Revised Version 1885 (RV1885)

1 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, even the elders, and unto them that brought upthe sons ofAhab, saying,

2 And now as soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master’s sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, a fenced city also, and armour;

3 look ye out the best and meetest of your master’s sons, and set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.

4 But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, the two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?

5 And he that was over the household, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and they that brought upthe children, sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any man king: do thou that which is good in thine eyes.

6 Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye be on my side, and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take ye the heads of the men your master’s sons, and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time. Now the king’s sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, which brought them up.

7 And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king’s sons, and slew them, even seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them unto him to Jezreel.

8 And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king’s sons. And he said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entering in of the gate until the morning.

9 And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, Ye be righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who smote all these?

10 Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of theLord, which theLordspake concerning the house of Ahab: for theLordhath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah.

11 So Jehu smote all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his familiar friends, and his priests, until he left him none remaining.

12 And he arose and departed, and went to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing house of the shepherds in the way,

13 Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah: and we go down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen.

14 And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing house, even two and forty men; neither left he any of them.

15 And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.

16 And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for theLord. So they made him ride in his chariot.

17 And when he came to Samaria, he smote all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the word of theLord, which he spake to Elijah.

18 And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.

19 Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshippers, and all his priests; let none be wanting: for I have a great sacrificeto doto Baal; whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtilty, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.

20 And Jehu said, Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.

21 And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was filled from one end to another.

22 And he said unto him that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth vestments.

23 And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal; and he said unto the worshippers of Baal, Search, and look that there be here with you none of the servants of theLord, but the worshippers of Baal only.

24 And they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had appointed him fourscore men without, and said, If any of the men whom I bring into your hands escape,he that letteth him go, his life shall be for the life of him.

25 And it came to pass, as soon as he had made as end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, and slay them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast them out, and went to the city of the house of Baal.

26 And they brought forth the pillars that were in the house of Baal, and burned them.

27 And they brake down the pillar of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house, unto this day.

28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

29 Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them,to wit, the golden calves that were in Beth-el, and that were in Dan.

30 And theLordsaid unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes,andhast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.

31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of theLord, the God of Israel, with all his heart: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, wherewith he made Israel to sin.

32 In those days theLordbegan to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;

33 from Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the valley of Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.

34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

35 And Jehu slept with his fathers: and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.

36 And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years.

1 Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.

2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons that were slain, even him and his nurse,and put themin the bedchamber; and they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not slain.

3 And he was with her hid in the house of theLordsix years: and Athaliah reigned over the land.

4 And in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the captains over hundreds, of the Carites and of the guard, and brought them to him into the house of theLord; and he made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of theLord, and shewed them the king’s son.

5 And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye shall do: a third part of you, that come in on the sabbath, shall be keepers of the watch of the king’s house;

6 And a third part shall be at the gate Sur; and a third part at the gate behind the guard: so shall ye keep the watch of the house, and be a barrier.

7 And the two companies of you, even all that go forth on the sabbath, shall keep the watch of the house of theLordabout the king.

8 And ye shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and he that cometh within the ranks, let him be slain: and be ye with the king when he goeth out, and when he cometh in.

9 And the captains over hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded: and they took every man his men, those that were to come in on the sabbath, with those that were to go out on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest.

10 And the priest delivered to the captains over hundreds the spears and shields that had been king David’s, which were in the house of theLord.

11 And the guard stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, along by the altar and the house, by the king round about.

12 Then he brought out the king’s son, and put the crown upon him, andgave himthe testimony; and they made him king, and anointed him; and they clapped their hands, and said, God save the king.

13 And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guardand ofthe people, she came to the people into the house of theLord:

14 and she looked, and, behold, the king stood by the pillar, as the manner was, and the captains and the trumpets by the king; and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, treason.

15 And Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of hundreds that were set over the host, and said unto them, Have her forth between the ranks; and him that followeth her slay with the sword: for the priest said, Let her not be slain in the house of theLord.

16 So they made way for her; and she went by the way of the horses’ entry to the king’s house: and there was she slain.

17 And Jehoiada made a covenant between theLordand the king and the people, that they should be theLord’S people; between the king also and the people.

18 And all the people of the land went to the house of Baal, and brake it down: his altars and his images brake they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of theLord.

19 And he took the captains over hundreds, and the Carites, and the guard, and all the people of the land; and they brought down the king from the house of theLord, and came by the way of the gate of the guard unto the king’s house. And he sat on the throne of the kings.

20 So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet: and they slew Athaliah with the sword at the king’s house.

21 Jehoash was seven years old when he began to reign.

1 In the seventh year of Jehu began Jehoash to reign; and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Zibiah of Beer-sheba.

