Bible in 90 Days

Pekah King of Israel

²⁷ Pekah son of Remaliah became king over Israel in Samaria during Uzziah’s [^Calso called Azariah] fifty-second year as king of Judah. Pekah ·ruled [reigned] twenty years, ²⁸ and he did ·what the Lord said was wrong [^Levil in the eyes/sight of the Lord]. Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to sin, and Pekah did not ·stop doing [depart/turn away from] the same sins.

²⁹ Tiglath-pileser [^Calso called Pul; 15:19] was king of Assyria. He attacked while Pekah was king of Israel, capturing the cities of Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, and Hazor. He also captured Gilead and Galilee and all the land of Naphtali and carried the people away to Assyria as captives. ³⁰ Then Hoshea son of Elah ·made plans [conspired; plotted] against Pekah son of Remaliah and attacked and ·killed [assassinated] him. Then Hoshea became king in Pekah’s place during the twentieth year Jotham son of Uzziah was king.

³¹ Everything else Pekah did ·is [^Lis it not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; 1:18] of the kings of Israel.

Jotham King of Judah^(A)

³² Jotham son of Uzziah became king of Judah during the second year Pekah son of Remaliah was king of Israel. ³³ Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ·ruled [reigned] sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. ³⁴ Jotham did ·what the Lord said was right [^Lright in the eyes/sight of the Lord], just as his father Uzziah had done. ³⁵ But the ·places where gods were worshiped [^Lhigh places; 12:3] were not removed, and the people still made sacrifices and burned incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord.

³⁶ The other things Jotham did while he was king ·are [^Lare they not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; 1:18] of the kings of Judah. ³⁷ At that time the Lord began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah. ³⁸ Jotham ·died [^Llay down/^Tslept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried with his ·ancestors [fathers] in the City of David [^CJerusalem], his ·ancestor [father]. Then Jotham’s son Ahaz became king in his place.

Ahaz King of Judah^(B)

16 Ahaz was the son of Jotham king of Judah. Ahaz became king of Judah in the seventeenth year Pekah son of Remaliah was king of Israel. ² Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he ·ruled [reigned] sixteen years in Jerusalem. Unlike his ·ancestor [father] David, he did not do ·what the Lord his God said was right [right in the eyes/sight of the Lord his God]. ³ Ahaz ·did the same things the kings of Israel had done [^Lwalked in the way/path of the kings of Israel]. He even ·made his son pass through fire [sacrificed his son in the fire; ^Ca reference to human sacrifice]. He did the same ·hateful sins [detestable/abominable practices] as the nations had done whom the Lord had ·forced [driven] out of the land ahead of the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel]. ⁴ Ahaz offered sacrifices and burned incense at the ·places where gods were worshiped [^Lhigh places: 12:3], on the hills, and under every ·green [spreading] tree.

⁵ Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah, the king of Israel, came up to attack Jerusalem. They ·surrounded [besieged] Ahaz but could not ·defeat [conquer; overpower] him. ⁶ At that time Rezin king of Aram ·took back [recovered] the city of Elath for Aram, and he forced out all the people of Judah. Then ·Edomites [Arameans] moved into Elath, and they still live there today.

⁷ Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your ·friend [vassal; ^Lson]. Come and ·save [rescue; ^Tdeliver] me from the hand of the king of Aram and the king of Israel, who are attacking me.” ⁸ Ahaz took the silver and gold that was in the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord and in the treasuries of the ·palace [^Lking’s house], and he sent these as a gift to the king of Assyria. ⁹ So the king of Assyria listened to Ahaz. He attacked Damascus and captured it and ·sent all [exiled; deported] its people away to Kir. And he killed Rezin.

¹⁰ Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria. Ahaz saw an altar at Damascus, and he sent ·plans [a model] and a ·pattern [detailed plan] of this altar to Uriah the priest. ¹¹ So Uriah the priest built an altar, just like the plans King Ahaz had sent him from Damascus. Uriah finished the altar before King Ahaz came back from Damascus. ¹² When the king arrived from Damascus, he saw the altar and went ·near [up to it/onto it] and offered sacrifices on it [^Cthe building of this altar was an act of apostasy]. ¹³ He ·burned [offered; presented] his burnt offerings and grain offerings and poured out his drink offering. He also sprinkled the blood of his ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [Lev. 3:1] on the altar.

¹⁴ Ahaz moved the bronze altar that was previously before the Lord at the front of the ·Temple [^Lhouse]. It was between Ahaz’s altar [^Cthe new one] and the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord [^Cthe Temple entrance], but he put it on the north side of his altar. ¹⁵ King Ahaz commanded Uriah the priest, “On the ·large [great; ^Cthe new one] altar ·burn [offer; present] the morning burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17], the evening grain offering, the king’s burnt offering and ·grain [^Lgift; tribute] offering [Lev. 2:1], and the whole burnt offering, the ·grain [^Lgift; tribute] offering, and the drink offering for all the people of the land. Sprinkle on the altar all the blood of the burnt offering and of the sacrifice. But I will use the bronze altar to ·ask questions [inquire] of God.” ¹⁶ So Uriah the priest did everything as King Ahaz commanded him.

¹⁷ Then King Ahaz ·took [cut] off the side panels from the bases and removed the ·washing bowls [basins] from the top of the ·bases [movable stands; portable water carts]. He also took the large bowl, which was called the Sea, off the bronze ·bulls [oxen] that held it up, and he put it on ·a [the] stone ·base [pavement; pediment]. ¹⁸ Ahaz took away the ·platform [dais; or canopy; covered portal] for the royal throne, which had been built at the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. He also took away the outside entrance for the king. He did these things because of the king of Assyria [^Cto show deference and submission].

¹⁹ The other things Ahaz did as king ·are [^Lare they not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; 1:18] of the kings of Judah. ²⁰ Ahaz ·died [^Llay down/^Tslept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried with his ·ancestors [fathers] in the City of David [^CJerusalem], and Ahaz’s son Hezekiah ·became king [reigned] in his place.

Hoshea, Last King of Israel

17 Hoshea son of Elah became king over Israel during Ahaz’s twelfth year as king of Judah. Hoshea ·ruled [reigned] in Samaria nine years. ² He did ·what the Lord said was wrong [^Levil in the eyes/sight of the Lord], but ·he was not as bad as [not like] the kings of Israel who had ·ruled [reigned] before him.

³ Shalmaneser king of Assyria came to attack Hoshea. Hoshea had been Shalmaneser’s ·servant [vassal] and had ·made the payments to Shal-maneser that he had demanded [paid him tribute]. ⁴ But the king of Assyria found that Hoshea had betrayed him. Hoshea had ·made plans [conspired; plotted] against him by sending messengers to So, the king of Egypt. Hoshea had also ·stopped giving Shalmaneser the payments [offered no tribute to the king of Assyria], which he had paid every year in the past. For that, the king of Assyria put Hoshea in prison. ⁵ Then the king of Assyria ·came and attacked [invaded] all the land of Israel. He ·surrounded [besieged] Samaria for three years. ⁶ He ·defeated [captured] Samaria in the ninth year Hoshea was king, and he ·took [carried; exiled; deported] the Israelites away to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes.

