Hoshea Last King of Israel^(A)

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

³ Shalmaneser^(D) king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea, who had been Shalmaneser’s vassal and had paid him tribute.^{(E) 4} But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was a traitor, for he had sent envoys to So^[a] king of Egypt,^(F) 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.^{(G) 5} The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege^(H) to it for three years. ⁶ In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria^(I) captured Samaria^(J) and deported^(K) the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan^(L) 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^(M) against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt^(N) from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods ⁸ and followed the practices of the nations^(O) 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^(P) they built themselves high places in all their towns. ¹⁰ They set up sacred stones^(Q) and Asherah poles^(R) on every high hill and under every spreading tree.^{(S) 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,^(T) though the Lord had said, “You shall not do this.”^{[b] 13} The Lord warned^(U) Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers:^(V) “Turn from your evil ways.^(W) 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.”^(X)

¹⁴ But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked^(Y) as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. ¹⁵ They rejected his decrees and the covenant^(Z) he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols^(AA) and themselves became worthless.^(AB) They imitated the nations^(AC) 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,^(AD) and an Asherah^(AE) pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts,^(AF) and they worshiped Baal.^{(AG) 17} They sacrificed^(AH) their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens^(AI) and sold^(AJ) 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.^(AK) 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.^{(AL) 20} Therefore the Lord rejected all the people of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers,^(AM) until he thrust them from his presence.^(AN)

²¹ When he tore^(AO) Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat their king.^(AP) Jeroboam enticed Israel away from following the Lord and caused them to commit a great sin.^{(AQ) 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,^(AR) as he had warned^(AS) through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland^(AT) into exile in Assyria, and they are still there.

Samaria Resettled

²⁴ The king of Assyria^(AU) brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim^(AV) 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^(AW) 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^(AX) where they settled, and set them up in the shrines^(AY) the people of Samaria had made at the high places.^{(AZ) 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^(BA) and Anammelek, the gods of Sepharvaim.^{(BB) 32} They worshiped the Lord, but they also appointed all sorts^(BC) 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.^{(BD) 35} When the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: “Do not worship^(BE) any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them.^{(BF) 36} But the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm,^(BG) is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices. ³⁷ You must always be careful^(BH) to keep the decrees^(BI) and regulations, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. ³⁸ Do not forget^(BJ) 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,^(BK) they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did.

24 During Jehoiakim’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar^(A) king of Babylon invaded^(B) the land, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. But then he turned against Nebuchadnezzar and rebelled.^{(C) 2} The Lord sent Babylonian,^[a](D) Aramean,^(E) Moabite and Ammonite raiders^(F) against him to destroy^(G) Judah, in accordance with the word of the Lord proclaimed by his servants the prophets.^{(H) 3} Surely these things happened to Judah according to the Lord’s command,^(I) in order to remove them from his presence^(J) because of the sins of Manasseh^(K) and all he had done, ⁴ including the shedding of innocent blood.^(L) For he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord was not willing to forgive.^(M)

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

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

Jehoiachin King of Judah^(S)

⁸ Jehoiachin^(T) was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta^(U) daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem. ⁹ He did evil^(V) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father had done.

¹⁰ At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar^(W) 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^(X) to him.

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

¹⁵ Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin^(AF) captive to Babylon. He also took from Jerusalem to Babylon the king’s mother,^(AG) his wives, his officials and the prominent people^(AH) 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.^{(AI) 17} He made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah.^(AJ)

Zedekiah King of Judah^(AK)

¹⁸ Zedekiah^(AL) was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal^(AM) daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. ¹⁹ He did evil^(AN) 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^(AO) them from his presence.^(AP)

The Fall of Jerusalem^(AQ)(AR)(AS)

Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

25 So in the ninth^(AT) year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar^(AU) king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. He encamped outside the city and built siege works^(AV) 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^[b] month the famine^(AW) 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,^(AX) and the whole army fled at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians^[c] were surrounding^(AY) the city. They fled toward the Arabah,^{[d] 5} but the Babylonian^[e] army pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered,^{(AZ) 6} and he was captured.^(BA)

He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah,^(BB) 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.^(BC)

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^(BD) to the temple of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down.^{(BE) 10} The whole Babylonian army under the commander of the imperial guard broke down the walls^(BF) around Jerusalem. ¹¹ Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile^(BG) the people who remained in the city, along with the rest of the populace and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon.^{(BH) 12} But the commander left behind some of the poorest people^(BI) of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

¹³ The Babylonians broke^(BJ) 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^(BK) and all the bronze articles^(BL) 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.^(BM)

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^(BN) was eighteen cubits^[f] high. The bronze capital on top of one pillar was three cubits^[g] 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^(BO) the chief priest, Zephaniah^(BP) the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers.^{(BQ) 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,^(BR) in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed.^(BS)

So Judah went into captivity,^(BT) away from her land.^(BU)

²² Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah^(BV) son of Ahikam,^(BW) 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^(BX) Gedaliah and also the men of Judah and the Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah.^{(BY) 26} At this, all the people from the least to the greatest, together with the army officers, fled to Egypt^(BZ) for fear of the Babylonians.

Jehoiachin Released^(CA)

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^(CB) king of Judah from prison. He did this on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month. ²⁸ He spoke kindly^(CC) to him and gave him a seat of honor^(CD) 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.^{(CE) 30} Day by day the king gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived.^(CF)