2 And Jehoash did that which was right in the eyes of theLordall his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him.

3 Howbeit the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

4 And Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the hallowed things that is brought into the house of theLord, in current money, the money of the persons for whom each man is rated, and all the money that it cometh into any man’s heart to bring into the house of theLord,

5 let the priests take it to them, every man from his acquaintance: and they shall repair the breaches of the house, wheresoever any breach shall be found.

6 But it was so, that in the three and twentieth year of king Jehoash the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house.

7 Then king Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and for theotherpriests, and said unto them, Why repair ye not the breaches of the house? now therefore take nomoremoney from your acquaintance, but deliver it for the breaches of the house.

8 And the priests consented that they should take nomoremoney from the people, neither repair the breaches of the house.

9 But Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one cometh into the house of theLord: and the priests that kept the door put therein all the money that was brought into the house of theLord.

10 And it was so, when they saw that there was much money in the chest, that the king’s scribe and the high priest came up, and they put up in bags and told the money that was found in the house of theLord.

11 And they gave the money that was weighed out into the hands of them that did the work, that had the oversight of the house of theLord: and they paid it out to the carpenters and the builders, that wrought upon the house of theLord,

12 and to the masons and the hewers of stone, and for buying timber and hewn stone to repair the breaches of the house of theLord, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it.

13 But there were not made for the house of theLordcups of silver, snuffers, basons, trumpets, any vessels of gold, or vessels of silver, of the money that was brought into the house of theLord:

14 for they gave that to them that did the work, and repaired therewith the house of theLord.

15 Moreover they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to give to them that did the work: for they dealt faithfully.

16 The money for the guilt offerings, and the money for the sin offerings, was not brought into the house of theLord: it was the priests’.

17 Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

18 And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of theLord; and of the king’s house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria: and he went away from Jerusalem.

19 Now the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

20 And his servants arose, and made a conspiracy, and smote Joash at the house of Millo,on the waythat goeth down to Silla.

21 For Jozacar the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, smote him, and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Amaziah his son reigned in hin stead.

1 In the three and twentieth year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria,and reignedseventeen years.

2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of theLord, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.

3 And the anger of theLordwas kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael, continually.

4 And Jehoahaz besought theLord, and theLordhearkened unto him: for he saw the oppression of Israel, how that the king of Syria oppressed them.

5 (And theLordgave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians: and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime.

6 Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, wherewith he made Israel to sin, but walked therein: and there remained the Asherah also in Samaria.)

7 For he left not to Jehoahaz of the people save fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria destroyed them, and made them like the dust in threshing.

8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

9 And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria: and Joash his son reigned in his stead.

10 In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of Judah began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria,and reignedsixteen years.

11 And he did that which was evil in the sight of theLord; he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin: but he walked therein.

12 Now the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, and his might wherewith he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

13 And Joash slept with his fathers; and Jeroboam sat upon his throne: and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

14 Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died: and Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over him, and said, My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof!

15 And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows: and he took unto him bow and arrows.

16 And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow: and he put his handupon it. And Elisha laid his hands upon the king’s hands.

17 And he said, Open the window eastward: and he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot: and he shot. And he said, TheLord’S arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory over Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them.

18 And he said, Take the arrows: and he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground: and he smote thrice, and stayed.

19 And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.

20 And Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the hands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year.

21 And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.

22 And Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.

23 But theLordwas gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet.

24 And Hazael king of Syria died; and Ben-hadad his son reigned in his stead.

25 And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times did Joash smite him; and recovered the cities of Israel.

1 In the second year of Joash son of Joahaz king of Israel began Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah to reign.

2 He was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem.

3 And he did that which was right in the eyes of theLord, yet not like David his father: he did according to all that Joash his father had done.

4 Howbeit the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

5 And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was established in his hand, that he slew his servants which had slain the king his father:

6 but the children of the murderers he put not to death: according to that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, as theLordcommanded, saying, The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man shall die for his own sin.

7 He slew of Edom in the Valley of Salt ten thousand, and took Sela by war, and called the name of it Joktheel, unto this day.

8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face.

9 And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle.

10 Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory thereof, and abide at home; for why shouldest thou meddle tothyhurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?

11 But Amaziah would not hear. So Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth-shemesh, which belongeth to Judah.

12 And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to his tent.

13 And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubists.

14 And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of theLord, and in the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.

15 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

16 And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead.

17 And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years.

18 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

19 And they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish: but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there.

20 And they brought him upon horses: and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.

21 And all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah.

22 He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.

23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria,and reignedforty and one years.