Israelites Punished for Sin

⁷ All these things happened because the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel] had sinned against the Lord their God. He had brought them out of Egypt and had rescued them from the ·power [^Lhand] of Pharaoh the king of Egypt [Ex. 20:2], but ·the Israelites [^Lthey] had ·honored [revered; feared] other gods [Deut. 29:26]. ⁸ They ·lived like [followed/^Lwalked in the practices of] the nations the Lord had ·forced [driven] out of the land ahead of them. They lived as their evil kings had shown them, ⁹ secretly ·sinning [doing things that were not right] against the Lord their God. They ·built [set up] ·places to worship gods [^Lhigh places; 12:3] in all their cities, from the watchtower to the ·strong, walled [fortified] city. ¹⁰ They put up ·stone [sacred] pillars to gods and Asherah ·idols [poles; ^Ca sacred tree or pole dedicated to the goddess Asherah; 13:6; 1 Kin. 14:15] on every high hill and under every ·green [spreading] tree. ¹¹ The Israelites burned incense ·everywhere gods were worshiped [^Lon all the high places; 12:3], just as the nations who lived there before them had done, whom the Lord had ·forced [driven] out of the land. The Israelites did ·wicked [evil] things that ·made the Lord angry [aroused/provoked the Lord’s anger]. ¹² They served idols when the Lord had said, “You must not do this.” ¹³ The Lord used every prophet and seer to warn Israel and Judah. He said, “·Stop [Turn from] your evil ways and ·obey [keep; observe] my commands and laws. Follow all the ·teachings [law; ^Ltorah] that I commanded your ·ancestors [fathers], the ·teachings [law; ^Ltorah] that I gave you through my servants the prophets.”

¹⁴ But the people would not listen. They were ·stubborn [^Lstiff-necked], just as their ·ancestors [fathers] had been who did not ·believe [trust; have faith] in the Lord their God. ¹⁵ They rejected the Lord’s laws and the ·agreement [covenant; treaty] he had ·made [^Lcut] with their ·ancestors [fathers]. And they refused to listen to his warnings [Deut. 12:30–31]. They worshiped ·useless [worthless; futile; vain] idols and became ·useless [worthless; futile; vain] themselves [1 Sam. 12:21]. They did what the nations around them did, which the Lord had ·warned [commanded; ordered] them not to do [Lev. 18:3, 24–28].

¹⁶ The people ·rejected [forsook] all the commands of the Lord their God. They molded ·statues [cast images] of two calves [1 Kin. 12:28–30], and they made an Asherah ·idol [pole; ^Ca sacred tree or pole dedicated to the goddess Asherah; 13:6; Deut. 16:21]. They worshiped all the ·stars of the sky [forces/hosts of heaven; Deut. 4:19] and served Baal. ¹⁷ They ·made their sons and daughters pass through [sacrificed their sons and daughters in the] fire [16:3; 21:6; Deut. 12:31] and tried to find out the future by magic and witchcraft [1 Sam 15:23]. They always chose to do ·what the Lord said was wrong [evil in the eyes/sight of the Lord], which ·made him angry [aroused/provoked him to anger]. ¹⁸ Because he was very angry with the people of Israel, he removed them from his ·presence [sight]. Only the tribe of Judah was left.

Judah Is Also Guilty

¹⁹ ·But even [Also] Judah did not ·obey [keep; observe] the commands of the Lord their God. They ·did what [followed/^Lwalked in the practices] the Israelites had done, ²⁰ so the Lord rejected all the ·people [descendants] of Israel. He ·punished [afflicted] them and ·let others destroy them [handed them over to plunderers/marauders]; he ·threw [banished; thrust] them out of his ·presence [sight]. ²¹ When the Lord ·separated [tore; ripped] them from the ·family [^Lhouse] of David, the Israelites made Jeroboam son of Nebat their king. Jeroboam ·led [drew; enticed] the Israelites away from the Lord and led them to sin greatly [1 Kin. 13:33–34]. ²² So they ·continued to do [persisted; ^Lwalked in] all the sins Jeroboam did. They did not ·stop doing [depart/turn away from] these sins ²³ until the Lord removed the Israelites from his ·presence [sight], just as he had ·said [warned; 14:15–16; 1 Kin. 9:7] through all his servants the prophets. So the Israelites were ·taken out of [carried into exile/deported from] their land to Assyria, and they have been there to this day.

The Beginning of the Samaritan People

²⁴ The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and ·put [settled] them in the cities of Samaria to replace the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel]. These people took ·over [possession of] Samaria and lived in the cities. ²⁵ At first they did not ·worship [revere; fear] the Lord, so he sent lions among them which killed some of them. ²⁶ The king of Assyria was told, “You ·sent foreigners [deported/exiled/carried nations] into the cities of Samaria who do not know the ·law [custom] of the god of the land. This is why he has sent lions among them. The lions are killing them because they don’t know ·what the god wants [^Lthe law/custom of the god of the land].”

²⁷ Then the king of Assyria commanded, “Send back one of the priests you ·took away [carried into exile; deported]. Let him live there and teach the people ·what the god wants [^Lthe law/custom of the god of the land].” ²⁸ So one of the priests who had been carried ·away [into exile] from Samaria returned to live ·in [at] Bethel. And he taught the people how to ·honor [revere; fear] the Lord.

²⁹ But each nation made gods of its own and put them in the cities where they lived and in the ·temples [^Lhouses] ·where gods were worshiped [^Lof the high places; 12:3]. These ·temples [^Lhouses] had been built by the Samaritans. ³⁰ The people from Babylon made Succoth Benoth their god. The people from Cuthah ·worshiped [made] Nergal. The people of Hamath ·worshiped [made] Ashima. ³¹ The Avvites ·worshiped [made] Nibhaz and Tartak. The Sepharvites burned their children in the fire, sacrificing them to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. ³² They also ·honored [revered; feared] the Lord, but they chose priests for the ·places where gods were worshiped [^Lhigh places; 12:3]. The priests were chosen from among themselves, and they ·made sacrifices [^Lofficiated at the temple/houses of the high places] for the people. ³³ The people ·honored [revered; feared] the Lord but also ·served [followed] their own gods, ·just as [^Lin accordance with the customs of] the nations ·did from which they had been brought [from which they had been exiled]. ³⁴ Even today they ·do as they did in the past [practice their former customs]. They do not ·worship [revere; fear] the Lord nor obey his ·rules [statutes; ordinances; requirements] and commands. They do not ·obey [worship nor observe] the ·teachings [law; ^Ltorah] or the commands of the Lord, which he gave to the ·children [descendants] of Jacob, whom he had named Israel [Gen. 32:28]. ³⁵ The Lord had made an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with them and had commanded them, “Do not ·honor [revere; fear] other gods. Do not bow down to them or ·worship [serve] them or offer sacrifices to them. ³⁶ ·Worship [Revere; Fear] the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and ·strength [^Lan outstretched arm]. Bow down to him and offer sacrifices to him. ³⁷ Always obey the rules, orders, ·teachings [law; ^Ltorah], and commands he wrote for you. Do not ·honor [revere; fear] other gods. ³⁸ Do not forget the ·agreement [covenant; treaty] I made with you, and do not ·honor [revere; fear] other gods. ³⁹ Instead ·worship [revere; fear] the Lord your God, who will ·save [rescue; ^Tdeliver] you from all your enemies.”

