1 And when these things had been duly celebrated, all Israel that were found in the cities of Juda, went out, and they broke the idols, and cut down the groves, demolished the high places, and destroyed the altars, not only out of all Juda and Benjamin, but out of Ephraim also and Manasses, till they had utterly destroyed them: then all the children of Israel returned to their possessions and cities. 2 And Ezechias appointed companies of the priests, and the Levites, by their courses, every man in his own office, to wit, both of the priests, and of the Levites, for holocausts, and for peace offerings, to minister, and to praise, and to sing in the gates of the camp of the Lord. 3 And the king's part was, that of his proper substance the holocaust should be offered always morning and evening, and on the sabbaths, and the new moons and the other solemnities, as it is written in the law of Moses. 4 He commanded also the people that dwelt in Jerusalem, to give to the priests, and the Levites their portion, that they might attend to the law of the Lord. 5 Which when it was noised abroad in the ears of the people, the children of Israel offered in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey: and brought the tithe of all things which the ground bringeth forth. 6 Moreover the children of Israel and Juda, that dwelt in the cities of Juda, brought in the tithes of oxen, and sheep, and the tithes of holy things, which they had vowed to the Lord their God: and carrying them all, made many heaps. 7 In the third month they began to lay the foundations of the heaps, and in the seventh month, they finished them. 8 And when Ezechias and his princes came in, they saw the heaps, and they blessed the Lord and the people of Israel.
9 And Ezechias asked the priests and the Levites, why the heaps lay so. 10 Azarias the chief priest of the race of Sadoc answered him, saying: Since the firstfruits began to be offered in the house of the Lord, we have eaten, and have been filled, and abundance is left, because the Lord hath blessed his people: and of that which is left is this great store which thou seest. 11 Then Ezechias commanded to prepare storehouses in the house of the Lord. And when they had done so, 12 They brought in faithfully both the firstfruits, and the tithes, and all they had vowed. And the overseer of them was Chonenias the Levite, and Semei his brother was the second, 13 And after him Jehiel, and Azarias, and Nahath, and Asael, and Jerimoth, and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Jesmachias, and Mahath, and Banaias, overseers under the hand of Chonenias, and Semei his brother, by the commandment of Ezechias the king, and Azarias the high priest of the house of God, to whom all things appertained. 14 But Core the son of Jemna the Levite, the porter of the east gate, was overseer of the things which were freely offered to the Lord, and of the firstfruits and the things dedicated for the holy of holies. 15 And under his charge were Eden, and Benjamin, Jesue, and Semeias, and Amarias, and Sechenias, in the cities of the priests, to distribute faithfully portions to their brethren, both little and great: 16 Besides the males from three years old and upward, to all that went into the temple of the Lord, and whatsoever there was need of in the ministry, and their offices according to their courses, day by day. 17 To the priests by their families, and to the Levites from the twentieth year and upward, by their classes and companies. 18 And to all the multitude, both to their wives, and to their children of both sexes, victuals were given faithfully out of the things that had been sanctified. 19 Also of the sons of Aaron who were in the fields and in the suburbs of each city, there were men appointed, to distribute portions to all the males, among the priests and the Levites. 20 So Ezechias did all things which we have said in all Juda, and wrought that which was good, and right, and truth, before the Lord his God, 21 In all the service of the house of the Lord according to the law and the ceremonies, desiring to seek his God with all his heart, and he did it and prospered.
Old Testament first published 1609 by the English College at Douay
New Testament first published 1582 by the English College at Rheims
Revised and Annotated 1749 by Bishop Richard Challoner
Imprimatur. +James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, September 1, 1899
1 Post quæ et hujuscemodi veritatem, venit Sennacherib rex Assyriorum, et ingressus Judam, obsedit civitates munitas, volens eas capere. 2 Quod cum vidisset Ezechias, venisse scilicet Sennacherib, et totum belli impetum verti contra Jerusalem, 3 inito cum principibus consilio, virisque fortissimis, ut obturarent capita fontium qui erant extra urbem: et hoc omnium decernente sententia, 4 congregavit plurimam multitudinem, et obturaverunt cunctos fontes, et rivum qui fluebat in medio terræ, dicentes: Ne veniant reges Assyriorum, et inveniant aquarum abundantiam. 5 Ædificavit quoque, agens industrie, omnem murum qui fuerat dissipatus, et exstruxit turres desuper, et forinsecus alterum murum: instauravitque Mello in civitate David, et fecit universi generis armaturam et clypeos: 6 constituitque principes bellatorum in exercitu, et convocavit universos in platea portæ civitatis, ac locutus est ad cor eorum, dicens: 7 Viriliter agite, et confortamini: nolite timere, nec paveatis regem Assyriorum, et universam multitudinem quæ est cum eo: multo enim plures nobiscum sunt, quam cum illo. 8 Cum illo enim est brachium carneum: nobiscum Dominus Deus noster, qui auxiliator est noster, pugnatque pro nobis. Confortatusque est populus hujuscemodi verbis Ezechiæ regis Juda.
