second among his associates; and Abda son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.

 The Levites in the holy city totaled 284.

From the security guards: Akkub, Talmon, and their associates who kept watch over the gates: 172 men.

The rest of the Israelites, priests, and Levites were in all the towns of Judah, each on his own family property.

The Temple staff lived on the hill Ophel.

 Ziha and Gishpa were responsible for them.

The chief officer over the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica.

 Uzzi was one of Asaph’s descendants, singers who led worship in The Temple of God.

 The singers got their orders from the king, who drew up their daily schedule.

Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, a descendant of Zerah son of Judah, represented the people’s concerns at the royal court.

Some of the Judeans lived in the villages near their farms: Kiriath Arba (Hebron) and suburbs

Dibon and suburbs Jekabzeel and suburbs Jeshua

Moladah

Beth Pelet

Hazar Shual

Beersheba and suburbs Ziklag

Meconah and suburbs En Rimmon

Zorah

Jarmuth

Zanoah

Adullam and their towns Lachish and its fields Azekah and suburbs.

They were living all the way from Beersheba to the Valley of Hinnom.

The Benjaminites from Geba lived in: Micmash

Aijah

Bethel and its suburbs Anathoth

Nob and Ananiah

Hazor

Ramah and Gittaim Hadid, Zeboim, and Neballat Lod and Ono and the Valley of the Craftsmen.

Also some of the Levitical groups of Judah were assigned to Benjamin.

012

These are the priests and Levites who came up with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah, Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah, Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah.

These were the leaders of the priests during the time of Jeshua.

And the Levites:

Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah;

Mattaniah, with his brothers, was in charge of songs of praise, and their brothers Bakbukiah and Unni stood opposite them in the services of worship.

Jeshua fathered Joiakim, Joiakim fathered Eliashib, Eliashib fathered Joiada, Joiada fathered Jonathan, and Jonathan fathered Jaddua.

During the time of Joiakim, these were the heads of the priestly families: of the family of Seraiah, Meraiah;

of Jeremiah, Hananiah; of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan; of Malluch, Jonathan; of Shecaniah, Joseph; of Harim, Adna;

of Meremoth, Helkai; of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam; of Abijah, Zicri; of Miniamin and Moadiah, Piltai; of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan; of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; of Sallu, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; and of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

During the time of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, the Levites were registered as heads of families.

 During the reign of Darius the Persian, the priests were registered.

The Levites who were heads of families were registered in the Book of the Chronicles until the time of Johanan son of Eliashib.

 These were: Hashabiah,

Sherebiah,

and Jeshua son of Kadmiel.

Their brothers stood opposite them to give praise and thanksgiving, one side responding to the other, as had been directed by David the man of God.

The security guards included: Mattaniah,

Bakbukiah,

Obadiah,

Meshullam,

Talmon,

and Akkub.

They guarded the storerooms at the gates.

 They lived during the time of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, the time of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scholar.

Dedication of the Wall

When it came time for the dedication of the wall, they tracked down and brought in the Levites from all their homes in Jerusalem to carry out the dedication exuberantly: thanksgiving hymns, songs, cymbals, harps, and lutes.

 The singers assembled from all around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites, from Beth Gilgal, from the farms at Geba and Azmaveth—the singers had built villages for themselves all around Jerusalem.

The priests and Levites ceremonially purified themselves; then they did the same for the people, the gates, and the wall.

I had the leaders of Judah come up on the wall, and I appointed two large choirs.

 One proceeded on the wall to the right toward the Dung Gate.

 Hashaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them, including Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah.

 Some of the young priests had trumpets.

 Next, playing the musical instruments of David the man of God, came Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph, and his brothers Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani.

 Ezra the scholar led them.

At the Fountain Gate they went straight ahead, up the steps of the City of David using the wall stairway above the house of David to the Water Gate on the east.

The other choir proceeded to the left.

 I and half of the people followed them on the wall from the Tower of Furnaces to the Broad Wall, over the Ephraim Gate, the Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred as far as the Sheep Gate, stopping at the Prison Gate.

The two choirs then took their places in The Temple of God.

 I was there with half of the officials, along with the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah with their trumpets.

 Also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam, and Ezer.

 The singers, directed by Jezrahiah, made the rafters ring.