⁴⁰ But the Israelites did not listen. They ·kept on doing the same things they had done before [continued in their former practices/custom]. ⁴¹ So these nations ·honored [revered; feared] the Lord but also ·worshiped [served] their idols, and their children and grandchildren still do as their ·ancestors [fathers] did.

Hezekiah King of Judah^(C)

18 Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah became king during the third year Hoshea son of Elah was king of Israel. ² Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ·ruled [reigned] twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was ·Abijah [^LAbi; in 2 Chr. 29:1 she is called Abijah] daughter of Zechariah. ³ Hezekiah did ·what the Lord said was right [^Lright in the eyes/sight of the Lord], just as his ·ancestor [father] David had done. ⁴ He removed the ·places where gods were worshiped [^Lhigh places; 12:3]. He smashed the stone pillars and ·cut down [smashed; broke] the Asherah ·idols [poles; ^Ca sacred tree or pole dedicated to the goddess Asherah; 13:6]. Also the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel] had been burning incense to Nehushtan, the bronze ·snake [serpent] Moses had made [Num. 21:9]. But Hezekiah broke it into pieces.

⁵ Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. ⁶ Hezekiah ·was loyal [clung; held fast; remained faithful/devoted] to the Lord and did not ·stop [depart from] following him; he ·obeyed [kept] the commands the Lord had given Moses. ⁷ And the Lord was with Hezekiah, so he ·had success [prospered] in everything he did. He ·turned [rebelled] against the king of Assyria and stopped serving him [^Cstopped paying tribute]. ⁸ Hezekiah defeated the Philistines ·all the way to [as far as] Gaza and its ·borders [territory], ·including [from] the watchtowers and the ·strong, walled [fortified] cities.

The Assyrians Capture Samaria^(D)

⁹ Shalmaneser king of Assyria surrounded Samaria and ·attacked [besieged] it in the fourth year Hezekiah was king. This was the seventh year Hoshea son of Elah was king of Israel. ¹⁰ After three years the Assyrians captured Samaria. This was in the sixth year Hezekiah was king, which was Hoshea’s ninth year as king of Israel. ¹¹ The king of Assyria ·took [carried] the Israelites away to Assyria and settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes. ¹² This happened because they did not obey the voice of the Lord their God. They broke his ·agreement [covenant; treaty] and did not obey all that Moses, the Lord’s servant, had commanded. They would not listen to the commands or do them.

Assyria Attacks Judah^(E)

¹³ During Hezekiah’s fourteenth year as king, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the ·strong, walled [fortified] cities of Judah and captured them. ¹⁴ Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent a message to the king of Assyria at Lachish. He said, “I have done wrong. ·Leave me alone [Withdraw from me], and I will ·pay [bear] anything you ·ask [impose].” So the king of Assyria made Hezekiah pay ·about twenty-two thousand pounds [^Lthree hundred talents] of silver and ·two thousand pounds [^Lthirty talents] of gold. ¹⁵ Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was in the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord and in the ·palace [^Lking’s house] treasuries. ¹⁶ Hezekiah stripped all the gold that covered the doors and doorposts of the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. Hezekiah had ·put [overlaid] gold on these doors himself, but he gave it all to the king of Assyria.

¹⁷ The king of Assyria sent out his supreme commander, his chief officer, and his field commander. They went with a large army from Lachish to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. When they came near the ·waterway [aqueduct; conduit] from the upper pool on the road ·where people do their laundry [to the Fuller’s Field], they stopped. ¹⁸ They called for the king, so the king sent Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah out to meet them. Eliakim son of Hilkiah was the ·palace [^Lking’s house] manager, Shebna was the royal secretary, and Joah son of Asaph was the ·recorder [royal historian].

¹⁹ The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah this:

“‘The great king, the king of Assyria, says: ·What can you trust in now [On what do you base your confidence; Where does this confidence come from]? ²⁰ You say you have ·battle plans [strategy; counsel] and ·power [strength] for war, but your words ·mean nothing [are empty]. Whom are you ·trusting [relying/counting on] for help so that you ·turn [rebel] against me? ²¹ Look, you are depending on Egypt to help you, but Egypt is like a ·splintered [broken] ·walking stick [reed]. If you lean on it for help, it will stab your hand and ·hurt [pierce] you. So it will be with the king of Egypt for all those who depend on him. ²² You might say, “We are depending on the Lord our God,” but ·Hezekiah [^Ldid not Hezekiah…?] destroyed the Lord’s altars and ·the places of worship [^Lhigh places; 12:3]. Hezekiah told Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship only at this one altar in Jerusalem.”

²³ “‘Now make an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with my ·master [lord], the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses if you can find enough men to ride them [^Ca taunt that Judah’s army was small]. ²⁴ You cannot ·defeat [repel] one of my ·master’s [lord’s] least important officers, so why do you depend on Egypt to give you chariots and ·horsemen [charioteers]? ²⁵ ·I have not [^LDo you think I have…?] come to attack and destroy this place without ·an order from the Lord [^Lthe Lord]. The Lord himself told me to come ·to [against] this country and destroy it.’”

²⁶ Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebna, and Joah said to the field commander, “Please speak to us in the Aramaic language. We understand it. Don’t speak to us in ·Hebrew [Judean], because the people on the city wall can hear you.”

²⁷ “No,” the commander said, “my ·master [lord] did not send me to tell these ·things [words] only to your ·master [lord] and you. He sent me to speak also to those people sitting on the wall who, like you, will have to eat their own dung and drink their own urine.”

²⁸ Then the commander stood and shouted loudly in ·the Hebrew language [Judean], “·Listen to what [^LHear the word of] the great king, the king of Assyria, says! ²⁹ The king says you should not let Hezekiah ·fool [deceive; delude] you, because he can’t ·save [rescue; ^Tdeliver] you from my ·power [^Lhand]. ³⁰ Don’t let Hezekiah ·talk [persuade] you into trusting the Lord by saying, ‘The Lord will surely ·save [rescue; ^Tdeliver] us. This city won’t be handed over to the king of Assyria.’

³¹ “Don’t listen to Hezekiah. The king of Assyria says, ‘Make peace with me, and come out of the city to me. Then everyone will be free to eat the fruit from his own grapevine and fig tree and to drink water from his own well. ³² After that I will come and take you to a land like your own—a land with grain and new wine, bread and vineyards, olives, and honey. Choose to live and not to die [^Ca promise that if they gave up, their resettlement would be pleasant]!’

