⁶ At the king’s command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read:

¹⁴ The couriers, riding the royal horses, went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa.^(A)

²⁹ In the time of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser^(A) king of Assyria came and took Ijon,^(B) Abel Beth Maakah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor. He took Gilead and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali,^(C) and deported^(D) the people to Assyria.

¹⁹ Then Pul^[a](A) king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave him a thousand talents^[b] of silver to gain his support and strengthen his own hold on the kingdom.

²⁰ Tiglath-Pileser^[a](A) king of Assyria^(B) came to him, but he gave him trouble^(C) instead of help.^(D)

²⁶ So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit^(A) of Pul^(B) king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-Pileser^(C) king of Assyria), who took the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. He took them to Halah,^(D) Habor, Hara and the river of Gozan, where they are to this day.