Old/New Testament
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.
18 Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea Ben Elah Melech Yisroel, that Chizkiyah Ben Achaz Melech Yehudah began to reign.
2 Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine shanah in Yerushalayim. Shem immo also was Avi Bat Zecharyah.
3 And he did that which was yashar in the sight of Hashem, according to all that Dovid Aviv did.
4 He removed the [idolatrous] high places and smashed the matzevot, and cut down the Asherah, and broke in pieces the nachash nechoshet that Moshe had made; for up to those yamim the Bnei Yisroel did burn ketoret to it; and it was called Nechushtan.
5 He trusted in Hashem Elohei Yisroel; so that after him was none like him among all the Melachim of Yehudah, nor any that were before him.
6 For his deveykus was to Hashem, he departed not from following Him, but was shomer over His mitzvot Hashem commanded Moshe.
7 And Hashem was with him; he prospered whithersoever he went forth; he rebelled against Melech Ashur, and served him not.
8 He struck down the Pelishtim, even unto Azah (Gaza), and the territories thereof, from the migdal notzrim to the fortified city.
9 And it came to pass in the fourth year of Melech Chizkiyah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea Ben Elah Melech Yisroel, that Shalmaneser Melech Ashur came up against Shomron, and besieged it.
10 And at the end of three years they captured it; even in the sixth year of Chizkiyah, that is, in the ninth year of Hoshea Melech Yisroel, Shomron was captured.
11 And Melech Ashur did carry away Yisroel into Golus in Assyria, and put them in Chalach and in Chavor by the of Gozan River, and in the cities of the Medes;
12 Because they obeyed not the voice of Hashem Eloheihem, but transgressed His Brit, and all that Moshe Eved Hashem commanded, and would not hear them, nor do them.
13 Now in the fourteenth year of Melech Chizkiyah did Sanecheriv Melech Ashur come up against all the fortified cities of Yehudah, and captured them.
14 And Chizkiyah Melech Yehudah sent to Melech Ashur at Lachish, saying, I have offended; withdraw from me; that which thou demandest me will I bear. And Melech Ashur exacted from Chizkiyah Melech Yehudah three hundred talents of kesef and thirty talents of zahav.
15 And Chizkiyah gave him all the kesef that was found in the Beis Hashem, and in the otzarot of the Bais HaMelech.
16 At that time did Chizkiyah strip off the zahav from the daletot Heikhal Hashem, and from the omenot (doorposts) which Chizkiyah Melech Yehudah had overlaid, and gave it to Melech Ashur.
17 And Melech Ashur sent Tartan and Rav Saris and Rav Shakeh from Lachish to Melech Chizkiyah with a large army against Yerushalayim. And they went up and came to Yerushalayim. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the te’alat haberekhah haelyonah (aqueduct of the Upper Pool), on the highway of the Sadeh of the Launderer.
18 And when they had called to HaMelech, there came out to them Elyakim Ben Chilkiyah, which was over the Bais (palace), and Shevna the Sofer, and Yoach Ben Asaph the Mazkir (secretary).
19 And Rav Shakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Chizkiyah, Thus saith HaMelech Hagadol, Melech Ashur; What bitachon (confidence) is this wherein thou trustest?
20 Thou sayest—but they are mere davar sfatayim (words of lips, vain words)—I have etzah (counsel) and gevurah (strength) for the milchamah. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?
21 Now, hinei, thou trustest upon the mishenet (staff) of this bruised reed, even upon Mitzrayim, on which if a man lean, it will go into his yad, and pierce it; so is Pharaoh Melech Mitzrayim unto all that depend on him.
22 But if ye say unto me, We trust in Hashem Eloheinu; is not that He, whose high places and whose mizbechot Chizkiyah hath taken away, and hath said to Yehudah and Yerushalayim, Ye shall worship before this Mizbe’ach in Yerushalayim?
23 Therefore, now, give pledges to adoni Melech Ashur, and I will deliver thee two thousand susim, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.
24 How then wilt thou turn away the face of one officer of the least of the avadim of adoni, and put thy trust in Mitzrayim for chariots and for parashim?
25 Am I now come up without Hashem against this makom to destroy it? Hashem said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
26 Then said Elyakim Ben Chilkiyah, and Shevna, and Yoach, unto Rav Shakeh, Speak, now, to thy avadim in Aramit (Aramaic); for we understand it; and speak not to us in Yehudit (Hebrew) in the ears of the people that are on the chomah.