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

25 He restored the border of Israel from the entering in of Hamath unto the sea of the Arabah, according to the word of theLord, the God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gath-hepher.

26 For theLordsaw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was none shut up nor left at large, neither was there any helper for Israel.

27 And theLordsaid not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.

28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath,which had belongedto Judah, for Israel, are they hot written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

29 And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zechariah his son reigned in his stead.

1 In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign.

2 Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.

3 And he did that which was right in the eyes of theLord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done.

4 Howbeit the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

5 And theLordsmote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the household, judging the people of the land:

6 Now the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

7 And Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.

8 In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months.

9 And he did that which was evil in the sight of theLord, as his fathers had done: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin.

10 And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.

11 Now the rest of the acts of Zechariah, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

12 This was the word of theLordwhich he spake unto Jehu, saying, Thy sons to the fourth generation shall sit upon the throne of Israel. And so it came to pass.

13 Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned the space of a month in Samaria.

14 And Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria, and smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.

15 Now the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy which he made, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

16 Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the borders thereof, from Tirzah: because they opened not to him, therefore he smote it; and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up.

17 In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel,and reignedten years in Samaria.

18 And he did that which was evil in the sight of theLord: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin.

19 There came against the land Pul the king of Assyria; and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.

20 And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and stayed not there in the land.

21 Now the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

22 And Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead.

23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria,and reignedtwo years.

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

25 And Pekah the son of Remaliah, his captain, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the castle of the king’s house, with Argob and Arieh; and with him were fifty men of the Gileadites: and he slew him, and reigned in his stead.

26 Now the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

27 In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria,and reignedtwenty years.

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

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

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

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

32 In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign.

33 Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok.

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

35 Howbeit the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burned incense in the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of theLord.

36 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

37 In those days theLordbegan to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah.

38 And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.

1 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.

2 Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and he did not that which was right in the eyes of theLordhis God, like David his father.

3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom theLordcast out from before the children of Israel.

4 And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

5 Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.

6 At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there, unto this day.

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

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

9 And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: and the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carriedthe people ofit captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.

10 And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and saw the altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.

11 And Urijah the priest built an altar: according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus, so did Urijah the priest make it against king Ahaz came from Damascus.

12 And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king drew near unto the altar, and offered thereon.

13 And he burnt his burnt offering and his meal offering, and poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, upon the altar.

14 And the brasen altar, which was before theLord, he brought from the forefront of the house, from between his altar and the house of theLord, and put it on the north side of his altar.

15 And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meal offering, and the king’s burnt offering, and his meal offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meal offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: but the brasen altar shall be for me to inquire by.

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

17 And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stone.

18 And the covered way for the sabbath, that they had built in the house, and the king’s entry without, turned he unto the house of theLord, because of the king of Assyria.

19 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

20 And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.

1 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel,and reignednine years.

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

3 Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and brought him presents.

4 And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and offered no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.

5 Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.

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

7 And it was so, because the children of Israel had sinned against theLordtheir God, which brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,

8 and walked in the statutes of the nations, whom theLordcast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they made.

9 And the children of Israel did secretly things that were not right against theLordtheir God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city,

10 and they set them up pillars and Asherim upon every high hill, and under every green tree:

11 and there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the nations whom theLordcarried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke theLordto anger:

12 and they served idols, whereof theLordhad said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.

13 Yet theLordtestified unto Israel, and unto Judah, by the hand of every prophet, and of every seer, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by the hand of my servants the prophets.

14 Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their neck, like to the neck of their fathers, who believed not in theLordtheir God.

15 And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified unto them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, andwentafter the nations that were round about them, concerning whom theLordhad charged them that they should not do like them.

16 And they forsook all the commandments of theLordtheir God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.

17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do that which was evil in the sight of theLord, to provoke him to anger.

18 Therefore theLordwas very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.

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

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

21 For he rent Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drave Israel from following theLord, and made them sin a great sin.

22 And the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them;

23 until theLordremoved Israel out of his sight, as he spake by the hand of all his servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away out of their own land to Assyria, unto this day.

24 And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Avva, and from Hamath and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.

25 And so it was, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not theLord: therefore theLordsent lions among them, which killed some of them.

26 Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast carried away, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land.

27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.

28 So one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Beth-el, and taught them how they should fear theLord.

29 Howbeit every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt.

30 And the men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,

31 and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.

32 So they feared theLord, and made unto them from among themselves priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.

