Page images
PDF
EPUB

3 Now it came to pafs when the Kingdom was established to him, that he SLEW his Servants that had killed the King his Father.

4 But he SLEW not their CHILDREN, but did as it is WRITTEN in the LAW in the Book of MOSES, where the LORD commanded, faying, The FATHERS fhall not DIE for the CHILDREN, neither fhall the CHILDREN DIE for the FATHERS, but every Man fhall DIE for his own SIN.

5 Moreover, Amaziah gathered Judah together, and Benjamin and he numbred them from twenty Years old and above, and found them three hundred thoufand choice Men, able to go forth to War, that could handle Spear and Shield.

6 He hired alfo an hundred thousand mighty Men of Valour out of Ifrael, for an hundred Talents of Silver.

7 But there came a MAN of GOD to him, faying, O King let not the ARMY of ISRAEL go with thee; for the LORD is NOT with ISRAEL, to wit, with all the Children of Ephraim.

8 But if thou wilt go, do it, be ftrong for the Battle: GOD fhall make thee FALL before the Enemy: for GOD hath Power to HELP, and to CAST DOWN.

9 And Amaziah faid to the Man of GOD, But what shall we do for the hundred Talents which I have given to the Army of Ifrael? And the Man of GOD anfwered, The LORD IS ABLE to give thee much more than this.

10 Then Amaziah feparated the Army that was come to him out of Ephraim, to go home again: and they returned home in great Anger.

II And Amaziah ftrengthened himfelf, and led forth his People, and went to the Valley of Salt, and fmote of the Children of Seir ten thoufand.

12 And other ten thoufand left alive, did the Children of Judah carry away Captive, and brought them unto the top of the Rock, and caft them down from the top of the Rock, that they were broken all in pieces.

13 But the Soldiers of the Army which Amaziah fent back, that they fhould not go with him to Battle, fell upon the Cities of Judah, from Samaria even unto Beth-horon, and fmote three thoufand of them, and took much Spoil.

14 Now it came to pafs after that Amaziah was come from the Slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the GODS of the Children of SEIR, and fet them up to be His

[ocr errors]

GODS, and BOWED down himfelf before them, and burned INCENSE unto them.

15 Wherefore the ANGER of the LORD was kindled against Amaziah, and he fent unto him a PROPHET, which faid unto him, Why haft thou fought after the Gods of the People which could NOT DELIVER their own PEOPLE out of thine Hand.

16 And it came to país, as he talked with him, that the King faid unto him, Art thou made of the King's COUNSEL? FORBEAR; why fhouldft thou be fmitten? Then the Prophet forbare, and faid, I know that God hath DETERMINED TO DESTROY thee, because thou haft done this, and haft not HEAR KNED unto my Counsel.

17 Then Amaziah King of Judah took Advice, and fent to Joafh, faying, Come, let us fee one another in the Face.

18 And Joafh King of Ifrael fent to Amaziah, saying, The Thistle that was in Lebanon, fent to the Cedar that was in Lebanon, faying, Give me thy Daughter to my Son to Wife and there paffed by a wild Beaft that was in Lebanon, and trod down the Thiftle.

19 Thou fayeft, Lo, thou haft fmitten the Edomites, and thine Heart LIFTETH thee up to boast: abide now at home, why fhouldst thou meddle to thine Hurt, that thou fhouldft fall, even thou and Judah with thee?

20 But Amaziah would not hear, for it CAME of GOD, that he might deliver them into the Hand of their Enemies, because they soUGHT after the GODS of Edom.

21 So Joafh the King of Ifrael went up, and they faw one another in the Face, both he and Amaziah King of Judah, at Beth-fhemesh, which belongeth to Judah.

22 And Judah was put to the worfe before Ifrael, and they fled every Man to his Tent.

23 And Joafh the King of Ifrael took Amaziah King of Judah the Son of Joafh, the Son of Jehoahaz, at Bethfhemefh, and brought him to Jerufalem, and brake down the Wall of Jerufalem, four hundred Cubits.

24 And he took all the Gold, and the Silver, and all the Veffels that were found in the Houfe of GoD with Obed-edom, and the Treafures of the King's House, the Hoftages alfo, and returned to Samaria.

25 And Amaziah the Son of Joash King of Judah, lived after the Death of Joafh Son of Jehoahaz King of Ifrael, fifteen Years.

27 Now after the Time that Amaziah did TURN away from FOLLOWING the LORD, they made a Confpiracy against him in Jerufalem, and he fled to Lachifh: but they fent to Lachifh after him, and flew him there.

28 And they brought him upon Horfes, and buried him with his Fathers in the City of Judah.

CHA P. XXVI.

1 Uzziah fucceeding, and reigning well in the Days of Zechariah, profpereth: 16 Waxing proud, he invadeth the Priest's Office, and is fmitten with Leprofy: 22 He dieth, and Jotham fucceedeth him.

'HEN all the People of Judah took Uzziah, who

Ver. 1 THEN

was fixteen Years old, and made him King in the Room of his Father Amaziah.