That day they offered great sacrifices, an exuberant celebration because God had filled them with great joy.

 The women and children raised their happy voices with all the rest.

 Jerusalem’s jubilation was heard far and wide.

That same day men were appointed to be responsible for the storerooms for the offerings, the firstfruits, and the tithes.

 They saw to it that the portion directed by The Revelation for the priests and Levites was brought in from the farms connected to the towns.

 Judah was so appreciative of the priests and Levites and their service; they, along with the singers and security guards, had done everything so well, conducted the worship of their God and the ritual of ceremonial cleansing in a way that would have made David and his son Solomon proud.

 That’s the way it was done in the olden days, the days of David and Asaph, when they had choir directors for singing songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.

During the time of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily allowances for the singers and security guards.

 They also set aside what was dedicated to the Levites, and the Levites did the same for the Aaronites.

013 Also on that same day there was a reading from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people.

 It was found written there that no Ammonite or Moabite was permitted to enter the congregation of God, because they hadn’t welcomed the People of Israel with food and drink; they even hired Balaam to work against them by cursing them, but our God turned the curse into a blessing.

 When they heard the reading of The Revelation, they excluded all foreigners from Israel.

Some time before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms of The Temple of God.

 He was close to Tobiah and had made available to him a large storeroom that had been used to store Grain-Offerings, incense, worship vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil for the Levites, singers, and security guards, and the offerings for the priests.

When this was going on I wasn’t there in Jerusalem; in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon, I had traveled back to the king.

 But later I asked for his permission to leave again.

 I arrived in Jerusalem and learned of the wrong that Eliashib had done in turning over to him a room in the courts of The Temple of God.

 I was angry, really angry, and threw everything in the room out into the street, all of Tobiah’s stuff.

 Then I ordered that they ceremonially cleanse the room.

 Only then did I put back the worship vessels of The Temple of God, along with the Grain-Offerings and the incense.

And then I learned that the Levites hadn’t been given their regular food allotments.

 So the Levites and singers who led the services of worship had all left and gone back to their farms.

 I called the officials on the carpet, “Why has The Temple of God been abandoned?” I got everyone back again and put them back on their jobs so that all Judah was again bringing in the tithe of grain, wine, and oil to the storerooms.

 I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and a Levite named Pedaiah in charge of the storerooms.

 I made Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, their right-hand man.

 These men had a reputation for honesty and hard work.

 They were responsible for distributing the rations to their brothers.

Remember me, O my God, for this.

 Don’t ever forget the devoted work I have done for The Temple of God and its worship.

During those days, while back in Judah, I also noticed that people treaded wine presses, brought in sacks of grain, and loaded up their donkeys on the Sabbath.

 They brought wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of stuff to sell on the Sabbath.

 So I spoke up and warned them about selling food on that day.

 Tyrians living there brought in fish and whatever else, selling it to Judeans—in Jerusalem, mind you!—on the Sabbath.

I confronted the leaders of Judah: “What’s going on here? This evil! Profaning the Sabbath! Isn’t this exactly what your ancestors did? And because of it didn’t God bring down on us and this city all this misery? And here you are adding to it—accumulating more wrath on Jerusalem by profaning the Sabbath.

”

As the gates of Jerusalem were darkened by the shadows of the approaching Sabbath, I ordered the doors shut and not to be opened until the Sabbath was over.

 I placed some of my servants at the gates to make sure that nothing to be sold would get in on the Sabbath day.

Traders and dealers in various goods camped outside the gates once or twice.

 But I took them to task.

 I said, “You have no business camping out here by the wall.

 If I find you here again, I’ll use force to drive you off.

”

And that did it; they didn’t come back on the Sabbath.

Then I directed the Levites to ceremonially cleanse themselves and take over as guards at the gates to keep the sanctity of the Sabbath day.

Remember me also for this, my God.

 Treat me with mercy according to your great and steadfast love.

Also in those days I saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.

 Half the children couldn’t even speak the language of Judah; all they knew was the language of Ashdod or some other tongue.

 So I took those men to task, gave them a piece of my mind, even slapped some of them and jerked them by the hair.

