Bible in 90 Days

Pekah King of Israel

²⁷ In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah^(A) son of Remaliah^(B) became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years. ²⁸ He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

²⁹ In the time of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser^(C) king of Assyria came and took Ijon,^(D) Abel Beth Maakah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor. He took Gilead and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali,^(E) and deported^(F) the people to Assyria. ³⁰ Then Hoshea^(G) son of Elah conspired against Pekah son of Remaliah. He attacked and assassinated^(H) him, and then succeeded him as king in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah.

³¹ As for the other events of Pekah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals^(I) of the kings of Israel?

Jotham King of Judah^(J)

³² In the second year of Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham^(K) son of Uzziah king of Judah began to reign. ³³ He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. ³⁴ He did what was right^(L) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Uzziah had done. ³⁵ The high places,^(M) however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate^(N) of the temple of the Lord.

³⁶ As for the other events of Jotham’s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ³⁷ (In those days the Lord began to send Rezin^(O) king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.) ³⁸ Jotham rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David, the city of his father. And Ahaz his son succeeded him as king.

Ahaz King of Judah^(P)

16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz^(Q) 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^(R) in the eyes of the Lord his God. ³ He followed the ways of the kings of Israel^(S) and even sacrificed his son^(T) in the fire, engaging in the detestable^(U) practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. ⁴ He offered sacrifices and burned incense^(V) at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.^(W)

⁵ Then Rezin^(X) 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^(Y) king of Aram recovered Elath^(Z) 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^(AA) king of Assyria, “I am your servant and vassal. Come up and save^(AB) 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^(AC) to the king of Assyria. ⁹ The king of Assyria complied by attacking Damascus^(AD) and capturing it. He deported its inhabitants to Kir^(AE) 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^(AF) 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](AG) on it. ¹³ He offered up his burnt offering^(AH) and grain offering,^(AI) poured out his drink offering,^(AJ) and splashed the blood of his fellowship offerings^(AK) against the altar. ¹⁴ As for the bronze altar^(AL) 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^(AM) 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.”^{(AN) 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.^{(AO) 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.^(AP)

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^(AQ) with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.

Hoshea Last King of Israel^(AR)

17 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea^(AS) son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. ² He did evil^(AT) in the eyes of the Lord, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.

³ Shalmaneser^(AU) king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea, who had been Shalmaneser’s vassal and had paid him tribute.^{(AV) 4} But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was a traitor, for he had sent envoys to So^[c] king of Egypt,^(AW) and he no longer paid tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore Shalmaneser seized him and put him in prison.^{(AX) 5} The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege^(AY) to it for three years. ⁶ In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria^(AZ) captured Samaria^(BA) and deported^(BB) the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan^(BC) on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes.

Israel Exiled Because of Sin

⁷ All this took place because the Israelites had sinned^(BD) against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt^(BE) from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods ⁸ and followed the practices of the nations^(BF) the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. ⁹ The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city^(BG) they built themselves high places in all their towns. ¹⁰ They set up sacred stones^(BH) and Asherah poles^(BI) on every high hill and under every spreading tree.^{(BJ) 11} At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the Lord had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that aroused the Lord’s anger. ¹² They worshiped idols,^(BK) though the Lord had said, “You shall not do this.”^{[d] 13} The Lord warned^(BL) Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers:^(BM) “Turn from your evil ways.^(BN) Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets.”^(BO)

¹⁴ But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked^(BP) as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. ¹⁵ They rejected his decrees and the covenant^(BQ) he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols^(BR) and themselves became worthless.^(BS) They imitated the nations^(BT) around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.”

¹⁶ They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves,^(BU) and an Asherah^(BV) pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts,^(BW) and they worshiped Baal.^{(BX) 17} They sacrificed^(BY) their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens^(BZ) and sold^(CA) themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.

¹⁸ So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence.^(CB) Only the tribe of Judah was left, ¹⁹ and even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God. They followed the practices Israel had introduced.^{(CC) 20} Therefore the Lord rejected all the people of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers,^(CD) until he thrust them from his presence.^(CE)

²¹ When he tore^(CF) Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat their king.^(CG) Jeroboam enticed Israel away from following the Lord and caused them to commit a great sin.^{(CH) 22} The Israelites persisted in all the sins of Jeroboam and did not turn away from them ²³ until the Lord removed them from his presence,^(CI) as he had warned^(CJ) through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland^(CK) into exile in Assyria, and they are still there.

