As the two Books of Paralipomenon end they come to the same conclusion as the four Books of King—ALL of Israel—Juda, Jerusalem, Israel, and Samaria are held captive in Babylon.
There is less written about Israel and Samaria in Paralipomenon and more written of Juda and Jerusalem.
Day 131: OT Fourth Kings C17-20; Assyria takes Israel; Juda’s Prayers are Answered!
The details of Ezechias, King of Juda praying with the Prophet Isaias dovetail nicely with synchronization between the two biblical sources.
Like the dance noted in the Books of Kings between Juda and Israel and their kings, so too is there a dance between the Books of Kings and the Books of Paralipomenon as would be expected between the omitted and the remitted of the omitted!
King Ezechias would pray with Isaias the Prophet:
And Ezechias the king, and Isaias the prophet… prayed against this blasphemy, and cried out to heaven. And the Lord sent an angel, who cut off all the stout men and the warriors, and the captains of the army of the king of the Assyrians: and he returned with disgrace into his own country. And when he was come into the house of his god, his sons that came out of his bowels, slew him with the sword. And the Lord saved Ezechias and the inhabitants of Jerusalem… and gave them treasures on every side… and he (Ezechias) was magnified thenceforth in the sight of all nations.
In those days Ezechias was sick even to death, and he prayed to the Lord, and he heard him, and gave him a sign… and he humbled himself afterwards, because his heart had been lifted up, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and therefore the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Ezechias.
And King Josias cleaned up the Temple and his priest Helcias found Moses’ book of the law of God. And Josais preached it to all of Juda and Jerusalem but they would not listen and God spared Josais from seeing all his spirited work unfold as all the Israelites headed to seventy years of captivity in Babylon:
Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had cleansed the land, and the temple of the Lord, he sent Saphan and Maasias the governor of the city, John… the son of the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God. And they came to Helcias the high priest: and received of him the money which had been brought into the house of the Lord… And all the remnant of Israel… And they did all faithfully.
Helcias the Priest found the book of the law of the Lord, by the hand of Moses… he carried the book to the king… Lo, all that thou hast commanded to thy servants, is accomplished… And he read it before the king. And when he had heard the words of the law, he rent his garments, saying: Go, and pray to the Lord for me, and for the remnant of Israel, and Juda, concerning the words of this book, which is found: for the great wrath of the Lord hath fallen upon us, because our fathers have not kept the words of the Lord, to do all things that are written in this book.
Josias would celebrate the Pasch, Passover; the future Easter of Christianity!
Day 133: OT Fourth Kings C21-25 (END); Both Juda & Israel are Captive in Babylon
But both dances end with seventy years of captivity in Babylon…
(David—Solomon—Roboam—Abia—Asa—Josaphat—Joram—Ochozias—Joas—Amasias—Ozias—Joatham—Achaz—Ezechias—Manasses—Amon—Josias—Joachaz—Joakim—Joachim—Sedecias)
Until the music of King David, by my count, now twenty-one generations in duration, begins to play again with Cyrus the king of the Persians coming to power:
But in the first year of Cyrus king of the Persians, to fulfill the word of the Lord, which he had spoken by the mouth of Jeremias, the Lord stirred up the heart of Cyrus king of the Persians: who commanded it to be proclaimed through all his kingdom, and by writing also, saying: Thus saith Cyrus king of the Persians: All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord the God of heaven given to me, and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judea: Who is there among you of all his people? The Lord his God be with him, and let him go up.
Sentenced to 70 Years of Captivity in Babylon and now comes the time for the children of Israel to return to Jerusalem.
Day 155: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; Sentenced to 70 Years of Captivity in Babylon.
Read and inspired by the Old Testament, The Second Book of Paralipomenon, Chapters 32-36
Bible Notes:
This book opens with the story of Solomon: his building of the Temple in Jerusalem, the beginning of sacrifices therein, his great riches, and finally his death. The latter section of the book records the history of the Southern Kingdom, Juda, up to the Babylonia Captivity. The last two verses contain the opening words of a decree by Cyrus, King of Persia, allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem and to rebuild the Temple.
2 Paralipomenon Chapter 32: Sennacherib invades Juda; Sennacherib demands surrender of Jerusalem; Blasphemy of the servants of Sennacherib; An angel destroys the Assyrians; Ezechias falls sick; Ezechias wealth and works; Manasses succeeds Ezechias.
