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But a man of God came to him and said, "King, don't let the army of Isra'el go with you; because Adonai is not with Isra'el or with any of the people of Efrayim.

Amatzyahu said to the man of God, "But what do we do about the three-and-a-third tons [of silver] I paid for Isra'el's army?" The man of God answered, " Adonai can give you far more than that!"

But as [the prophet] was speaking to him, he interrupted him: "Were you made an adviser to the king? You had better stop before you get yourself killed!" So the prophet stopped, but he added, "I know that God is planning to destroy you for having done this and for refusing to listen to my advice."

Yo'ash the king of Isra'el sent this reply to Amatzyah king of Y'hudah: "Once, in the L'vanon, the thistle sent a message to the cedar: ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.' But a wild animal passed by the thistle and squashed it.

You say you defeated Edom, which is true; so you're excited and itching for more glory. But now, stay home! Why provoke calamity, to your own ruin, yours and Y'hudah's too?"

But Amatzyah wouldn't listen. And this was from God, so that he could hand them over [to their enemies], because they had sought the gods of Edom.

From the time that Amatzyahu turned away from following Adonai , they formed a conspiracy against him in Yerushalayim. So he fled to Lakhish; but they followed him to Lakhish and killed him there.

But when he was strong, he became arrogant, which caused him to become corrupt, so that he sinned against Adonai his God by going into the temple of Adonai to burn incense on the incense altar.

Achaz was twenty years old when he began his reign, and he ruled sixteen years in Yerushalayim. But he did not do what was right from the perspective of Adonai , as David his ancestor had done.

But a prophet of Adonai named ‘Oded was there; he went out to meet the army coming to Shomron and said to them, "Look, it's because Adonai the God of your fathers was angry with Y'hudah that he has handed them over to you, and you have slaughtered them in a fury that has reached up to heaven.

Now you intend to force the people from Y'hudah and Yerushalayim into subjection as your slaves; but haven't you guilty deeds of your own that you committed against Adonai your God?

by sacrificing to the gods of Dammesek, who had attacked him, reasoning, "The gods of the kings of Aram helped them, so I will sacrifice to them, and then they'll help me." But they became the ruin of him and of all Isra'el.

So the runners passed from city to city through the territory of Efrayim and M'nasheh, as far as Z'vulun; but the people laughed at them and made fun of them.

For a large number of the people, especially from Efrayim, M'nasheh, Yissakhar and Z'vulun, had not cleansed themselves but ate the Pesach lamb anyway, despite what is written. For Hizkiyahu had prayed for them, "May Adonai , who is good, pardon

he has human strength, but we have Adonai our God to help us and fight our battles!" The people took heart at the words of Hizkiyahu king of Y'hudah.

Around this time, Hizkiyahu became ill to the point of death. But he prayed to Adonai , who answered him, even giving him a sign.

But Hizkiyahu then humbled himself for his pride, both he and the people living in Yerushalayim, so that Adonai 's anger did not strike them during Hizkiyahu's lifetime.

Adonai spoke to M'nasheh and to his people, but they paid no attention.

But the people of the land put to death all those who had been part of the conspiracy against King Amon. Then the people of the land made Yoshiyahu his son king in place of him.

"But you are to tell the king of Y'hudah, who sent you to consult Adonai , that Adonai the God of Isra'el also says this: ‘In regard to the words you have heard,