<p class="bodytext">The Levites and all the men of Judah<n id="1" /> did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each of them took his men, those who were on duty during the Sabbath as well as those who were off duty on the Sabbath. Jehoiada the priest did not release his divisions from their duties.

<p class="bodytext">At the beginning<n id="1" /> of the year the Syrian army attacked<n id="2" /> Joash<n id="3" /> and invaded Judah and Jerusalem. They wiped out all the leaders of the people and sent all the plunder they gathered to the king of Damascus.

He took away all the gold and silver, all the items found in God&#8217;s temple that were in the care of Obed-Edom, the riches in the royal palace, and some hostages. Then he went back to Samaria.p>

Men were assigned to take the prisoners and find clothes among the plunder for those who were naked.<n id="1" /> So they clothed them, supplied them with sandals, gave them food and drink, and provided them with oil to rub on their skin.<n id="2" /> They put the ones who couldn&#8217;t walk on donkeys.<n id="3" /> They brought them back to their brothers at Jericho,<n id="4" /> the city of the date palm trees, and then returned to Samaria.p>

<p class="bodytext">Afterward King Sennacherib of Assyria, while attacking Lachish with all his military might, sent his messengers<n id="1" /> to Jerusalem. The message was for King Hezekiah of Judah and all the people of<n id="2" /> Judah who were in Jerusalem. It read:

I will not make Israel again leave the land I gave to their ancestors,<n id="1" /> provided that they carefully obey all I commanded them, the whole law, the rules and regulations given to Moses.&#8221;

They went to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the silver that had been brought to God&#8217;s temple. The Levites who guarded the door had collected it from the people of<n id="1" /> Manasseh and Ephraim and from all who were left in Israel, as well as from all the people of<n id="2" /> Judah and Benjamin and the residents of<n id="3" /> Jerusalem.

The king stood by his pillar<n id="1" /> and renewed<n id="2" /> the covenant before the <sc>Lordsc>, agreeing to follow<n id="3" /> the <sc>Lordsc> and to obey his commandments, laws, and rules with all his heart and being,<n id="4" /> by carrying out the terms<n id="5" /> of this covenant recorded on this scroll.

<p class="bodytext">From his own royal flocks and herds, Josiah supplied the people with 30,000 lambs and goats for the Passover sacrifice, as well as 3,000 cattle.<n id="1" />

A Passover like this had not been observed in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel had observed a Passover like the one celebrated by Josiah, the priests, the Levites, all the people of Judah and Israel who were there, and the residents of Jerusalem.

It read: &#8220;This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: &#8216;The <sc>Lordsc> God of the heavens has given to me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build for him a temple in Jerusalem<n id="1" /> in Judah. May the <sc>Lordsc> your God energize you who belong to his people, so you may be able to go back there!&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

They paid 600 silver pieces for each chariot from Egypt, and 150 silver pieces for each horse. They also sold chariots and horses to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Syria.<n id="1" />p>

and the pots, shovels, and meat forks.<n id="1" /> All the items King Solomon assigned Huram Abi to make for the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple<n id="2" /> were made from polished bronze.

<p class="bodytext">Solomon also made these items for God&#8217;s temple: the gold altar, the tables on which the Bread of the Presence<n id="1" /> was kept,

The priests and Levites carried the ark, the tent where God appeared to his people,<n id="1" /> and all the holy items in the tent.<n id="2" />

Now King Solomon and all the Israelites who had assembled with him went on ahead of the ark and sacrificed more sheep and cattle than could be counted or numbered.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="bodytext">The priests left the holy place.<n id="1" /> All the priests who participated had consecrated themselves, no matter which division they represented.<n id="2" />

and prayed:<n id="1" /> &#8220;O <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven or on earth! You maintain covenantal loyalty<n id="2" /> to your servants who obey you with sincerity.<n id="3" />

Then they will honor<n id="1" /> you by obeying you<n id="2" /> throughout their lifetimes as<n id="3" /> they live on the land you gave to our ancestors.p>

Now I have chosen and consecrated this temple by making it my permanent home;<n id="1" /> I will be constantly present there.<n id="2" />