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cut down the groves and the altars which had been erected to the abominations of the heathen.

Moreover, the king destroyed the altars and groves which Jeroboam, son of Nebat, had made, and the idolatrous priests of the high places, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the places where the altars had stood, that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled which he spake by the mouth of his prophet three hundred and sixty years before, when Josiah was named as the destroyer of idols.

And Josiah ordered that the people should strictly observe the passover, so that there was not holden such a passover "since the days of the Judges.'

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Death of Josiah, B.C. 610-Now Pharaoh Nechoh, king of Egypt, went up against Carchemish, a city of Assyria, and Josiah went out against him, and a battle was fought at Megiddo, where Josiah was slain; and Jehoahaz, his second son, reigned in his stead.

Jehoahaz, or Shallum, B.C. 610.-Jehoahaz reigned three months in Jerusalem, and did evil in the sight of the Lord, and Pharaoh-Nechoh put him in bands, or chains, and sent him to Egypt, and he died there, and he taxed the kingdom of Judah in an annual tribute of one hundred talents of silver, and one talent of gold, and made Eliakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah. And Pharaoh changed the name of the king of Judah from Eliakim to Jehoiakim.

Jehoiakim, B.c. 610.-Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem, doing evil in the sight of the Lord, as his fathers had done.

In his days, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came against Jerusalem and took it. Jehoiakim became. his servant three years, after which, in spite of the warning of Jeremiah the prophet, he rebelled, and the

country was grievously oppressed by bands of Chaldeans, Syrians, and others, until Jehoiakim died, and Jehoiachin, his son, reigned in his stead.

Daniel and his Friends, B.C. 606.-About this time it is supposed that the prophet Daniel was carried away captive, being then a youth; and from this time. the Babylonish captivity is usually dated.

Jehoiachin, B.C. 599. Jehoiachin, who is also called Jeconiah, reigned only three months, when Nebuchadnezzar came and besieged Jerusalem, and took it.

And he carried away the king and his mother, and all the chief of the people, prisoners to Babylon, and all the craftsmen and smiths, and left only the poorest of the land.

And Jeconiah was a captive in Babylon thirty-seven years, until the reign of Evil-Merodach, son and successor of Nebuchadnezzar. Moreover, Nebuchadnezzar carried away all the remaining gold and silver vessels out of the house of the Lord.

Zedekiah, B.C. 598.-After the deposition of Jehoiachin, Nebuchadnezzar made Mattaniah, the youngest son of Josiah, king of Judah, and changed his name to Zedekiah. This king did evil in the sight of the Lord; he revolted against the king of Babylon, who had placed him on the throne. In the seventh year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah, but turned aside to meet the king of Egypt.

Destruction of the Temple, B.C. 587. — In the eleventh year of the reign of Zedekiah, the Chaldeans came again to besiege Jerusalem. When the city surrendered, Zedekiah fled by night, but was taken prisoner at Jericho.

Nebuchadnezzar, in his rage, caused the children of Zedekiah to be slain in the presence of their father, whose eyes were afterwards put out, and he sent

Zedekiah in chains of brass to Babylon, where he died.

The walls of the city were demolished, and the temple plundered and burnt. The high priest, and many other men of note, were slain at Riblah, and all taken captive but a few of the poorer people, who were left to till the land.

Gedaliah.

Nebuchadnezzar made Gedaliah, the grandson of Shaphan the scribe, chief over the people that were left in the land, and Jeremiah, the prophet, remained with him. But soon after came Ishmael, one of the princes of the blood royal, with a band, and they slew Gedaliah and his friends, and the Chaldeans who were left in the land.

Flight into Egypt.-Then the remnant of the people, being in great fear of the Chaldeans, fled away into Egypt, and thus ended the kingdom of Judah, which had lasted three hundred and eighty-eight years, from the ascent of Rehoboam, the son of Solomon.

EXERCISES ON CHAPTER XXIX.

What discovery was made in Josiah's reign?

Where was it found? What did Josiah do with the book of the law? And with the idols ?

Against what kings did Josiah make war? What was the result? Who succeeded Josiah ?

By whom was he imprisoned? Where?

Who was made king in his place? What

name was given to

him? Who next invaded Palestine ? With what result?

What other kings reigned in Judah?
What became of Zedekiah?
Who were slain at Riblah?
What happened to Gedaliah?
What was the date of this captivity of Judah?

Who were taken to Babylon?
Who was set over Palestine?

B.C. 588.

CHAPTER XXX.

THE FIRST BOOK OF CHRONICLES.

THE Books of the Chronicles of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel form only one in the Jewish sacred writings, and were called the "Words of the days." In the Septuagint they are called the "books of things omitted."

They are believed to have been composed by Ezra from national records after the return from the Babylonish captivity, B.C. 536.

There is necessarily much repetition of what had been said in the Books of Samuel and of Kings, but it is a great advantage to read these books together, as they are illustrative of each other, as well as supplementary.

The first nine chapters contain genealogical tables from Adam to Ezra, by which the descent of our Saviour from Abraham may be clearly shown.

The remaining twenty chapters contain an abstract of the reign of Saul, and many particulars of the reign of David, until his death.

Death of Saul, B.c. 1056.-In addition to the particulars of Saul's death narrated in 1 Samuel, xxxi., we learn from the tenth chapter of this book, that Saul "died for his transgression," and that he had sinned in asking questions of one that had a familiar spirit, when he did not enquire of the Lord.

Joab, son of Zeruiah, chap. xi.—And David said, 66 Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first, shall be chief and captain." So Joab, the son of Zeruiah, went first up, and was chief.

The Water of Bethlehem.-Now while David was yet in the hold, and the garrison of the Philistines

was yet in Bethlehem, David said, "O that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem that is at the gate."

Then three of the mighty men of David brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, and brought it to David; but he would not drink it, but poured it out unto the Lord, for he said, "My God forbid it me, that I should do this thing; shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy ?" Therefore he would not drink it.

Chapter xii. contains a description of those who gathered round David while an exile from Israel in the time of Saul, of their being armed with bows and slings, which they could use with both hands; also of those who united to make him king in Hebron.

David desires to build a temple.-And as David sat in his house, he said to Nathan the prophet," Lo' I dwell in a house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord remaineth under curtains." And Nathan said, "Do all that is in thine heart, for God is with thee."

But the same night the Lord appeared to Nathan, and said, "Go, tell David, my servant, thus saith the Lord: Thou shalt not build me a house, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood."

Nevertheless, the Lord promised David that he would build up his house, and that one of his family should reign after him, and build a house unto the Lord. And David praised the Lord for his goodness.

Hadarezer.-The remaining chapters of this book relate-1, How David smote Hadarezer, king of Zobah, and the Syrians who came to help them, and took from them shields of gold, and abundance of brass (copper), which he dedicated to God, and stored up until the building of the temple.

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