Israel Falls to Assyria during Hoshea’s Reign

17 During the twelfth year of the reign of^[a] King Ahaz of Judah, Elah’s son Hoshea became king over Israel for nine years in Samaria. ² He practiced what the Lord considered to be evil,^[b] though not like the kings of Israel who had preceded him. ³ King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked him, and Hoshea became his servant and paid tribute to him. ⁴ But the king of Assyria uncovered a conspiracy involving Hoshea, who had sent envoys to King So of Egypt and stopped offering tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done annually. As a result, the king of Assyria placed him under arrest and sent him to prison.