Chronological
28 Achaz was 20 when he began to reign, and he reigned 16 years in Yerushalayim; but he did not that which was yashar in the eyes of Hashem, like Dovid Aviv,
2 For he walked in the ways of the melachim of Yisroel, and made also massekhot for Ba’alim.
3 Moreover he burned ketoret in the Gey Ben Hinnom, and burned his banim in the eish, after the to’avot of the Goyim whom Hashem had driven out before the Bnei Yisroel.
4 He also sacrificed and burned ketoret on the high places, and on the hilltops, and under every green tree.
5 Therefore Hashem Elohav delivered him into the yad Melech Aram; and they defeated him, and carried off a great multitude of prisoners, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the yad Melech Yisroel, who inflicted on him makkah gedolah.
6 For Pekach ben Remalyahu slaughtered in Yehudah 120 elef in yom echad, which were all valiant men; because they had forsaken Hashem Elohei Avotam.
7 And Zichri, a gibbor of Ephrayim, slaughtered Ma’aseiyahu ben HaMelech, and Azrikam the Nagid HaBais, and Elkanah Mishneh HaMelech.
8 And the Bnei Yisroel carried away captive of their achim 200 elef nashim, banim, and banot, and took also away much plunder from them, and carried back the plunder to Shomron.
9 But a navi of Hashem was there shmo Oded, and he went out before the faces of the tzava returning to Shomron, and said unto them, Hinei, because Hashem Elohei Avoteichem was angry with Yehudah, He hath delivered them into your yad, and ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth up unto Shomayim.
10 And now ye intend to keep under the Bnei Yehudah and Yerushalayim for avadim and shefachot unto you, but are there not with you, even with you, sins against Hashem Eloheichem?
11 Now hear me therefore, and send back the prisoners, which ye have taken captive of your achim, for the Charon Af Hashem is upon you.
12 Then certain anashim of the Rashei Bnei Ephrayim, Azaryahu ben Yehochanan, Berechyahu ben Meshillemot, Yechizkiyahu ben Shallum, and Amasa ben Chadlai, stood up against them that came from the tzava,
13 And said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the prisoners here; for whereas we have offended against Hashem already, ye intend to add more to chattotenu and to ashmatenu, for our guilt is great, and there is Charon Af against Yisroel.
14 So the soldiers released the prisoners and the plunder before the sarim and kol HaKahal.
15 And the men which were designated by shemot rose up, and took the prisoners, and with the plunder clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and put balm on them, and carried all the weak of them upon donkeys, and brought them to Yericho, the Ir Temarim, to their achim. Then they returned to Shomron.
16 At that time did HaMelech Achaz send unto the melachim of Assyria to help him.
17 For again the people of Edom had come and attacked Yehudah, and carried away prisoners.
18 The Pelishtim also had invaded the towns of the Shefelah, and of the Negev of Yehudah, and had taken Beit Shemesh, Ayalon, Gederot, and Shocho with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo also and the villages thereof, and they dwelt there.
19 For Hashem brought Yehudah low because of Achaz Melech Yisroel, for he brought disgrace to Yehudah, and acted treacherously against Hashem.
20 And Tilgat Pilneser Melech Ashur came unto him, and oppressed him, but helped him not.
21 For Achaz took away a portion out of the Beis Hashem, and out of the Bais HaMelech, and of the sarim, and gave it unto Melech Ashur, but he helped him not.
22 And in the time of his distress he did act even more unfaithfully against Hashem. This is that Melech Achaz.
23 For he sacrificed unto the elohei Damascus, which defeated him, and he said, Because the elohim of the melachim of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of kol Yisroel.
24 And Achaz gathered together the vessels of the Beis HaElohim, and cut up the vessels of the Beis HaElohim and shut up the daletot Beis Hashem, and he set up for him mizbechot in every corner of Yerushalayim.
25 And in every town in Yehudah he made high places to burn ketoret unto elohim acherim, and provoked to anger Hashem Elohei Avotav.
26 Now the rest of his acts and of all his ways, the rishonim and the acharonim, hinei, they are written in the Sefer of the Melachim of Yehudah and Yisroel.
27 And Achaz slept with Avotav, and they buried him in the city, even in Yerushalayim, but they brought him not into the keverim of the Melachim of Yisroel. And Chizkiyah bno reigned in his place.
16 In the seventeenth year of Pekach Ben Remalyahu, Achaz Ben Yotam Melech Yehudah began to reign.
2 20 years old was Achaz when he began to reign, and reigned 16 shanah in Yerushalayim, and did not that which was yashar in the eyes of Hashem Elohav, like Dovid Aviv.
3 But he walked in the derech of the Melachim of Yisroel, and even made bno to pass through the eish, according to the to’avot of the Goyim, whom Hashem cast out from before the Bnei Yisroel.
4 And he sacrificed and burnt ketoret in the [idolatrous] high places, and on the geva’ot, and under every spreading tree.
