Jotham's good reign.

CHAP. XVI.

The reign of Ahaz. 22 And Menahem slept with his fathers;| 38 And Jotham slept with his fathers and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead. and was buried with his fathers in the city 23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of David his father: And Ahaz his son of Judah, Pekahiah the son of Menahem reigned in his stead. began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years.

24 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

CHAP. XVI.

N the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.

2 Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years 25 But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a in Jerusalem, and did not that which was captain of his, conspired against him, and right in the sight of the LORD his God, smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the like David his father.

king's house, with Argob and Arieh, and 3 But he walked in the way of the kings with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass he killed him, and reigned in his room. through the fire, according to the abomi26 And the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, nations of the heathen, whom the LORD and all that he did, behold, they are writ-cast out from before the children of Israel. ten in the book of the Chronicles of the 4 And he sacrificed and burnt incense kings of Israel. in the high places, and on the hills, and

27 ¶ In the two and fiftieth year of Aza- under every green tree. riah king of Judah, Pekah the son of Re- 5 Then Rezin king of Syria and Pe maliah began to reign over Israel in Sa-kah son of Remaliah king of Israel came maria, and reigned twenty years. up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieg

28 And he did that which was evil in ed Ahaz, but could not overcome him. the sight of the LORD: he departed not 6 At that time Rezin king of Syria re from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Ne-covered Elath to Syria, and drave the bat, who made Israel to sin. Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.

29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abel-beth-maachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria.

30 And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.

31 And the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel.

7 So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath pileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me.

8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.

9 And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew

32 In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham Rezin. the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign. 10 ¶ And king Ahaz went to Damascus 33 Five and twenty years old was he to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, when he began to reign, and he reigned and saw an altar that was at Damascus : sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mo- and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the ther's name was Jerusha, the daughter of fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, Zadok.

34 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.

according to all the workmanship thereof. 11 And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made 35 ¶ Howbeit, the high places were not it against king Ahaz came from Damascus. removed: the people sacrificed and burned 12 And when the king was come from Incense still in the high places. He built Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the higher gate of the house of the LORD. the king approached to the altar, and of36 Now the rest of the acts of Jo-fered thereon.

tham, and all that he did, are they not! 13 And he burnt his burnt-offering and written in the book of the Chronicles of his meat-offering, and poured his drinkthe kings of Judah? offering, and sprinkled the blood of his

37 In those days the LORD began to peace-offerings upon the altar. send against Judah,Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah.

14 And he brought also the brazen al tar, which was before the LORD, from the

The wicked reign of Hoshea.

11. KINGS.

Israel carried away captive.

forefront of the house, from between the before the children of Israel, and of the altar and the house of the LORD, and put it kings of Israel, which they had made. on the north side of the altar. 9 And the children of Israel did se

15 And king Ahaz commanded Urijah cretly those things that were not righ the priest, saying, Upon the great altar against the LORD their God, and they burn the morning burnt-offering, and the built them high places in all their cities, evening meat-offering, and the king's from the tower of the watchmen to the burnt-sacrifice, and his meat-offering, with fenced city.

the burnt-offering of all the people of the 10 And they set them up images and land, and their meat-offering, and their groves in every high hill, and under every drink-offerings; and sprinkle upon it all green tree: the blood of the burnt-offering, and all the 11 And there they burnt incense in all blood of the sacrifice: and the brazen altar the high places, as did the heathen whom shall be for me to inquire by. the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger:

16 Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.

17 T And king Ahaz cut off the borders 12 For they served idols, whereof the of the bases, and removed the laver from LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do off them; and took down the sea from off this thing.

the brazen oxen that were under it, and 13 Yet the LORD testified against Isput it upon a pavement of stones. rael, and against Judah, by all the pro

18 And the covert for the sabbath that phets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn they had built in the house, and the king's ye from your evil ways, and keep my entry without, turned he from the house of commandments, and my statutes, accordthe LORD for the king of Assyria. ing to all the law which I commanded your

19 T Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz fathers, and which I sent to you by my which he did, are they not written in the servants the prophets.

book of theChronicles of the kings of Judah? 14 Notwithstanding, they would not 20 And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and hear, but hardened their necks, like to was buried with his fathers in the city of the neck of their fathers, that did not beDavid: and Hezekiah his son reigned in lieve in the LORD their God.

his stead.

CHAP. XVII.

15 And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their faN the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Ju- thers, and his testimonies which he testidah began Hoshea the son of Elah, to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.

