2 Chronicles 28
Ahaz Succeeds Jotham in Judah
aAhaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and bhe did not do right in the sight of the Lord as David his father had done. 2 aBut he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel; he also bmade molten images for the Baals. 3 Moreover, ahe burned incense in the valley of Ben-hinnom and bburned his sons in fire, caccording to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had driven out before the sons of Israel. 4 He sacrificed and aburned incense on the high places, on the hills and under every green tree.
Judah Is Invaded
5 Wherefore, athe Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Aram; and they defeated him and carried away from him a great number of captives and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who inflicted him with heavy casualties. 6 For aPekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah 120,000 in one day, all valiant men, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. 7 And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king’s son and Azrikam the ruler of the house and Elkanah the second to the king.
8 aThe sons of Israel carried away captive of btheir brethren 200,000 women, sons and daughters; and they took also a great deal of spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria. 9 But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded; and ahe went out to meet the army which came to Samaria and said to them, “Behold, because the Lord, the God of your fathers, bwas angry with Judah, He has delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage cwhich has even reached heaven. 10 Now you are proposing to asubjugate for yourselves the people of Judah and Jerusalem for male and female slaves. Surely, do you not have transgressions of your own against the Lord your God? 11 Now therefore, listen to me and return the captives awhom you captured from your brothers, bfor the burning anger of the Lord is against you.” 12 Then some of the heads of the sons of Ephraim—Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai—arose against those who were coming from the battle, 13 and said to them, “You must not bring the captives in here, for you are proposing to bring upon us guilt against the Lord adding to our sins and our guilt; for our guilt is great so that His burning anger is against Israel.” 14 So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the officers and all the assembly. 15 Then athe men who were designated by name arose, took the captives, and they clothed all their naked ones from the spoil; and they gave them clothes and sandals, fed them and bgave them drink, anointed them with oil, led all their feeble ones on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, cthe city of palm trees, to their brothers; then they returned to Samaria.
Compromise with Assyria
16 aAt that time King Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria for help. 17 aFor again the Edomites had come and attacked Judah and carried away captives. 18 aThe Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland and of the Negev of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, and Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages, and they settled there. 19 For the Lord humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of aIsrael, for he had brought about a lack of restraint in Judah and was very unfaithful to the Lord. 20 So aTilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came against him and afflicted him instead of strengthening him. 21 aAlthough Ahaz took a portion out of the house of the Lord and out of the palace of the king and of the princes, and gave it to the king of Assyria, it did not help him.
22 Now in the time of his distress this same King Ahaz abecame yet more unfaithful to the Lord. 23 aFor he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him, and said, “bBecause the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But they became the downfall of him and all Israel. 24 Moreover, when Ahaz gathered together the utensils of the house of God, he acut the utensils of the house of God in pieces; and he bclosed the doors of the house of the Lord and cmade altars for himself in every corner of Jerusalem. 25 In every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked the Lord, the God of his fathers, to anger. 26 aNow the rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 27 aSo Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, for they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of bIsrael; and Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.
2 Kings 17
Hoshea Reigns over Israel
In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, aHoshea the son of Elah became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned nine years. 2 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, only not as the kings of Israel who were before him. 3 aShalmaneser king of Assyria came up bagainst him, and Hoshea became his servant and paid him tribute. 4 But the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea, who had sent messengers to So king of Egypt and had offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year; so the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison.
5 Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole land and went up to aSamaria and besieged it three years.
Israel Captive
6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, athe king of Assyria captured Samaria and bcarried Israel away into exile to Assyria, and csettled them in Halah and Habor, on the river of dGozan, and ein the cities of the Medes.
Why Israel Fell
7 Now athis came about because the sons of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, bwho had brought them up from the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, cand they had feared other gods 8 and awalked in the customs of the nations whom the Lord had driven out before the sons of Israel, and in the customs bof the kings of Israel which they had introduced. 9 The sons of Israel did things secretly which were not right against the Lord their God. Moreover, they built for themselves high places in all their towns, from awatchtower to fortified city. 10 aThey set for themselves sacred pillars and bAsherim on every high hill and under every green tree, 11 and there they burned incense on all the high places as the nations did which the Lord had carried away to exile before them; and they did evil things provoking the Lord. 12 They served idols, aconcerning which the Lord had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.” 13 Yet the aLord warned Israel and Judah bthrough all His prophets and cevery seer, saying, “dTurn from your evil ways and keep My commandments, My statutes according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you through My servants the prophets.” 14 However, they did not listen, but astiffened their neck like their fathers, who did not believe in the Lord their God. 15 aThey rejected His statutes and bHis covenant which He made with their fathers and His warnings with which He warned them. And cthey followed vanity and dbecame vain, and went after the nations which surrounded them, concerning which the eLord had commanded them not to do like them. 16 They forsook all the commandments of the Lord their God and made for themselves molten images, even atwo calves, and bmade an Asherah and cworshiped all the host of heaven and dserved Baal. 17 Then athey made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and bpracticed divination and enchantments, and csold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him. 18 So the Lord was very angry with Israel and aremoved them from His sight; bnone was left except the tribe of Judah.
19 Also aJudah did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God, but bwalked in the customs which Israel had introduced. 20 The Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel and afflicted them and agave them into the hand of plunderers, until He had cast them out of His sight.
21 When aHe had torn Israel from the house of David, bthey made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then cJeroboam drove Israel away from following the Lord and made them commit a great sin. 22 The sons of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them 23 auntil the Lord removed Israel from His sight, bas He spoke through all His servants the prophets. aSo Israel was carried away into exile from their own land to Assyria until this day.