 I made them swear to God: “Don’t marry your daughters to their sons; and don’t let their daughters marry your sons—and don’t you yourselves marry them! Didn’t Solomon the king of Israel sin because of women just like these? Even though there was no king quite like him, and God loved him and made him king over all Israel, foreign women were his downfall.

 Do you call this obedience—engaging in this extensive evil, showing yourselves faithless to God by marrying foreign wives?”

One of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite; I drove him out of my presence.

Remember them, O my God, how they defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priests and Levites.

All in all I cleansed them from everything foreign.

 I organized the orders of service for the priests and Levites so that each man knew his job.

 I arranged for a regular supply of altar wood at the appointed times and for the firstfruits.

Remember me, O my God, for good.

INTRODUCTION ESTHER

It seems odd that the awareness of God, or even of the people of God, brings out the worst in some people.

 God, the source of all goodness and blessing and joy, at times becomes the occasion for nearly unimaginable acts of cruelty, atrocity, and evil.

There is a long history of killing men and women simply because they are perceived as reminders or representatives of the living God, as if killing people who worship God gets rid of God himself.

 We’ve recently completed a century marked by an extraordinary frenzy of such “god” killings.

 To no one’s surprise, God is still alive and present.

The book of Esther opens a window on this world of violence directed, whether openly or covertly, against God and God’s people.

 The perspective it provides transcends the occasion that provoked it, a nasty scheme to massacre all the exiled Jews who lived in the vast expanse of fifth-century B.

C.

 Persia.

 Three characters shape the plot.

 Mordecai, identified simply as “the Jew,” anchors the story.

 He is solid, faithful, sane, godly.

 His goodness is more than matched by the evil and arrogant vanity of Haman, who masterminds the planned massacre.

 Mordecai’s young, orphaned, and ravishing cousin, Esther, whom he has raised, emerges from the shadows of the royal harem to take on the title role.

It turns out that no God-representing men and women get killed in this story—in a dramatic turnaround, the plot fails.

 But millions before and after Esther have been and, no doubt, will continue to be killed.

 There is hardly a culture or century that doesn’t eventually find a Haman determined to rid the world of evidence and reminders of God.

 Meanwhile, Esther continues to speak the final and definitive word: You can’t eliminate God’s people.

 No matter how many of them you kill, you can’t get rid of the communities of God-honoring, God-serving, God-worshiping people scattered all over the earth.

 This is still the final and definitive word.

From: This unknown Persian Jew probably lived sometime within 150 years of the events.

 That is, he probably lived while Persia was still in charge of the Middle East, before Alexander the Great took over.

To: Haman wasn’t the only one in the vast Persian Empire (or the Greek empire that followed it) who hated Jews.

 Jews refused to say that their God was only one among many options, and for that they endured social put-downs, job discrimination, and sometimes violence.

Re: About 483-478 B.

C.

 After the Persian king Xerxes dethroned Queen Vashti, he took a 150,000-man army and a 600-ship navy to avenge his father’s defeat by the Greeks.

 He beat the Greeks in one great battle, but a year later they skunked him badly.

 His army and navy limped home.

 That was when he started having girls rounded up in the villages in his hunt for a new queen.

A generation or two before Esther became queen, a few thousand Jews returned to Judah from Babylon and began trying to recreate some kind of Jewish homeland.

 Despite severe challenges, they had managed to rebuild a small temple, but in Esther’s time Jerusalem was still a shabby settlement without defensive walls.

 The walls were finally restored during the time of Xerxes’ son, Artaxerxes I.

ESTHER

001

This is the story of something that happened in the time of Xerxes, the Xerxes who ruled from India to Ethiopia—127 provinces in all.

 King Xerxes ruled from his royal throne in the palace complex of Susa.

In the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his officials and ministers.

 The military brass of Persia and Media were also there, along with the princes and governors of the provinces.

For six months he put on exhibit the huge wealth of his empire and its stunningly beautiful royal splendors.

 At the conclusion of the exhibit, the king threw a weeklong party for everyone living in Susa, the capital—important and unimportant alike.

 The party was in the garden courtyard of the king’s summer house.

 The courtyard was elaborately decorated with white and blue cotton curtains tied with linen and purple cords to silver rings on marble columns.

 Silver and gold couches were arranged on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and colored stones.

 Drinks were served in gold chalices, each chalice one-of-a-kind.