Samaria Resettled

²⁴ The king of Assyria^(CL) brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim^(CM) and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns. ²⁵ When they first lived there, they did not worship the Lord; so he sent lions^(CN) among them and they killed some of the people. ²⁶ It was reported to the king of Assyria: “The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know what the god of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what he requires.”

²⁷ Then the king of Assyria gave this order: “Have one of the priests you took captive from Samaria go back to live there and teach the people what the god of the land requires.” ²⁸ So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came to live in Bethel and taught them how to worship the Lord.

²⁹ Nevertheless, each national group made its own gods in the several towns^(CO) where they settled, and set them up in the shrines^(CP) the people of Samaria had made at the high places.^{(CQ) 30} The people from Babylon made Sukkoth Benoth, those from Kuthah made Nergal, and those from Hamath made Ashima; ³¹ the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire as sacrifices to Adrammelek^(CR) and Anammelek, the gods of Sepharvaim.^{(CS) 32} They worshiped the Lord, but they also appointed all sorts^(CT) of their own people to officiate for them as priests in the shrines at the high places. ³³ They worshiped the Lord, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.

³⁴ To this day they persist in their former practices. They neither worship the Lord nor adhere to the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands that the Lord gave the descendants of Jacob, whom he named Israel.^{(CU) 35} When the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: “Do not worship^(CV) any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them.^{(CW) 36} But the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm,^(CX) is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices. ³⁷ You must always be careful^(CY) to keep the decrees^(CZ) and regulations, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. ³⁸ Do not forget^(DA) the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods. ³⁹ Rather, worship the Lord your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”

⁴⁰ They would not listen, however, but persisted in their former practices. ⁴¹ Even while these people were worshiping the Lord,^(DB) they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did.

Hezekiah King of Judah^(DC)(DD)(DE)

18 In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah^(DF) 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.^(DG) His mother’s name was Abijah^[e] daughter of Zechariah. ³ He did what was right^(DH) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David^(DI) had done. ⁴ He removed^(DJ) the high places,^(DK) smashed the sacred stones^(DL) and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake^(DM) Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.^[f])

⁵ Hezekiah trusted^(DN) 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^(DO) 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^(DP) in whatever he undertook. He rebelled^(DQ) against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. ⁸ From watchtower to fortified city,^(DR) he defeated the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory.

⁹ In King Hezekiah’s fourth year,^(DS) 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^(DT) of Assyria deported Israel to Assyria and settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in towns of the Medes.^{(DU) 12} This happened because they had not obeyed the Lord their God, but had violated his covenant^(DV)—all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded.^(DW) They neither listened to the commands^(DX) nor carried them out.

¹³ In the fourteenth year^(DY) of King Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah^(DZ) and captured them. ¹⁴ So Hezekiah king of Judah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish:^(EA) “I have done wrong.^(EB) 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^[g] of silver and thirty talents^[h] of gold. ¹⁵ So Hezekiah gave^(EC) 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^(ED) and doorposts of the temple of the Lord, and gave it to the king of Assyria.

Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem^(EE)(EF)

¹⁷ The king of Assyria sent his supreme commander,^(EG) 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,^(EH) on the road to the Washerman’s Field. ¹⁸ They called for the king; and Eliakim^(EI) son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna^(EJ) 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,^(EP) 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^(EQ) 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^(ER) and drink water from your own cistern,^{(ES) 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^(ET) 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^(EU) of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? ³⁴ Where are the gods of Hamath^(EV) and Arpad?^(EW) 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?”^(EX)

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

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

Jerusalem’s Deliverance Foretold^(FA)

19 When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore^(FB) his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the Lord. ² He sent Eliakim^(FC) the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests,^(FD) all wearing sackcloth,^(FE) to the prophet Isaiah^(FF) son of Amoz. ³ They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment^(FG) of birth and there is no strength to deliver them. ⁴ It may be that the Lord your God will hear all the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule^(FH) the living God, and that he will rebuke^(FI) him for the words the Lord your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant^(FJ) that still survives.”

