Ch 28-30 edits/corrections

14-2CH.usfm

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 \v 6 In one day the army of Remaliah's son, King Pekah of Israel, killed 120,000 fine soldiers in Judah. That happened because the people of Judah had abandoned Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors worshiped.
 
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-\v 7 Zikri, a warrior from the tribe of Ephraim, killed King Ahaz's son Maaseiah, Azrikam, who was in charge of the palace, and Elkanah, the king's assistant.
+\v 7 Zikri, a warrior from the tribe of Ephraim, killed King Ahaz's son Maaseiah; Azrikam, who was in charge of the palace; and Elkanah, the king's assistant.
 \v 8 The soldiers of Israel captured 200,000 of the people of Judah, including many wives and sons and daughters of the soldiers of Judah. They also seized and took back to Samaria many valuable things.
 
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 \v 9 But a prophet of Yahweh, whose name was Oded, was in Samaria. He went out of the city to meet the army as it was returning. He said to them, "Yahweh, the God to whom your ancestors belonged, was angry with the people of Judah, so he has handed them over to you, and you have slaughtered so many in a towering rage.
-\v 10 And now you want to sin by causing men and women from Judah to become your slaves, but you have certainly offended Yahweh, our God, in this matter.
+\v 10 And now you want to sin by causing men and women from Judah to become your slaves, but you have certainly offended Yahweh our God in this matter.
 \v 11 So listen to me! Send back to Judah your fellow countrymen whom you have captured, because Yahweh is extremely angry with you for what you did to them."
 
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-\v 12 Then some of the leaders of the tribe of Ephraim—Azariah son of Johanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—rebuked those who were returning from the battle.
+\v 12 Then some of the leaders of the tribe of Ephraim—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—rebuked those who were returning from the battle.
 \v 13 They said to them, "You must not bring those prisoners here! If you do that, Yahweh will consider that we are guilty of sinning. We are already guilty of committing many sins; do you want to cause us to be even more guilty by committing another sin? God is already very angry with us people of Israel!"
 
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-\v 14 So, while their leaders and others were watching, the soldiers released the prisoners, and also gave back to them the valuable things that they had captured.
-\v 15 The leaders assigned some men to take care of the prisoners. These men took some of the clothes that the soldiers had taken from the people of Judah and gave those clothes to the people who were naked. They also gave to the prisoners sandals and other clothes, as well as things to eat and drink, and they gave them olive oil to rub on their wounds. They gave donkeys to those who were very weak, in order that they could ride on them. Then they led them all to Jericho, the city that had many palm trees. Finally those men returned to Samaria.
+\v 14 So, while their leaders and others were watching, the soldiers released the prisoners and also gave back to them the valuable things that they had captured.
+\v 15 The leaders assigned some men to take care of the prisoners. These men took some of the clothes that the soldiers had taken from the people of Judah and gave those clothes to the people who were naked. They also gave to the prisoners sandals and other clothes, as well as things to eat and drink, and they gave them olive oil to rub on their wounds. They gave donkeys to those who were very weak so that they could ride on them. Then they led them all to Jericho, the city that had many palm trees. Finally, those men returned to Samaria.
 
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 \v 16 About that time, King Ahaz sent a message to the king of Assyria requesting help.
-\v 17 He did that because the army from the Edom people had come again and attacked Judah and taken away many of the people of Judah as prisoners.
-\v 18 At the same time, men from Philistia raided towns in the foothills and in the southern Judean wilderness. They captured the cities of Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, and Gederoth, as well as those of Soko, Timnah, and Gimzo with its nearby villages.
+\v 17 He did that because the army from the Edomite people had come again and attacked Judah and taken away many of the people of Judah as prisoners.
+\v 18 At the same time, men from Philistia raided towns in the foothills and in the southern Judean wilderness. They captured the cities of Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, and Gederoth, as well as those of Soko, Timnah, and Gimzo with their nearby villages.
 
