lers over Hundreds, with the Captains, and the Guard, and brought them to him into the Houfe of the LORD, and made a Covenant with them, and took an Oath of them in the House of the LORD, and fhewed them the King's Son. 5 And he commanded them, faying, This is the Thing that ye fhall do: A third part of you that enter in on the Sabbath, shall even be Keepers of the Watch of the King's House: 6 And a third part fhall be at the Gate of Sur: and a third part at the Gate behind the Guard: fo shall ye keep the Watch of the House that it be not broken down. 7 And two parts of all you, that go forth on the Sabbath, even they fhall keep the Watch of the Houfe of the LORD, about the King. 8 And ye fhall compafs the King round about, every Man with his Weapons in his Hand: and he that cometh within the Ranges, let him be flain; and be ye with the King, as he goeth out, and as he cometh in. 9 And the Captains over the Hundreds did according to all things that Jehoiada the Prieft commanded. 10 And to the Captains over Hundreds did the Priefts give King David's Spears and Shields, that were in the Temple of the LORD. 11 And the Guard flood every Man with his Weapons in his Hand, round about the King. 12 And he brought forth the King's Son, and put the Crown upon him, and gave him the Teftimony, and they made him King, and anointed him, and they clapt their Hands, and faid, GOD fave the King. 13 And when Athaliah heard the Noife of the Guard, and of the People, fhe came into the Temple. 14 And when he had looked, behold, the King stood by a Pillar, as the Manner was, and the Princes, and the Trum peters by the King, and all the People of the Land rejoyced, and blew with Trumpets: and Athaliah rent her Cloaths, and cried, Treafon, Treafon. 15 But Jehoiada commanded the Officers of the Hoft, and faid unto them, Have her forth without the Ranges; and him that followeth her, kill with the Sword. For the Prieft had faid, Let her not be flain in the Houfe of the LORD. 16 And they laid Hands on her, and fhe went by the Way by the which the Horfes came into the King's Houfe, and there was fhe flain, 17 And Jehoiada made a Covenant between, the LORD, and the King, and the People, that they fhould be the LORD'S People; between the King alfo and the People. 18 And the People of the Land went into the House of Baal, and brake it down, his Altars and his Images brake they in pieces throughly, and flew Maltam the Prieft of Baal before the Altars. And the Priefts appointed Officers. over the Houfe of the Lord. II. CHRON. CHA P. XXIV. i Joash reigneth well all the Days of Jehoiada: 4 He gave Order for the Repair of the Temple. 15 Jehoiada's Death and honourable Burial. 17 Joash falling to Idolatries, flayeth Zechariah the Son of Jehoiada. 23 Joash is spoil'd by the Syrians, and flain by Zabad and Jehózabad. 27 Amaziah fucceedeth him. Ver. 1 JOASH OASH was feven Years old when he began to reign, and he reigned FORTY YEARS in Jerufalem. 2 And Joash did that which was RIGHT in the fight of the LORD, all the DAYS of JEHOIADA the Priest. 3 And Jehoiada took for him two Wives, and he begat Sons and Daughters. 4 And it came to pafs after this, that Joash was minded. to REPAIR the House of the LORD. 5 And he gathered together the Priefts and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the Cities of Judah, and gather of all Ifrael Money to repair the Houfe of your GOD from Year to Year, and fee that ye haite the Matter: howbeit the Levites. haftned it not. 6 And the King called for Jehoiada, and faid unto him, Why haft thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah, and out of Jerufalem, the COLLECTION, according to the COMMANDMENT of MOSES the SERVANT of the LORD, and of the Congregation of Ifrael, for the Tabernacle of Witness? 7 For the Sons of Athaliah, that WICKED WOMAN, had BROKEN up the Houfe of GOD, and alfo all the dedicate Things of the Houfe of the LORD did they BESTOW upon BAALIM. 8 And at the King's Commandment they made a Cheft, and fet it without, at the Gate of the Houfe of the LORD. Zzz 9 And 9 And they made a Proclamation through Judah and Jerufalem, to bring into the LORD the COLLECTION that Mofes the Servant of GoD laid upon Ifrael in the Wildernefs. 10 And all the Princes, and all the People REJOYCED, and brought in, and caft into the Cheft, until they had made an end. 11 Now it came to pafs, that at what Time the Cheft was brought into the King's Office by the Hand of the Levites; and when they faw that there was much Money: the King's Scribe, and the High Priest's Officer came and emptied the Cheft, and took it, and carried it to his Place again. Thus they did Day by Day, and gathered Money in abundance. 12 And the King and Jehoiada gave it to fuch as did the Work of the Service of the House of the LORD, and hired Masons and Carpenters to repair the House of the LORD. 13 And they fet the Houfe of GOD in his STATE, and ftrengthened it. 14 And when they had finifhed it, they brought the reft of the Money before the King and Jehoiada, whereof were made Veffels for the House of the LORD: and they offered Burnt-offerings in the Houfe of the LORD CONTINUALLY, all the Days of Jehoiada. 