⁵ When King Hezekiah’s officials came to Isaiah, ⁶ Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master, ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid^(FK) of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed^(FL) me. ⁷ Listen! When he hears a certain report,^(FM) I will make him want to return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.^(FN)’”

⁸ When the field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish,^(FO) he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah.^(FP)

⁹ Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the king of Cush,^[j] was marching out to fight against him. So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word: ¹⁰ “Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend^(FQ) on deceive^(FR) you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.’ ¹¹ Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered? ¹² Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my predecessors deliver^(FS) them—the gods of Gozan,^(FT) Harran,^(FU) Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? ¹³ Where is the king of Hamath or the king of Arpad? Where are the kings of Lair, Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah?”^(FV)

Hezekiah’s Prayer^(FW)

¹⁴ Hezekiah received the letter^(FX) from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. ¹⁵ And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: “Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim,^(FY) you alone^(FZ) are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. ¹⁶ Give ear,^(GA) Lord, and hear;^(GB) open your eyes,^(GC) Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.

¹⁷ “It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. ¹⁸ They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods^(GD) but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands.^{(GE) 19} Now, Lord our God, deliver^(GF) us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms^(GG) of the earth may know^(GH) that you alone, Lord, are God.”

Isaiah Prophesies Sennacherib’s Fall^(GI)(GJ)

²⁰ Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I have heard^(GK) your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria. ²¹ This is the word that the Lord has spoken against^(GL) him:

²⁹ “This will be the sign^(HG) for you, Hezekiah:

“The zeal^(HN) of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

³² “Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria:

³⁵ That night the angel of the Lord^(HR) went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies!^{(HS) 36} So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew.^(HT) He returned to Nineveh^(HU) and stayed there.

³⁷ One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisrok, his sons Adrammelek^(HV) and Sharezer killed him with the sword,^(HW) and they escaped to the land of Ararat.^(HX) And Esarhaddon^(HY) his son succeeded him as king.

Hezekiah’s Illness^(HZ)

20 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”

² Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, ³ “Remember,^(IA) Lord, how I have walked^(IB) before you faithfully^(IC) and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

⁴ Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: ⁵ “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard^(ID) your prayer and seen your tears;^(IE) I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. ⁶ I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend^(IF) this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’”

⁷ Then Isaiah said, “Prepare a poultice of figs.” They did so and applied it to the boil,^(IG) and he recovered.

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 of the Lord on the third day from now?”

⁹ Isaiah answered, “This is the Lord’s sign^(IH) to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?”

¹⁰ “It is a simple^(II) matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “Rather, have it go back ten steps.”

¹¹ Then the prophet Isaiah called on the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back^(IJ) the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.

Envoys From Babylon^(IK)(IL)

¹² At that time Marduk-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of Hezekiah’s illness. ¹³ Hezekiah received the envoys and showed them all that was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold, the spices and the fine olive oil—his armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.

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

“From a distant land,” Hezekiah replied. “They came from Babylon.”

¹⁵ The prophet asked, “What did they see in your palace?”

“They saw everything in my palace,” Hezekiah said. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.”

¹⁶ Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord: ¹⁷ The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon.^(IM) Nothing will be left, says the Lord. ¹⁸ And some of your descendants,^(IN) your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”^(IO)

¹⁹ “The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?”

²⁰ As for the other events of Hezekiah’s reign, all his achievements and how he made the pool^(IP) and the tunnel^(IQ) by which he brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ²¹ Hezekiah rested with his ancestors. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king.

Manasseh King of Judah^(IR)(IS)

21 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah.^{(IT) 2} He did evil^(IU) in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices^(IV) of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. ³ He rebuilt the high places^(IW) his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal^(IX) and made an Asherah pole,^(IY) as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts^(IZ) and worshiped them. ⁴ He built altars^(JA) in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put my Name.”^{(JB) 5} In the two courts^(JC) of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry hosts. ⁶ He sacrificed his own son^(JD) in the fire, practiced divination,^(JE) sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists.^(JF) He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing^(JG) his anger.

⁷ He took the carved Asherah pole^(JH) he had made and put it in the temple,^(JI) 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^(JJ) forever. ⁸ I will not again^(JK) 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^(JL) gave them.” ⁹ But the people did not listen. Manasseh led them astray, so that they did more evil^(JM) than the nations^(JN) 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^(JO) than the Amorites^(JP) who preceded him and has led Judah into sin with his idols.^{(JQ) 12} Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster^(JR) on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle.^{(JS) 13} I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb line^(JT) used against the house of Ahab. I will wipe^(JU) out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. ¹⁴ I will forsake^(JV) the remnant^(JW) 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^(JX) in my eyes and have aroused^(JY) my anger from the day their ancestors came out of Egypt until this day.”