Sennacherib king of the Assyrians came and entered into Juda, and besieged the fenced cities… the whole force of the war was turning against Jerusalem… he took counsel… to stop up the heads of the springs… they stopped all the springs, and the brook, that ran through the midst of the land, saying: Lest the kings of the Assyrians should come, and find abundance of water… (Ezechias) spoke to their heart, saying: Behave like men, and take courage: be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of the Assyrians, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there are many more with us than with him. For with him is an arm of flesh: with us the Lord our God, who is our helper, and fighteth for us. And the people were encouraged with these words of Ezechias king of Juda.
Thus saith Sennacherib king of the Assyrians: In whom do you trust, that you sit still besieged in Jerusalem? Know you not what I and my fathers have done to all the people of the lands? Have the gods of any nations and lands been able to deliver their country out of my hand? … that your God should be able to deliver you out of his hand? Therefore let not Ezechias deceive you, not delude you with a vain persuasion, and do not believe him…. Consequently neither shall your God be able to deliver you out of my hand.
And many other things did his servants speak against the Lord God, and against Ezechias his servant… so neither can the God of Ezechias deliver his people out of this hand… And he spoke against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, the works of the hands of men.
And Ezechias the king, and Isaias the prophet… prayed against this blasphemy, and cried out to heaven. And the Lord sent an angel, who cut off all the stout men and the warriors, and the captains of the army of the king of the Assyrians: and he returned with disgrace into his own country. And when he was come into the house of his god, his sons that came out of his bowels, slew him with the sword. And the Lord saved Ezechias and the inhabitants of Jerusalem… and gave them treasures on every side… and he (Ezechias) was magnified thenceforth in the sight of all nations.
In those days Ezechias was sick even to death, and he prayed to the Lord, and he heard him, and gave him a sign… and he humbled himself afterwards, because his heart had been lifted up, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and therefore the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Ezechias.
And Ezechias was rich, and very glorious, and he gathered himself great treasures… Storehouses… and he built himself cities… for the Lord had given him very much substance… in all his works he did prosperously what he would.
But yet in the embassy of the princes of Babylon, that were sent to him, to inquire of the wonder that had happened upon the earth, God left him that he might be tempted, and all things might be made known that were in his heart.
Now the rest of the acts of Ezechias, and of his mercies, are written in the vision of Isaias… the prophet and in the book of the kings of Juda and Israel.
And Ezechias slept with his fathers, and they buried him above the sepulchers of the sons of David: and all Juda, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem celebrated his funeral: And Manasses his son reigned on his stead.
(David—Solomon—Roboam—Abia—Asa—Josaphat—Joram—Ochozias—Joas—Amasias—Ozias—Joatham—Achaz—Ezechias—Manasses)
2 Paralipomenon Chapter 33: Manasses’ idolatrous reign; Manasses carried into captivity; Manasses regains his freedom; Manasses destroys idolatry; Amon succeeds Manasses; Amon’s wicked reign; Josias succeeds Amon.
Manasses was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-five years in Jerusalem. And he did evil before the Lord, according to all the abominations of the nations, which the Lord cast out before the children of Israel… and he wrought many evils before the Lord, to provoke him to anger.
Lord: In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever. And I will not make the foot of Israel to be removed out of the land which I have delivered to their fathers…
So Manasses seduced Juda, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to do evil beyond all nations, which the Lord had destroyed before the face of the children of Israel.
And the Lord spoke to him (Manasses), and to his people, and they would not hearken. Therefore he brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of the Assyrians: and they took Manasses, and carried him bound with chains and fetters to Babylon.
Fetter—a chain or shackle placed on the feet.
And after that he (Manasses) was in distress he prayed to the Lord his God: and did penance exceedingly before the God of his fathers. And he entreated him, and besought him earnestly: and he heard his prayer, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom, and Manasses knew that the Lord was God.
After this he built a wall without the city of David… and he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the Lord… and he commanded Juda to serve the Lord the God of Israel. Nevertheless the people still sacrificed in the high places to the Lord their God.
But the rest of the acts of Manasses, and his prayers to his God… are contained in the words of the kings of Israel… are written in the words of Hozia. And Manasses slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his house: and his son Amon reigned in his stead.
(David—Solomon—Roboam—Abia—Asa—Josaphat—Joram—Ochozias—Joas—Amasias—Ozias—Joatham—Achaz—Ezechias—Manasses—Amon)
Amon was two and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord… And he did not humble himself before the Lord, as Manasses his father had humbled himself, but committed far greater sins.