 The royal wine flowed freely—a generous king!

The guests could drink as much as they liked—king’s orders!—with waiters at their elbows to refill the drinks.

 Meanwhile, Queen Vashti was throwing a separate party for women inside King Xerxes’ royal palace.

On the seventh day of the party, the king, high on the wine, ordered the seven eunuchs who were his personal servants (Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas) to bring him Queen Vashti resplendent in her royal crown.

 He wanted to show off her beauty to the guests and officials.

 She was extremely good-looking.

But Queen Vashti refused to come, refused the summons delivered by the eunuchs.

 The king lost his temper.

 Seething with anger over her insolence, the king called in his counselors, all experts in legal matters.

 It was the king’s practice to consult his expert advisors.

 Those closest to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven highest-ranking princes of Persia and Media, the inner circle with access to the king’s ear.

 He asked them what legal recourse they had against Queen Vashti for not obeying King Xerxes’ summons delivered by the eunuchs.

Memucan spoke up in the council of the king and princes: “It’s not only the king Queen Vashti has insulted, it’s all of us, leaders and people alike in every last one of King Xerxes’ provinces.

 The word’s going to get out: ‘Did you hear the latest about Queen Vashti? King Xerxes ordered her to be brought before him and she wouldn’t do it!’ When the women hear it, they’ll start treating their husbands with contempt.

 The day the wives of the Persian and Mede officials get wind of the queen’s insolence, they’ll be out of control.

 Is that what we want, a country of angry women who don’t know their place?

“So, if the king agrees, let him pronounce a royal ruling and have it recorded in the laws of the Persians and Medes so that it cannot be revoked, that Vashti is permanently banned from King Xerxes’ presence.

 And then let the king give her royal position to a woman who knows her place.

 When the king’s ruling becomes public knowledge throughout the kingdom, extensive as it is, every woman, regardless of her social position, will show proper respect to her husband.

”

The king and the princes liked this.

 The king did what Memucan proposed.

 He sent bulletins to every part of the kingdom, to each province in its own script, to each people in their own language: “Every man is master of his own house; whatever he says, goes.

”

002

Later, when King Xerxes’ anger had cooled and he was having second thoughts about what Vashti had done and what he had ordered against her, the king’s young attendants stepped in and got the ball rolling: “Let’s begin a search for beautiful young virgins for the king.

 Let the king appoint officials in every province of his kingdom to bring every beautiful young virgin to the palace complex of Susa and to the harem run by Hegai, the king’s eunuch who oversees the women; he will put them through their beauty treatments.

 Then let the girl who best pleases the king be made queen in place of Vashti.

”

The king liked this advice and took it.

Now there was a Jew who lived in the palace complex in Susa.

 His name was Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish—a Benjaminite.

 His ancestors had been taken from Jerusalem with the exiles and carried off with King Jehoiachin of Judah by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon into exile.

 Mordecai had reared his cousin Hadassah, otherwise known as Esther, since she had no father or mother.

 The girl had a good figure and a beautiful face.

 After her parents died, Mordecai had adopted her.

When the king’s order had been publicly posted, many young girls were brought to the palace complex of Susa and given over to Hegai who was overseer of the women.

 Esther was among them.

Hegai liked Esther and took a special interest in her.

 Right off he started her beauty treatments, ordered special food, assigned her seven personal maids from the palace, and put her and her maids in the best rooms in the harem.

 Esther didn’t say anything about her family and racial background because Mordecai had told her not to.

Every day Mordecai strolled beside the court of the harem to find out how Esther was and get news of what she was doing.

Each girl’s turn came to go in to King Xerxes after she had completed the twelve months of prescribed beauty treatments—six months’ treatment with oil of myrrh followed by six months with perfumes and various cosmetics.

 When it was time for the girl to go to the king, she was given whatever she wanted to take with her when she left the harem for the king’s quarters.

 She would go there in the evening; in the morning she would return to a second harem overseen by Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch in charge of the concubines.

 She never again went back to the king unless the king took a special liking to her and asked for her by name.

When it was Esther’s turn to go to the king (Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had adopted her as his daughter), she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the harem, had recommended.

 Esther, just as she was, won the admiration of everyone who saw her.

She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal palace in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of the king’s reign.

