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.

Ahaz King of Judah^(A)

28 Ahaz^(B) was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. ² He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and also made idols^(C) for worshiping the Baals. ³ He burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom^(D) and sacrificed his children^(E) in the fire, engaging in the detestable^(F) practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. ⁴ He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.

⁵ Therefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hands of the king of Aram.^(G) The Arameans defeated him and took many of his people as prisoners and brought them to Damascus.

He was also given into the hands of the king of Israel, who inflicted heavy casualties on him. ⁶ In one day Pekah^(H) son of Remaliah killed a hundred and twenty thousand soldiers in Judah^(I)—because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors. ⁷ Zikri, an Ephraimite warrior, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, Azrikam the officer in charge of the palace, and Elkanah, second to the king. ⁸ The men of Israel took captive from their fellow Israelites who were from Judah^(J) two hundred thousand wives, sons and daughters. They also took a great deal of plunder, which they carried back to Samaria.^(K)

⁹ But a prophet of the Lord named Oded was there, and he went out to meet the army when it returned to Samaria. He said to them, “Because the Lord, the God of your ancestors, was angry^(L) with Judah, he gave them into your hand. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches to heaven.^{(M) 10} And now you intend to make the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem your slaves.^(N) But aren’t you also guilty of sins against the Lord your God? ¹¹ Now listen to me! Send back your fellow Israelites you have taken as prisoners, for the Lord’s fierce anger rests on you.^(O)”

¹² Then some of the leaders in Ephraim—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—confronted those who were arriving from the war. ¹³ “You must not bring those prisoners here,” they said, “or we will be guilty before the Lord. Do you intend to add to our sin and guilt? For our guilt is already great, and his fierce anger rests on Israel.”

¹⁴ So the soldiers gave up the prisoners and plunder in the presence of the officials and all the assembly. ¹⁵ The men designated by name took the prisoners, and from the plunder they clothed all who were naked. They provided them with clothes and sandals, food and drink,^(P) and healing balm. All those who were weak they put on donkeys. So they took them back to their fellow Israelites at Jericho, the City of Palms,^(Q) and returned to Samaria.^(R)

¹⁶ At that time King Ahaz sent to the kings^[a] of Assyria^(S) for help. ¹⁷ The Edomites^(T) had again come and attacked Judah and carried away prisoners,^{(U) 18} while the Philistines^(V) had raided towns in the foothills and in the Negev of Judah. They captured and occupied Beth Shemesh, Aijalon^(W) and Gederoth,^(X) as well as Soko,^(Y) Timnah^(Z) and Gimzo, with their surrounding villages. ¹⁹ The Lord had humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel,^[b] for he had promoted wickedness in Judah and had been most unfaithful^(AA) to the Lord. ²⁰ Tiglath-Pileser^[c](AB) king of Assyria^(AC) came to him, but he gave him trouble^(AD) instead of help.^{(AE) 21} Ahaz^(AF) took some of the things from the temple of the Lord and from the royal palace and from the officials and presented them to the king of Assyria, but that did not help him.^(AG)

²² In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful^(AH) to the Lord. ²³ He offered sacrifices to the gods^(AI) of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.”^(AJ) But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel.^(AK)

²⁴ Ahaz gathered together the furnishings^(AL) from the temple of God^(AM) and cut them in pieces. He shut the doors^(AN) of the Lord’s temple and set up altars^(AO) at every street corner in Jerusalem. ²⁵ In every town in Judah he built high places to burn sacrifices to other gods and aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of his ancestors.

²⁶ The other events of his reign and all his ways, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. ²⁷ Ahaz rested^(AP) with his ancestors and was buried^(AQ) in the city of Jerusalem, but he was not placed in the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.

Psalm 46^[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth.^[b] A song.

Taming the Tongue

3 Not many of you should become teachers,^(A) my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged^(B) more strictly.^{(C) 2} We all stumble^(D) in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say^(E) is perfect,^(F) able to keep their whole body in check.^(G)

³ When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.^{(H) 4} Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. ⁵ Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.^(I) Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶ The tongue also is a fire,^(J) a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body,^(K) sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.^(L)

⁷ All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, ⁸ but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.^(M)

⁹ With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.^{(N) 10} Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. ¹¹ Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? ¹² My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?^(O) Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Two Kinds of Wisdom

¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it^(P) by their good life, by deeds^(Q) done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition^(R) in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.^{(S) 15} Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven^(T) but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.^{(U) 16} For where you have envy and selfish ambition,^(V) there you find disorder and every evil practice.

¹⁷ But the wisdom that comes from heaven^(W) is first of all pure; then peace-loving,^(X) considerate, submissive, full of mercy^(Y) and good fruit, impartial and sincere.^{(Z) 18} Peacemakers^(AA) who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.^(AB)