Judah’s King Ahaz

16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah,^(A) Ahaz^(B) son of Jotham became king of Judah.

⁵ Then^(A) 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.^(B)

Judah’s King Ahaz

28 Ahaz was 20 years old^(A) when he became king and reigned 16 years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the Lord’s sight^(B) like his ancestor David, ² for he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel^(C) and made cast images of the Baals.^{(D) 3} He burned incense in the Valley of Hinnom^(E) and burned his children in^[a](F) the fire, imitating the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites.^{(G) 4} He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places,^(H) on the hills, and under every green tree.

⁵ So the Lord his God handed Ahaz over^(I) 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 120,000 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 200,000 captives from their brothers—women, sons, and daughters.^(J) 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,^(K) but you slaughtered them in a rage that has reached heaven.^{(L) 10} Now you plan to reduce the people of Judah and Jerusalem, male and female, to slavery. Are you not also guilty before Yahweh your God? ¹¹ Listen to me and return the captives you took from your brothers,^(M) 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^(N) took charge of the captives and provided clothes for their naked ones from the plunder. They clothed them, gave them sandals, food and drink,^(O) dressed their wounds, and provided donkeys for all the feeble. The Israelites brought them to Jericho, the City of Palms,^(P) among their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria.

²⁰ However, don’t rejoice that^[a] the spirits^(A) submit to you,^(B) but rejoice that your names are written^(C) in heaven.”

The Son Reveals the Father

²¹ In that same hour^(D) He^[b] rejoiced in the Holy^[c] Spirit^(E) and said, “I praise^[d] You, Father,^(F) Lord of heaven and earth,^(G) because You have hidden these things from the wise and the learned^(H) and have revealed them to infants.^(I) Yes, Father, because this was Your good pleasure.^{[e](J) 22} All things have^[f] been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son desires^[g] to reveal Him.”^(K)

²³ Then turning to His disciples He said privately, “The eyes that see the things you see are blessed! ²⁴ For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things you see yet didn’t see them; to hear the things you hear yet didn’t hear them.”^(L)

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

²⁵ Just^(M) then an expert in the law^(N) stood up to test^(O) Him, saying, “Teacher,^(P) what must I do to inherit eternal life?”^(Q)

²⁶ “What is written in the law?” He asked him. “How do you read it?”

²⁷ He answered:

²⁸ “You’ve answered correctly,” He told him. “Do this and you will live.”^(U)

²⁹ But wanting to justify himself,^(V) he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”^(W)

³⁰ Jesus took up the question and said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³² In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan^(X) on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion.^{(Y) 34} He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil^(Z) and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day^[i] he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’

³⁶ “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”

³⁷ “The one who showed mercy^(AA) to him,” he said.

Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.”