Judah’s King Jotham

27 Jotham was twenty-five years old^(A) when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.^(B) His mother’s name was Jerushah daughter of Zadok. ² 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,^(C) but the people still behaved corruptly.

³ Jotham built the Upper Gate of the Lord’s temple, and he built extensively on the wall of Ophel.^{(D) 4} He also built cities in the hill country of Judah and fortresses and towers in the forests.^{(E) 5} He waged war against the king of the Ammonites. He overpowered the Ammonites, and that year they gave him 7,500 pounds^[a] of silver, 60,000 bushels^[b] of wheat, and 60,000 bushels of barley. They paid him the same in the second and third years. ⁶ So Jotham strengthened his position because he did not waver in obeying^[c] the Lord his God.^(F)

⁷ As for the rest of the events^(G) 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. ⁸ He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. ⁹ Jotham rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David. His son Ahaz became king in his place.

Judah’s King Ahaz

28 Ahaz was twenty years old^(H) when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the Lord’s sight^(I) like his ancestor David, ² for he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel^(J) and made cast images of the Baals.^{(K) 3} He burned incense in Ben Hinnom Valley^(L) and burned his children in^[d](M) the fire, imitating the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites.^{(N) 4} He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places,^(O) on the hills, and under every green tree.

⁵ So the Lord his God handed Ahaz over^(P) 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: ⁶ 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. ⁷ An Ephraimite warrior named Zichri killed the king’s son Maaseiah, Azrikam governor of the palace, and Elkanah who was second to the king. ⁸ Then the Israelites took two hundred thousand captives from their brothers—women, sons, and daughters.^(Q) They also took a great deal of plunder from them and brought it to Samaria.

⁹ 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,^(R) but you slaughtered them in a rage that has reached heaven.^{(S) 10} 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? ¹¹ Listen to me and return the captives you took from your brothers,^(T) for the Lord’s burning anger is on you.”

¹² 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. ¹³ 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.”

¹⁴ The army left the captives and the plunder in the presence of the officers and the congregation. ¹⁵ Then the men who were designated by name^(U) took charge of the captives and provided clothes for their naked ones from the plunder. They clothed them, gave them sandals, food and drink,^(V) dressed their wounds, and provided donkeys for all the feeble. The Israelites brought them to Jericho, the City of Palms,^(W) among their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria.

¹⁶ At that time King Ahaz asked the king of Assyria for help.^{(X) 17} The Edomites came again, attacked Judah, and took captives.^{(Y) 18} The Philistines also raided the cities of the Judean foothills^[e] and the Negev of Judah.^(Z) They captured and occupied Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, and Gederoth, as well as Soco, Timnah, and Gimzo with their surrounding villages. ¹⁹ For the Lord humbled Judah because of King Ahaz of Judah,^[f] who threw off restraint in Judah and was unfaithful to the Lord. ²⁰ Then King Tiglath-pileser^[g](AA) of Assyria came against Ahaz; he oppressed him and did not give him support.^{(AB) 21} 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.

²² At the time of his distress, King Ahaz himself became more unfaithful to the Lord. ²³ 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.”^(AC) But they were the downfall of him and of all Israel.

²⁴ Then Ahaz gathered up the utensils of God’s temple, cut them into pieces,^(AD) shut the doors of the Lord’s temple,^(AE) and made himself altars on every street corner in Jerusalem.^{(AF) 25} 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.

Ahaz’s Death

²⁶ As for the rest of his deeds^(AG) and all his ways, from beginning to end, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. ²⁷ 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.

Saul the Persecutor

8 Saul agreed with putting him to death.

On that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the land of Judea and Samaria.^{(A) 2} Devout men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him. ³ Saul,^(B) however, was ravaging the church. He would enter house after house, drag off men and women, and put them in prison.^(C)

Philip in Samaria

⁴ So those who were scattered went on their way preaching the word. ⁵ Philip went down to a^[a] city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them.^{(D) 6} The crowds were all paying attention to what Philip said, as they listened and saw the signs he was performing. ⁷ For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed, and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.^{(E) 8} So there was great joy in that city.

The Response of Simon

⁹ A man named Simon had previously practiced sorcery in that city and amazed the Samaritan people, while claiming to be somebody great.^{(F) 10} They all paid attention to him, from the least of them to the greatest, and they said, “This man is called the Great Power of God.”^{[b](G) 11} They were attentive to him because he had amazed them with his sorceries for a long time. ¹² But when they believed Philip, as he proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.^{(H) 13} Even Simon himself believed. And after he was baptized, he followed Philip everywhere and was amazed as he observed the signs and great miracles^(I) that were being performed.

Simon’s Sin

¹⁴ When the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.^{(J) 15} After they went down there, they prayed for them so that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit because he had not yet come down on any of them. ¹⁶ (They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.^(K)) ¹⁷ Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸ When Simon saw that the Spirit^[c] was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, ¹⁹ saying, “Give me this power also so that anyone I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”

²⁰ But Peter told him, “May your silver be destroyed with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!^{(L) 21} You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God.^{(M) 22} Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, your heart’s intent may be forgiven. ²³ For I see you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by wickedness.”^(N)

²⁴ “Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon replied, “so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”^(O)

²⁵ So, after they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they traveled back to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.