“Don’t listen to Hezekiah. He is ·fooling [misleading] you when he says, ‘The Lord will ·save [rescue; ^Tdeliver] us.’ ³³ Has a god of any other nation ·saved [rescued; ^Tdelivered] his people from the ·power [^Lhand] of the king of Assyria? ³⁴ Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? They did not ·save [rescue; ^Tdeliver] Samaria from my power. ³⁵ Not one of all the gods of these countries has ·saved [rescued; ^Tdelivered] his people from me. Neither can the Lord ·save [rescue; ^Tdeliver] Jerusalem from my ·power [^Lhand].”

³⁶ The people were silent. They didn’t answer the commander at all, because King Hezekiah had ordered, “Don’t answer him.”

³⁷ Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah tore their clothes [^Ca sign of mourning or distress]. (Eliakim son of Hilkiah was the ·palace [king’s house] manager, Shebna was the royal secretary, and Joah son of Asaph was the ·recorder [royal historian].) The three men went to Hezekiah and told him what the field commander had said.

Jerusalem Will Be Saved^(F)

19 When King Hezekiah heard the message, he tore his clothes [^Ca sign of mourning or distress] and put on ·rough cloth [sackcloth; burlap; ^Calso a sign of mourning]. Then he went into the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. ² Hezekiah sent Eliakim, the ·palace [^Lking’s house] manager, and Shebna, the royal secretary, and the ·older [or elders of the] priests to Isaiah. They were all wearing ·rough cloth [sackcloth; burlap] when they came to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. ³ They told Isaiah, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of ·sorrow [distress; trouble] and ·punishment [insults, rebuke] and ·disgrace [rejection], as when a child ·should [is ready to] be born, but the mother is not strong enough to give birth to it. ⁴ The king of Assyria sent his field commander to ·make fun of [defy; ridicule; insult] the living God. Maybe the Lord your God will hear what the commander said and will ·punish [rebuke] him for it. So pray for the ·few of us who are left alive [remnant that is left].”

⁵ When Hezekiah’s ·officers [officials] came to Isaiah, ⁶ he said to them, “Tell your ·master [lord] this: ·The Lord says [^TThus says the Lord], ‘Don’t be afraid of what you have heard. Don’t be frightened by the words the servants of the king of Assyria have ·spoken [used to blaspheme] against me. ⁷ Listen! I am going to put a spirit in the king of Assyria. He will hear a ·report [rumor; message] that will make him return to his own country, and I will cause him to ·die [^Lfall] by the sword there.’”

⁸ The field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish. When he went back, he found the king fighting against the city of Libnah.

⁹ The king received a report that Tirhakah, the Cushite king of ·Egypt [^LCush; ^Cpresent-day Ethiopia], was coming to attack him. When the king of Assyria heard this, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, ¹⁰ “Tell Hezekiah king of Judah: Don’t be ·fooled [deceived; deluded] by the god you trust. Don’t believe him when he says Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria. ¹¹ You ·have heard [know] what the kings of Assyria have done. They have completely defeated every country, so do ·not [^Lyou…?] think you will be ·saved [rescued; ^Tdelivered]. ¹² Did the gods of those ·people [nations] ·save [rescue; ^Tdeliver] them? My ·ancestors [fathers] destroyed them, defeating the cities of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and the people of Eden living in Tel Assar. ¹³ Where are the kings of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the kings of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?”

Hezekiah Prays to the Lord

¹⁴ ·When [After] Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it, he went up to the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. He spread the letter out before the Lord ¹⁵ and prayed ·to [before] the Lord: “Lord, God of Israel, whose throne is ·between [above] the ·gold creatures with wings [^Lcherubim; Ex. 37:7], ·only you [you alone] are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth. ¹⁶ ·Hear [^LExtend/Incline your ear], Lord, and listen. Open your eyes, Lord, and see. Listen to the words Sennacherib has said to ·insult [defy; ridicule; mock] the living God. ¹⁷ It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have ·destroyed [devastated; laid waste to] these ·countries [nations] and their lands. ¹⁸ They have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire, ·but [for] they were not gods at all but only wood and rock statues that people made. So the kings have destroyed them. ¹⁹ Now, Lord our God, ·save [rescue; ^Tdeliver] us from the king’s ·power [^Lhand] so that all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you, Lord, ·are the only [alone are] God.”

God Answers Hezekiah

²⁰ Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah that said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer to me about Sennacherib king of Assyria. ²¹ This is ·what [^Lthe word] the Lord has said against Sennacherib:

²⁹ “Then the Lord said, ‘Hezekiah, I will give you this sign:

³² “So this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria:

The Angel of Death^(G)

³⁵ That night the ·angel [messenger] of the Lord went out and killed one hundred eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up early the next morning, they saw all the dead bodies. ³⁶ So Sennacherib king of Assyria left and went back to Nineveh and stayed there.

³⁷ One day as Sennacherib was worshiping in the ·temple [^Lhouse] of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with a sword. Then they escaped to the land of Ararat. So Sennacherib’s son Esarhaddon became king of Assyria.

Hezekiah’s Illness^(H)

20 At that time Hezekiah became so sick he ·almost died [was about to die]. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to see him and told him, “·This is what the Lord says [^TThus says the Lord]: ·Make arrangements [^LSet your house in order] because you are going to die. You will not recover.”

² Hezekiah turned toward the wall and prayed to the Lord, ³ “Lord, please remember that I have always ·obeyed [^Lwalked before] you. I have ·given myself completely to you [served you wholeheartedly] and have done ·what you said was right [^Lright in the eyes/sight of the Lord].” Then Hezekiah ·cried loudly [wept bitterly].

⁴ Before Isaiah had left the middle courtyard, the Lord spoke his word to Isaiah: ⁵ “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ·leader [ruler; prince] of my people: ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your ·ancestor [father] David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears, so I will heal you. Three days from now you will go up to the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. ⁶ I will add fifteen years to your life. I will ·save [rescue; ^Tdeliver] you and this city from [^Lthe hand of] the king of Assyria; I will ·protect [defend] the city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’”

⁷ Then Isaiah said, “Make a ·paste [ointment; poultice] from figs.” So they made it and put it on Hezekiah’s boil, and he got well.

⁸ Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the Lord will heal me and that I will go up to the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord on the third day?”

⁹ Isaiah said, “The Lord will do what he ·says [promises]. This is the sign from the Lord to show you: Do you want the shadow to go forward ten steps or back ten steps?”

¹⁰ Hezekiah answered, “It’s ·easy [normal] for the shadow to ·go forward [lengthen] ten steps. Instead, let it go back ten steps.”

¹¹ Then Isaiah the prophet called to the Lord, and the Lord brought the shadow ten steps back up the ·stairway [or dial; ^Cthe shadows moved either on outside stairs or on a sundial] of Ahaz that it had gone down.

