And therefore the LORD gave Israel a deliverer and they went out from under the hands of the Syrians. And the children of Israel dwelt in their tents as before time.

Nevertheless they departed not from the sin of the house of Jeroboam which made Israel sin, but walked therein. And there remained a grove also in Samaria still:

And Jehoahaz rested with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria, and Joash his son reigned in his stead.

And it chanced, as they were burying a man, that they spied the Soldiers, and therefore cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha. And as soon as the man came and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood up on his feet.

Neither took they away the hill altars. But the people slew and offered still in the hill altars.

And Judah was put to the worse before Israel, and they fled every man to his tent.

And they conspired great treason against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. And they went after him to Lachish and slew him there.

And they brought him on a horse and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.

save that they put not the hill altars away: for the people offered and burned fat still in the hill altars.

And Uzziah laid him to sleep with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.

The same time, Menahem destroyed Tappuah, and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah - because they opened not to him - he smote, and rent all the women with child.

But they put not away the hill altars: for the people offered and burnt cense still in the hill altars. He built the highest door in the house of the LORD.

Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to fight. And they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.

And thereto the pulpit for the Sabbath that they had made in the house, and the king's entry without turned he to the house of the LORD, for fear of the king of Assyria.

And they walked in the ordinance of the heathen which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel, and in the things which the kings of Israel had made.

And the children of Israel wrapped themselves in things that were not well toward the LORD their God. And they built them Hill altars in all their cities, both in the towers where they kept watch and also in the strong towns.

And they made them images and groves on every high hill and under every green tree.

And there they sacrificed in the Hill altars, as did the heathen which the LORD carried away at their coming, and wrought wicked deeds, to anger the LORD withal.

And they served Idols, whereof the LORD had said to them, "Ye shall not do so."

Notwithstanding, they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the necks of their fathers that did not believe the LORD their God.

And they refused his ordinances and his covenant that he had made with their fathers, and the witness which he had witnessed to them and followed vanity and became vain, like to the heathen that were round about them, of which the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.

But they left the commandments of the LORD their God and made them Images of metal, even two calves: and made groves and bowed themselves unto all the Host of heaven, and served Baal.

And they sacrificed their sons and their daughters in fire, and used witchcraft and enchantments, and were sold to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, for to anger him.

And thereto Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the ordinances of Israel which they had made.

And the king of Assyria brought from Babylon and from Cuthah, and from Avva and from Hamath and from Sepharvaim, and put them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel. And they possessed Samaria and dwelt in the cities thereof.

But at the beginning of their dwelling, they feared not the LORD. Wherefore the LORD sent lions upon them, which slew them.

Then men told the king of Assyria, saying, "The nations which thou hast translated and put in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land, and therefore he hath sent lions upon them, which slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land."

And then one of the priests which they had carried thence, went and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD.

Howbeit, every nation made their own gods and put them in the houses of the Hill altars which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities where they dwelt.

The men of Babylon made Succothbenoth; The men of Cuth made Nergal; They of Hamath made Ashima;

And they feared the LORD, yet they made them priests of the lowest of the people, for the Hill altars; which sacrificed for them in the houses of the Hill altars.

And so they feared the LORD, and yet served their own gods after the manner of the people from whence they were brought.

Unto this day they do after the old manner: they neither fear the LORD, neither do after their own ordinances and customs, and after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob whose name he called Israel,

Howbeit, they heard not, but did after the old manner.

And even so did these nations fear the LORD and serve their images thereto: and so did their children, and their children's children too. Even as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.

And they took it at the end of three years, which was the sixth of Hezekiah: that is to say the ninth year of Hosea king of Israel, was Samaria won.

because they would not hearken unto the voice of the LORD their God. But transgressed his covenant, and all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded, and would neither hear nor do.

And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh, from Lachish, to king Hezekiah with a great Host to Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem, and went and stood by the conduit of the uppermost pool, which is in the way to the fuller's field,

And Rabshakeh said unto them, "Hath my master sent me only to thy master and to thee, to speak these words? Or rather to the men that keep on the walls, that they shall eat their own dirt, and drink their own piss with you?"

Where are the Gods of Hamath and of Arpad? Where are the Gods of Sepharvaim, of Hena and Ivvah? Did they deliver Samaria out of mine hands?

And they said to him, "Thus sayeth Hezekiah, 'This day is a day of tribulation, rebuking and railing. Even as when the children are ready to be born, and the mothers have no power to be delivered.

Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, how they have utterly destroyed them. And how then shouldest thou escape?

and have set fire on their gods. For they were no gods - but the work of the hands of man; even wood and stone. And therefore they destroyed them.

And the inhabiters of them shall be of little power, and faint-hearted and confounded. They shall be like the grass of the field and green herbs, and as the hay on the tops of the houses which withereth afore it come to any height.

And the selfsame night the Angel of the LORD went out and smote, in the host of the Assyrians, a hundred and four score and five thousand. And when they were up early in the morning: behold, they were all dead corpses.

And as he was in his devotion kneeling in the house of Nisroch his God, Adrammelech and Sharezer smote him with the sword. And they escaped into the land of Ararat, and Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.

And Isaiah said, "Bring a lump of figs." And they brought and put it on the sore, and he recovered.

Then came Isaiah the Prophet unto king Hezekiah and said to him, "What say these men and from whence come they to thee?" And Hezekiah said, "They be come from a far country, even from Babylon."