The king fell in love with Esther far more than with any of his other women or any of the other virgins—he was totally smitten by her.

 He placed a royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.

 Then the king gave a great banquet for all his nobles and officials—“Esther’s Banquet.

” He proclaimed a holiday for all the provinces and handed out gifts with royal generosity.

On one of the occasions when the virgins were being gathered together, Mordecai was sitting at the King’s Gate.

 All this time, Esther had kept her family background and race a secret as Mordecai had ordered; Esther still did what Mordecai told her, just as when she was being raised by him.

On this day, with Mordecai sitting at the King’s Gate, Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, had it in for the king and were making plans to kill King Xerxes.

 But Mordecai learned of the plot and told Queen Esther, who then told King Xerxes, giving credit to Mordecai.

 When the thing was investigated and confirmed as true, the two men were hanged on a gallows.

 This was all written down in a logbook kept for the king’s use.

003 Some time later, King Xerxes promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, making him the highest-ranking official in the government.

 All the king’s servants at the King’s Gate used to honor him by bowing down and kneeling before Haman—that’s what the king had commanded.

Except Mordecai.

 Mordecai wouldn’t do it, wouldn’t bow down and kneel.

 The king’s servants at the King’s Gate asked Mordecai about it: “Why do you cross the king’s command?” Day after day they spoke to him about this but he wouldn’t listen, so they went to Haman to see whether something shouldn’t be done about it.

 Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew.

When Haman saw for himself that Mordecai didn’t bow down and kneel before him, he was outraged.

 Meanwhile, having learned that Mordecai was a Jew, Haman hated to waste his fury on just one Jew; he looked for a way to eliminate not just Mordecai but all Jews throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.

In the first month, the month of Nisan, of the twelfth year of Xerxes,the pur—that is, the lot—was cast under Haman’s charge to determine the propitious day and month.

 The lot turned up the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.

Haman then spoke with King Xerxes: “There is an odd set of people scattered through the provinces of your kingdom who don’t fit in.

 Their customs and ways are different from those of everybody else.

 Worse, they disregard the king’s laws.

 They’re an affront; the king shouldn’t put up with them.

 If it please the king, let orders be given that they be destroyed.

 I’ll pay for it myself.

 I’ll deposit 375 tons of silver in the royal bank to finance the operation.

”

The king slipped his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, archenemy of the Jews.

“Go ahead,” the king said to Haman.

 “It’s your money—do whatever you want with those people.

”

The king’s secretaries were brought in on the thirteenth day of the first month.

 The orders were written out word for word as Haman had addressed them to the king’s satraps, the governors of every province, and the officials of every people.

 They were written in the script of each province and the language of each people in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the royal signet ring.

Bulletins were sent out by couriers to all the king’s provinces with orders to massacre, kill, and eliminate all the Jews—youngsters and old men, women and babies—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month Adar, and to plunder their goods.

 Copies of the bulletin were to be posted in each province, publicly available to all peoples, to get them ready for that day.

At the king’s command, the couriers took off; the order was also posted in the palace complex of Susa.

 The king and Haman sat back and had a drink while the city of Susa reeled from the news.

004

When Mordecai learned what had been done, he ripped his clothes to shreds and put on sackcloth and ashes.

 Then he went out in the streets of the city crying out in loud and bitter cries.

 He came only as far as the King’s Gate, for no one dressed in sackcloth was allowed to enter the King’s Gate.

 As the king’s order was posted in every province, there was loud lament among the Jews—fasting, weeping, wailing.

 And most of them stretched out on sackcloth and ashes.

Esther’s maids and eunuchs came and told her.

 The queen was stunned.

 She sent fresh clothes to Mordecai so he could take off his sackcloth but he wouldn’t accept them.

 Esther called for Hathach, one of the royal eunuchs whom the king had assigned to wait on her, and told him to go to Mordecai and get the full story of what was happening.

 So Hathach went to Mordecai in the town square in front of the King’s Gate.

 Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him.

 He also told him the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to deposit in the royal bank to finance the massacre of the Jews.

 Mordecai also gave him a copy of the bulletin that had been posted in Susa ordering the massacre so he could show it to Esther when he reported back with instructions to go to the king and intercede and plead with him for her people.

