Part 205 (1/2)

JOTHAM.

(Jotham reigned, it is said, sixteen years, but for all but two years he was regent in place of his father who could not occupy the throne because of his leprosy. On the whole his reign was good and he was successful in his undertakings.)

Jotham was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. And he did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah had done: howbeit he entered not into the temple of the Lord. And the people did yet corruptly.

He built the upper gate of the house of the Lord, and on the wall of Ophel he built much. Moreover he built cities in the hill country of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers. He fought also with the king of the children of Ammon, and prevailed against them.

And the children of Ammon gave him the same year an hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. So much did the children of Ammon render unto him, in the second year also, and in the third.

So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the Lord his G.o.d. He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And Jotham died, and they buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.

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AHAZ.

(With Ahaz came a period of disaster for Judah. He was a thoroughly depraved character; weak, vacillating, yet obstinate and perverse. He accepted the old idol wors.h.i.+p in all its hideous forms, even sacrificing his own children, it is said, to the awful G.o.d of fire, Moloch. During his reign the land was swept by waves of invasion, and many people were killed or carried off captive to Damascus and Samaria. He tried to make an alliance with a.s.syria, but this resulted in his practically becoming a va.s.sal king. He paid a great tribute and stripped the temple bare of its ornamentation and its precious vessels to satisfy the demand.)

Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and he did not that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, like David his father: but he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baal. Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel. And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

Wherefore the Lord his G.o.d delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away of his a great mult.i.tude of captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter.

For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an {294} hundred and twenty thousand in one day, all of them valiant men; because they had forsaken the Lord, the G.o.d of their fathers. And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king's son, and Azrikam the ruler of the house, and Elkanah that was next to the king.

And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.

But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out to meet the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, ”Behold, because the Lord, the G.o.d of your fathers, was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage which hath reached up unto heaven. And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you: but are there not even with you trespa.s.ses of your own against the Lord your G.o.d? Now hear me therefore, and send back the captives, which ye have taken captive of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon you.”

Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Mes.h.i.+llemoth, and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against them that came from the war, and said unto them, ”Ye shall not bring in the captives. .h.i.ther: for ye purpose that which will bring upon us a trespa.s.s against the Lord, to add unto our sins and to our trespa.s.s: for our trespa.s.s is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.”

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So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation. And the men who have been named rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon a.s.ses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, unto their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.

At that time did King Ahaz send unto the kings of a.s.syria to help him.

For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives. The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, and Aijalon, and Gederoth, and Soco with the towns thereof, and Timnah with the towns thereof, Gimzo also and the towns thereof: and they dwelt there.

For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he had dealt wantonly in Judah, and trespa.s.sed sore against the Lord. And Tiglath-pileser king of a.s.syria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not.

For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the Lord, and out of the house of the king and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of a.s.syria: but it helped him not. And in the time of his distress did he trespa.s.s yet more against the Lord, this same King Ahaz. For he sacrificed unto the G.o.ds of Damascus. And King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of a.s.syria, and saw the altar that was at Damascus: and King Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fas.h.i.+on of the altar, and the {296} pattern of it, according to all the workmans.h.i.+p thereof. And Urijah the priest built an altar: according to all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus, so did Urijah the priest make it against King Ahaz came from Damascus. And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king drew near unto the altar, and offered thereon.

And he burnt his burnt offering and his meal offering, and poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, upon the altar. And the brazen altar, which was before the Lord, he brought from the forefront of the house, from between his altar and the house of the Lord, and put it on the north side of his altar.

And King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, ”Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meal offering, and the king's burnt offering, and his meal offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meal offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: but the brazen altar shall be for me to inquire by.”

Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that King Ahaz commanded.

And King Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brazen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stone. And the covered way for the Sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king's entry without, turned he unto the house of the Lord, because of the king of a.s.syria.

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[Ill.u.s.tration]