4 Kingdoms 17:24-18:37
24 Then the king of Assyria brought from Babylon the people out of Cuthah, and from Ava, from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and they settled in the cities of Samaria in place of the sons of Israel. They gained possession of Samaria and inhabited her cities. 25 And it came to be in the beginning of their settlement, they did not fear the Lord. And the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them. 26 So it was told to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations you exiled, even those you settled in the cities of Samaria, do not know the rituals of the God of the land. Therefore he sent lions among them, and behold, the lions are killing them, because they do not know the rituals of the God of the land.” 27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, “Take from the exiles those that came from that place, and let them go and settle there. They will enlighten them concerning the rituals of the God of the land.” 28 So they brought one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria, and he came and dwelt in Bethel, and he enlightened them on how they should fear the Lord.
29 But each nation continued to make their own gods and to put them in the shrines on the high places the Samaritans made, even in the cities of every nation where they dwelt. 30 The men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, 31 and the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. 32 Though they were being fearful of the Lord, yet they established their abominations in the houses of the high places they made in Samaria, each nation within the city in which they dwelt. Though they were being fearful of the Lord, even so they appointed for themselves priests of the high places, and made for themselves a sacrifice in the high places. 33 They feared the Lord and God Himself, yet they worshiped according to the rituals of the nations to which He had exiled them.
34 Even to this day, they did according to their rituals. They feared the Lord, and yet they acted according to their customs and according to their rituals, and according to their law, and yet according to the commandment which the Lord commanded the sons of Jacob, to whom He gave the name Israel. 35 For the Lord had made a covenant with them and charged them, saying, “You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them. 36 But only the Lord, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm—Him you shall fear, Him you shall worship, and to Him you shall offer sacrifice. 37 And the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandments He wrote for you, you shall be careful to observe forever; you shall not fear other gods. 38 Thus you shall not forget the covenant I made with you, nor shall you fear other gods. 39 But you shall fear the Lord your God; and He will deliver you from all your enemies. 40 And you shall not conform to the rites they practice.” 41 But these nations feared the Lord, yet served their carved images. So their sons and the sons of their sons have continued doing as their fathers did, even to this day.
Hezekiah Is King of Judah
1 Now in the third year of Hoshea the son of Elah the king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ruled for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. 3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to everything his father David did. 4 He removed the high places and broke into pieces the sacred pillars. He cut down the sacred wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent Moses had made, because up to those days, the sons of Israel had burned incense to it. They called it Nehushtan. 5 He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, and after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those that were before him. 6 For he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept all the commandments the Lord gave Moses. 7 The Lord was with him. He prospered wherever he went. So he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 8 He struck the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from the watchtower to the fortified city.
9 Now in the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it. 10 And after three years, Shalmaneser captured Samaria. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is, the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken. 11 So the king of Assyria carried the people of Samaria away to Assyria, and put them in Halah, and in Habor, by the River of Gozan, and in the mountains of the Medes. 12 For they did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed His covenant, even in all the things the servant of the Lord Moses commanded. They did not listen to them nor do them.
Assyria Threatens Jerusalem
13 Then in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. 14 So Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have offended you. Turn away from me and I will pay whatever you impose on me.” And the king of Assyria assessed Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. 15 So Hezekiah gave him all the silver found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house. 16 At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord, and from the pillars Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
17 Then the king of Assyria sent Tartan, and Rabsaris, and Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah with an overwhelming force against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem and stood near the aqueduct of the upper pool, which is on the way to Fuller’s Field. 18 And they cried aloud to Hezekiah. But Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, the steward, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came out to them. 19 Then Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, “What is this confidence which you trust? 20 You speak the words of the lips; however, I speak the purpose and the power of war. Now then, what is persuading you to reject me? 21 Take notice of yourself and of your trust on this broken staff of Egypt, made from a reed. If a man leans on it, it will pierce his hand. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. 22 But because you say to me, ‘In the Lord God we trust,’ is it not He whose high places and His altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem’?’ ” 23 Therefore now join with my lord the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses to use in the battle, if you can find horsemen to ride on them! 24 How will you turn back the presence of one captain of the least of the servants of my lord? Whereas you yourself hope on Egypt for chariots and horsemen! 25 Now we did not come up against this place to utterly destroy it without the Lord. The Lord said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.’ ”
26 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Now speak to your servants in the Syrian language, for we understand; do not speak Hebrew with us. Why is it that you speak to us within the hearing of the people on the wall?” 27 But Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me to your master, or to you, to deliver these words? Was it not to the men who sit on the wall, who along with you will eat their own dung and drink their own urine?”