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-\v 19 Yahweh allowed those things to happen in order to humble King Ahaz, because he had encouraged the people of Judah to do wicked things and had disobeyed Yahweh very much.
+\v 19 Yahweh allowed those things to happen in order to humble King Ahaz because he had encouraged the people of Judah to do wicked things and had disobeyed Yahweh very much.
 \v 20 Tiglath-Pileser, the king of Assyria, sent his army saying that they would help Ahaz, but instead of helping him, they caused him trouble.
-\v 21 Ahaz's soldiers took some of the valuable things from the temple and from the king's palace and from other leaders of Judah, and sent them to the king of Assyria to pay him to help them, but the king of Assyria refused to help Ahaz.
+\v 21 Ahaz's soldiers took some of the valuable things from the temple and from the king's palace and from other leaders of Judah and sent them to the king of Assyria to pay him to help them, but the king of Assyria refused to help Ahaz.
 
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 \v 22 While King Ahaz was experiencing those troubles, he disobeyed Yahweh even more.
-\v 23 He offered sacrifices to the gods that were worshiped in Damascus, whose army had defeated his army. He thought, "The gods that are worshiped by the kings of Aram have helped them, so I will offer sacrifices to those gods in order that they will help me." But worshiping those gods caused Ahaz and all of Israel to be ruined.
+\v 23 He offered sacrifices to the gods that were worshiped in Damascus, whose army had defeated his army. He thought, "The gods that are worshiped by the kings of Aram have helped them, so I will offer sacrifices to those gods so that they will help me." But worshiping those gods caused Ahaz and all of Israel to be ruined.
 
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 \v 9 That is why our fathers have been killed in battles, and our sons and daughters and our wives have been captured and taken to other countries.
 
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-\v 10 But now I intend to make a covenant with Yahweh, our God, in order that he will no longer be angry with us.
+\v 10 But now I intend to make a covenant with Yahweh our God so that he will no longer be angry with us.
 \v 11 You who are like my sons, do not waste any time. Do immediately what Yahweh wants you to do. Yahweh has chosen you to stand in his presence and offer sacrifices and burn incense."
 
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 \v 12 Then these descendants of Levi started to work in the temple.
-\q From the descendants of Kohath there were Mahath the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah.
-\q From the descendants of Merari there were Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehallelel.
-\q From the descendants of Gershon there were Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah.
+\q From the descendants of Kohath there were Mahath the son of Amasai and Joel the son of Azariah.
+\q From the descendants of Merari there were Kish the son of Abdi and Azariah the son of Jehallelel.
+\q From the descendants of Gershon there were Joah the son of Zimmah and Eden the son of Joah.
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 \v 13 From the descendants of Elizaphan there were Shimri and Jeiel.
 \q From the descendants of Asaph there were Zechariah and Mattaniah.
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-\v 15 Those men gathered their fellow descendants of Levi and together they prepared themselves for the work of the priesthood. They took all the steps to prepare themselves so they could serve the king in Yahweh's house, because the king was following Yahweh's commands. And the Levites entered the temple to clean it up.
+\v 15 Those men gathered their fellow descendants of Levi and together they prepared themselves for the work of the priesthood. They took all the steps to prepare themselves so they could serve the king in Yahweh's house because the king was following Yahweh's commands. And the Levites entered the temple to clean it up.
 \v 16 The worked within the temple to purify it. They brought out into the courtyard of the temple everything that they had found in the temple that was not pleasing to Yahweh. Then the descendants of Levi took those things down to the Kidron Valley and burned them there.
-\v 17 The priests and other descendants of Levi started this work on the first day of the first month and finished setting apart for the honor of Yahweh, the courtyard of the temple on the eighth day of that month, and they finished the work of setting the temple apart for the honor of Yahweh, one week later.
+\v 17 The priests and other descendants of Levi started this work on the first day of the first month and finished setting apart for the honor of Yahweh the courtyard of the temple on the eighth day of that month, and they finished the work of setting the temple apart for the honor of Yahweh one week later.
 
