⁶ In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria^(A) captured Samaria^(B) and deported^(C) the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan^(D) on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes.

¹¹ Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled^(A) themselves and went to Jerusalem.^(B)

One Nation Under One King

¹⁵ The word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁶ “Son of man, take a stick of wood and write on it, ‘Belonging to Judah and the Israelites^(A) associated with him.^(B)’ Then take another stick of wood, and write on it, ‘Belonging to Joseph (that is, to Ephraim) and all the Israelites associated with him.’ ¹⁷ Join them together into one stick so that they will become one in your hand.^(C)

¹⁸ “When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you tell us what you mean by this?’^{(D) 19} say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph—which is in Ephraim’s hand—and of the Israelite tribes associated with him, and join it to Judah’s stick. I will make them into a single stick of wood, and they will become one in my hand.’^{(E) 20} Hold before their eyes the sticks you have written on ²¹ and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land.^{(F) 22} I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel.^(G) There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.^{(H) 23} They will no longer defile^(I) themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding,^[a](J) and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.^(K)

²⁴ “‘My servant David^(L) will be king^(M) over them, and they will all have one shepherd.^(N) They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees.^{(O) 25} They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your ancestors lived.^(P) They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever,^(Q) and David my servant will be their prince forever.^{(R) 26} I will make a covenant of peace^(S) with them; it will be an everlasting covenant.^(T) I will establish them and increase their numbers,^(U) and I will put my sanctuary among them^(V) forever.^{(W) 27} My dwelling place^(X) will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.^{(Y) 28} Then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy,^(Z) when my sanctuary is among them forever.^(AA)’”

⁷ This is the promise our twelve tribes^(A) are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night.^(B) King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me.^(C)

1 James,^(A) a servant of God^(B) and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes^(C) scattered^(D) among the nations:

Greetings.^(E)