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2 Kings 18 1-2 Kings 18 20
In the third year of Israel’s King Hoshea son of Elah, Hezekiah son of Ahaz became king of Judah.He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi daughter of Zechariah.He did what was right in the LORD’s sight just as his ancestor David had done.He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake that Moses made, for until then the Israelites were burning incense to it. It was called Nehushtan.Hezekiah relied on the LORD God of Israel; not one of the kings of Judah was like him, either before him or after him.He remained faithful to the LORD and did not turn from following him but kept the commands the LORD had commanded Moses.The LORD was with him, and wherever he went he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its borders, from watchtower to fortified city.In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Israel’s King Hoshea son of Elah, Assyria’s King Shalmaneser marched against Samaria and besieged it.The Assyrians captured it at the end of three years. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Israel’s King Hoshea, Samaria was captured.The king of Assyria deported the Israelites to Assyria and put them in Halah, along the Habor( Gozan’s river), and in the cities of the Medes,because they did not listen to the LORD their God but violated his covenant— all he had commanded Moses the servant of the LORD. They did not listen, and they did not obey.In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Assyria’s King Sennacherib attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.So King Hezekiah of Judah sent word to the king of Assyria at Lachish:“ I have done wrong; withdraw from me. Whatever you demand from me, I will pay.” The king of Assyria demanded eleven tons of silver and one ton of gold from King Hezekiah of Judah.So Hezekiah gave him all the silver found in the LORD’s temple and in the treasuries of the king’s palace.At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the LORD’s sanctuary and from the doorposts he had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria.Then the king of Assyria sent the field marshal, the chief of staff, and his royal spokesman, along with a massive army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They advanced and came to Jerusalem, and they took their position by the aqueduct of the upper pool, by the road to the Launderer’s Field.They called for the king, but Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, Shebnah the court secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the court historian, came out to them.Then the royal spokesman said to them,“ Tell Hezekiah this is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says:‘ What are you relying on?You think mere words are strategy and strength for war. Who are you now relying on so that you have rebelled against me?
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Isaiah 36:1-22
In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, King Sennacherib of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.Then the king of Assyria sent his royal spokesman, along with a massive army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. The Assyrian stood near the conduit of the upper pool, by the road to Launderer’s Field.Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the court secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the court historian, came out to him.The royal spokesman said to them,“ Tell Hezekiah: The great king, the king of Assyria, says this: What are you relying on?You think mere words are strategy and strength for war. Who are you now relying on that you have rebelled against me?Look, you are relying on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff that will pierce the hand of anyone who grabs it and leans on it. This is how Pharaoh king of Egypt is to all who rely on him.Suppose you say to me,‘ We rely on the LORD our God.’ Isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem,‘ You are to worship at this altar’?“ Now make a deal with my master, the king of Assyria. I’ll give you two thousand horses if you’re able to supply riders for them!How then can you drive back a single officer among the least of my master’s servants? How can you rely on Egypt for chariots and horsemen?Have I attacked this land to destroy it without the LORD’s approval? The LORD said to me,‘ Attack this land and destroy it.’”Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the royal spokesman,“ Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew within earshot of the people who are on the wall.”But the royal spokesman replied,“ Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men who are sitting on the wall, who are destined with you to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?”Then the royal spokesman stood and called out loudly in Hebrew: Listen to the words of the great king, the king of Assyria!This is what the king says:“ Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you, for he cannot rescue you.Don’t let Hezekiah persuade you to rely on the LORD, saying,‘ The LORD will certainly rescue us! This city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.’”Don’t listen to Hezekiah, for this is what the king of Assyria says:“ Make peace with me and surrender to me. Then every one of you may eat from his own vine and his own fig tree and drink water from his own cisternuntil I come and take you away to a land like your own land— a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.Beware that Hezekiah does not mislead you by saying,‘ The LORD will rescue us.’ Has any one of the gods of the nations rescued his land from the power of the king of Assyria?Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they rescued Samaria from my power?Who among all the gods of these lands ever rescued his land from my power? So will the LORD rescue Jerusalem from my power?”But they kept silent; they didn’t say anything, for the king’s command was,“ Don’t answer him.”Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the court secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the court historian, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and reported to him the words of the royal spokesman.