Messengers from Babylon^(I)

¹² At that time Merodach-baladan son of Baladan was king of Babylon. He sent ·letters [greetings] and a gift to Hezekiah, because he had heard that Hezekiah ·was [had been] sick. ¹³ Hezekiah ·listened to [received] the messengers, ·so [and] he showed them what was in his storehouses: the silver, gold, spices, ·expensive perfumes [precious oils], his ·swords and shields [armory], and all his ·wealth [treasures]. He showed them everything in his ·palace [^Lhouse] and his kingdom.

¹⁴ Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked him, “What did these men say? Where did they come from?”

Hezekiah said, “They came from a faraway country—from Babylon.”

¹⁵ So Isaiah asked him, “What did they see in your ·palace [^Lhouse]?”

Hezekiah said, “They saw everything in my ·palace [^Lhouse]. I showed them all my ·wealth [^Ltreasuries; store houses].”

¹⁶ Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Listen to the words of the Lord: ¹⁷ ‘·In the future to you [The time/day is coming when] everything in your ·palace [^Lhouse] and everything your ·ancestors [fathers] have stored up until this day will be ·taken away [carried off] to Babylon. Nothing will be left,’ says the Lord. ¹⁸ ‘Some of your own ·children [sons], those ·who will be born to you [you will father], will be taken away. And they will become ·servants [eunuchs] in the palace of the king of Babylon.’”

¹⁹ Hezekiah told Isaiah, “These words from the Lord that you have spoken are good.” He said this because he thought, “Why not? There will be peace and security in my lifetime.”

²⁰ Everything else Hezekiah did—all his ·victories [achievements; power], his work on the pool, his work on the tunnel to bring water into the city—·is [^Lis it not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; 1:18] of the kings of Judah. ²¹ Then Hezekiah ·died [^Llay down/^Tslept with his fathers/ancestors], and his son Manasseh became king in his place.

Manasseh King of Judah^(J)

21 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he ·was king [reigned] fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. ² He did ·what the Lord said was wrong [^Levil in the eyes/sight of the Lord]. He did the ·hateful things [detestable/abominable practices] the other nations had done—the nations that the Lord had ·forced [driven] out of the land ahead of the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel]. ³ Manasseh’s father, Hezekiah, had destroyed the ·places where gods were worshiped [^Lhigh places; 12:3], but Manasseh rebuilt them. He built altars for Baal, and he made an Asherah ·idol [pole; ^Ca sacred tree or pole dedicated to the goddess Asherah; 13:6] as Ahab king of Israel had done. Manasseh also worshiped all the ·stars of the sky [hosts of heaven] and served them. ⁴ The Lord had said about the ·Temple [^Lhouse], “I will ·be worshiped [^Lput my name] in Jerusalem,” but Manasseh built altars [^Cpagan] in the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. ⁵ He built altars to worship the ·stars [hosts of heaven] in the two courtyards of the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. ⁶ He ·made his own son pass through fire [sacrificed his son in the fire; 16:3]. He practiced ·magic [sorcery; soothsaying] and ·told the future by explaining signs and dreams [divination], and he ·got advice from [consulted] mediums and ·fortune-tellers [psychics; spiritualists]. He did ·many things the Lord said were wrong [^Lmuch evil in the eyes/sight of the Lord], which ·made the Lord angry [aroused/provoked the Lord to anger].

⁷ Manasseh carved an Asherah ·idol [pole; ^Ca sacred tree or pole dedicated to the goddess Asherah; 13:6] and put it in the ·Temple [^Lhouse]. The Lord had said to David and his son Solomon about the ·Temple [^Lhouse], “I will ·be worshiped [^Lput my name] forever in this ·Temple [^Lhouse] and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel. ⁸ I will never again make the ·Israelites [^Lfeet of Israel to] wander out of the land I gave their ·ancestors [fathers]. But they must ·obey [observe; do] everything I have commanded them and all the ·teachings [law; ^Ltorah] my servant Moses gave them.” ⁹ But the people did not listen. Manasseh led them to do more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed ahead of the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel].

¹⁰ The Lord said through his servants the prophets, ¹¹ “Manasseh king of Judah has done these ·hateful things [detestable/abominable practices]. He has done more ·evil [wickedness] than the Amorites before him. He also has led Judah to sin with his idols. ¹² So this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will bring ·so much trouble [such disaster/calamity] on Jerusalem and Judah that anyone who hears about it will ·be shocked [^Lhave tingling ears]. ¹³ I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line used for Samaria , and the plumb line used against Ahab’s ·family [^Lhouse] will be used on Jerusalem. I will wipe out Jerusalem as a person wipes a dish and turns it upside down. ¹⁴ I will ·throw away the rest of my people who are left [abandon/forsake/reject the remnant of my inheritance/heritage]. I will ·give them [hand them over; deliver them] to their enemies, and they will be ·robbed by all [the plunder and spoil of] their enemies, ¹⁵ because my people did ·what I said was wrong [^Levil in my eyes/sight]. They have ·made me angry [aroused/provoked my anger] from the day their ·ancestors [fathers] left Egypt until ·now [today].’”

¹⁶ Manasseh also ·killed [murdered] many innocent people, filling Jerusalem from one end to the other with their blood. This was besides the sin he led Judah to do; he led Judah to do ·what the Lord said was wrong [^Levil in the eyes/sight of the Lord].

¹⁷ The other things Manasseh did as king, even the sin he did, ·are [^Lare they not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; 1:18] of the kings of Judah. ¹⁸ Manasseh ·died [^Llay down/^Tslept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried in the garden of his own ·palace [^Lhouse], the garden of Uzza. Then Manasseh’s son Amon became king in his place.

Amon King of Judah^(K)

¹⁹ Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he was king for two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz, who was from Jotbah. ²⁰ Amon did ·what the Lord said was wrong [^Levil in the eyes/sight of the Lord], as his father Manasseh had done. ²¹ He ·lived [followed; ^Lwalked] in the same way his father had ·lived [followed; ^Lwalked]: he ·worshiped [served] the idols his father had ·worshiped [served], and he ·bowed down before [worshiped] them. ²² Amon ·rejected [abandoned; forsook] the Lord, the God of his ·ancestors [fathers], and did not ·follow [walk in] the ways of the Lord.

²³ Amon’s officers ·made plans [conspired; plotted] against him and killed him in his ·palace [^Lhouse]. ²⁴ Then the people of the land killed all those who had ·made plans [conspired; plotted] to kill King Amon, and they made his son Josiah king in his place.

²⁵ Everything else Amon did ·is [^Lis it not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; 1:18] of the kings of Judah. ²⁶ He was buried in his grave in the garden of Uzza, and his son Josiah became king in his place.

Josiah King of Judah^(L)

22 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he ·ruled [reigned] thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah, who was from Bozkath. ² Josiah did ·what the Lord said was right [^Lright in the eyes/sight of the Lord]. He ·lived [^Lwalked] as his ·ancestor [father] David had ·lived [^Lwalked], and he did not ·stop doing what was right [turn aside/deviate to the right or to the left].

