Study Desk

So the Lord sent trouble upon the king. Azariah had a bad skin disease to the day of his death, and he lived in a house alone. Jotham the king's son ruled over the house, and judged the people of the land.

This is the word of the Lord which He spoke to Jehu. He said, "Your sons, even your great great-grandson, will sit on the throne of Israel." And so it was.

Then Menahem destroyed Tiphsah and all who were in it, and its land from Tirzah, because they did not open their gates to him. So he destroyed it, and tore open all its women who were going to have babies.

Menahem took the money from all the rich men of Israel. He took fifty pieces of silver from each man to pay the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria returned and did not stay there in the land.

So Ahaz sent men with news to King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria, saying, "I am your servant and your son. Come up and save me from the king of Syria and the king of Israel. They are fighting against me."

So the king of Assyria listened to him and went up against Damascus. He took it in battle, and took its people away against their will to Kir. And he put Rezin to death.

So Urijah the religious leader built an altar, following all the plans King Ahaz had sent from Damascus. Urijah made it before King Ahaz came from Damascus.

But the king of Assyria found that Hoshea had been making plans against him. Hoshea had sent men to King So of Egypt, instead of giving taxes to the king of Assyria. He had done this year after year. So the king of Assyria shut him up and put him in chains in prison.

until the Lord put Israel away from His eyes. He spoke through all His servants who tell what will happen in the future that He would do this. So Israel was carried away from their own land to Assyria until this day.

The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sephar-vaim. He had them live in the cities of Samaria in place of the people of Israel. So they took Samaria for their own, and lived in its cities.

At the beginning of their living there, they did not fear the Lord. So the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them.

They said to the king of Assyria, "The nations you have carried away to the cities of Samaria do not know the way of the god of the land. So He has sent lions among them to kill them because they do not know the way of the god of the land."

So one of the religious leaders they had taken away from Samaria came and lived at Bethel. And he taught them how they should worship the Lord.

So the people feared the Lord, but they worshiped their own gods also. They followed the way of the nations from which they had been taken away.

Then King Hezekiah of Judah sent word to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, "I have done wrong; leave me. I will pay whatever you ask." So the king of Assyria had Hezekiah king of Judah pay him silver weighing as much as 300 men, and gold weighing as much as thirty men.

Then the king of Assyria sent Tartan, Rab-saris and Rabshakeh with a large army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. So they went up and came to Jerusalem. They came and stood by the ditch of the upper pool, which is on the road to the fuller's field.

Look, you are trusting now in Egypt. It is a walking stick like a piece of broken river-grass. It will cut into a man's hand if he rests on it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.

Who among all the gods of the lands have saved their land from my power? So how should the Lord save Jerusalem from my power?'"

It might be that the Lord your God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom his ruler the king of Assyria has sent to make fun of the living God. And the Lord your God might speak sharp words against what He has heard. So pray for those who are left of the Lord's people.'"

See, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a made-up story and he will return to his own land. And I will have him killed by the sword in his own land."'"