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And Chonenias, and Banaeas, and Samaeas, and Nathanael his brother, and Asabias, and Jeiel, and Jozabad, heads of the Levites, gave an offering to the Levites for the passover, of five thousand sheep and five hundred calves.

And after they had prepared for themselves and for the priests, for the priests were engaged in offering the whole-burnt-offerings and the fat until night, then the Levites prepared for themselves, and for their brethren the sons of Aaron.

And the sons of Asaph the psalm-singers were at their post according to the commands of David, and Asaph, and �man, and Idithom, the prophets of the king: also, the chiefs and the porters of the several gates; �it was not for them to stir from the service of the holy things, for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.

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

In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josias this passover was kept, after all these things that Josias did in the house. And king Josias burnt those who had in them a divining spirit, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and the sodomites which were in the land of Juda and in Jerusalem, that he might confirm the words of the law that were written in the book which Chelcias the priest found in the house of the Lord. There was no king like him before him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, and all his soul, and all his strength, according to all the law of Moses, and after him there rose up none like him. Nevertheless the Lord turned not from the anger of his fierce wrath, wherewith the Lord was greatly angry against Juda, for all the provocations wherewith Manasses provoked him: and the Lord said, I will even remove Juda also from my presence, as I have removed Israel, and I have rejected the city which I chose, even Jerusalem, and thehouse of which I said, My name shall be there.

And the archers shot at king Josias; and the king said to his servants, Take me away, for I am severely wounded.

And Jeremias mourned over Josias, and all the chief men and chief women uttered a lamentation over Josias until this day: and they made it an ordinance for Israel, and, behold, it is written in the lamentations.

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

And the Lord God of their fathers sent by the hand of his prophets; rising early and sending his messengers, for he spared his people, and his sanctuary.

Who is there among you of all his people? for his God shall be with him, and he shall go up to Jerusalem that is in Judea, and let him build the house of the God of Israel: he is the God that is in Jerusalem.

And let every Jew that is left go from every place where he sojourns, and the men of his place shall help him with silver, and gold, and goods, and cattle, together with the voluntary offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.

And some of the chiefs of families, when they went into the house of the Lord that was in Jerusalem, offered willingly for the house of God, to establish it on its prepared place.

And they set up the altar on its place, for there was a terror upon them because of the people of the lands: and the whole-burnt-offerings was offered up upon it to the Lord morning and evening.

And after this the perpetual whole-burnt-offering, and offering for the season of new moon, and for all the hallowed feasts to the Lord, and for every one that offered a free-will-offering to the Lord.

And they laid a foundation for building the house of the Lord: and the priests in their robes stood with trumpets and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the order of David king of Israel.

And they answered each other with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord, saying, For it is good, for his mercy to Israel endures for ever. And all the people shouted with a loud voice to praise the Lord at the laying the foundation of the house of the Lord.

And the people did not distinguish the voice of the glad shout from the voice of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud voice, and the voice was heard even from afar off.

And they drew near to Zorobabel, and to the heads of families, and said to them, We will build with you; for as ye do, we seek to serve our God, and we do sacrifice to him from the days of Asaradan king of Assur, who brought us hither.

then Zorobabel, and Jesus and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel said to them, It is not for us and you to build a house to our God, for we ourselves will build together to the Lord our God, as Cyrus the king of the Persians commanded us.

And it is not lawful for us to see the dishonour of the king: therefore have we sent and made known the matter to the king;