³ In Josiah’s eighteenth year as king, he sent Shaphan to the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, was the royal secretary. Josiah said, ⁴ “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, and have him ·empty [count] out the money the ·gatekeepers [doorkeepers] have ·gathered [collected] from the people. This is the money they have brought into the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. ⁵ Have him ·give [entrust] the money to the supervisors of the work on the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. They must pay the workers who ·repair [restore] the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord— ⁶ the carpenters, builders, and ·bricklayers [masons]. Also use the money to buy timber and ·cut [finished; dressed] stone to ·repair [restore] the ·Temple [^Lhouse]. ⁷ They do not need to ·report [account for] how they use the money given to them, because they are working ·honestly [faithfully; conscientiously; 12:15].”

The Book of the Teachings Is Found

⁸ Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the royal secretary, “I’ve found the Book of the ·Teachings [Law; ^Ltorah] in the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord.” He gave it to Shaphan, who read it.

⁹ Then Shaphan the royal secretary went to the king and reported to Josiah, “Your ·officers [officials] have ·paid [emptied] out the money that was in the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. They have ·given [entrusted] it to the workers and supervisors at the ·Temple [^Lhouse].” ¹⁰ Then Shaphan the royal secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a ·book [scroll].” And Shaphan read from the ·book [scroll] to the king.

¹¹ When the king heard the words of the Book of the ·Teachings [Law; ^Ltorah], he tore his clothes [^Ca sign of mourning or distress]. ¹² He gave orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the royal secretary, and Asaiah the king’s servant. These were the orders: ¹³ “Go and ·ask [inquire of] the Lord about the words in the ·book [scroll] that was found. Ask for me, for all the people, and for all Judah. The Lord’s anger is burning ·greatly [fiercely] against us, because our ·ancestors [fathers] did not ·obey [listen to] the words of this ·book [scroll]; they did not do all the things written ·for us to do [concerning us].”

¹⁴ So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to talk to Huldah the prophetess. She was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, who took care of the king’s ·clothes [wardrobe]. Huldah lived in Jerusalem, in the ·new area [New Quarter] of the city.

¹⁵ She said to them, “·This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says [^TThus says the Lord, the God of Israel]: Tell the man who sent you to me, ¹⁶ ‘This is what the Lord says: I will bring ·trouble to [disaster/evil on] this place and to the people living here, ·as it is written [^Lin accordance with the words] in the ·book [scroll] which the king of Judah has read. ¹⁷ The people of Judah have ·left [abandoned; forsaken] me and have burned incense to other gods. They have ·made me angry [aroused/provoked me to anger] by all that they have done. My anger burns against this place, and it will not be ·put out [quenched].’ ¹⁸ Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to ·ask [seek; inquire of] the Lord, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the words you heard: ¹⁹ When you heard ·my words [what I spoke] against this place and its people, ·you became sorry for what you had done [your heart was touched/responsive/penitent/tender] and humbled yourself before me. I said they would be cursed and ·would be destroyed [desolated]. You tore your clothes [^Ca sign of mourning or distress], and you ·cried in my presence [wept before me]. This is why I have heard you, says the Lord. ²⁰ So I will ·let you die [^Lgather you to your fathers/ancestors], and you will be ·buried [^Lgathered to your grave] in peace. You won’t see all the ·trouble [disaster; evil] I will bring to this place.’”

So they took her message back to the king.

The People Hear the Agreement^(M)

23 Then the king ·gathered [summoned] all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem together. ² He went up to the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord, and all the people from Judah and Jerusalem went with him. The priests, prophets, and all the people—·from the least important to the most important [both small/low and great/high]—went with him. He read to them all the words of the Book of the ·Agreement [Treaty; Covenant] that was found in the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. ³ The king stood by the pillar and made an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] ·in the presence of [before] the Lord to follow the Lord and obey his commands, rules, and laws with his whole being, and to obey the words of the ·agreement [covenant; treaty] written in this ·book [scroll]. Then all the people ·promised to obey [pledged themselves to; entered into] the ·agreement [covenant; treaty].

Josiah Destroys the Places for Idol Worship

⁴ The king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the ·next rank [second order] and the ·gatekeepers [doorkeepers] to bring out of the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord ·everything [all the vessels/articles] made for Baal, Asherah, and all the ·stars of the sky [powers/hosts of heaven]. Then Josiah burned them outside Jerusalem in the ·open country [fields; terraces] of the Kidron Valley and carried their ashes to Bethel. ⁵ The kings of Judah had ·chosen [appointed] priests for these gods. These priests burned incense in the ·places where gods were worshiped [^Lhigh places; 12:3] in the cities of Judah and the ·towns [area] around Jerusalem. They burned incense to Baal, the sun, the moon, the ·planets [constellations], and all the ·stars of the sky [hosts/powers of heaven]. But Josiah ·took those priests away [did away with/or exterminated those priests]. ⁶ He removed the Asherah ·idol [pole; ^Ca sacred tree or pole dedicated to the goddess Asherah; 13:6] from the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord and took it outside Jerusalem to the Kidron Valley, where he burned it and ·beat [ground] it into dust. Then he threw the dust on the graves of the common people. ⁷ He also tore down the houses of the male prostitutes [1 Kin. 14:24] who were in the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord, where the women ·did weaving [wove hangings/coverings/veils] for Asherah.

⁸ King Josiah brought all the false priests from the cities of Judah. He ·ruined [desecrated; defiled] the ·places where gods were worshiped [^Lhigh places; 12:3], where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba. He destroyed the ·places of worship [^Lhigh places; 12:3] at the entrance to the Gate of Joshua, the ·ruler [governor] of the city, on the left side of the city gate. ⁹ The priests at the ·places where gods were worshiped [^Lhigh places; 12:3] were not allowed to ·serve [officiate; ^Lgo up] at the Lord’s altar in Jerusalem. But they could eat ·bread made without yeast [unleaven bread] with their ·brothers [fellow priests].

¹⁰ Josiah ·ruined [desecrated; defiled] Topheth, in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so no one could ·sacrifice [^Lpass through the fire] his son or daughter to Molech. ¹¹ Judah’s kings had ·placed [dedicated] horses to the sun at the front door of the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord in the courtyard near the room of Nathan-Melech, an ·officer [official]. Josiah removed them and burned the chariots that were ·for sun worship also [dedicated to the sun].

¹² The kings of Judah had built altars on the ·roof [^Croofs were flat and served as an extra room] of the ·upstairs [upper] room of Ahaz. Josiah ·broke down [destroyed] these altars and the altars Manasseh had made in the two courtyards of the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. Josiah smashed them to pieces and threw their ·dust [rubble] into the Kidron Valley. ¹³ King Josiah ·ruined [desecrated; defiled] the ·places where gods were worshiped [^Lhigh places; 12:3] east of Jerusalem, south of the Mount of ·Olives [or Corruption; or Destruction; ^Cso called because of the pagan sites]. Solomon king of Israel had built these places. One was for Ashtoreth, the ·hated goddess [detestable thing; ^Tabomination] of the Sidonians. One was for Chemosh, the ·hated god [detestable thing; ^Tabomination] of Moab. And one was for Molech, the ·hated god [detestable thing; ^Tabomination] of the Ammonites. ¹⁴ Josiah smashed to pieces the ·stone [sacred] pillars they worshiped, and he cut down the Asherah ·idols [poles; ^Ca sacred tree or pole dedicated to the goddess Asherah; 13:6]. Then he covered the places with human bones.