And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house. But the rest of the multitude of the people slew them that had killed Amon, and made Josias his son king in his stead.
(David—Solomon—Roboam—Abia—Asa—Josaphat—Joram—Ochozias—Joas—Amasias—Ozias—Joatham—Achaz—Ezechias—Manasses—Amon—Josias)
2 Paralipomenon Chapter 34: Josias’ good reign; Josias destroys idolatry; Josias repairs the Temple; Helcias finds the book of Law; Olda’s prophecy; Josias renews the covenant.
Josias was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one and thirty years in Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father: he declined not, neither to the right hand, nor to the left.
And in the eight year of his reign, when he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of his father David: and in the twelfth year after he began to reign, he cleansed Juda and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the idols, and the graven things… and had demolished all profane temples throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.
Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had cleansed the land, and the temple of the Lord, he sent Saphan and Maasias the governor of the city, John… the son of the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God. And they came to Helcias the high priest: and received of him the money which had been brought into the house of the Lord… And all the remnant of Israel… And they did all faithfully.
Helcias the Priest found the book of the law of the Lord, by the hand of Moses… he carried the book to the king… Lo, all that thou hast commanded to thy servants, is accomplished… And he read it before the king. And when he had heard the words of the law, he rent his garments, saying: Go, and pray to the Lord for me, and for the remnant of Israel, and Juda, concerning the words of this book, which is found: for the great wrath of the Lord hath fallen upon us, because our fathers have not kept the words of the Lord, to do all things that are written in this book.
Olda the prophetess: Thus said the Lord the God of Israel: Tell the man that sent you to me (Josias): Thus saith the Lord: Behold I will bring evils upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, and all the curses that are written in this book which they read before the king of Juda. Because they have forsaken me, and have sacrificed to strange gods, to provoke me to wrath with all the works of their hands, therefore my wrath shall fall upon this place, and shall not be quenched.
But to the king of Juda that sent you to beseech the Lord, this shall you say to him: Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: Because hast heard the words of this book, and thy heart was softened, and thou hast humbled thyself in the sight of the God for the things that are spoken against this place, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and reverencing my face, hast rent thy garments, and wept before me: I have also heard thee, saith the Lord. For now I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shall be brought to thy tomb in peace: and thy eyes shall not see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and the inhabitants thereof.
And he (Josias) called together all the ancients of Juda and Jerusalem. And went up to the house of the Lord… And the king read in their hearing, in the house of the Lord, all the words of the book. And standing up in his tribunal, he made a covenant before the Lord to walk after him, and keep his commandments, and testimonies, and justifications with all his heart, and with all his soul, and to do the things that were written in that book which he had read. And he adjured all that were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to do the same: and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of the Lord the God of their fathers. And Josias took away all the abominations out of all the countries of the children of Israel: and made all that were left in Israel to serve the Lord their God. As long as he lived they departed not from the Lord the God of their fathers.
2 Paralipomenon Chapter 35: Josias celebrates the Pasch; Offerings for the Phase; Josias’ most solemn sacrifice; Death of Josias.
And Josias kept a phase to the Lord in Jerusalem, and it was sacrificed on the fourteenth day of the first month.
Phase—any of the major appearances or aspects in which a thing of varying modes or conditions manifests itself to the eye or mind; Astronomy: the particular appearance presented by the moon or a planet at a given time; one of the recurring appearances or states of the moon or a planet in respect to the form, or the absence, of its illuminated disk.
Pasch–the Jewish festival of Passover; Easter.
And being sanctified kill the phase, and prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the words which the Lord spoke by the hand of Moses.
And Josias gave to all the people that were found there in the solemnity of the phase… all these were of the king’s substance. And the princes willingly offered what they had vowed, both to the people and to the priests and the Levites… gave to the priests to keep the phase… gave to the rest of the Levites to celebrate the phase… And the phase was immolated: and the priests sprinkled the blood with their hand, and the Levites flayed the holocaust… as it is written in the book of Moses… And they roasted the phase with fire… and they distributed them speedily among all the people… And the singers… according to the commandment of David.
So all the service of the Lord was duly accomplished that day, both in keeping the phase, and offering holocausts upon the altar of the Lord, according to the commandment of king Josias. And the children of Israel that were found there, kept the phase at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days. There was no phase like to this in Israel, from the days of Samuel the prophet, neither did any of all the kings of Israel keep such a phase as Josias kept… In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josias was this phase celebrated.