27 But Rav Shakeh said unto them, Hath adoni sent me to adoneicha, and to thee, to speak these words? Hath he not sent me to the anashim which sit on the chomah, that may eat their own dung, and drink their own urine with you?
28 Then Rav Shakeh stood and cried with a kol gadol in Yehudit, and spoke, saying, Hear the word of HaMelech Hagadol, Melech Ashur.
29 Thus saith HaMelech, Let not Chizkiyah deceive you; for he shall not be able to save you out of his yad;
30 Neither let Chizkiyah make you trust in Hashem, saying, Hashem will surely save us, and this city shall not be given into the yad Melech Ashur.
31 Pay heed not to Chizkiyah; for thus saith HaMelech Ashur, Make a brocha with me, and come out to me, and then eat ye every man of his own gefen, every one of his te’enah, and drink ye every one the waters of his bor;
32 Until I come and take you away to an eretz like your own eretz, an eretz dagan and tirosh, an eretz lechem and kramim, a land of zayit yitzhar and of devash, that ye may live, and not die; and pay heed not unto Chizkiyah, when he persuadeth you, saying, Hashem will save us.
33 Hath any of the elohei HaGoyim delivered at all his land out of the yad Melech Ashur?
34 Where are elohei Chamat, and of Arpad? Where are elohei Sapharvayim, Hena, and Ivah? Have they saved Shomron out of mine yad?
35 Who are they among all the elohim of the lands, that have saved their land out of mine yad, that Hashem should save Yerushalayim out of mine yad?
36 But the people held their peace, and answered him not a davar; for the mitzvat HaMelech was, saying, Answer him not.
37 Then came Elyakim Ben Chilkiyah, which was over the Bais (palace), and Shevna the Sofer, and Yoach Ben Asaph the Mazkir (secretary), to Chizkiyah with their begadim torn, and told him the words of Rav Shakeh.
19 And this is the psak din, that the Ohr has come into the Olam Hazeh, and Bnei Adam had ahavah for the choshech rather than for the Ohr, for their ma’asim were ra’im (evil). [TEHILLIM 52:3]
20 For everyone walking in the derech resha’im has sin’as chinom (baseless hatred) for the Ohr and does not come to the Ohr, lest his ma’asim be exposed. [Ps l:6; Job 24:13-17]
21 But the one doing HaEmes comes to the Ohr that his ma’asim hamitzot may be manifested, that they have been wrought in Hashem.
22 After these things Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach and his talmidim came into the land of Yehudah, and there he was staying with them and was giving the mikveh mayim’s tevilah.
23 And Yochanan was also giving the tevilah near Shalem at Einayim, because there was plenty of water there for a mikveh, and the Yehudim were coming and submitting to the tevilah.
24 Yochanan had not yet been incarcerated in the beit hasohar (prison).
25 There was then a discussion of Yochanan’s talmidim with one of the Yehudim about the subject of tohorah (purification).
26 And they came to Yochanan and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Yarden, the one to whom you have given solemn edut, hinei, this one gives the mikveh mayim’s tevilah and kol Bnei Adam come to him.
27 In reply, Yochanan said, A man is not able to receive anything, unless it has been given to him from Shomayim.
28 You yourselves stand as eidus (witness) to me, that I said I am not the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, but I have been sent as his foroisgeier (forerunner) [MALACHI 3:1].
29 The one having the Kallah (bride) is the Choson (Bridegroom, i.e., Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach) but the Shoshvin (the Choson’s best man), the one having stood and hearing him with simcha, rejoices because of the kol (voice) of the Choson (Bridegroom). Therefore, this simcha of mine has been made sheleimah (complete).
30 It is necessary for that one [Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach] to increase, but for me to decrease.
31 The one coming from above (Moshiach) is over all; the one being from Olam Hazeh is of Olam Hazeh and of the Olam Hazeh he speaks; Hu Habah (He who comes, i.e., Moshiach) from Shomayim is over all.
32 Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach gives solemn edut (testimony) to that which he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his eidus.
33 The one who is mekabel Moshiach’s eidus has thereby set his chotam of attestation that Hashem is Emes.
34 For he whom Hashem sent speaks the Divrei Hashem, for He gives the Ruach Hakodesh without measure. [YESHAYAH 42:1]
35 Elohim HaAv (the Father) has ahavah (love) for HaBen [MISHLE 30:4; 8:30] and has given all things into his hand.
36 The one with emunah in the Ben [HaElohim] has Chayyei Olam; but the one disobeying the Ben [HaElohim] will not see Chayyim, but the Charon Af Hashem remains on him.
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