Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A psalm of David.

⁹ Shalmaneser marched to Samaria and surrounded it. It was in the fourth year of King Hezekiah. That was the seventh year of Hoshea, the king of Israel. Hoshea was the son of Elah. Shalmaneser was king of Assyria. ¹⁰ At the end of three years the army of Assyria captured Samaria. That happened in the sixth year of Hezekiah’s rule. It was the ninth year of the rule of Hoshea, the king of Israel. ¹¹ The king of Assyria took the people of Israel away from their own land. He sent them off to Assyria. He made some of them live in Halah. He made others live in Gozan on the Habor River. And he made others live in the towns of the Medes. ¹² These things happened because the Israelites hadn’t obeyed the Lord their God. They had broken the covenant he had made with them. They had refused to do everything Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded. They hadn’t paid any attention to those commands. They hadn’t obeyed them.

¹³ Sennacherib attacked and captured all the cities of Judah that had high walls around them. It was in the 14th year of the rule of Hezekiah. Sennacherib was king of Assyria. ¹⁴ Hezekiah, the king of Judah, sent a message to the king of Assyria at Lachish. Hezekiah said, “I have done what is wrong. Pull your troops back from me. Then I’ll pay you anything you ask me to.” The king of Assyria forced Hezekiah, the king of Judah, to give him 11 tons of silver. Hezekiah also had to give him one ton of gold. ¹⁵ So Hezekiah gave him all the silver in the Lord’s temple. He also gave him all the silver among the treasures in the royal palace.

¹⁶ Hezekiah, the king of Judah, had covered the doors and doorposts of the Lord’s temple with gold. But now he had to strip it off. He had to give it to the king of Assyria.

Sennacherib Warns Jerusalem

¹⁷ The king of Assyria sent his highest commander from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. He also sent his chief officer and his field commander along with a large army. All of them came up to Jerusalem. They stopped at the channel that brings water from the Upper Pool. The channel was on the road to the Washerman’s Field. ¹⁸ The Assyrians called for King Hezekiah. Eliakim, Shebna and Joah went out to them. Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, was in charge of the palace. Shebna was the secretary. Joah, the son of Asaph, kept the records.

⁶ Point out these things to the brothers and sisters. Then you will serve Christ Jesus well. You will show that you’ve grown in the truths of the faith. You will show that you’ve been trained by the good teaching you’ve obeyed. ⁷ Don’t have anything to do with godless stories and silly tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. ⁸ Training the body has some value. But being godly has value in every way. It promises help for the life you are now living and the life to come. ⁹ This is the truth you can trust and accept completely. ¹⁰ This is why we work and try so hard. It’s because we have put our hope in the living God. He is the Savior of all people. Most of all, he is the Savior of those who believe.

¹¹ Command and teach these things. ¹² Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young. Set an example for the believers in what you say and in how you live. Also set an example in how you love and in what you believe. Show the believers how to be pure. ¹³ Until I come, spend your time reading Scripture out loud to one another. Spend your time preaching and teaching. ¹⁴ Don’t fail to use the gift the Holy Spirit gave you. He gave it to you through a prophecy from God. It was given when the elders placed their hands on you.

¹⁵ Keep on doing these things. Give them your complete attention. Then everyone will see how you are coming along. ¹⁶ Be careful of how you live and what you believe. Never give up. Then you will save yourself and those who hear you.