¹⁵ Josiah also ·broke down [demolished] the altar at Bethel—the ·place of worship [high place; 12:3] made by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had led Israel to sin. Josiah burned that place, broke the stones of the altar into pieces, then ·beat [ground] them into dust. He also burned the Asherah ·idol [pole; 13:6]. ¹⁶ When he turned around, he saw the ·graves [tombs] on the ·mountain [hillside]. He had the bones taken from the graves, and he burned them on the altar to ·ruin [desecrate; defile] it. This happened ·as the Lord had said it would [^Lin accordance with the word of the Lord proclaimed] through the man of God [1 Kin. 13:1–3].

¹⁷ Josiah asked, “What is that monument I see?”

The people of the city answered, “It’s the grave of the man of God who came from Judah. This prophet announced the things you have done against the altar ·of [at] Bethel.”

¹⁸ Josiah said, “Leave the grave alone. No one may ·move [disturb] this man’s bones.” So they left his bones and the bones of the prophet who had come from Samaria.

¹⁹ The kings of Israel had built ·temples for worshiping gods [shrines/^Lhouses at the high places; 12:3] in the cities of Samaria, which had ·caused the Lord to be angry [aroused/provoked the Lord to anger]. Josiah removed all those ·temples [shrines; ^Lhouses] and did the same things as he had done at Bethel. ²⁰ He ·killed [slaughtered] all the priests of ·those places of worship [the high places; 12:3]; he killed them on the altars and burned human bones on the altars. Then he went back to Jerusalem.

Josiah Celebrates the Passover^(N)

²¹ The king commanded all the people, “·Celebrate [Observe] the Passover to the Lord your God as it is written in this Book of the ·Agreement [Treaty; Covenant; Ex. 12].” ²² The Passover had not been ·celebrated [observed] like this since the judges ·led [ruled; judged] Israel. Nor had one like it happened ·while there were [in all the days/years of the] kings of Israel and kings of Judah. ²³ This Passover was ·celebrated [observed] to the Lord in Jerusalem in the eighteenth year of King Josiah’s rule.

²⁴ Josiah ·destroyed [removed; got rid of] the mediums, ·fortune-tellers [spiritualists], house gods, and idols. He also ·destroyed [removed; got rid of] all the ·hated gods [detestable/abominable practices] seen in the land of Judah and Jerusalem. This was to ·obey [fulfill; confirm] the words of the ·teachings [law; ^Ltorah] written in the ·book [scroll] Hilkiah the priest had found in the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord.

²⁵ There was no king like Josiah before or after him. He ·obeyed [^Lturned to] the Lord with all his heart, soul, and strength [cf. Mark 12:30, 33; Luke 10:27], following all the ·Teachings [Law; ^Ltorah] of Moses.

²⁶ Even so, the Lord did not ·stop [^Lturn from] ·his strong and terrible [^Lthe heat of his great] anger. His anger burned against Judah because of all Manasseh had done to ·make him angry [provoke/arouse him to anger]. ²⁷ The Lord said, “I will ·send [remove] Judah out of my sight, as I have ·sent Israel away [removed Israel]. I will ·reject [cast away] Jerusalem, which I chose. And I will take away the ·Temple [^Lhouse] about which I said, ‘·I will be worshiped [^LMy name will be] there.’”

²⁸ Everything else Josiah did ·is [^Lis it not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; 1:18] of the kings of Judah.

²⁹ While Josiah was king, Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt went to help the king of Assyria at the Euphrates River. King Josiah marched out to fight against Neco, but at Megiddo, Neco ·faced [met] him and killed him. ³⁰ Josiah’s ·servants [officers] carried his body in a chariot from Megiddo to Jerusalem and buried him in his own ·grave [tomb]. Then the people of Judah ·chose [took] Josiah’s son Jehoahaz and ·poured olive oil on [anointed] him to make him king in his father’s place.

Jehoahaz King of Judah^(O)

³¹ Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he ·was king [reigned] in Jerusalem for three months. His mother’s name was Hamutal, who was the daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah. ³² Jehoahaz did ·what the Lord said was wrong [^Levil in the eyes/sight of the Lord], just as his ·ancestors [fathers] had done.

³³ ·King [^LPharaoh] Neco took Jehoahaz prisoner at Riblah in the land of Hamath so that Jehoahaz could not ·rule [reign] in Jerusalem. Neco ·made the people of Judah pay about [imposed a tribute of] ·seventy-five hundred pounds [^Lone hundred talents] of silver and ·about seventy-five pounds [^La talent] of gold.

³⁴ ·King [^LPharaoh] Neco made Josiah’s son Eliakim the king in place of Josiah his father. Then Neco changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim [^CEliakim means “God has established”; Jehoiakim means “Yahweh has established”; changing Eliakim’s name was a way Pharaoh asserted his authority over him]. But Neco took Jehoahaz to Egypt, where he died. ³⁵ Jehoiakim gave ·King Neco [^LPharaoh] the silver and gold he demanded. Jehoiakim taxed the land and took silver and gold from the people of the land to give to ·King [^LPharaoh] Neco. Each person had to pay ·his share [according to his wealth/assessment].

Jehoiakim King of Judah

³⁶ Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he was king in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah, who was from Rumah. ³⁷ Jehoiakim did ·what the Lord said was wrong [^Levil in the eyes/sight of the Lord], just as his ·ancestors [fathers] had done.

24 While Jehoiakim was king, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked the land of Judah. So Jehoiakim became Nebu-chadnezzar’s ·servant [vassal] for three years. Then he turned against Nebuchadnezzar and ·broke away from his rule [rebelled]. ² The Lord sent raiding ·parties [bands] from Babylon, Aram, Moab, and Ammon against Jehoiakim to destroy Judah. This happened ·as the Lord had said it would [^Lin accordance with the word of the Lord spoken] through his servants the prophets.

³ The Lord commanded this to happen to the people of Judah, to remove them from his ·presence [sight], because of all the sins of Manasseh. ⁴ He had killed many innocent people and had filled Jerusalem with their blood. And the Lord would not forgive these sins.

⁵ The other things that happened while Jehoiakim was king and all he did ·are [^Lare they not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; 1:18] of the kings of Judah. ⁶ Jehoiakim ·died [^Llay down/^Tslept with his fathers/ancestors], and his son Jehoiachin became king in his place.

⁷ The king of Egypt did not ·leave [march/venture out from] his land again, because the king of Babylon had captured all that belonged to the king of Egypt, from the brook of Egypt to the Euphrates River.

Jehoiachin King of Judah^(P)

⁸ Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he ·was king [reigned] three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan from Jerusalem. ⁹ Jehoiachin did ·what the Lord said was wrong [^Levil in the eyes/sight of the Lord], just as his father had done.

