Now Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and totally destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and that the people of Gibeon had made a treaty of peace with Israel and had become their allies.  . . . Then the five kings of the Amorites . . . joined forces.  . . . and took up positions against Gibeon and attacked it. The Gibeonites then s...  Read More

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty- five years. His mother's name was Hephzibah. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of ...  Read More

At that time Marduk-Baladan . . . king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of Hezekiah's illness. Hezekiah received the envoys and showed them all that was in his store houses -- the silver, the gold, the spices and the fine olive oil -- his armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not sho...  Read More

In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover."Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, "Remember, LORD, how I have walked faithfully before you and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good ...  Read More

Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria. This is the word that the LORD has spoken against him:'Virgin Daughter of Zion despises you and mocks you.Daughter of Jerusalem tosses her head as you flee.Who is it you have ridiculed and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your...  Read More

Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the king of Cush, was marching out to fight against him. So he sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word: "Say to Hezekiah, king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.' . . . Hezekiah received the letters from the messengers and read it. Then he went u...  Read More

"Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, 'The LORD will deliver us.'  Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?". . . Then Eliakim, son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn, and told him what the field commander had said.When Kin...  Read More

In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.  . . . In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah's reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.  . . . The king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah . . . three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. So Hezekiah gave him all the sil...  Read More

In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD . . . Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea . . . Shalmaneser seized him and put him in prison. The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege to it for three years. In the ninth year of Ho...  Read More

Elisha died and was buried. Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring. Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man's body into Elisha's tomb. When the body touched Elisha's bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.  2 Kings 13:20-21 This passage is the last reference to the prophet Elisha in the old testamen...  Read More

Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went to see him and wept over him, "My father! My father!" he cried, "The chariots and horsemen of Israel!"Elisha said, "Get a bow and some arrows," and he did so. "Take the bow in your hands," he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king's hands. "Open the east window...  Read More

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge will award to me on that day -- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.    2 Timothy 4:6-8 The length ...  Read More