Ahaz King of Judah^(A)

16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz^(B) son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. ² Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right^(C) in the eyes of the Lord his God. ³ He followed the ways of the kings of Israel^(D) and even sacrificed his son^(E) in the fire, engaging in the detestable^(F) practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. ⁴ He offered sacrifices and burned incense^(G) at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.^(H)

⁵ Then Rezin^(I) king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem and besieged Ahaz, but they could not overpower him. ⁶ At that time, Rezin^(J) king of Aram recovered Elath^(K) for Aram by driving out the people of Judah. Edomites then moved into Elath and have lived there to this day.

⁷ Ahaz sent messengers to say to Tiglath-Pileser^(L) king of Assyria, “I am your servant and vassal. Come up and save^(M) me out of the hand of the king of Aram and of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.” ⁸ And Ahaz took the silver and gold found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent it as a gift^(N) to the king of Assyria. ⁹ The king of Assyria complied by attacking Damascus^(O) and capturing it. He deported its inhabitants to Kir^(P) and put Rezin to death.

¹⁰ Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. He saw an altar in Damascus and sent to Uriah^(Q) the priest a sketch of the altar, with detailed plans for its construction. ¹¹ So Uriah the priest built an altar in accordance with all the plans that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus and finished it before King Ahaz returned. ¹² When the king came back from Damascus and saw the altar, he approached it and presented offerings^[a](R) on it. ¹³ He offered up his burnt offering^(S) and grain offering,^(T) poured out his drink offering,^(U) and splashed the blood of his fellowship offerings^(V) against the altar. ¹⁴ As for the bronze altar^(W) that stood before the Lord, he brought it from the front of the temple—from between the new altar and the temple of the Lord—and put it on the north side of the new altar.

¹⁵ King Ahaz then gave these orders to Uriah the priest: “On the large new altar, offer the morning^(X) burnt offering and the evening grain offering, the king’s burnt offering and his grain offering, and the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their grain offering and their drink offering. Splash against this altar the blood of all the burnt offerings and sacrifices. But I will use the bronze altar for seeking guidance.”^{(Y) 16} And Uriah the priest did just as King Ahaz had ordered.

¹⁷ King Ahaz cut off the side panels and removed the basins from the movable stands. He removed the Sea from the bronze bulls that supported it and set it on a stone base.^{(Z) 18} He took away the Sabbath canopy^[b] that had been built at the temple and removed the royal entryway outside the temple of the Lord, in deference to the king of Assyria.^(AA)

¹⁹ As for the other events of the reign of Ahaz, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ²⁰ Ahaz rested^(AB) with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.

Hezekiah King of Judah^(A)(B)(C)

18 In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah^(D) son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. ² He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years.^(E) His mother’s name was Abijah^[a] daughter of Zechariah. ³ He did what was right^(F) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David^(G) had done. ⁴ He removed^(H) the high places,^(I) smashed the sacred stones^(J) and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake^(K) Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.^[b])

⁵ Hezekiah trusted^(L) 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 He held fast^(M) to the Lord and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. ⁷ And the Lord was with him; he was successful^(N) in whatever he undertook. He rebelled^(O) against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. ⁸ From watchtower to fortified city,^(P) he defeated the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory.

⁹ In King Hezekiah’s fourth year,^(Q) which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and laid siege to it. ¹⁰ At the end of three years the Assyrians took it. So Samaria was captured in Hezekiah’s sixth year, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel. ¹¹ The king^(R) of Assyria deported Israel to Assyria and settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in towns of the Medes.^{(S) 12} This happened because they had not obeyed the Lord their God, but had violated his covenant^(T)—all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded.^(U) They neither listened to the commands^(V) nor carried them out.

¹³ In the fourteenth year^(W) of King Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah^(X) and captured them. ¹⁴ So Hezekiah king of Judah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish:^(Y) “I have done wrong.^(Z) Withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand of me.” The king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents^[c] of silver and thirty talents^[d] of gold. ¹⁵ So Hezekiah gave^(AA) him all the silver that was found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace.

¹⁶ At this time Hezekiah king of Judah stripped off the gold with which he had covered the doors^(AB) and doorposts of the temple of the Lord, and gave it to the king of Assyria.

Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem^(AC)(AD)

¹⁷ The king of Assyria sent his supreme commander,^(AE) his chief officer and his field commander with a large army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They came up to Jerusalem and stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool,^(AF) on the road to the Washerman’s Field. ¹⁸ They called for the king; and Eliakim^(AG) son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna^(AH) the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to them.

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

²⁶ Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and Shebna and Joah said to the field commander, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic,^(AN) since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”

²⁷ But the commander replied, “Was it only to your master and you that my master sent me to say these things, and not to the people sitting on the wall—who, like you, will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?”

²⁸ Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! ²⁹ This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive^(AO) you. He cannot deliver you from my hand. ³⁰ Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord when he says, ‘The Lord will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’

³¹ “Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then each of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree^(AP) and drink water from your own cistern,^{(AQ) 32} until I come and take you to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Choose life^(AR) and not death!

“Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ ³³ Has the god^(AS) of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? ³⁴ Where are the gods of Hamath^(AT) and Arpad?^(AU) Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand? ³⁵ Who of all the gods of these countries has been able to save his land from me? How then can the Lord deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”^(AV)

³⁶ But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, “Do not answer him.”

³⁷ Then Eliakim^(AW) son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn,^(AX) and told him what the field commander had said.

Manasseh King of Judah^(A)(B)

21 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah.^{(C) 2} He did evil^(D) in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices^(E) of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. ³ He rebuilt the high places^(F) his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal^(G) and made an Asherah pole,^(H) as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts^(I) and worshiped them. ⁴ He built altars^(J) in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put my Name.”^{(K) 5} In the two courts^(L) of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry hosts. ⁶ He sacrificed his own son^(M) in the fire, practiced divination,^(N) sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists.^(O) He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing^(P) his anger.

⁷ He took the carved Asherah pole^(Q) he had made and put it in the temple,^(R) of which the Lord had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name^(S) forever. ⁸ I will not again^(T) make the feet of the Israelites wander from the land I gave their ancestors, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them and will keep the whole Law that my servant Moses^(U) gave them.” ⁹ But the people did not listen. Manasseh led them astray, so that they did more evil^(V) than the nations^(W) the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.

¹⁰ The Lord said through his servants the prophets: ¹¹ “Manasseh king of Judah has committed these detestable sins. He has done more evil^(X) than the Amorites^(Y) who preceded him and has led Judah into sin with his idols.^{(Z) 12} Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster^(AA) on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle.^{(AB) 13} I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb line^(AC) used against the house of Ahab. I will wipe^(AD) out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. ¹⁴ I will forsake^(AE) the remnant^(AF) of my inheritance and give them into the hands of enemies. They will be looted and plundered by all their enemies; ¹⁵ they have done evil^(AG) in my eyes and have aroused^(AH) my anger from the day their ancestors came out of Egypt until this day.”

¹⁶ Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood^(AI) that he filled Jerusalem from end to end—besides the sin that he had caused Judah^(AJ) to commit, so that they did evil in the eyes of the Lord.

¹⁷ As for the other events of Manasseh’s reign, and all he did, including the sin he committed, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ¹⁸ Manasseh rested with his ancestors and was buried in his palace garden,^(AK) the garden of Uzza. And Amon his son succeeded him as king.

Amon King of Judah^(AL)

¹⁹ Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz; she was from Jotbah. ²⁰ He did evil^(AM) in the eyes of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done. ²¹ He followed completely the ways of his father, worshiping the idols his father had worshiped, and bowing down to them. ²² He forsook^(AN) the Lord, the God of his ancestors, and did not walk^(AO) in obedience to him.

²³ Amon’s officials conspired against him and assassinated^(AP) the king in his palace. ²⁴ Then the people of the land killed^(AQ) all who had plotted against King Amon, and they made Josiah^(AR) his son king in his place.

²⁵ As for the other events of Amon’s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ²⁶ He was buried in his tomb in the garden^(AS) of Uzza. And Josiah his son succeeded him as king.

The Book of the Law Found^(AT)

22 Josiah^(AU) was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath.^{(AV) 2} He did what was right^(AW) in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right^(AX) or to the left.

³ In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphan^(AY) son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the temple of the Lord. He said: ⁴ “Go up to Hilkiah^(AZ) the high priest and have him get ready the money that has been brought into the temple of the Lord, which the doorkeepers have collected^(BA) from the people. ⁵ Have them entrust it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. And have these men pay the workers who repair^(BB) the temple of the Lord— ⁶ the carpenters, the builders and the masons. Also have them purchase timber and dressed stone to repair the temple.^{(BC) 7} But they need not account for the money entrusted to them, because they are honest in their dealings.”^(BD)

⁸ Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law^(BE) in the temple of the Lord.” He gave it to Shaphan, who read it. ⁹ Then Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him: “Your officials have paid out the money that was in the temple of the Lord and have entrusted it to the workers and supervisors at the temple.” ¹⁰ Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.^(BF)

¹¹ When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law,^(BG) he tore his robes. ¹² He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam^(BH) son of Shaphan, Akbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant:^{(BI) 13} “Go and inquire^(BJ) of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger^(BK) that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.”

¹⁴ Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophet^(BL) Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter.

¹⁵ She said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, ¹⁶ ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster^(BM) on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book^(BN) the king of Judah has read. ¹⁷ Because they have forsaken^(BO) me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all the idols their hands have made,^[a] my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’ ¹⁸ Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire^(BP) of the Lord, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: ¹⁹ Because your heart was responsive and you humbled^(BQ) yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse^[b](BR) and be laid waste^(BS)—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. ²⁰ Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace.^(BT) Your eyes^(BU) will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’”

So they took her answer back to the king.