IN

2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.

fied against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.

3 T Against him came up Shalmaneser 16 And they left all the commandments king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his of the LORD their God, and made them servant, and gave him presents. molten images, even two calves, and made 4 And the king of Assyria found con- a grove, and worshipped all the host of spiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent mes-heaven, and served Baal.

sengers to So king of Egypt, and brought 17 And they caused their sons and their no present to the king of Assyria, as he had daughters to pass through the fire, and done year by year: therefore the king of used divination and enchantments, and Assyria shut him up, and bound him in sold themselves to do evil in the sight of prison. the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

5 Then the king of Assyria came up 18 Therefore the LORD was very angry throughout all the land, and went up to with Israel, and removed them out of his Samaria, and besieged it three years. sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.

6 In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

19 Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.

20 And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight.

7 For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of 21 For he rent Israel from the house of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared David; and they made Jeroboam the son other gods, of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drave Israel 8 And walked in the statutes of the from following the LORD, and made them heathen whom the LORD cast out from sin a great sin.

A mixture of religions.

CHAP. XVIII. The good reign of Hezekiah:

22 For the children of Israel walked in shall not fear other gods, nor bow your all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; selves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them: they departed not from them;

23 Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.

36 But the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched-out arm, him shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do sacrifice.

24 And the king of Assyria brought 37 And the statutes, and the ordinances, men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and and the law, and the commandment which from Ava, and from Hamath, and from he wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for Sepharvaim, and placed them in the ci- evermore; and ye shall not fearother gods." ties of Samaria instead of the children of 38 And the covenant that I have made Israel and they possessed Samaria, and with you ye shall not forget; neither shall dwelt in the cities thereof. ye fear other gods.

:

25 And so it was at the beginning of 39 But the LORD your God ye shall fear, their dwelling there, that they feared not and he shall deliver you out of the hand the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions of all your enemies.

among them, which slew some of them. 40 Howbeit they did not hearken, but 26 Wherefore they spake to the king they did after their former manner. of Assyria, saying, The nations which 41 So these nations feared the LORD, and thou hast removed, and placed in the cities served their graven images, both their chil of Samaria, know not the manner of the dren, and their children's children: as God of the land: therefore he hath sent did their fathers, so do they unto this day. CHAP. XVIII. lions among them, and behold, they slay

OW it came to pass in the third year

them, because they know not the manner Now it can son of Elah king of Israel,

of the God of the land.

27 Then the king of Assyria command- that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Ju ed, saying, Carry thither one of the priests dah began to reign.

whom ye brought from thence; and let them 2 Twenty and five years old was he go and dwell there, and let him teach when he began to reign; and he reigned them the manner of the God of the land. twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His 28 Then one of the priests whom they mother's name also was Abi the daughter had carried away from Samaria came and of Zachariah.

dwelt in Beth-el, and taught them how 3 And he did that which was right in they should fear the LORD. the sight of the LORD, according to all that 29 Howbeit, every nation made gods David his father did. of their own, and put them in the houses 4 He removed the high places, and of the high places which the Samaritans brake the images, and cut down the groves, had made, every nation in their cities and brake in pieces the brazen serpent wherein they dwelt. that Moses had made for unto those days 30 And the men of Babylon made Suc- the children of Israel did burn incense to coth-benoth, and the men of Cuth made it: and he called it Nehushtan. Nergal, and the men of Hamath made 5 He trusted in the LORD God of Israel ; Ashima, so that after him was none like him among 31 And the Avites inade Nibhaz and all the kings of Judah, nor any that were beTartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their fore him.

children in fire to Adrammelech and 6 For he clave to the LORD, and des Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvajm. parted not from following him, but kept 32 So they feared the LORD, and made his commandments, which the LORD comunto themselves of the lowest of them manded Moses. And the LORD was with him: and priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places. he prospered whithersoever he went forth 33 They feared the LORD, and served and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, their own gods, after the manner of the na- and served him not.

tions whom they carried away from thence. 8 He smote the Philistines, even unto 34 Unto this day they do after the for- Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the mer manners: they fear not the LORD, tower of the watchmen to the fenced city. neither do they after their statutes, or af 9 And it came to pass in the fourth ter their ordinances, or after the law and year of king Hezekiah, which was the commandment which the LORD command-seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of ed the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria Israel; came up against Samaria, and besieged it. 35 With whom the LORD had made a 10 And at the end of three years they covenant, and charged them, saying, Ye took it: even in the sixth year of Hezeki

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