1
Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old; and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.
2
And he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that David his father had done.
3
He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of Jehovah, and repaired them.
4
And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the broad place on the east,
5
and said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites; now sanctify yourselves, and sanctify the house of Jehovah, the God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.
6
For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of Jehovah, and turned their backs.
7
Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt-offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel.
8
Wherefore the wrath of Jehovah was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to be tossed to and fro, to be an astonishment, and a hissing, as ye see with your eyes.
9
For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.
10
Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with Jehovah, the God of Israel, that his fierce anger may turn away from us.
11
My sons, be not now negligent; for Jehovah hath chosen you to stand before him, to minister unto him, and that ye should be his ministers, and burn incense.