1. Hezekiah was 25 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 29 years. His mother's name was Abijah. She was the daughter of Zechariah.
2. Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as King David had done.
3. In the first month of Hezekiah's first year as king, he opened the doors of the Lord's temple. He repaired them.
4. He brought the priests and Levites in. He gathered them together in the open area on the east side of the temple.
5. He said, "Levites, listen to me! Set yourselves apart to the Lord. Set apart the temple of the Lord. He's the God of your people. Remove anything that is 'unclean' from the temple.
6. Our people weren't faithful. They did what was evil in the sight of the Lord our God. They deserted him. They turned their faces away from the place where he lives. They turned their backs on him.
7. They also shut the doors of the temple porch. They put the lamps out. They didn't burn incense at the temple. They didn't sacrifice burnt offerings to the God of Israel there.