They return, but not to the Most High. They are like a treacherous bow. Their rulers shall fall by the sword from the rage of their tongue. This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

Ephraim feeds on wind, and follows after the east wind; all the day he multiplies lies and ruin. And they make a covenant with Assyria, and oil is carried into Egypt.

He is a merchant; the scales of deceit are in his hand; he loves to oppress.

Nevertheless they deceived Him with their mouths, and they lied to Him with their tongues;

Therefore Jehovah said, Whereas this people draw near with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men;

He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has turned him aside, so that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is this not a lie in my right hand?

For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue has uttered perverseness.

No one calls for justice, nor does anyone plead for truth; they trust in vanity and speak lies. They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity.

For her rich ones are full of violence, and her inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

Israel, though you commit fornication, do not let Judah become guilty. And do not come to Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, nor swear, As Jehovah lives.

He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, chopped down the groves and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan.

For he clung to Jehovah; he did not turn aside from following after Him, but kept His commandments, which Jehovah had commanded Moses.

Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty- nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah.

In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of Jehovah and repaired them.

and said to them: Hear me, you Levites. Now consecrate yourselves, consecrate the house of Jehovah the God of your fathers, and carry out the filth from the holy place.

They have also shut up the doors of the porch, put out the lamps, and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel.

For behold, because of this our fathers have fallen by the sword; and our sons, our daughters, and our wives are in captivity.

Now my sons, do not be negligent, for Jehovah has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that you should serve Him and burn incense.

of the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeiel; of the sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah;

And they gathered their brethren, consecrated themselves, and went according to the commandment of the king, by the words of Jehovah, to cleanse the house of Jehovah.

And they began to consecrate on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they came to the porch of Jehovah. Then they consecrated the house of Jehovah in eight days, and by the sixteenth day of the first month they had finished.

Moreover all the articles which King Ahaz in his reign had cast aside in his unfaithfulness we have prepared and consecrated; and behold, they are before the altar of Jehovah.

And they brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats for a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he commanded the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of Jehovah.

Then they brought out the male goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them.

And he stationed the Levites in the house of Jehovah with cymbals, with lutes, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, of Gad the king's seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for thus was the commandment of Jehovah by the hand of his prophets.

And Hezekiah commanded them to offer the burnt offering on the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of Jehovah also began, with the trumpets and by the hand of the instruments of David, king of Israel.

And when they had finished offering, the king and all who were present with him bowed down and prostrated themselves.

Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now that you have confirmed your hands unto Jehovah, come near, and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of Jehovah. And the assembly brought in sacrifices and thank offerings, and as many as were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings.

And He said, Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have persevered with God and with men, and have prevailed.

Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

and has made us kings and priests to God, even His Father; to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign upon the earth.