After that Josias had repaired the temple, Nechao king of Egypt came up to fight in Charcannis by the Euphrates: and Josias went out to meet him.
Nechao to Josias: What have I to do with thee, O king of Juda? I come not against thee this day, but I fight against another house, to which God hath commanded me to go in haste: forbear to do against God, who is with me, lest he kill thee.
Josias would not return, but prepared to fight against him, and hearkened not to the words of Nechao from the mouth of God, but went to fight… And there he was wounded by the archers, and he said to his servants: Carry me out of battel, for I am grievously wounded… and he died and was buried in the monument of his fathers, and all Juda and Jerusalem mourned for him, particularly Jeremias: whose lamentations for Josias all the singing men and singing women repeat unto this day, and it became like a law in Israel: Behold it is found written in the Lamentations.
2 Paralipomenon Chapter 36: Joachaz succeeds Josias; Joakim succeeds Joachaz; Joakim carried captive in Babylon; Joachin succeeds Joakim; Nabuchodonosor makes Sedecias king; Sedecias reigns wickedly; Destruction of Jerusalem; The decree of Cyrus.
Then the people of the land took Joachaz the son of Josias, and made him king instead of his father in Jerusalem. Joachaz was three and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.
(David—Solomon—Roboam—Abia—Asa—Josaphat—Joram—Ochozias—Joas—Amasias—Ozias—Joatham—Achaz—Ezechias—Manasses—Amon—Josias—Joachaz)
And the king of Egypt came to Jerusalem, and deposed him… And he made Eliakim his brother king in his stead, over Juda and Jerusalem: and he turned his name of Joakim: but he took Joachaz with him, and carried him away to Egypt.
Joakim was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did evil before the Lord his God.
(David—Solomon—Roboam—Abia—Asa—Josaphat—Joram—Ochozias—Joas—Amasias—Ozias—Joatham—Achaz—Ezechias—Manasses—Amon—Josias—Joachaz—Joakim)
Against him (Joakim) came up Nabuchodonosor king of the Chaldeans, and led him bound in chains into Babylon.
And Joachim his son reigned in his steed. Joachim was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem, and he did evil in the sight of the Lord.
(David—Solomon—Roboam—Abia—Asa—Josaphat—Joram—Ochozias—Joas—Amasias—Ozias—Joatham—Achaz—Ezechias—Manasses—Amon—Josias—Joachaz—Joakim—Joachim)
And at the return of the year, king Nabuchodonosor sent, and brought him (Joachim) to Babylon, carrying away at the same time the most precious vessels of the house of the Lord: and he made Sedecias his uncle (Joachim’s) king over Juda and Jerusalem.
Sedecias was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did evil in the eyes of the Lord his God, and did not reverence the face of Jeremias the prophet speaking to him from the mouth of the Lord.
(David—Solomon—Roboam—Abia—Asa—Josaphat—Joram—Ochozias—Joas—Amasias—Ozias—Joatham—Achaz—Ezechias—Manasses—Amon—Josias—Joachaz—Joakim—Joachim—Sedecias)
…and he (Sedecias) hardened his neck and his heart, from returning to the Lord the God of Israel. Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people wickedly transgressed according to all the abominations of the Gentiles: and they defiled the house of the Lord, which he had sanctified to himself in Jerusalem.
And the Lord the God of their fathers… spared his people and his dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused the prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, and there was no remedy. For he brought upon them the king of the Chaldeans, and he slew their young men with the sword in the house of his sanctuary, he had no compassion on young man, or maiden, old man, or even him that stooped for age, but he delivered them all into his hands. And all the vessels of the house of the Lord, great and small, and the treasures of the temple and of the king, and of the princes he carried away to Babylon. Whosoever escaped the sword was led to Babylon, and there served the king and his sons till the reign of the king of Persia. That the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremias might be fulfilled, and the land might keep her Sabbaths: for all the days of the desolation she kept a Sabbath, till the seventy years expired.
But in the first year of Cyrus king of the Persians, to fulfill the word of the Lord, which he had spoken by the mouth of Jeremias, the Lord stirred up the heart of Cyrus king of the Persians: who commanded it to be proclaimed through all his kingdom, and by writing also, saying: Thus saith Cyrus king of the Persians: All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord the God of heaven given to me, and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judea: Who is there among you of all his people? The Lord his God be with him, and let him go up.
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