Hathach came back and told Esther everything Mordecai had said.

 Esther talked it over with Hathach and then sent him back to Mordecai with this message: “Everyone who works for the king here, and even the people out in the provinces, knows that there is a single fate for every man or woman who approaches the king without being invited: death.

 The one exception is if the king extends his gold scepter; then he or she may live.

 And it’s been thirty days now since I’ve been invited to come to the king.

”

When Hathach told Mordecai what Esther had said, Mordecai sent her this message: “Don’t think that just because you live in the king’s house you’re the one Jew who will get out of this alive.

 If you persist in staying silent at a time like this, help and deliverance will arrive for the Jews from someplace else; but you and your family will be wiped out.

 Who knows? Maybe you were made queen for just such a time as this.

”

Esther sent back her answer to Mordecai: “Go and get all the Jews living in Susa together.

 Fast for me.

 Don’t eat or drink for three days, either day or night.

 I and my maids will fast with you.

 If you will do this, I’ll go to the king, even though it’s forbidden.

 If I die, I die.

”

Mordecai left and carried out Esther’s instructions.

005 Three days later Esther dressed in her royal robes and took up a position in the inner court of the palace in front of the king’s throne room.

 The king was on his throne facing the entrance.

 When he noticed Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased to see her; the king extended the gold scepter in his hand.

 Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.

 The king asked, “And what’s your desire, Queen Esther? What do you want? Ask and it’s yours—even if it’s half my kingdom!”

“If it please the king,” said Esther, “let the king come with Haman to a dinner I’ve prepared for him.

”

“Get Haman at once,” said the king, “so we can go to dinner with Esther.

”

So the king and Haman joined Esther at the dinner she had arranged.

 As they were drinking the wine, the king said, “Now, what is it you want? Half of my kingdom isn’t too much to ask! Just ask.

”

Esther answered, “Here’s what I want.

 If the king favors me and is pleased to do what I desire and ask, let the king and Haman come again tomorrow to the dinner that I will fix for them.

 Then I’ll give a straight answer to the king’s question.

”

Haman left the palace that day happy, beaming.

 And then he saw Mordecai sitting at the King’s Gate ignoring him, oblivious to him.

 Haman was furious with Mordecai.

 But he held himself in and went on home.

 He got his friends together with his wife Zeresh and started bragging about how much money he had, his many sons, all the times the king had honored him, and his promotion to the highest position in the government.

 “On top of all that,” Haman continued, “Queen Esther invited me to a private dinner she gave for the king, just the three of us.

 And she’s invited me to another one tomorrow.

 But I can’t enjoy any of it when I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the King’s Gate.

”

His wife Zeresh and all his friends said, “Build a gallows seventy-five feet high.

 First thing in the morning speak with the king; get him to order Mordecai hanged on it.

 Then happily go with the king to dinner.

”

Haman liked that.

 He had the gallows built.

006 That night the king couldn’t sleep.

 He ordered the record book, the day-by-day journal of events, to be brought and read to him.

 They came across the story there about the time that Mordecai had exposed the plot of Bigthana and Teresh—the two royal eunuchs who guarded the entrance and who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.

The king asked, “What great honor was given to Mordecai for this?”

“Nothing,” replied the king’s servants who were in attendance.

 “Nothing has been done for him.

”

The king said, “Is there anybody out in the court?”

Now Haman had just come into the outer court of the king’s palace to talk to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows he had built for him.

The king’s servants said, “Haman is out there, waiting in the court.

”

“Bring him in,” said the king.

When Haman entered, the king said, “What would be appropriate for the man the king especially wants to honor?”

Haman thought to himself, “He must be talking about honoring me—who else?” So he answered the king, “For the man the king delights to honor, do this: Bring a royal robe that the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crown on its head.

 Then give the robe and the horse to one of the king’s most noble princes.

 Have him robe the man whom the king especially wants to honor; have the prince lead him on horseback through the city square, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man whom the king especially wants to honor!’”

“Go and do it,” the king said to Haman.

 “Don’t waste another minute.

 Take the robe and horse and do what you have proposed to Mordecai the Jew who sits at the King’s Gate.

 Don’t leave out a single detail of your plan.

”

So Haman took the robe and horse; he robed Mordecai and led him through the city square, proclaiming before him, “This is what is done for the man whom the king especially wants to honor!”