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-\v 18 Then they went to King Hezekiah and reported this: "We have purified all parts of the temple, and the altar where sacrifices are completely burned, and all the items used at the altar, the table on which the priests display the bread before Yahweh, and the things used at that table.
-\v 19 Ahaz ruled over us, he disobeyed what Yahweh had commanded, and he threw away many of the tools and implements from the temple many things that should be there, but now we have brought them back, we dedicated them to Yahweh's service, and then we placed them in front of the altar of Yahweh, where they can be seen."
+\v 18 Then they went to King Hezekiah and reported this: "We have purified all parts of the temple, the altar where sacrifices are completely burned, all the items used at the altar, the table on which the priests display the bread before Yahweh, and the things used at that table.
+\v 19 Ahaz ruled over us, he disobeyed what Yahweh had commanded, and he threw away many of the tools and implements from the temple that should be there, but now we have brought them back, dedicated them to Yahweh's service, and placed them in front of the altar of Yahweh where they can be seen."
 
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 \v 20 Early the next morning, King Hezekiah gathered together the city officials, and they went to the courtyard of the temple.
-\v 21 They took with them seven bulls, seven rams, seven male lambs, and seven male goats to be an offering in order that Yahweh would forgive the sins of all the people in the kingdom of Judah, and in order to purify the temple. The king commanded that the priests, who were descendants of Aaron, should offer those animals to be sacrifices to Yahweh on the altar.
+\v 21 They took with them seven bulls, seven rams, seven male lambs, and seven male goats to be an offering so that Yahweh would forgive the sins of all the people in the kingdom of Judah and in order to purify the temple. The king commanded that the priests, who were descendants of Aaron, should offer those animals to be sacrifices to Yahweh on the altar.
 
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-\v 22 So first the priests slaughtered those bulls, and took the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. Then they slaughtered the rams and sprinkled their blood on the altar. Then they slaughtered the lambs and sprinkled their blood on the altar.
-\v 23 The goats that were slaughtered to be an offering in order that Yahweh would forgive the sins of the people were brought to the king and the others who were there. Then the king and those who were present laid their hands on those goats.
-\v 24 Then the priests slaughtered those goats and splashed their blood on the altar, to atone for the sins of Israel. The priests did that because the king had commanded that offerings that would be completely burned on the altar and other sacrifices should be made for all the people of Israel.
+\v 22 So first the priests slaughtered those bulls and took the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. Then they slaughtered the rams and sprinkled their blood on the altar. Then they slaughtered the lambs and sprinkled their blood on the altar.
+\v 23 The goats that were slaughtered to be an offering so that Yahweh would forgive the sins of the people were brought to the king and the others who were there. Then the king and those who were present laid their hands on those goats.
+\v 24 Then the priests slaughtered those goats and splashed their blood on the altar to atone for the sins of Israel. The priests did that because the king had commanded that offerings that would be completely burned on the altar and other sacrifices should be made for all the people of Israel.
 
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 \v 25 The king then told the descendants of Levi to stand in the temple with their cymbals, harps, and lyres, obeying what David and his prophets Gad and Nathan had commanded. Those were things that Yahweh had told his prophets that the descendants of Levi should do.
-\v 26 So the descendants of Levi went and stood in the temple, and began to play the musical instruments that King David had given to them. And the priests began to blow their trumpets.
+\v 26 So the descendants of Levi went and stood in the temple and began to play the musical instruments that King David had given to them. And the priests began to blow their trumpets.
 
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 \v 29 When they finished making those offerings, the king and all those who were there knelt down and worshiped Yahweh.
-\v 30 Then King Hezekiah and his officials commanded the descendants of Levi to praise Yahweh, singing the songs composed by David and Asaph the prophet. So they sang songs joyfully, and bowed their heads to worship.
+\v 30 Then King Hezekiah and his officials commanded the descendants of Levi to praise Yahweh, singing the songs composed by David and Asaph the prophet. So they sang songs joyfully and bowed their heads to worship.
 
