36 The people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in his father’s place in Jerusalem. 2 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 3 The king of Egypt prevented him from ruling in Jerusalem and imposed on the land a special tax[a] of 100 talents[b] of silver and a talent of gold. 4

20 After Josiah had done all this for the temple,[a] King Necho of Egypt marched up to do battle at Carchemish on the Euphrates River.[b] Josiah marched out to oppose him. 21 Necho[c] sent messengers to him, saying, “Why are you opposing me, O king of Judah?[d] I am not attacking you today, but the kingdom with which I am at war.[e] God told me to hurry. Stop opposing God, who is with me, or else he will destroy you.”[f]

35 Josiah observed a Passover festival for the Lord in Jerusalem. They slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2 He appointed the priests to fulfill their duties and encouraged them to carry out their service in the Lord’s temple.

8 In the eighteenth year of his reign, he continued his policy of purifying the land and the temple.[a] He sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the city official, and Joah son of Joahaz the secretary to repair the temple of the Lord his God. 9 They went to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the silver that had been brought to God’s temple. The Levites who guarded the door had collected it from the people of[b] Manasseh

10 The Lord confronted[a] Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. 11 So the Lord brought against them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria. They seized Manasseh, put hooks in his nose,[b] bound him with bronze chains, and carried him away to Babylon. 12 In his pain[c] Manasseh[d] asked the Lord his God for mercy[e] and truly[f] humbled himself before the God of his ancestors.[g]

33 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2 He did evil in the sight of[a] the Lord and committed the same horrible sins practiced by the nations[b] whom the Lord drove out ahead of the Israelites.

20 King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed about this and cried out to heaven. 21 The Lord sent a messenger[a] and he wiped out all the soldiers, princes, and officers in the army of the king of Assyria. So Sennacherib[b] returned home humiliated.[c] When he entered the temple of his god, some of his own sons[d] struck him down with the sword.

32 After these faithful deeds were accomplished, King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah. He besieged the fortified cities, intending to seize them.[a] 2 When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had invaded and intended to attack Jerusalem,[b] 3 he consulted with his advisers and military officers about stopping up the springs[c] outside the city, and they supported him.