5 Then Retzin Melech Aram (Syria) and Pekach Ben Remalyahu Melech Yisroel came up to Yerushalayim for milchamah; and they besieged Achaz, but could not overcome him.
6 At that time Retzin Melech Aram (Syria) recovered Eilat for Aram, and drove the Yehudim from Eilat; and the Edomim came to Eilat, and dwelt there unto this day.
7 So Achaz sent malachim to Tiglat Pileser Melech Ashur (Assyria), saying, I am thy eved and thy ben (son, vassal); come up, and save me out of the hand of Melech Aram, and out of the hand of Melech Yisroel, which rise up against me.
8 And Achaz took the kesef and zahav that was found in the Beis Hashem, and in the otzerot of the Bais HaMelech, and sent it for a shochad (bribe) to Melech Ashur.
9 And Melech of Ashur (Assyria) paid heed unto him; for Melech Ashur (Assyria) went up against Damascus, and captured it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slaughtered Retzin.
10 And HaMelech Achaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglat Pileser Melech Ashur, and Achaz saw the mizbe’ach that was at Damascus; and HaMelech Achaz sent to Uriyah HaKohen the demut (likeness, sketch) of the mizbe’ach, and the tavnit (pattern, plan) of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.
11 And Uriyah HaKohen built the mizbe’ach according to all that HaMelech Achaz had sent from Damascus; so Uriyah HaKohen constructed it before HaMelech Achaz came from Damascus.
12 And when HaMelech came from Damascus, HaMelech saw the mizbe’ach; and HaMelech approached the mizbe’ach, and went up to it.
13 And he burned his olah and his minchah, and poured his nesekh (drink offering), and sprinkled the dahm of his shelamim upon the mizbe’ach.
14 And he moved also the Mizbe’ach Nechoshet, which was before Hashem, from the forefront of the Beis, from between [his] mizbe’ach and the Beis Hashem, and put it on the north side of [his] mizbe’ach.
15 And HaMelech Achaz commanded Uriyah HaKohen, saying, Upon the Mizbe’ach HaGadol burn the olat haboker, and the minchat haerev, and the olat HaMelech, and his minchah, with the olat kol Am HaAretz, and their minchah, and their nesakhim; and sprinkle upon it all the dahm of the olah, and all the dahm of the zevach: but the Mizbe’ach HaNechoshet shall be for me to inquire by.
16 Thus did Uriyah HaKohen, according to all that HaMelech Achaz commanded.
17 And HaMelech Achaz cut off the misgerot (bases [of the Yam]) of the mekhonot (movable stands or bases), and removed the kiyor from off them; and took down the Yam from off the Bakar HaNechoshet that were under it, and put it upon the Martzepet Avanim.
18 The musakh for Shabbos that they had built in the Beis, and the outer entrance of HaMelech, he removed from the Beis Hashem because of Melech Ashur.
19 Now the rest of the acts of Achaz which he did, are they not written in the Sefer Divrei HaYamim of the Melachim of Yehudah?
20 And Achaz slept with his Avot, and was buried with his Avot in Ir Dovid; and Chizkiyahu bno reigned in his place.
17 In the twelfth year of Achaz Melech Yehudah began Hoshea Ben Elah to reign as melech in Shomron over Yisroel nine shanim.
2 And he did that which was rah in the eyes of Hashem, but not as the malkhei Yisroel that were before him.
3 Against him came up Shalmaneser Melech Ashur; and Hoshea became his eved (vassal) and paid him minchah (tribute).
4 And Melech Ashur found kesher in Hoshea; for he had sent malachim to So Melech Mitzrayim, and paid no minchah to Melech Ashur, as he had done shanah b’shanah; therefore Melech Ashur took him in custody, and bound him in the bais keleh.
5 Then Melech Ashur came up throughout kol HaAretz, and went up to Shomron, and besieged it shalosh shanim.
6 In the ninth year [722 B.C.E.] of Hoshea, Melech Ashur took Shomron, and carried Yisroel away to Ashur, and placed them in Chalach and in Chavor by the river Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
7 For so it was, that the Bnei Yisroel had sinned against Hashem Eloheihem Who had brought them up out of Eretz Mitzrayim, from under the yad of Pharaoh Melech Mitzrayim, had feared elohim acherim,
8 Walked in the chukkot of the Goyim, whom Hashem cast out from before the Bnei Yisroel, and [in the chukkot] of the Malkhei Yisroel, which they had made up.
9 And the Bnei Yisroel did secretly those things that were not right against Hashem Eloheihem, and they built for them [idolatrous] high places in all their towns, from the migdal of the notzerim (watchmen) to the fortified city.