And he said, "What have they seen in thy house?" And Hezekiah said, "All that is in my house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasure that I have not showed them."

Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land which I gave their fathers: so that they will be diligent to do all I have commanded them, and all the law that my servant Moses commanded them."

But they hearkened not: for Manasseh had led them out of the way, to do more wickedness than did the heathen people which the LORD destroyed from before the children of Israel.

And though I leave a remnant of mine inheritance, yet I will deliver them into the hands of them that hate them, and they shall be robbed and spoiled of all their enemies:

even because they have done wickedly and have angered me, since the time their fathers came out of Egypt unto this day."

And they buried him in his sepulchre in the garden of Uzza, and Josiah his son reigned in his stead.

because they have forsaken me and have burnt offerings unto other gods, to anger me with all the works of their hands. Therefore is my wrath kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched.

And therefore, see, I will receive ye unto thy fathers and will fetch thee unto thy grave in peace, thine eyes shall see none of the evil which I will bring upon this place." And they brought the king word again.

And the king stood by a pillar and made a covenant before the LORD that they should walk after the LORD, and keep his commandments and his witnesses and his ordinances with all their hearts and all their souls, and make good the words of the said covenant that were written in the foresaid book. And all the people consented to the covenant.

Nevertheless, the priests of the hill altars came not up at the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, save only they did eat of the sweet bread among their brethren.

And when they had taken him, they brought him to Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon to Riblah, where they reasoned with him.

And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and fettered him, and carried him to Babylon.

And the lavers, shovels, dressing knives, ladles, and the ministering vessels of brass, they carried away.

Thereupon all the people both small and great and the captains of the men of war arose and went to Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

And Meonothai begat Ophrah. And Seraiah begat Joab the father of them of the valley of craftsmen, so-called because they were craftsmen.

And they dwelt at Beersheba, Moladah and at Hazarshual,

And they went as far as Gedor, even unto the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their cattle.

And they found fat pasture and good and a wide land both quiet and fruitful: for they of Ham dwelt there before.

and smote the rest of the Amalekites that were escaped and they dwelt there unto this day.

But unto his brethren in their kindreds, when they are reckoned after their birth, were Jeiel and Zechariah the chief heads.

And in the days of Saul they warred with the Hagrites which were overthrown by their hands. And they dwelt in their tents throughout all the east land of Gilead.

And they dwelt in Gilead and in Bashan and her towns, and in all the suburbs of Sharon, even unto the end of their borders.

And they were all reckoned by kindreds in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.

And they fought with the Hagrities and with Jetur, Naphish and Nodab.

And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hands with all that were with the Hagrites. For they cried to God in their battle, and he heard them, because they trusted to him.

And they took of their cattle fifty thousand camels, and two hundred and fifty thousand sheep, and two thousand asses, and of the people a hundred thousand:

for there fell many dead because the war was of God. And they dwelt there in their steads until the time that they were carried away.

And the children of half the tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land, from Bashan unto Baalhermon and Senir and unto mount Hermon, and they were many.

But when they had transgressed against the God of their fathers and had gone awhoring after the gods of the people of the land, which God destroyed before them,

God stirred up the spirit of Pul, king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser, king of Assyria, and carried away the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, Habor, Hara and to the River Gozan, where they remain unto this day.

These be they which David set for to sing in the house of the LORD, after that the Ark had rest.

And they ministered before the dwelling place of the tabernacle of witness with singing, until Solomon had built the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem. And then they waited on their offices, according to the order of them.

These are they that waited with their children of the sons of Kohath: Heman a singer, which was the son of Joel, the son of Samuel,

They gave unto them Hebron in the land of Judah with the suburbs round about it.

But the country and villages pertaining thereto, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh.

And to the sons of Aaron they gave the franchised cities, Hebron and Libnah, with their suburbs; and Jattir and Eshtemoa with their suburbs;

In which tribe they gave unto them the cities of Refuge: Shechem in mount Ephraim with her suburbs, and Gezer with her suburbs,

And among them in their kindreds and ancient households six and thirty thousand men prepared to war: for they had many wives and sons.

and Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead. And the men of Gath that were born in the land, slew them, because they were come down to take away their cattle.

And these were the children of Asher and heads of ancient houses and pure fellows and men of might and the head lords. And when they were numbered in array to battle, they were in number twenty six thousand men.

and Beriah and Shema - ancient heads among the inhabiters of Aijalon, and they drave out away the inhabiters of Gath -

And all Israel were numbered by kindreds: and see, they be written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. And Judah were carried away to Babylon for their offenses.

For unto the time they had watched at the king's gate eastward in the tents of the children of Levi by companies.

For the Levites were committed to be principal porters of fidelity. And they had the oversight of the vestries and treasures of the house of God,

These are the singers - ancient heads among the Levites divided by chambers, for they had to do both day and night.

And they also dwelt with their brethren at Jerusalem, even hard by them.

And when all the men that dwelt in the valleys saw how they fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook their cities and ran away, and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

And on the morrow when the Philistines came to strip the dead bodies, they found Saul and his sons overthrown in mount Gilboa.

And when they had stripped him they took his head and his harness and sent them into the land of the Philistines round about to show tidings unto their idols and to the people.

And they put his harness in the houses of their gods. But his skull they hanged in the house of Dagon.

And when all they of Jabesh in Gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul,

And when all the elders of Israel were come to the king to Hebron, David made a covenant with them there before the LORD. And they anointed David king over Israel according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Samuel.