3 Sixteen Years old was Uzziah, when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and two Years in Jerufalem.

4 And he did that which was right in the fight of the LORD, according to all that his Father Amaziah did.

5 And he SOUGHT GOD in the Days of Zechariah, who had UNDERSTANDING in the VISIONS of GOD: and as long as he soUGHT the LORD, GOD made him to PRO

SPER.

6 And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and brake down the Wall of Gath, and the Wall of Jabneh, and the Wall of Afhdod, and built Cities about Afhdod, and among the Philiftines.

7 And GOD HELPED him against the PHILISTINES, and against the ARABIANS that dwelt in Gur-baal, and the Mchunims.

8 And the Ammonites gave Gifts to Uzziah, and his Name spread abroad even to the entring in of Egypt, for he ftrengthened himself exceedingly.

9 Moreover, Uzziah built Towers in Jerufalem, and fortified them.

10 Alfo he built Towers in the Defert, and digged ma ny Wells, for he had much Cattle, both in the Low-Countrey, and in the Plains: Hufbandmen alfo, and Vine-dreffers in the Mountains, and in Carmel: for he loved Hufbandry.

11 Moreover, Uzziah had an Hoft of fighting Men, that went out to War by Bands.

Aaaa

12 The

12 The whole Number of the chief of the Fathers of the mighty Men of Valour, were two thoufand and fix hundred.

13 And under their Hand was an Army, three hundred thoufand, and feven thoufand and five hundred, that made War with mighty Power, to help the King against the Enemy.

14 And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the Hoft, Shields, and Spears, and Helmets, and Habergeons, and Bows, and Slings to caft Stones.

15 And he made in Jerufalem Engines invented by cunning Men, to be on the Towers, and upon the Bulwarks, to fhoot Arrows and great Stones withal: and his Name fpread far abroad, for he was MARVELLOUSLY HELPED till he was strong.

16 But when he was STRONG, his HEART was LIFTED UP to his DESTRUCTION: for he TRANSGRESSED against the LORD his GOD, and went into the Temple of the LORD, to burn Incense upon the Altar of Incense.

17 Azariah the Pricft went in after him, and with him fourfcore Priests of the LORD, that were valiant Men.

18 And they withstood Uzziah the King, and faid unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn Incenfe unto the LORD, but to the Priests the Sons of Aaron, that are confecrated to burn Incense: go out of the Sanctuary, for thou haft TRESPASSED, neither fhall it be for thine Honour from the LORD GOD.

19 Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a Cenfer in his Hand, to burn Incenfe and while he was wroth with the Pricfts, the LEPROSY even rose up in his Forehead, before the Priests in the Houfe of the LORD, from befide the Incenfe-altar.

20 And Azariah the Chief-pricft, and all the Priests looked upon him, and behold, he was leprous in his Forehead, and they thrust him out from thence, yea, himself also hasted to go out, because the LORD had fmitten him.

21 And Uzziah the King was a LEPER unto the Day of his Death, and dwelt in a feveral House, being a Leper, for he was cut off from the House of the LORD: and Jotham his Son was over the King's House, judging the People of the Land.

22 Now the rest of the Acts of Uzziah, firft and laft, did Ifaiah the Prophet the Son of Amoz write.

23 So Uzziah fept with his Fathers, and they buried him with his Fathers in the Field of the Burials which belonged

to

to the Kings; for they faid, He is a Leper: and Jotham his Son reigned in his stead.

IT

T is obferved by Dr. Lightfoot, That it pleafed GOD, in the Days of Uzziah, who is call'd Azariah (and was Contemporary with Jeroboam the 2d King of Ifrael) to raise up a Generation of Prophets that should commit their Prophecies to Writing. The First of which was HOSEA,

Chap. i. Ver. 1 The Word of the LORD that came unto Hofea the Son of Beeri, in the Days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, Kings of Judah, and in the Days of Jeroboam the Son of Joafh King of Ifrael.

The Second, JOEL. The Third, Amos,

Chap. i. Ver. 1 The Words of Amos, who was among the Herdmen of Tekoa, which he faw concerning Ifrael in the Days of Uzziah King of Judah, and in the Days of Jeroboam the Son of Joafh King of Ifrael, two Years before the Earthquake.

The Fourth, the Evangelical Prophet ISAIAH,

Chap. i. Ver. 1 The Vifion of Ifaiah the Son of Amoz, which he faw concerning Judah and Jerufalem, in the Days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, Kings of Judah.

Thefe Prophets foretold the Captivity of the Ten Tribes by the Affyrians, and the Captivity of the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin by the Chaldeans: The Truth of which Predictions were verified upon both within very few Years.

II. CHRON. CHA P. XXVII.

Jotham reigning well, profpereth. 5 He fubdueth the Ammonites: 7 His Reign. 9 Ahaz fucceedeih him.

Ver. 1 JOTHAM was twenty and five Years old when he

Jerufalem.

began to reign, and he reigned fixteen Years in

2 And he did that which was right in the fight of the LORD, according to all that his Father Uzziah did: howbeit he entred not into the Temple of the LORD. And the People did yet CORRUPTLY.

Aaaa z

3 He

« PreviousContinue »