¹⁶ Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood^(JZ) that he filled Jerusalem from end to end—besides the sin that he had caused Judah^(KA) 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,^(KB) the garden of Uzza. And Amon his son succeeded him as king.

Amon King of Judah^(KC)

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^(KD) 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^(KE) the Lord, the God of his ancestors, and did not walk^(KF) in obedience to him.

²³ Amon’s officials conspired against him and assassinated^(KG) the king in his palace. ²⁴ Then the people of the land killed^(KH) all who had plotted against King Amon, and they made Josiah^(KI) 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^(KJ) of Uzza. And Josiah his son succeeded him as king.

The Book of the Law Found^(KK)

22 Josiah^(KL) 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.^{(KM) 2} He did what was right^(KN) in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right^(KO) or to the left.

³ In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphan^(KP) son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the temple of the Lord. He said: ⁴ “Go up to Hilkiah^(KQ) 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^(KR) 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^(KS) 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.^{(KT) 7} But they need not account for the money entrusted to them, because they are honest in their dealings.”^(KU)

⁸ Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law^(KV) 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.^(KW)

¹¹ When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law,^(KX) he tore his robes. ¹² He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam^(KY) son of Shaphan, Akbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant:^{(KZ) 13} “Go and inquire^(LA) 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^(LB) 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^(LC) 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^(LD) on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book^(LE) the king of Judah has read. ¹⁷ Because they have forsaken^(LF) me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all the idols their hands have made,^[k] my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’ ¹⁸ Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire^(LG) 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^(LH) yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse^[l](LI) and be laid waste^(LJ)—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.^(LK) Your eyes^(LL) will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’”

So they took her answer back to the king.

Josiah Renews the Covenant^{(LM)(LN)(LO)(LP)}

23 Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. ² He went up to the temple of the Lord with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets—all the people from the least to the greatest. He read^(LQ) in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant,^(LR) which had been found in the temple of the Lord. ³ The king stood by the pillar^(LS) and renewed the covenant^(LT) in the presence of the Lord—to follow^(LU) the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.

⁴ The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests next in rank and the doorkeepers^(LV) to remove^(LW) from the temple of the Lord all the articles made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley and took the ashes to Bethel. ⁵ He did away with the idolatrous priests appointed by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the towns of Judah and on those around Jerusalem—those who burned incense^(LX) to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations and to all the starry hosts.^{(LY) 6} He took the Asherah pole from the temple of the Lord to the Kidron Valley^(LZ) outside Jerusalem and burned it there. He ground it to powder^(MA) and scattered the dust over the graves^(MB) of the common people.^{(MC) 7} He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes^(MD) that were in the temple of the Lord, the quarters where women did weaving for Asherah.

⁸ Josiah brought all the priests from the towns of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba^(ME) to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He broke down the gateway at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua, the city governor, which was on the left of the city gate. ⁹ Although the priests of the high places did not serve^(MF) at the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, they ate unleavened bread with their fellow priests.

¹⁰ He desecrated Topheth,^(MG) which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom,^(MH) so no one could use it to sacrifice their son^(MI) or daughter in the fire to Molek. ¹¹ He removed from the entrance to the temple of the Lord the horses that the kings of Judah^(MJ) had dedicated to the sun. They were in the court^[m] near the room of an official named Nathan-Melek. Josiah then burned the chariots dedicated to the sun.^(MK)

¹² He pulled down^(ML) the altars the kings of Judah had erected on the roof^(MM) near the upper room of Ahaz, and the altars Manasseh had built in the two courts^(MN) of the temple of the Lord. He removed them from there, smashed them to pieces and threw the rubble into the Kidron Valley.^{(MO) 13} The king also desecrated the high places that were east of Jerusalem on the south of the Hill of Corruption—the ones Solomon^(MP) king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the vile goddess of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the vile god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable^(MQ) god of the people of Ammon.^{(MR) 14} Josiah smashed^(MS) the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles and covered the sites with human bones.^(MT)

¹⁵ Even the altar^(MU) at Bethel, the high place made by Jeroboam^(MV) son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin—even that altar and high place he demolished. He burned the high place and ground it to powder, and burned the Asherah pole also. ¹⁶ Then Josiah^(MW) looked around, and when he saw the tombs that were there on the hillside, he had the bones removed from them and burned on the altar to defile it, in accordance^(MX) with the word of the Lord proclaimed by the man of God who foretold these things.