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Isaiah 7:1-13
This took place during the reign of Ahaz, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah king of Judah: Aram’s King Rezin and Israel’s King Pekah son of Remaliah went to fight against Jerusalem, but they were not able to conquer it.When it became known to the house of David that Aram had occupied Ephraim, the heart of Ahaz and the hearts of his people trembled like trees of a forest shaking in the wind.The LORD said to Isaiah,“ Go out with your son Shear-jashub to meet Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, by the road to the Launderer’s Field.Say to him: Calm down and be quiet. Don’t be afraid or cowardly because of these two smoldering sticks, the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram, and the son of Remaliah.For Aram, along with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has plotted harm against you. They say,‘ Let’s go up against Judah, terrorize it, and conquer it for ourselves. Then we can install Tabeel’s son as king in it.’”This is what the Lord GOD says: It will not happen; it will not occur.The chief city of Aram is Damascus, the chief of Damascus is Rezin( within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people),the chief city of Ephraim is Samaria, and the chief of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you do not stand firm in your faith, then you will not stand at all.Then the LORD spoke again to Ahaz:“ Ask for a sign from the LORD your God— it can be as deep as Sheol or as high as heaven.”But Ahaz replied,“ I will not ask. I will not test the LORD.”Isaiah said,“ Listen, house of David! Is it not enough for you to try the patience of men? Will you also try the patience of my God?
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2 Kings 15 7
Azariah rested with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David. His son Jotham became king in his place.
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2 Chronicles 26 21
So King Uzziah was diseased to the time of his death. He lived in quarantine with a serious skin disease and was excluded from access to the LORD’s temple, while his son Jotham was over the king’s household governing the people of the land.
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2 Kings 15 32-2 Kings 16 20
In the second year of Israel’s King Pekah son of Remaliah, Jotham son of Uzziah became king of Judah.He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok.He did what was right in the LORD’s sight just as his father Uzziah had done.Yet the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places. Jotham built the Upper Gate of the LORD’s temple.The rest of the events of Jotham’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings.In those days the LORD began sending Aram’s King Rezin and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.Jotham rested with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the city of his ancestor David. His son Ahaz became king in his place.In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz son of Jotham became king of Judah.Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD his God like his ancestor Davidbut walked in the ways of the kings of Israel. He even sacrificed his son in the fire, imitating the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had dispossessed before the Israelites.He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.Then Aram’s King Rezin and Israel’s King Pekah son of Remaliah came to wage war against Jerusalem. They besieged Ahaz but were not able to conquer him.At that time Aram’s King Rezin recovered Elath for Aram and expelled the Judahites from Elath. Then the Arameans came to Elath, and they still live there today.So Ahaz sent messengers to King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria, saying,“ I am your servant and your son. March up and save me from the grasp of the king of Aram and of the king of Israel, who are rising up against me.”Ahaz also took the silver and gold found in the LORD’s temple and in the treasuries of the king’s palace and sent them to the king of Assyria as a bribe.So the king of Assyria listened to him and marched up to Damascus and captured it. He deported its people to Kir but put Rezin to death.King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria. When he saw the altar that was in Damascus, King Ahaz sent a model of the altar and complete plans for its construction to the priest Uriah.Uriah built the altar according to all the instructions King Ahaz sent from Damascus. Therefore, by the time King Ahaz came back from Damascus, the priest Uriah had completed it.When the king came back from Damascus, he saw the altar. Then he approached the altar and ascended it.He offered his burnt offering and his grain offering, poured out his drink offering, and splattered the blood of his fellowship offerings on the altar.He took the bronze altar that was before the LORD in front of the temple between his altar and the LORD’s temple, and put it on the north side of his altar.Then King Ahaz commanded the priest Uriah,“ Offer on the great altar the morning burnt offering, the evening grain offering, and the king’s burnt offering and his grain offering. Also offer the burnt offering of all the people of the land, their grain offering, and their drink offerings. Splatter on the altar all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of sacrifice. The bronze altar will be for me to seek guidance.”The priest Uriah did everything King Ahaz commanded.Then King Ahaz cut off the frames of the water carts and removed the bronze basin from each of them. He took the basin from the bronze oxen that were under it and put it on a stone pavement.To satisfy the king of Assyria, he removed from the LORD’s temple the Sabbath canopy they had built in the palace, and he closed the outer entrance for the king.The rest of the events of Ahaz’s reign, along with his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings.Ahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David, and his son Hezekiah became king in his place.