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@@ -1554,13 +1554,13 @@ hundred male lambs to be completely burned on the altar.
 \v 33 The other animals that they brought were six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep and goats that were set apart for the honor of Yahweh, to be sacrifices.
 
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-\v 34 There were not enough priests to remove the skins from the animals that would be completely burned on the altar. So the descendants of Levi stepped in to help the priests until the work was finished. The Levites were more hard-working and dedicated that the priests were.
+\v 34 There were not enough priests to remove the skins from the animals that would be completely burned on the altar. So the descendants of Levi stepped in to help the priests until the work was finished. The Levites were more hard-working and dedicated than the priests were.
 
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 \v 35 In addition to the all the offerings that were completely burned on the altar, the priests burned the fat of the accompanying animals that were sacrificed to maintain good fellowship with Yahweh; there were also offerings of wine.
 \p In this way the worship at the temple began again.
-\v 36 And Hezekiah and all the other people of Judah celebrated, because God had enabled them to do all the repair work very quickly.
+\v 36 And Hezekiah and all the other people of Judah celebrated because God had enabled them to do all the repair work very quickly.
 
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@@ -1574,12 +1574,12 @@ hundred male lambs to be completely burned on the altar.
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 \v 6 Obeying what the king commanded, messengers went throughout Judah and Israel, taking messages that had been written by the king and his officials. This is what they wrote:
-\li "You Israelite people, you who survived after being slaves of the kings of Assyria, return to Yahweh, the God whom our great ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob worshiped, in order that he may return to you. Your fathers and your fellow countrymen did not faithfully obey Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors worshiped.
+\li "You Israelite people, you who survived after being slaves of the kings of Assyria, return to Yahweh, the God whom our great ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob worshiped so that he may return to you. Your fathers and your fellow countrymen did not faithfully obey Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors worshiped.
 
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 \v 7 Do not act like they did, because what they did caused Yahweh to punish them so severely that other people were horrified when they heard of what he had done.
-\v 8 Do not be stubborn as our ancestors were. Do what Yahweh desires. Come to Jerusalem to the temple, which he has set apart for his honor forever. Do what pleases Yahweh our God, in order that he will no longer be angry with you.
-\v 9 If you return to Yahweh, the people who have captured our brothers and sisters and our children will act kindly toward them, and allow them to return to this land. Do not forget that Yahweh our God is kind and merciful. If you return to him, he will no longer reject you."
+\v 8 Do not be stubborn as our ancestors were. Do what Yahweh desires. Come to Jerusalem to the temple, which he has set apart for his honor forever. Do what pleases Yahweh our God so that he will no longer be angry with you.
+\v 9 If you return to Yahweh, the people who have captured our brothers and sisters and our children will act kindly toward them and allow them to return to this land. Do not forget that Yahweh our God is kind and merciful. If you return to him, he will no longer reject you."
 
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@@ -1589,10 +1589,10 @@ hundred male lambs to be completely burned on the altar.
 
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-\v 13 So a huge crowd of people gathered in Jerusalem in the second month of the year, to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread.
+\v 13 So a huge crowd of people gathered in Jerusalem in the second month of the year to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread.
 \v 14 They removed the altars of Baal in Jerusalem and took away the altars for burning incense to honor other gods; they burned them all in the Kidron Valley.
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-\v 15 They slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of that month. The priests and the other descendants of Levi who had not performed the rituals to purify themselves, they were ashamed; and they set about to make themselves qualified for the service to Yahweh, and they brought to the temple animals to be completely burned on the altar in the house of Yahweh.
+\v 15 They slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of that month. The priests and the other descendants of Levi who had not performed the rituals to purify themselves were ashamed; they set about to make themselves qualified for the service to Yahweh, and they brought to the temple animals to be completely burned on the altar in the house of Yahweh.
 