¹⁷ The king asked, “What is that tombstone I see?”

The people of the city said, “It marks the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and pronounced against the altar of Bethel the very things you have done to it.”

¹⁸ “Leave it alone,” he said. “Don’t let anyone disturb his bones^(MY).” So they spared his bones and those of the prophet^(MZ) who had come from Samaria.

¹⁹ Just as he had done at Bethel, Josiah removed all the shrines at the high places that the kings of Israel had built in the towns of Samaria and that had aroused the Lord’s anger. ²⁰ Josiah slaughtered^(NA) all the priests of those high places on the altars and burned human bones^(NB) on them. Then he went back to Jerusalem.

²¹ The king gave this order to all the people: “Celebrate the Passover^(NC) to the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.”^{(ND) 22} Neither in the days of the judges who led Israel nor in the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah had any such Passover been observed. ²³ But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was celebrated to the Lord in Jerusalem.^(NE)

²⁴ Furthermore, Josiah got rid of the mediums and spiritists,^(NF) the household gods,^(NG) the idols and all the other detestable^(NH) things seen in Judah and Jerusalem. This he did to fulfill the requirements of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had discovered in the temple of the Lord. ²⁵ Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned^(NI) to the Lord as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.^(NJ)

²⁶ Nevertheless, the Lord did not turn away from the heat of his fierce anger,^(NK) which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh^(NL) had done to arouse his anger. ²⁷ So the Lord said, “I will remove^(NM) Judah also from my presence^(NN) as I removed Israel, and I will reject^(NO) Jerusalem, the city I chose, and this temple, about which I said, ‘My Name shall be there.’^[n]”

²⁸ As for the other events of Josiah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

²⁹ While Josiah was king, Pharaoh Necho^(NP) king of Egypt went up to the Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria. King Josiah marched out to meet him in battle, but Necho faced him and killed him at Megiddo.^{(NQ) 30} Josiah’s servants brought his body in a chariot^(NR) from Megiddo to Jerusalem and buried him in his own tomb. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and anointed him and made him king in place of his father.

Jehoahaz King of Judah^(NS)

³¹ Jehoahaz^(NT) was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Hamutal^(NU) daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. ³² He did evil^(NV) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his predecessors had done. ³³ Pharaoh Necho put him in chains at Riblah^(NW) in the land of Hamath^(NX) so that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and he imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents^[o] of silver and a talent^[p] of gold. ³⁴ Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim^(NY) son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt, and there he died.^{(NZ) 35} Jehoiakim paid Pharaoh Necho the silver and gold he demanded. In order to do so, he taxed the land and exacted the silver and gold from the people of the land according to their assessments.^(OA)

Jehoiakim King of Judah^(OB)

³⁶ Jehoiakim^(OC) was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah; she was from Rumah. ³⁷ And he did evil^(OD) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his predecessors had done.

24 During Jehoiakim’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar^(OE) king of Babylon invaded^(OF) the land, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. But then he turned against Nebuchadnezzar and rebelled.^{(OG) 2} The Lord sent Babylonian,^[q](OH) Aramean,^(OI) Moabite and Ammonite raiders^(OJ) against him to destroy^(OK) Judah, in accordance with the word of the Lord proclaimed by his servants the prophets.^{(OL) 3} Surely these things happened to Judah according to the Lord’s command,^(OM) in order to remove them from his presence^(ON) because of the sins of Manasseh^(OO) and all he had done, ⁴ including the shedding of innocent blood.^(OP) For he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord was not willing to forgive.^(OQ)

⁵ As for the other events of Jehoiakim’s reign,^(OR) and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ⁶ Jehoiakim rested^(OS) with his ancestors. And Jehoiachin^(OT) his son succeeded him as king.

⁷ The king of Egypt^(OU) did not march out from his own country again, because the king of Babylon^(OV) had taken all his territory, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Euphrates River.