Then Mordecai returned to the King’s Gate, but Haman fled to his house, thoroughly mortified, hiding his face.

 When Haman had finished telling his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him, his knowledgeable friends who were there and his wife Zeresh said, “If this Mordecai is in fact a Jew, your bad luck has only begun.

 You don’t stand a chance against him—you’re as good as ruined.

”

While they were still talking, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman off to the dinner that Esther had prepared.

007 So the king and Haman went to dinner with Queen Esther.

 At this second dinner, while they were drinking wine the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what would you like? Half of my kingdom! Just ask and it’s yours.

”

Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor in your eyes, O King, and if it please the king, give me my life, and give my people their lives.

“We’ve been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed—sold to be massacred, eliminated.

 If we had just been sold off into slavery, I wouldn’t even have brought it up; our troubles wouldn’t have been worth bothering the king over.

”

King Xerxes exploded, “Who? Where is he? This is monstrous!”

“An enemy.

 An adversary.

 This evil Haman,” said Esther.

Haman was terror-stricken before the king and queen.

The king, raging, left his wine and stalked out into the palace garden.

Haman stood there pleading with Queen Esther for his life—he could see that the king was finished with him and that he was doomed.

 As the king came back from the palace garden into the banquet hall, Haman was groveling at the couch on which Esther reclined.

 The king roared out, “Will he even molest the queen while I’m just around the corner?”

When that word left the king’s mouth, all the blood drained from Haman’s face.

 Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, spoke up: “Look over there! There’s the gallows that Haman had built for Mordecai, who saved the king’s life.

 It’s right next to Haman’s house—seventy-five feet high!”

The king said, “Hang him on it!”

So Haman was hanged on the very gallows that he had built for Mordecai.

 And the king’s hot anger cooled.

008 That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, archenemy of the Jews.

 And Mordecai came before the king because Esther had explained their relationship.

 The king took off his signet ring, which he had taken back from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai.

 Esther appointed Mordecai over Haman’s estate.

Then Esther again spoke to the king, falling at his feet, begging with tears to counter the evil of Haman the Agagite and revoke the plan that he had plotted against the Jews.

 The king extended his gold scepter to Esther.

 She got to her feet and stood before the king.

 She said, “If it please the king and he regards me with favor and thinks this is right, and if he has any affection for me at all, let an order be written that cancels the bulletins authorizing the plan of Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite to annihilate the Jews in all the king’s provinces.

 How can I stand to see this catastrophe wipe out my people? How can I bear to stand by and watch the massacre of my own relatives?”

King Xerxes said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew: “I’ve given Haman’s estate to Esther and he’s been hanged on the gallows because he attacked the Jews.

 So go ahead now and write whatever you decide on behalf of the Jews; then seal it with the signet ring.

” (An order written in the king’s name and sealed with his signet ring is irrevocable.

)

So the king’s secretaries were brought in on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan, and the order regarding the Jews was written word for word as Mordecai dictated and was addressed to the satraps, governors, and officials of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces in all, to each province in its own script and each people in their own language, including the Jews in their script and language.

He wrote under the name of King Xerxes and sealed the order with the royal signet ring; he sent out the bulletins by couriers on horseback, riding the fastest royal steeds bred from the royal stud.

The king’s order authorized the Jews in every city to arm and defend themselves to the death, killing anyone who threatened them or their women and children, and confiscating for themselves anything owned by their enemies.

 The day set for this in all King Xerxes’ provinces was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar.

 The order was posted in public places in each province so everyone could read it, authorizing the Jews to be prepared on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

The couriers, fired up by the king’s order, raced off on their royal horses.

 At the same time, the order was posted in the palace complex of Susa.

Mordecai walked out of the king’s presence wearing a royal robe of violet and white, a huge gold crown, and a purple cape of fine linen.

 The city of Susa exploded with joy.

 For Jews it was all sunshine and laughter: they celebrated, they were honored.

 It was that way all over the country, in every province, every city when the king’s bulletin was posted: the Jews took to the streets in celebration, cheering, and feasting.

 Not only that, but many non-Jews became Jews—now it was dangerous not to be a Jew!