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2 Chronicles 27 1-2 Chronicles 29 32
Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerushah daughter of Zadok.He did what was right in the LORD’s sight just as his father Uzziah had done. In addition, he didn’t enter the LORD’s sanctuary, but the people still behaved corruptly.Jotham built the Upper Gate of the LORD’s temple, and he built extensively on the wall of Ophel.He also built cities in the hill country of Judah and fortresses and towers in the forests.He waged war against the king of the Ammonites. He overpowered the Ammonites, and that year they gave him 7,500 pounds of silver, 60,000 bushels of wheat, and 60,000 bushels of barley. They paid him the same in the second and third years.So Jotham strengthened his position because he did not waver in obeying the LORD his God.As for the rest of the events of Jotham’s reign, along with all his wars and his ways, note that they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.Jotham rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David. His son Ahaz became king in his place.Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the LORD’s sight like his ancestor David,for he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and made cast images of the Baals.He burned incense in Ben Hinnom Valley and burned his children in the fire, imitating the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had dispossessed before the Israelites.He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.So the LORD his God handed Ahaz over to the king of Aram. He attacked him and took many captives to Damascus. Ahaz was also handed over to the king of Israel, who struck him with great force:Pekah son of Remaliah killed one hundred twenty thousand in Judah in one day— all brave men— because they had abandoned the LORD God of their ancestors.An Ephraimite warrior named Zichri killed the king’s son Maaseiah, Azrikam governor of the palace, and Elkanah who was second to the king.Then the Israelites took two hundred thousand captives from their brothers— women, sons, and daughters. They also took a great deal of plunder from them and brought it to Samaria.A prophet of the LORD named Oded was there. He went out to meet the army that came to Samaria and said to them,“ Look, the LORD God of your ancestors handed them over to you because of his wrath against Judah, but you slaughtered them in a rage that has reached heaven.Now you plan to reduce the people of Judah and Jerusalem, male and female, to slavery. Are you not also guilty before the LORD your God?Listen to me and return the captives you took from your brothers, for the LORD’s burning anger is on you.”So some men who were leaders of the Ephraimites— Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai— stood in opposition to those coming from the war.They said to them,“ You must not bring the captives here, for you plan to bring guilt on us from the LORD to add to our sins and our guilt. For we have much guilt, and burning anger is on Israel.”The army left the captives and the plunder in the presence of the officers and the congregation.Then the men who were designated by name took charge of the captives and provided clothes for their naked ones from the plunder. They clothed them, gave them sandals, food and drink, dressed their wounds, and provided donkeys for all the feeble. The Israelites brought them to Jericho, the City of Palms, among their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria.At that time King Ahaz asked the king of Assyria for help.The Edomites came again, attacked Judah, and took captives.The Philistines also raided the cities of the Judean foothills and the Negev of Judah. They captured and occupied Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, and Gederoth, as well as Soco, Timnah, and Gimzo with their surrounding villages.For the LORD humbled Judah because of King Ahaz of Judah, who threw off restraint in Judah and was unfaithful to the LORD.Then King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria came against Ahaz; he oppressed him and did not give him support.Although Ahaz plundered the LORD’s temple and the palace of the king and of the rulers and gave the plunder to the king of Assyria, it did not help him.At the time of his distress, King Ahaz himself became more unfaithful to the LORD.He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him; he said,“ Since the gods of the kings of Aram are helping them, I will sacrifice to them so that they will help me.” But they were the downfall of him and of all Israel.Then Ahaz gathered up the utensils of God’s temple, cut them into pieces, shut the doors of the LORD’s temple, and made himself altars on every street corner in Jerusalem.He made high places in every city of Judah to offer incense to other gods, and he angered the LORD, the God of his ancestors.As for the rest of his deeds and all his ways, from beginning to end, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.Ahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city, in Jerusalem, but they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. His son Hezekiah became king in his place.Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah.He did what was right in the LORD’s sight just as his ancestor David had done.In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the LORD’s temple and repaired them.Then he brought in the priests and Levites and gathered them in the eastern public square.He said to them,“ Hear me, Levites. Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the LORD, the God of your ancestors. Remove everything impure from the holy place.For our ancestors were unfaithful and did what is evil in the sight of the LORD our God. They abandoned him, turned their faces away from the LORD’s dwelling place, and turned their backs on him.They also closed the doors of the portico, extinguished the lamps, did not burn incense, and did not offer burnt offerings in the holy place of the God of Israel.Therefore, the wrath of the LORD was on Judah and Jerusalem, and he made them an object of terror, horror, and mockery, as you see with your own eyes.Our fathers fell by the sword, and our sons, our daughters, and our wives are in captivity because of this.It is in my heart now to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel so that his burning anger may turn away from us.My sons, don’t be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand in his presence, to serve him, and to be his ministers and burners of incense.”Then the Levites stood up: Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah from the Kohathites; Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel from the Merarites; Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah from the Gershonites;Shimri and Jeuel from the Elizaphanites; Zechariah and Mattaniah from the Asaphites;Jehiel and Shimei from the Hemanites; Shemaiah and Uzziel from the Jeduthunites.They gathered their brothers together, consecrated themselves, and went according to the king’s command by the words of the LORD to cleanse the LORD’s temple.The priests went to the entrance of the LORD’s temple to cleanse it. They took all the unclean things they found in the LORD’s sanctuary to the courtyard of the LORD’s temple. Then the Levites received them and took them outside to the Kidron Valley.They began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they came to the portico of the LORD’s temple. They consecrated the LORD’s temple for eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished.Then they went inside to King Hezekiah and said,“ We have cleansed the whole temple of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the table for the rows of the Bread of the Presence and all its utensils.We have set up and consecrated all the utensils that King Ahaz rejected during his reign when he became unfaithful. They are in front of the altar of the LORD.”King Hezekiah got up early, gathered the city officials, and went to the LORD’s temple.They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. Then he told the descendants of Aaron, the priests, to offer them on the altar of the LORD.So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests received the blood and splattered it on the altar. They slaughtered the rams and splattered the blood on the altar. They slaughtered the lambs and splattered the blood on the altar.Then they brought the goats for the sin offering right into the presence of the king and the congregation, who laid their hands on them.The priests slaughtered the goats and put their blood on the altar for a sin offering, to make atonement for all Israel, for the king said that the burnt offering and sin offering were for all Israel.Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the LORD’s temple with cymbals, harps, and lyres according to the command of David, Gad the king’s seer, and the prophet Nathan. For the command was from the LORD through his prophets.The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.Then Hezekiah ordered that the burnt offering be offered on the altar. When the burnt offerings began, the song of the LORD and the trumpets began, accompanied by the instruments of King David of Israel.The whole assembly was worshiping, singing the song, and blowing the trumpets— all this continued until the burnt offering was completed.When the burnt offerings were completed, the king and all those present with him bowed down and worshiped.Then King Hezekiah and the officials told the Levites to sing praise to the LORD in the words of David and of the seer Asaph. So they sang praises with rejoicing and knelt low and worshiped.Hezekiah concluded,“ Now you are consecrated to the LORD. Come near and bring sacrifices and thanksgiving offerings to the LORD’s temple.” So the congregation brought sacrifices and thanksgiving offerings, and all those with willing hearts brought burnt offerings.The number of burnt offerings the congregation brought was seventy bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to the LORD.
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1 Chronicles 3 11-1 Chronicles 3 13
his son Jehoram, his son Ahaziah, his son Joash,his son Amaziah, his son Azariah, his son Jotham,his son Ahaz, his son Hezekiah, his son Manasseh,
