When _Manasses_ [1] set up a carved image in the house of the Lord, and
built altars in the two courts of the house, to all the host of Heaven, and
us'd inchantments and witchcraft, and familiar spirits, and for his great
wickedness was invaded by the army of _Asserhadon_ King of _Assyria_, and
carried captive to _Babylon_; the book of the Law was lost till the
eighteenth year of his grandson _Josiah_. Then [2] _Hilkiah_ the High
Priest, upon repairing the Temple, found it there: and the King lamented
that their fathers had not done after the words of the book, and commanded
that it should be read to the people, and caused the people to renew the
holy covenant with God. This is the book of the Law now extant.

When [3] _Shishak_ came out of _Egypt_ and spoil'd the temple, and brought
_Judah_ into subjection to the monarchy of _Egypt_, (which was in the fifth
year of _Rehoboam_) the _Jews_ continued under great troubles for about
twenty years; being _without the true God, and without a teaching Priest,
and without Law: and in those times there was no peace to him that went
out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the
inhabitants of the countries, and nation was destroyed of nation, and city
of city, for God did vex them with all adversity_. But [4] when _Shishak_
was dead, and _Egypt_ fell into troubles, _Judah_ had quiet ten years; and
in that time _Asa_ built fenced cities in _Judah_, and got up an army of
580000 men, with which, in the 15th year of his reign, he met and overcame
_Zerah_ the _Ethiopian_, who had conquered _Egypt_ and _Lybia_, and
_Troglodytica_, and came out with an army of 1000000 _Lybians_ and
_Ethiopians_, to recover the countries conquered by _Sesac_. And after this
victory [5] _Asa_ dethroned his mother for idolatry, and he renewed the
Altar, and brought new vessels of gold and silver into the Temple; and he
and the people entered into a new covenant to seek the Lord God of their
fathers, upon pain of death to those who worshiped other Gods; and his son
_Jehosaphat_ took away the high places, and in the third year of his reign