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@@ -1600,25 +1600,25 @@ hundred male lambs to be completely burned on the altar.
 \v 17 Many people in the crowd had not purified themselves, and therefore they were not able to kill the lambs and dedicate them to Yahweh. So it was necessary for the descendants of Levi to kill the lambs for them.
 
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-\v 18 Although most of the people who had come from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Issachar had not purified themselves, they ate the food of the Passover Festival anyway, ignoring the rules written by Moses. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying "Yahweh, you always do what is good; I pray that you will forgive everyone
+\v 18 Although most of the people who had come from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Issachar had not purified themselves, they ate the food of the Passover Festival anyway, ignoring the rules written by Moses. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, "Yahweh, you always do what is good; I pray that you will forgive everyone
 \v 19 who sincerely wants to honor you, the God whom our ancestors worshiped, even if they have not purified themselves by obeying the sacred laws that you gave to us."
-\v 20 And Yahweh heard what Hezekiah prayed; he forgave the people, and did not punish them.
+\v 20 And Yahweh heard what Hezekiah prayed; he forgave the people and did not punish them.
 
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 \v 21 The Israelite people who were there in Jerusalem celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. They rejoiced greatly as they celebrated, while the priests and other descendants of Levi sang to Yahweh every day and played musical instruments to praise God.
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-\v 22 Hezekiah thanked all the descendants of Levi for doing this work for Yahweh, and for very skillfully leading the people who were worshiping. For those seven days the people ate the Passover food and brought offerings to maintain fellowship with Yahweh and praised Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors had worshiped.
+\v 22 Hezekiah thanked all the descendants of Levi for doing this work for Yahweh and for very skillfully leading the people who were worshiping. For those seven days the people ate the Passover food and brought offerings to maintain fellowship with Yahweh and praised Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors had worshiped.
 
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 \v 23 Then the whole group decided to celebrate for seven more days; so they celebrated joyfully for seven more days.
-\v 24 King Hezekiah provided one thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep to be slaughtered for the people to eat during the festival, and the officials also gave them one thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep and goats. Many priests set themselves apart for serving Yahweh and to honor him, at this festival.
+\v 24 King Hezekiah provided one thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep to be slaughtered for the people to eat during the festival, and the officials also gave them one thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep and goats. Many priests set themselves apart for serving Yahweh and to honor him at this festival.
 
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-\v 25 All the people of Judah rejoiced, including the priests and other descendants of Levi and all the people from Israel who had come, and including some from other countries who were living in Israel and some from other countries who were living in Judah.
-\v 26 Everyone in Jerusalem was very joyful, because nothing like this had happened in Jerusalem since the time when David's son Solomon was the king of Israel.
-\v 27 The priests and the other descendants of Levi stood up to bless the people, and God heard them, because their prayers reached up to heaven, the holy place where God lives.
+\v 25 All the people of Judah rejoiced, including the priests and other descendants of Levi and all the people from Israel who had come and including some from other countries who were living in Israel and some from other countries who were living in Judah.
+\v 26 Everyone in Jerusalem was very joyful because nothing like this had happened in Jerusalem since the time when David's son Solomon was the king of Israel.
+\v 27 The priests and the other descendants of Levi stood up to bless the people, and God heard them because their prayers reached up to heaven, the holy place where God lives.
 
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 \v 6 Hezekiah appointed army commanders, and he gathered them in front of him in the square at one of the city gates, and he encouraged them by saying this to them:
 \v 7 "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the huge army that is with him, because Yahweh is with us, and his power is greater than their power.
-\v 8 They have to rely on the power of humans , but we have Yahweh our God to help us and to fight battles for us." So the people became more confident because of what Hezekiah, the king of Judah, said.
+\v 8 They have to rely on the power of humans, but we have Yahweh our God to help us and to fight battles for us." So the people became more confident because of what Hezekiah, the king of Judah, said.
 
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