33 They feared theLord, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.

34 Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not theLord, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law or after the commandment which theLordcommanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;

35 with whom theLordhad made a covenant, and charged them, saying, Ye shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them:

36 but theLord, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a stretched out arm, him shall ye fear, and unto him shall ye bow yourselves, and to him shall ye sacrifice:

37 and the statutes and the ordinances, and the law and the commandment, which he wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods:

38 and the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other gods:

39 but theLordyour God shall ye fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.

40 Howbeit they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner.

41 So these nations feared theLord, and served their graven images; their children likewise, and their children’s children, as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.

1 Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.

2 Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.

3 And he did that which was right in the eyes of theLord, according to all that David his father had done.

4 He removed the high places, and brake the pillars, and cut down the Asherah: And he brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made; for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it; and he called it Nehushtan.

5 He trusted in theLord, the God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, noramong themthat were before him.

6 For he clave to theLord, he departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which theLordcommanded Moses.

7 And theLordwas with him; whithersoever he went forth he prospered: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.

8 He smote the Philistines unto Gaza and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.

9 And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it.

10 And at the end of three years they took it: even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.

11 And the king of Assyria carried Israel away unto Assyria, and put them in Halah, and in Habor,onthe river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes:

12 because they obeyed not the voice of theLordtheir God, but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of theLordcommanded, and would not hear it, nor do it.

13 Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them.

14 And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.

15 And Hezekiah gavehimall the silver that was found in the house of theLord, and in the treasures of the king’s house.

16 At that time did Hezekiah cut offthe gold fromthe doors of the temple of theLord, andfromthe pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.

17 And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rab-saris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great army unto Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field.

18 And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebnah the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder.

19 And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?

20 Thou sayest, but they are but vain words,There iscounsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou hast rebelled against me?

21 Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.

22 But if ye say unto me, We trust in theLordour God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?

23 Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.

24 How then canst thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

25 Am I now come up without theLordagainst this place to destroy it? TheLordsaid unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.

26 Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not with us in the Jews’ language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall.

27 But Rabshakeh said unto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words?hath he not sent meto the men which sit on the wall, to eat their own dung, and to drink their own water with you?

28 Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ language, and spake, saying, Hear ye the word of the great king, the king of Assyria.

29 Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you; for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand:

30 neither let Hezekiah make you trust in theLord, saying, TheLordwill surely deliver us, and this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.

31 Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make your peace with me, and come out to me; and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern;

32 Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and of honey, that ye may live, and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, TheLordwill deliver us.

33 Hath any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

34 Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah? have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?

35 Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of my hand, that theLordshould deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?

36 But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

37 Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah, with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.

1 And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of theLord.

2 And he sent Eliakim, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz.

3 And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of contumely: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

4 It may be theLordthy God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which theLordthy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left.

5 So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

6 And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say to your master, Thus saith theLord, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.

7 Behold, I will put a spirit in him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.

8 So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.

9 And when he heard say of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, Behold, he is come out to fight against thee: he sent messengers again unto Hezekiah, saying,

10 Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.

11 Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly: and shalt thou be delivered?

12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Edom which were in Telassar?

13 Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?

14 And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of theLord, and spread it before theLord.

15 And Hezekiah prayed before theLord, and said, OLord, the God of Israel, that sittest upon the cherubim, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth.

16 Incline thine ear, OLord, and hear; open thine eyes, OLord, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, wherewith he hath sent him to reproach the living God.

17 Of a truth,Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands,

18 and have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them.

19 Now therefore, OLordour God, save thou us, I beseech thee, out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art theLordGod, even thou only.

20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith theLord, the God of Israel, Whereas thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heardthee.

21 This is the word that theLordhath spoken concerning him: The virgin daughter of Zion hath despised thee and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.

22 Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high?evenagainst the Holy One of Israel.

23 By thy messengers thou hast reproached the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains, to the innermost parts of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into his farthest lodging place, the forest of his fruitful field.

24 I have digged and drunk strange waters, and with the sole of my feet will I dry up all the rivers of Egypt.

25 Hast thou not heard how I have done it long ago, and formed it of ancient times? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste fenced cities into ruinous heaps.

26 Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded; they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.

27 But I know thy sitting down, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy raging against me.

28 Because of thy raging against me, and for that thine arrogancy is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.

29 And this shall be the sign unto thee: ye shall eat this year that which groweth of itself, and in the second year that which springeth of the same; and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof.

30 And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.

31 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and out of mount Zion they that shall escape: the zeal of theLordshall perform this.

32 Therefore thus saith theLordconcerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come unto this city, nor shoot an arrow there, neither shall he come before it with shield, nor cast a mount against it.

33 By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and he shall not come unto this city, saith theLord.

34 For I will defend this city to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.

35 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of theLordwent forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when men arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.

37 And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esar-haddon his son reigned in his stead.