009 On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the king’s order came into effect.

 This was the very day that the enemies of the Jews had planned to overpower them, but the tables were now turned: the Jews overpowered those who hated them! The Jews had gathered in the cities throughout King Xerxes’ provinces to lay hands on those who were seeking their ruin.

 Not one man was able to stand up against them—fear made cowards of them all.

 What’s more, all the government officials, satraps, governors—everyone who worked for the king—actually helped the Jews because of Mordecai; they were afraid of him.

 Mordecai by now was a power in the palace.

 As Mordecai became more and more powerful, his reputation had grown in all the provinces.

So the Jews finished off all their enemies with the sword, slaughtering them right and left, and did as they pleased to those who hated them.

 In the palace complex of Susa the Jews massacred five hundred men.

 They also killed the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the archenemy of the Jews:

Parshandatha

Aspatha

Adalia

Parmashta

Aridai

Dalphon

Poratha

Aridatha

Arisai

Vaizatha

But they took no plunder.

 That day, when it was all over, the number of those killed in the palace complex was given to the king.

 The king told Queen Esther, “In the palace complex alone here in Susa the Jews have killed five hundred men, plus Haman’s ten sons.

 Think of the killing that must have been done in the rest of the provinces! What else do you want? Name it and it’s yours.

 Your wish is my command.

”

“If it please the king,” Queen Esther responded, “give the Jews of Susa permission to extend the terms of the order another day.

 And have the bodies of Haman’s ten sons hanged in public display on the gallows.

”

The king commanded it: The order was extended; the bodies of Haman’s ten sons were publicly hanged.

The Jews in Susa went at it again.

 On the fourteenth day of Adar they killed another three hundred men in Susa.

 But again they took no plunder.

Meanwhile in the rest of the king’s provinces, the Jews had organized and defended themselves, freeing themselves from oppression.

 On the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, they killed seventy-five thousand of those who hated them but did not take any plunder.

 The next day, the fourteenth, they took it easy and celebrated with much food and laughter.

 But in Susa, since the Jews had banded together on both the thirteenth and fourteenth days, they made the fifteenth their holiday for laughing and feasting.

 (This accounts for why Jews living out in the country in the rural villages remember the fourteenth day of Adar for celebration, their day for parties and the exchange of gifts.

)

Mordecai wrote all this down and sent copies to all the Jews in all King Xerxes’ provinces, regardless of distance, calling for an annual celebration on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of Adar as the occasion when Jews got relief from their enemies, the month in which their sorrow turned to joy, mourning somersaulted into a holiday for parties and fun and laughter, the sending and receiving of presents and of giving gifts to the poor.

And they did it.

 What started then became a tradition, continuing the practice of what Mordecai had written to them.

Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the archenemy of all Jews, had schemed to destroy all Jews.

 He had cast the pur (the lot) to throw them into a panic and destroy them.

 But when Queen Esther intervened with the king, he gave written orders that the evil scheme that Haman had worked out should boomerang back on his own head.

 He and his sons were hanged on the gallows.

 That’s why these days are called “Purim,” from the word pur or “lot.

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Therefore, because of everything written in this letter and because of all that they had been through, the Jews agreed to continue.

 It became a tradition for them, their children, and all future converts to remember these two days every year on the specified dates set down in the letter.

 These days are to be remembered and kept by every single generation, every last family, every province and city.

 These days of Purim must never be neglected among the Jews; the memory of them must never die out among their descendants.

Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, backed Mordecai the Jew, using her full queenly authority in this second Purim letter to endorse and ratify what he wrote.

 Calming and reassuring letters went out to all the Jews throughout the 127 provinces of Xerxes’ kingdom to fix these days of Purim their assigned place on the calendar, dates set by Mordecai the Jew—what they had agreed to for themselves and their descendants regarding their fasting and mourning.

 Esther’s word confirmed the tradition of Purim and was written in the book.

010 King Xerxes imposed taxes from one end of his empire to the other.

 For the rest of it, King Xerxes’ extensive accomplishments, along with a detailed account of the brilliance of Mordecai, whom the king had promoted, that’s all written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia.

Mordecai the Jew ranked second in command to King Xerxes.

 He was popular among the Jews and greatly respected by them.

 He worked hard for the good of his people; he cared for the peace and prosperity of his race.