2 Kings 16:1-20
Ahaz Reigns over Judah
In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, aAhaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, became king. 2 aAhaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of Yahweh his God, as David his father had done. 3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, aand even made his son pass through the fire, baccording to the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh had dispossessed from before the sons of Israel. 4 He also asacrificed and burned incense on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.
5 Then aRezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to wage war; and they besieged Ahaz, bbut could not overcome him. 6 At that time Rezin king of Aram restored aElath for Aram and cleared the Judeans out of Elath entirely; and the Arameans came to Elath and have lived there to this day.
Ahaz Sends for Help from Assyria
7 aSo Ahaz sent messengers to bTiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son; come up and save me from the hand of the king of Aram and from the hand of the king of Israel, who are rising up against me.” 8 aAhaz also took the silver and gold that was found in the house of Yahweh and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and sent a gift to the king of Assyria. 9 aSo the king of Assyria listened to him; and the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and bseized it and took the people of it away into exile to cKir, and put Rezin to death.
Ahaz Has Urijah Build an Altar
10 Now King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet aTiglath-pileser king of Assyria and saw the altar which was at Damascus; and King Ahaz sent to bUrijah the priest the likeness of the altar and its pattern, according to all its workmanship. 11 So Urijah the priest built an altar; according to all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus, thus Urijah the priest made it, before the coming of King Ahaz from Damascus. 12 So the king came from Damascus, and the king saw the altar; then athe king drew near the altar and made offerings on it, 13 and offered his burnt offering and his meal offering up in smoke, and poured his drink offering and splashed the blood of his peace offerings on the altar. 14 aNow as for the bronze altar, which was before Yahweh, he drew it away from the front of the house, from between bhis altar and the house of Yahweh, and he put it on the north side of his altar. 15 Then King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, “Upon the great altar offer up in smoke athe morning burnt offering and the evening grain offering and the king’s burnt offering and his grain offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land and their grain offering and their drink offerings; and splash on it all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifice. But bthe bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by.” 16 So Urijah the priest did according to all that King Ahaz commanded.
17 Then King Ahaz acut off the borders of the stands and removed the laver from them; he also btook down the sea from the bronze oxen which were under it and put it on a pavement of stone. 18 And the covered way for the sabbath which they had built in the house, and the outer entry of the king, he removed from the house of Yahweh because of the king of Assyria.
Hezekiah Reigns over Judah
19 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written ain the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 20 So aAhaz slept with his fathers and bwas buried with his fathers in the city of David; and Hezekiah his son became king in his place.
2 Kings 18:1-37
Hezekiah Reigns over Judah
Now it happened ain the third year of Hoshea, the son of Elah king of Israel, that bHezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah became king. 2 He was atwenty-five years old when he became king; and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Abi, the daughter of Zechariah. 3 aAnd he did what was right in the sight of Yahweh, according to all that David his father had done. 4 aHe took away the high places and shattered the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces bthe bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel were burning incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan. 5 aHe trusted in Yahweh, the God of Israel; bso that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him. 6 So he aclung to Yahweh; he did not turn away from following Him, but kept His commandments, which Yahweh had commanded Moses.
Hezekiah Prospers
7 aAnd Yahweh was with him; wherever he went he prospered. And bhe rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 8 aHe struck the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from bwatchtower to fortified city.
9 Now in the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, aShalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it. 10 And at the end of three years they captured it; in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was athe ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was captured. 11 Then the king of Assyria took Israel away into exile to Assyria, and put them in aHalah and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, 12 because they adid not listen to the voice of Yahweh their God, but trespassed against His covenant, even all that Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded; they would neither listen nor do it.
Sennacherib Comes Up Against Judah
13 aNow in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and seized them. 14 Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “aI have done wrong. Turn away from me; whatever penalty you give to me I will bear.” So the king of Assyria set a penalty on Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. 15 aThus Hezekiah gave him all the silver which was found in the house of Yahweh and in the treasuries of the king’s house. 16 At that time Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of Yahweh and from the doorposts, which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
17 Then the king of Assyria sent aTartan and Rab-saris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah with a heavy military force to Jerusalem. So they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they went up, they came and stood by the bconduit of the upper pool, which is on the highway of the fuller’s field. 18 Then they called to the king, and aEliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and bShebnah the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, came out to them.
19 Then Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, “aWhat is this trust that you have? 20 You say (but they are only empty words), ‘I have counsel and might for the war.’ Now on whom do you trust, athat you have rebelled against me? 21 Now behold, you atrust in the staff of this crushed reed, even on Egypt; on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. 22 But if you say to me, ‘We trust in Yahweh our God,’ is it not He whose high places and awhose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem’? 23 So now, come, make a bargain with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to give riders for them. 24 How then can you turn away one official of the least of my master’s servants, and trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? 25 So now, have I come up without the approval of Yahweh against this place to make it a ruin? Yahweh said to me, ‘Go up against this land and make it a ruin.’”’”
26 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah and Joah, said to Rabshakeh, “Speak now to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; and do not speak with us in aJudean in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” 27 But Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me only to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, doomed to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?”