10 And they set up for them matzevot and Asherim on every high hill, under every lushly foliaged green tree;
11 And there they burned ketoret in all the high places, as did the Goyim whom Hashem drove out before them; and wrought devarim ra’im (wicked things) to provoke Hashem to anger;
12 For they served the gillulim (idols), whereof Hashem had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.
13 Yet Hashem testified warnings against Yisroel, and against Yehudah, by all the nevi’im, and by all the khozer (seers), saying, Turn ye from your derakhim hara’im and be shomer over My mitzvot and My chukkot, according to all the torah which I commanded your Avoteichem, and which I sent to you by My avadim the Nevi’im.
14 Notwithstanding they would not listen, but stubbornly stiffened their necks, like the neck of their avot, that did not believe in Hashem Eloheihem.
15 And they rejected His chukkot, and His brit (covenant) that He made with their avot, and His edot (testimonies, warnings) which He testified against them; and they followed after hevel, and became hevel, and went after the Goyim that were all around them, concerning whom Hashem had charged them, that they should not do like them.
16 And they forsook all the mitzvot of Hashem Eloheihem, and made them massekhah, even two agalim, and made Asheirah, and worshiped all the Tzava HaShomayim, and served Ba’al.
17 And they caused their banim and their banot to pass through the eish, and practiced kesamim and practiced witchcraft, and sold themselves to do rah in the eyes of Hashem, to provoke Him to anger.
18 Therefore Hashem was very angry with Yisroel, and removed them out of His sight; there was none left but the shevet of Yehudah only.
19 Also Yehudah kept not the mitzvot of Hashem Eloheihem, but walked in the chukkot of Yisroel which they had made up.
20 And Hashem rejected all the zera Yisroel, afflicted them and delivered them into the yad of plunderers, until He had cast them out of His sight.
21 For He tore Yisroel from the Bais Dovid; and they made Yarov‘am Ben Nevat melech; and Yarov‘am drove Yisroel from following after Hashem, and caused them to commit a chata’ah gedolah.
22 For the Bnei Yisroel walked in all the chattot Yarov‘am which he did; they departed not from them;
23 Until Hashem removed Yisroel out of His sight, as He had said by all His avadim the Nevi’im. So was Yisroel carried away into the Golus out of their own adamah to Ashur (Assyria) unto this day.
24 And Melech Ashur brought men from Babylon, and from Kutah, and from Ava, and from Chamat, and from Sepharvayim, and placed them in the cities of Shomron in the place of Bnei Yisroel; and they possessed Shomron, and dwelt in the cities thereof.
25 And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not Hashem; therefore Hashem sent among them the arayot which killed some of them.
26 Wherefore they spoke to Melech Ashur, saying, The Goyim which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Shomron, know not the mishpat Elohei HaAretz; therefore He hath sent the arayot among them, and, behold, they slew them, because they know not the mishpat Elohei HaAretz.
27 Then Melech Ashur commanded, saying, Carry back there one of the kohanim whom ye brought captive from there; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the mishpat Elohei HaAretz.
28 Then one of the kohanim whom they had carried away captive from Shomron came and dwelt in Beit-El, and was moreh (teacher) to them how they should fear Hashem.
29 Howbeit every goy (nation) made g-ds of their own, and set them up in the batim (houses) of the high places which the Shomronim had made, every goy in their towns wherein they dwelt.
30 And the men of Babylon made [the g-d] Sukkot Benot, and the men of Kutah made Nergal, and the men of Chamat made Ashima,
31 And the Avim made Nivchaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvim burned their banim in eish to Adramelech and Anammelech, the g-ds of Sepharvayim.
32 So they feared Hashem, and made for themselves of the lowest of them kohanim of the [idolatrous] high places, which were officiating for them in beis habamot.
33 They feared Hashem, and served their own g-ds, after the mishpat (manner) of the Goyim from which places as exiles they had been carried away.
34 Unto this day they [the Samaritans] do after the mishpatim harishonim (former practices); they fear not Hashem, neither do they after their chukkot, or after their mishpatim, or after the torah and mitzvah which Hashem commanded the Bnei Ya’akov, whom He named shmo Yisroel;
35 With whom Hashem had cut a Brit, and commanded them, saying, Ye shall not fear elohim acherim, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor offer zevakhim to them;
36 But Hashem, Who brought you up out of Eretz Mitzrayim with koach gadol and a stretched out zero’a, Him shall ye fear, and to Him shall ye bow down in worship, and to Him shall ye offer zevakhim.
37 And the chukkot, and the mishpatim, and the torah, and the mitzvah, which He wrote for you, ye shall be shomer over to do kol hayamim; ye shall fear no elohim acherim.
38 And the Brit that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear elohim acherim.
39 But Hashem Eloheichem ye shall fear; and He shall deliver you out of the yad of all your oyevim.
40 Howbeit they did not pay heed, but they did after their mishpat harishon (former custom).
41 So these Goyim feared Hashem, and also served their peselim, both their banim, and their bnei banim; as did their avot, so do they unto this day.
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