9 Quæ postquam gesta sunt, misit Sennacherib rex Assyriorum servos suos in Jerusalem (ipse enim cum universo exercitu obsidebat Lachis) ad Ezechiam regem Juda, et ad omnem populum qui erat in urbe, dicens: 10 Hæc dicit Sennacherib rex Assyriorum: In quo habentes fiduciam sedetis obsessi in Jerusalem? 11 num Ezechias decipit vos, ut tradat morti in fame et siti, affirmans quod Dominus Deus vester liberet vos de manu regis Assyriorum? 12 Numquid non iste est Ezechias, qui destruxit excelsa illius, et altaria, et præcepit Juda et Jerusalem, dicens: Coram altari uno adorabitis, et in ipso comburetis incensum? 13 an ignoratis quæ ego fecerim, et patres mei, cunctis terrarum populis? numquid prævaluerunt dii gentium, omniumque terrarum, liberare regionem suam de manu mea? 14 Quis est de universis diis gentium, quas vastaverunt patres mei, qui potuerit eruere populum suum de manu mea, ut possit etiam Deus vester eruere vos de hac manu? 15 non vos ergo decipiat Ezechias, nec vana persuasione deludat, neque credatis ei. Si enim nullus potuit deus cunctarum gentium atque regnorum liberare populum suum de manu mea, et de manu patrum meorum, consequenter nec Deus vester poterit eruere vos de manu mea. 16 Sed et alia multa locuti sunt servi ejus contra Dominum Deum, et contra Ezechiam servum ejus. 17 Epistolas quoque scripsit plenas blasphemiæ in Dominum Deum Israël, et locutus est adversus eum: Sicut dii gentium ceterarum non potuerunt liberare populum suum de manu mea, sic et Deus Ezechiæ eruere non poterit populum suum de manu ista. 18 Insuper et clamore magno, lingua judaica, contra populum qui sedebat in muris Jerusalem, personabat, ut terreret eos, et caperet civitatem. 19 Locutusque est contra Deum Jerusalem, sicut adversum deos populorum terræ, opera manuum hominum. 20 Oraverunt igitur Ezechias rex, et Isaias filius Amos prophetes, adversum hanc blasphemiam, ac vociferati sunt usque in cælum. 21 Et misit Dominus angelum, qui percussit omnem virum robustum, et bellatorem, et principem exercitus regis Assyriorum: reversusque est cum ignominia in terram suam. Cumque ingressus esset domum dei sui, filii qui egressi fuerant de utero ejus interfecerunt eum gladio. 22 Salvavitque Dominus Ezechiam et habitatores Jerusalem de manu Sennacherib regis Assyriorum, et de manu omnium, et præstitit eis quietem per circuitum. 23 Multi etiam deferebant hostias et sacrificia Domino in Jerusalem, et munera Ezechiæ regi Juda: qui exaltatus est post hæc coram cunctis gentibus.
24 In diebus illis ægrotavit Ezechias usque ad mortem, et oravit Dominum: exaudivitque eum, et dedit ei signum. 25 Sed non juxta beneficia quæ acceperat, retribuit, quia elevatum est cor ejus: et facta est contra eum ira, et contra Judam et Jerusalem. 26 Humiliatusque est postea, eo quod exaltatum fuisset cor ejus, tam ipse quam habitatores Jerusalem: et idcirco non venit super eos ira Domini in diebus Ezechiæ. 27 Fuit autem Ezechias dives, et inclytus valde, et thesauros sibi plurimos congregavit argenti, et auri, et lapidis pretiosi, aromatum, et armorum universi generis, et vasorum magni pretii. 28 Apothecas quoque frumenti, vini, et olei, et præsepia omnium jumentorum, caulasque pecorum, 29 et urbes ædificavit sibi: habebat quippe greges ovium et armentorum innumerabiles, eo quod dedisset ei Dominus substantiam multam nimis. 30 Ipse est Ezechias, qui obturavit superiorem fontem aquarum Gihon, et avertit eas subter ad occidentem urbis David: in omnibus operibus suis fecit prospere quæ voluit. 31 Attamen in legatione principum Babylonis, qui missi fuerant ad eum ut interrogarent de portento quod acciderat super terram, dereliquit eum Deus ut tentaretur, et nota fierent omnia quæ erant in corde ejus. 32 Reliqua autem sermonum Ezechiæ, et misericordiarum ejus, scripta sunt in visione Isaiæ filii Amos prophetæ, et in libro regum Juda et Israël. 33 Dormivitque Ezechias cum patribus suis, et sepelierunt eum super sepulchra filiorum David: et celebravit ejus exequias universus Juda, et omnes habitatores Jerusalem: regnavitque Manasses filius ejus pro eo.
Transcribed as part of the Clementine Vulgate Project
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