Israel’s King Hoshea

17 In the twelfth year of Judah’s King Ahaz, Hoshea(A) son of Elah became king over Israel in Samaria and reigned nine years. He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.(B)

Shalmaneser(C) king of Assyria attacked him,(D) and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute money. But the king of Assyria discovered Hoshea’s conspiracy. He had sent envoys to So king of Egypt(E) and had not paid tribute money to the king of Assyria as in previous years.[a] Therefore the king of Assyria arrested him and put him in prison.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 17:4 Lit as year by year

Hoshea rules Israel

17 Hoshea, Elah’s son, became king in Samaria in the twelfth year of Judah’s king Ahaz. He ruled over Israel for nine years. He did what was evil in the Lord’s eyes, but he wasn’t as bad as the Israelite kings who preceded him. Assyria’s King Shalmaneser marched against Hoshea, and Hoshea became Shalmaneser’s servant, paying him tribute. But the Assyrian king discovered that Hoshea was a traitor, because Hoshea sent messengers to Egypt’s King So. Hoshea stopped paying tribute to the Assyrian king as he had in previous years, so the Assyrian king arrested him and put him in prison.

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