15 But Jehoiada was full of Days when he died, an hundred and thirty Years old was he when he died. 16 And they buried him in the City of David, AMONG the KINGS, because he had done GooD in Ifrael, both towards GoD, and towards his House. 17 Now after the Death of Jehoiada, came the PRINCES of Judah, and made Obeifance to the King: then the King HEARKNED unto them. 18 And they left the House of the LORD GOD of their Fathers, and ferved Groves and IDOLS: and WRATH came upon Judah for this their TRESPASS. 19 Yet he fent PROPHETS to them, to bring them again unto the LORD, and they TESTIFIED against them: but they would NOT GIVE EAR. 20 And the SPIRIT of GOD came upon ZECHARIAH the Son of Jehoiada the Priest, which ftood above the People, and faid unto them, Thus faith GoD, Why TRANSGRESS ye the COMMANDMENTS of the LORD, that ye can not not PROSPER? because ye have FORSAKEN the LORD, he hath alfo FORSAKEN YOU. 21 And they CONSPIRED against him, and STONED him with Stones at the Commandment of the King in the Court of the Houfe of the LORD. Matth. xxiii. 29 Wo unto you SCRIBES and PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES; becaufe ye build the Tombs of the PROPHETS, and garnish the Sepulchres of the RIGHTEOUS. 30 And fay, If we had been in the Days of our Fathers, we would not 31 Wherefore ye be Witneffes unto yourselves, that ye are the Children of them which KILLED the PROPHETS. 22 Thus Joash the King have been Partakers with them in the remembred not the KIND-BLOOD of the PROPHETS, NESS which Jehoiada his Father had done to him, but SLEW his SON: and when he died, he faid, The LORD look upon it, and REQUIRE it. 23 And it came to pafs, at the End of the Year, that the Hoft of Syria came up against him and they came to Judah and Jerufalem, and destroyed all the PRINCES of the People from among the People, and fent all the Spoil of them unto the King of Damafcus. 32 Fill ye up then the Measures of your Fathers. 33 Ye Serpents, ye Generation of Vipers, how can ye efcape the Dam nation of Hell? 34 Wherefore behold, I fend unto you PROPHETS, and WISE MEN, and SCRIBES; and fome of them ye fhall KILL and CRUCIFY, and fome of them fhall ye SCOURGE in your Synagogues, and PERSECUTE them from City to City: 35 That upon you may come all the RIGHTEOUS BLOOD fhed upon the Earth, from the Blood of righteous Abel, unto the BLOOD of ZACHARIAS Son of Barachias, whom ye SLEW between the Temple and the Altar. 36 Verily Ifay unto you, All these Things hall come upon this Generation. 37 O Jerufalem, Jerufalem, thou that KILLEST the PROPHETS, and STONEST them which are feat unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy Children together, even as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings, and ye would not! 38 Behold, your Houfe is left unto you DESOLATE. 39 For 1 fay unto you, Ye fhall not fee me henceforth, till ye shall fay, BLESSED is he that cometh in the NAME of the LORD. Heb, x. 30 We know him that hath faid, VENGEANCE belongeth unto me, I will RECOMPENSE faith the LORD. And again, the LORD shall 24 For the Army of the Syrians came with a SMALL Company of Men, and the LORD DELIVERED a very GREAT HOST into their Hand, because they had FORSAKEN the LORD GOD of their Fathers: So they EXECUTED JUDGMENT against Joash. 31 It is a fearful Thing to FALL into the Hands of the LIVING GOD. 25 And when they were departed from him (for they left him in great Diseases) his own SERVANTS CONSPIRED a gainst him, for the Blood of the Sons of Jehoiada the Priest, Zzzz and and flew him on his Bed: but they buried him not in the Sepulchres of the Kings. 27 Now concerning his Sons, and the Greatness of the Burdens laid upon him, and the repairing of the House of GOD, behold, they are written in the Story of the Book of the Kings. And Amaziah his Son reigned in his stead. I T is obferved by the learned Dr. Lightfoot, That the Murder of Zacharias the Prophet in the Court of the Temple, was the Beginning of the Ruin of Judah, whereby they plainly fhew'd, that they despised and rejected the LORD, his TEMPLE, PRIESTHOOD, and PROPHECY; and from that Time did their State decay, of which they were forewarn'd by the Prophet HOSEA, Chap. iv. Ver. 1 Hear the Word of the LORD, ye Chil dren of Ifrael: for the LORD hath a CONTROVERSY with the Inhabitants of the Land, because there is no TRUTH, nor MERCY, nor KNOWLEDGE of GOD in the Land. 2 By SWEARING, and LYING, and KILLING, and STEALING, and committing ADULTERY, they break out, and BLOOD toucheth BLOOD. 3 Therefore fhall the Land MOURN, and every one that dwelleth therein fhall LANGUISH, with the Beasts of the Field, and with the Fowls of Heaven, yea, the Fishes of the Sea alfo fhall be taken away. 4 Yet let no Man ftrive, nor reprove another for thy People are as they that ftrive with the Prieft. 5 Therefore fhalt thou fall in the Day, and the Prophet alfo fhall fall with thee in the Night, and I will destroy thy Mother. 6 My People are DESTROYED for LACK of KNOWLEDGE: because thou haft rejected Knowledge, I will alfo reject thee, that thou shalt be no Prieft to me: feeing thou haft forgotten the Law of thy God, I will also forget thy Chil dren. II. KINGS, |