¹⁰ At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem. When they reached the city, they ·attacked [besieged] it. ¹¹ Nebuchadnezzar himself came to the city while his officers were ·attacking [besieging] it. ¹² Jehoiachin king of Judah surrendered to the king of Babylon, along with Jehoiachin’s mother, servants, nobles, and ·officers [officials]. So Nebuchadnezzar made Jehoiachin a prisoner in the eighth year he was king of Babylon. ¹³ Nebuchadnezzar ·took [carried off] all the treasures from the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord and from the ·palace [^Lking’s house]. He ·cut up [stripped away] all the gold ·objects [vessels; articles] Solomon king of Israel had made for the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. This happened as the Lord had said it would. ¹⁴ Nebuchadnezzar took ·away [into exile] all the people of Jerusalem, including all the ·leaders [commanders], all the ·wealthy people [nobles; or warriors], and all the craftsmen and ·metal workers [artisans]. There were ten thousand ·prisoners [captives] in all. Only the poorest people in the land were left. ¹⁵ Nebuchadnezzar carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, as well as the king’s mother and his wives, the ·officers [officials], and the ·leading men [elite] of the land. They were taken ·captive [into exile] from Jerusalem to Babylon. ¹⁶ The king of Babylon also ·took [exiled] all seven thousand ·soldiers [^Lmen of valor], who were strong and ·able to fight in [fit for] war, and about a thousand craftsmen and ·metal workers [artisans]. Nebuchadnezzar ·took [exiled] them as ·prisoners [captives] to Babylon. ¹⁷ Then he made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in Jehoiachin’s place. He also changed Mattaniah’s name to Zedekiah.

Zedekiah King of Judah^(Q)

¹⁸ Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he ·was king [reigned] in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah [^Cnot the prophet Jeremiah] from Libnah. ¹⁹ Zedekiah did ·what the Lord said was wrong [^Levil in the eyes/sight of the Lord], just as Jehoiakim had done. ²⁰ All this happened in Jerusalem and Judah because the Lord was angry with them. Finally, he ·threw [banished; cast] them out of his presence.

Zedekiah ·turned [rebelled] against the king of Babylon.

The Fall of Jerusalem^(R)

25 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army during Zedekiah’s ninth year as king, on the tenth day of the tenth month [^CJanuary 15, 588 bc]. He made a camp around the city and ·piled dirt against the city walls to attack it [built siege walls all around it]. ² The city was under ·attack [siege] until Zedekiah’s eleventh year as king. ³ By ·the ninth day of the fourth month [^CJuly 18, 586 bc], the ·hunger [famine] was ·terrible [severe] in the city. There was no food for the people to eat. ⁴ Then the wall of the city was breached, and the whole army ran away at night through the gate between the two walls by the king’s garden. ·While [Though] the Babylonians were still surrounding the city, Zedekiah and his men ran away toward the ·Jordan Valley [^LArabah; ^Ca plain near Jericho, east of Jerusalem]. ⁵ But the Babylonian army chased King Zedekiah and caught up with him in the plains of Jericho. All of his army ·was scattered from [deserted] him, ⁶ so they captured Zedekiah and took him to the king of Babylon at Riblah. There he passed sentence on Zedekiah. ⁷ They ·killed [slaughtered] Zedekiah’s sons as he watched. Then they ·put [gouged] out his eyes and put bronze ·chains [shackles] on him and took him to Babylon.

⁸ Nebuzaradan was the commander of the king’s special guards. This officer of the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem on ·the seventh day of the fifth month [^CAugust 14, 586 bc], in Nebuchadnezzar’s nineteenth year as king of Babylon. ⁹ Nebuzaradan ·set fire to [burned down] the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord and the ·palace [^Lking’s house] and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building was burned.

¹⁰ The whole Babylonian army, led by the commander of the king’s special guards, ·broke down [demolished] the walls around Jerusalem. ¹¹ Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards, ·captured [carried into exile] the people left in Jerusalem, those who had ·surrendered [deserted] to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the people. ¹² But the commander of the guard left behind some of the poorest people of the land to ·take care of [work] the vineyards and fields.

¹³ The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the bronze stands, and the large bronze ·bowl [basin] called the Sea [1 Kin. 7:23–45] in the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. Then they carried the bronze to Babylon. ¹⁴ They also took the pots, shovels, ·wick trimmers [snuffers], dishes, and all the bronze objects used to serve in the ·Temple [^Lhouse]. ¹⁵ The commander of the king’s special guards took away the ·pans for carrying hot coals [censers], the ·bowls [basins], and everything made of ·pure [fine] gold or silver. ¹⁶ There were two pillars and the large bronze Sea and the ·movable stands [water carts] which Solomon had made for the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. There was so much bronze that it could not be weighed. ¹⁷ Each pillar was ·about twenty-seven feet [^Leighteen cubits; 1 Kin. 7:15–20] high. The bronze capital on top of the pillar was ·about four and one-half feet [^Lthree cubits] high. It was decorated with a ·net design and [latticework/network of] bronze pomegranates all around it. The other pillar also had a ·net design [latticework; network] and was like the first pillar.

Judah Is Taken Prisoner^(S)

¹⁸ The commander of the guards took some ·prisoners [captives]—Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank, and the three ·doorkeepers [gatekeepers]. ¹⁹ Of the people who were still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the ·fighting men [soldiers], as well as five advisors to the king. He took the royal secretary who ·selected [conscripted] people for the army and sixty other men who were in the city. ²⁰ Nebuzaradan, the commander, took all these people and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. ²¹ There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them killed. So the people of Judah were ·led away from their country as captives [sent into exile from their land].

Gedaliah Becomes Governor^(T)

²² Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon left some people in the land of Judah. He appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as governor.

²³ The army captains and their men heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, so they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. They were Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite, and their men. ²⁴ Then Gedaliah ·promised [vowed/swore to] these army captains and their men, “Don’t be afraid of the Babylonian ·officers [officials]. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and everything will go well for you.”

²⁵ In ·the seventh month [mid-autumn] Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama from the king’s family, came with ten men and ·killed [assassinated; murdered] Gedaliah. They also killed the men of Judah and Babylon who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah. ²⁶ Then all the people, ·from the least important to the most important [both great/high and small/low], along with the army leaders, ran away to Egypt, because they were afraid of the Babylonians.

Jehoiachin Is Set Free^(U)

²⁷ Jehoiachin king of Judah was ·held [exiled] in Babylon for thirty-seven years. In the thirty-seventh year Evil-Merodach became king of Babylon, and he let Jehoiachin out of prison on ·the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month [^CApril 2]. ²⁸ Evil-Merodach spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and gave him a seat of honor above the seats of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. ²⁹ So Jehoiachin put ·away [aside] his prison clothes. For ·the rest [^Lall the days] of his life, he ate ·at [in] the king’s ·table [presence]. ³⁰ Every day, for as long as Jehoiachin lived, the king gave him an allowance.