28 Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in Hebrew, and spoke, saying, “Hear the words of the great king of Assyria! 29 Thus says the king, ‘Do not let Hezekiah encourage you with words, for he shall not be able to deliver you from my hand. 30 Nor let Hezekiah cause you to trust in the Lord, saying, “The Lord will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’ ” 31 Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria, ‘Gain my favor and come out to me, and every man will drink from his own vine, and every man will eat from his own fig tree and drink the waters of his own well, 32 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine and bread and vineyards, a land of olive oil and honey, and you will live and not die. Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he deceives you, saying, “The Lord will deliver us.” 33 Each of the gods of the nations is not, of himself, able to deliver a country from the hands of the king of Assyria. 34 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand? 35 Who among all the gods of the lands delivered their countries from my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?’ ” 36 But the men were silent and did not answer him, not a word, for the king’s commandment was, “Do not answer him.”
37 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, the steward, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.
Psalm 108:1–20
1 For the End; a psalm by David.
O God, do not pass over my praise in silence,
2 For the mouth of the sinner and the mouth of the deceitful man opened against me;
They spoke against me with a deceitful tongue;
3 And they surrounded me with words of hatred,
And warred against me without cause.
4 Instead of loving me, they falsely accused me,
But I continued to pray;
5 So they repaid me evil for good,
And hatred for my love.
6 Set a sinner over him,
And let the devil stand at his right hand.
7 And when he is judged, may he go forth condemned,
And let his prayer become sin.
8 Let his days be very few,
And may a different man receive his office;
9 Let his children be fatherless
And his wife a widow;
10 Let his children wander about and be beggars;
Let them be cast out of their houses.
11 Let the creditor search out whatever possessions he has;
Let strangers plunder his labors;
12 Let there be no helper for him,
Nor a compassionate one for his fatherless children;
13 Let his children be utterly destroyed;
In a single generation, let his name be blotted out.
14 May the lawlessness of his fathers be remembered before the Lord,
And may the sin of his mother not be blotted out;
15 Let them be continually before the Lord,
And may the remembrance of them be utterly destroyed from the earth,
16 Because he did not remember to show mercy,
But persecuted a poor and needy man,
And one pierced to the heart, that he might kill him.
17 And he loved cursing, and it came to him,
And he did not desire blessing, so it shall be far from him.
18 So he clothed himself with cursing like a garment,
And it entered like water into his bowels
And like oil into his bones;
19 Let it be for him like a garment that clothes him,
And like a belt that girds him continually.
20 This is the work of those who falsely accuse me before the Lord,
And of those who speak evil things against my soul.
Proverbs 24:1–6
1 My son, do not envy evil men,
Neither desire to be with them;
2 For their heart ponders a lie,
And their lips speak of sufferings.
3 A house is built with wisdom,
And it is built up with understanding.
4 Storehouses are filled with perception
From all honorable and good riches.
5 It is better to be a wise man of strength
And a man having discernment, than to be a man who has a large estate.
6 War comes with the skill of a commander,
But help comes with the heart of a counselor.
John 4:1–26
1 Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John
2 (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples),
3 He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.
4 But He needed to go through Samaria.
5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”
8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?
12 “Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”
13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,
14 “but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”
17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’
18 “for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”
19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.
20 “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”
21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22 “You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.
23 “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
24 “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”