28 Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in Judean, saying, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria. 29 Thus says the king, ‘aDo not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you from his hand; 30 and do not let Hezekiah make you trust in Yahweh, saying, “Yahweh will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” 31 Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria, “Make your peace with me and come out to me, and eat aeach of his vine and each of his fig tree and drink each of the waters of his own cistern, 32 until I come and take you away ato a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive oil and honey, that you may live and not die.” But do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you, saying, “Yahweh will deliver us.” 33 aHas any one of the gods of the nations delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? 34 aWhere are the gods of Hamath and bArpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and cIvvah? When have they delivered Samaria from my hand? 35 Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their land from my hand, athat Yahweh would deliver Jerusalem from my hand?’”
36 But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king’s commandment was, “Do not answer him.” 37 Then aEliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah bwith their clothes torn and told him the words of Rabshakeh.
2 Kings 21:1-22:20
Manasseh Reigns over Judah
aManasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2 aAnd he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, baccording to the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh dispossessed before the sons of Israel. 3 Indeed, ahe rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and bhe erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and cworshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4 aAnd he built altars in the house of Yahweh, of which Yahweh had said, “bIn Jerusalem I will put My name.” 5 Indeed, he built altars for aall the host of heaven in bthe two courts of the house of Yahweh. 6 aHe even made his son pass through the fire, bpracticed soothsaying and interpreted omens, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much that was evil in the sight of Yahweh provoking Him to anger. 7 Then ahe put the graven image of Asherah, which he had made, in the house of which Yahweh had said to David and to Solomon his son, “bIn this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever. 8 And I awill not make the foot of Israel wander anymore from the land which I gave their fathers, if only they will be careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that My servant Moses commanded them.” 9 But they did not listen, and Manasseh aled them astray in order to do more evil than the nations whom Yahweh destroyed before the sons of Israel.
Yahweh Brings Calamity on Israel
10 Then Yahweh spoke by the hand of His slaves the prophets, saying, 11 “aBecause Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations—bhe has done evil more than all the Amorites did who were before him—and chas also made Judah sin dwith his idols, 12 therefore thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am bringing such calamity on Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, aboth his ears will tingle. 13 aAnd I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria and the level of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish—he wipes it and turns it upside down. 14 And I will abandon the remnant of My inheritance and give them into the hand of their enemies, and they will become as plunder and spoil to all their enemies; 15 because they have done what is evil in My sight, and have been provoking Me to anger since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day.’”
16 aMoreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin bwith which he made Judah sin, in doing what is evil in the sight of Yahweh. 17 aNow the rest of the acts of Manasseh and all that he did and his sin which he sinned, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 18 aAnd Manasseh slept with his fathers and was buried in the garden of his own house, bin the garden of Uzza. And Amon his son became king in his place.
Amon Reigns over Judah
19 aAmon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. 20 And he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, aas Manasseh his father had done. 21 And he walked in all the way that his father had walked and served the idols that his father had served and worshiped them. 22 So ahe forsook Yahweh, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of Yahweh. 23 aThen the servants of Amon conspired against him and put the king to death in his own house. 24 Then athe people of the land struck down all those who had conspired against King Amon, and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place. 25 Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 26 And he was buried in his grave ain the garden of Uzza, and Josiah his son became king in his place.
Josiah Reigns over Judah
aJosiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of bBozkath. 2 And he did what was right in the sight of Yahweh and walked in all the way of his father David and did not aturn aside to the right or to the left.
3 Now it happened ain the eighteenth year of King Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam the scribe, to the house of Yahweh saying, 4 “aGo up to Hilkiah the high priest that he may count the money brought into the house of Yahweh which the doorkeepers have gathered from the people. 5 aAnd let them give it into the hand of those who do the work, who have the oversight of the house of Yahweh, and let them give it to those who do the work, who are in the house of Yahweh, to repair the damages of the house, 6 to the craftsmen and the builders and the masons and for buying timber and hewn stone to repair the house. 7 Only ano accounting shall be made with them for the money given into their hands, for they deal faithfully.”
Hilkiah Finds the Book of the Law
8 Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “aI have found the book of the law in the house of Yahweh.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan and he read it. 9 Then Shaphan the scribe came to the king and responded to the king with a word and said, “Your servants have poured out the money that was found in the house and have given it into the hand of those who do the work, who have the oversight of the house of Yahweh.” 10 Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it in the presence of the king.
11 Now it happened that when the king heard the words of the book of the law, ahe tore his clothes. 12 Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, aAhikam the son of Shaphan, bAchbor the son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, 13 “Go, inquire of Yahweh for me and the people and all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found, for agreat is the wrath of Yahweh which is set aflame against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”
Huldah Says Yahweh Is Bringing Evil
14 So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of aTikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the bSecond Quarter); and they spoke to her. 15 And she said to them, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘Say to the man who sent you to me, 16 thus says Yahweh, “Behold, I aam bringing evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read. 17 aBecause they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods that they might provoke Me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore My wrath is set aflame against this place, and it shall not be quenched.”’ 18 But to athe king of Judah who sent you to inquire of Yahweh thus you shall say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, “Regarding the words which you have heard, 19 abecause your heart was soft and byou humbled yourself before Yahweh when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants that they should become can object of horror, and a dcurse, and you have etorn your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you,” declares Yahweh. 20 “Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and ayou will be gathered to your grave in peace, so your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place.”’” So they brought back word to the king.
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