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For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, came to Samaria, and struck Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria and killed him; and he reigned in his place.

At that time Rezin king of Syria captured Elath for Syria, and drove the men of Judah from Elath. Then the Edomites [fn] went to Elath, and dwell there to this day.

So the king of Assyria heeded him; for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and took it, carried its people captive to Kir, and killed Rezin.

Then King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, "On the great new altar burn the morning burnt offering, the evening grain offering, the king's burnt sacrifice, and his grain offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, their grain offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle on it all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifice. And the bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by."

And the king of Assyria uncovered a conspiracy by Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and brought no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.

Now the king of Assyria went throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria and besieged it for three years.

For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and they had feared other gods,

Also the children of Israel secretly did against the LORD their God things that were not right, and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from watchtower to fortified city.

They set up for themselves sacred pillars and wooden images [fn] on every high hill and under every green tree.

for they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, "You shall not do this thing."

So they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, made for themselves a molded image and two calves, made a wooden image and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.

For He tore Israel from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD, and made them commit a great sin.

For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them,

So they feared the LORD, and from every class they appointed for themselves priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places.

And the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall be careful to observe forever; you shall not fear other gods.

He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image [fn] and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan. [fn]

For he held fast to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD had commanded Moses.

You speak of having plans and power for war; but they are mere words. And in whom do you trust, that you rebel against me?

How then will you repel one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put your trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen?

Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; and do not speak to us in Hebrew [fn] in the hearing of the people who are on the wall."