Jehoiachin King of Judah^(OW)

⁸ Jehoiachin^(OX) was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta^(OY) daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem. ⁹ He did evil^(OZ) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father had done.

¹⁰ At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar^(PA) king of Babylon advanced on Jerusalem and laid siege to it, ¹¹ and Nebuchadnezzar himself came up to the city while his officers were besieging it. ¹² Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his attendants, his nobles and his officials all surrendered^(PB) to him.

In the eighth year of the reign of the king of Babylon, he took Jehoiachin prisoner. ¹³ As the Lord had declared,^(PC) Nebuchadnezzar removed the treasures^(PD) from the temple of the Lord and from the royal palace, and cut up the gold articles^(PE) that Solomon^(PF) king of Israel had made for the temple of the Lord. ¹⁴ He carried all Jerusalem into exile:^(PG) all the officers and fighting men,^(PH) and all the skilled workers and artisans—a total of ten thousand. Only the poorest^(PI) people of the land were left.

¹⁵ Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin^(PJ) captive to Babylon. He also took from Jerusalem to Babylon the king’s mother,^(PK) his wives, his officials and the prominent people^(PL) of the land. ¹⁶ The king of Babylon also deported to Babylon the entire force of seven thousand fighting men, strong and fit for war, and a thousand skilled workers and artisans.^{(PM) 17} He made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah.^(PN)

Zedekiah King of Judah^(PO)

¹⁸ Zedekiah^(PP) was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal^(PQ) daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. ¹⁹ He did evil^(PR) in the eyes of the Lord, just as Jehoiakim had done. ²⁰ It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust^(PS) them from his presence.^(PT)

The Fall of Jerusalem^(PU)(PV)(PW)

Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

25 So in the ninth^(PX) year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar^(PY) king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. He encamped outside the city and built siege works^(PZ) all around it. ² The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

³ By the ninth day of the fourth^[r] month the famine^(QA) in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat. ⁴ Then the city wall was broken through,^(QB) and the whole army fled at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians^[s] were surrounding^(QC) the city. They fled toward the Arabah,^{[t] 5} but the Babylonian^[u] army pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered,^{(QD) 6} and he was captured.^(QE)

He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah,^(QF) where sentence was pronounced on him. ⁷ They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.^(QG)

⁸ On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, an official of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. ⁹ He set fire^(QH) to the temple of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down.^{(QI) 10} The whole Babylonian army under the commander of the imperial guard broke down the walls^(QJ) around Jerusalem. ¹¹ Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile^(QK) the people who remained in the city, along with the rest of the populace and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon.^{(QL) 12} But the commander left behind some of the poorest people^(QM) of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

¹³ The Babylonians broke^(QN) up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the Lord and they carried the bronze to Babylon. ¹⁴ They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes^(QO) and all the bronze articles^(QP) used in the temple service. ¹⁵ The commander of the imperial guard took away the censers and sprinkling bowls—all that were made of pure gold or silver.^(QQ)

¹⁶ The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the movable stands, which Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord, was more than could be weighed. ¹⁷ Each pillar^(QR) was eighteen cubits^[v] high. The bronze capital on top of one pillar was three cubits^[w] high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its network, was similar.

¹⁸ The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah^(QS) the chief priest, Zephaniah^(QT) the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers.^{(QU) 19} Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and five royal advisers. He also took the secretary who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land and sixty of the conscripts who were found in the city. ²⁰ Nebuzaradan the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. ²¹ There at Riblah,^(QV) in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed.^(QW)

So Judah went into captivity,^(QX) away from her land.^(QY)

²² Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah^(QZ) son of Ahikam,^(RA) the son of Shaphan, to be over the people he had left behind in Judah. ²³ When all the army officers and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, Jaazaniah the son of the Maakathite, and their men. ²⁴ Gedaliah took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid of the Babylonian officials,” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.”

²⁵ In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood, came with ten men and assassinated^(RB) Gedaliah and also the men of Judah and the Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah.^{(RC) 26} At this, all the people from the least to the greatest, together with the army officers, fled to Egypt^(RD) for fear of the Babylonians.

Jehoiachin Released^(RE)

²⁷ In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin^(RF) king of Judah from prison. He did this on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month. ²⁸ He spoke kindly^(RG) to him and gave him a seat of honor^(RH) higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. ²⁹ So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table.^{(RI) 30} Day by day the king gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived.^(RJ)