Cities of Israel Filled with Strangers
24 aThe king of Assyria brought men from Babylon and from Cuthah and from bAvva and from cHamath and Sepharvaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the sons of Israel. So they possessed Samaria and lived in its cities. 25 At the beginning of their living there, they adid not fear the Lord; therefore the Lord sent lions among them which killed some of them. 26 So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations whom you have carried away into exile in the cities of Samaria do not know the custom of the god of the land; so he has sent lions among them, and behold, they kill them because they do not know the custom of the god of the land.”
27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, “Take there one of the priests whom you carried away into exile and let him go and live there; and let him teach them the custom of the god of the land.” 28 So one of the priests whom they had carried away into exile from Samaria came and lived at Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the Lord.
29 But every nation still made gods of its own and put them ain the houses of the high places which the people of Samaria had made, every nation in their cities in which they lived. 30 aThe men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, 31 and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and athe Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to bAdrammelech and Anammelech the gods of cSepharvaim. 32 aThey also feared the Lord and bappointed from among themselves priests of the high places, who acted for them in the houses of the high places. 33 They feared the Lord and served their own gods according to the custom of the nations from among whom they had been carried away into exile.
34 To this day they do according to the earlier customs: they do not fear the Lord, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances or the law, or the commandments which the Lord commanded the sons of Jacob, awhom He named Israel; 35 with whom the Lord made a covenant and commanded them, saying, “aYou shall not fear other gods, nor bbow down yourselves to them nor cserve them nor sacrifice to them. 36 But the Lord, awho brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and with ban outstretched arm, cHim you shall fear, and to Him you shall bow yourselves down, and to Him you shall sacrifice. 37 The statutes and the ordinances and the law and the commandment which He wrote for you, ayou shall observe to do forever; and you shall not fear other gods. 38 The covenant that I have made with you, ayou shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. 39 But the Lord your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.” 40 However, they did not listen, but they did according to their earlier custom. 41 aSo while these nations feared the Lord, they also served their idols; their children likewise and their grandchildren, as their fathers did, so they do to this day.
Psalm 66
Praise for God’s Mighty Deeds and for His Answer to Prayer.
For the choir director. A Song. A Psalm.
aShout joyfully to God, all the earth;
2 Sing the aglory of His name;
Make His bpraise glorious.
3 Say to God, “How aawesome are Your works!
Because of the greatness of Your power Your enemies will bgive feigned obedience to You.
4 “aAll the earth will worship You,
And will bsing praises to You;
They will sing praises to Your name.” Selah.
5 aCome and see the works of God,
Who is bawesome in His deeds toward the sons of men.
6 He aturned the sea into dry land;
They passed through bthe river on foot;
There let us crejoice in Him!
7 He arules by His might forever;
His beyes keep watch on the nations;
Let not the rebellious cexalt themselves. Selah.
8 Bless our God, O peoples,
And asound His praise abroad,
9 Who akeeps us in life
And bdoes not allow our feet to slip.
10 For You have atried us, O God;
You have brefined us as silver is refined.
11 You abrought us into the net;
You laid an oppressive burden upon our loins.
12 You made men aride over our heads;
We went through bfire and through water,
Yet You cbrought us out into a place of abundance.
13 I shall acome into Your house with burnt offerings;
I shall bpay You my vows,
14 Which my lips uttered
And my mouth spoke when I was ain distress.
15 I shall aoffer to You burnt offerings of fat beasts,
With the smoke of brams;
I shall make an offering of bulls with male goats. Selah.
16 aCome and hear, all who fear God,
And I will btell of what He has done for my soul.
17 I cried to Him with my mouth,
And He was aextolled with my tongue.
18 If I aregard wickedness in my heart,
The bLord will not hear;
19 But certainly aGod has heard;
He has given heed to the voice of my prayer.
20 aBlessed be God,
Who bhas not turned away my prayer
Nor His lovingkindness from me.
1 Corinthians 7
Teaching on Marriage
Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is agood for a man not to touch a woman. 2 But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. 3 The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 aStop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that bSatan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 But this I say by way of concession, anot of command. 7 Yet I wish that all men were aeven as I myself am. However, beach man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that.
8 But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is agood for them if they remain beven as I. 9 But if they do not have self-control, alet them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
10 But to the married I give instructions, anot I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband 11 (but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not divorce his wife.
12 But to the rest aI say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are aholy. 15 Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us ato peace. 16 For how do you know, O wife, whether you will asave your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?
17 Only, aas the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, in this manner let him walk. And bso I direct in call the churches. 18 Was any man called when he was already circumcised? He is not to become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? aHe is not to be circumcised. 19 aCircumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is bthe keeping of the commandments of God. 20 aEach man must remain in that condition in which he was called.
21 Were you called while a slave? Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that. 22 For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is athe Lord’s freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is bChrist’s slave. 23 aYou were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. 24 Brethren, aeach one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called.
25 Now concerning virgins I have ano command of the Lord, but I give an opinion as one who bby the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy. 26 I think then that this is good in view of the present adistress, that bit is good for a man to remain as he is. 27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28 But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you. 29 But this I say, brethren, athe time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none; 30 and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess; 31 and those who use the world, as though they did not amake full use of it; for bthe form of this world is passing away.
32 But I want you to be free from concern. One who is aunmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; 33 but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, 34 and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. 35 This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.
36 But if any man thinks that he is acting unbecomingly toward his virgin daughter, if she is past her youth, and if it must be so, let him do what he wishes, he does not sin; let her marry. 37 But he who stands firm in his heart, being under no constraint, but has authority over his own will, and has decided this in his own heart, to keep his own virgin daughter, he will do well. 38 So then both he who gives his own virgin daughter in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage will do better.
39 aA wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only bin the Lord. 40 But ain my opinion she is happier if she remains as she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God.
New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995
For Permission to Quote information visit
lockman.org by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif.
All rights reserved.