The Divided Kingdom

And set it by the brasen altar which was before the Lord, and brought it in farther before the house betweene the altar and the house of the Lord, and set it on the North side of the altar.

And King Ahaz commanded Vriiah the Priest, and sayde, Vpon the great altar set on fire in the morning the burnt offring, and in the euen the meate offring, and the Kings burnt offring and his meate offering, with the burnt offring of all the people of the lande, and their meate offring, and their drinke offrings: and powre thereby all the blood of the burnt offring, and all the blood of the sacrifice, and the brasen altar shalbe for me to inquire of God.

And Vriiah the Priest did according to all that King Ahaz had commanded.

And King Ahaz brake the borders of the bases, and tooke the caldrons from off them, and tooke downe the sea from the brasen oxen that were vnder it, and put it vpon a pauement of stones.

And the vaile for the Sabbath (that they had made in the house) and the Kings entrie without turned he to the house of the Lord, because of the King of Asshur.

Concerning the rest of the actes of Ahaz, which he did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah?

And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buryed with his fathers in the citie of Dauid, and Hezekiah his sonne reigned in his steade.

In the twelft yeere of Ahaz King of Iudah began Hoshea the sonne of Elah to reigne in Samaria ouer Israel, and reigned nine yeeres.

And he did euill in the sight of the Lord, but not as the Kinges of Israel, that were before him.

And Shalmaneser king of Asshur came vp against him, and Hoshea became his seruant, and gaue him presents.

And the King of Asshur founde treason in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So King of Egypt, and brought no present vnto the King of Asshur, as he had done yeerely: therfore the king of Asshur shut him vp, and put him in prison.

Then the king of Asshur came vp throughout all the lande, and went against Samaria, and besieged it three yeere.

In the ninth yeere of Hoshea, the King of Asshur tooke Samaria, and caryed Israel away vnto Asshur, and put them in Halah, and in Habor by the riuer of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

For when the children of Israel sinned against the Lord their God, which had brought them out of the land of Egypt, from vnder ye hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and feared other gods,

And walked according to the facions of the Heathen, whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel, and after the maners of the Kings of Israel, which they vsed,

And the children of Israel had done secretly things that were not vpright before the Lord their God, and throughout all their cities had built hie places, both from the tower of the watch, to the defensed citie,

And had made them images and groues vpon euery hie hill, and vnder euery greene tree,

And there burnt incense in all the hie places, as did the heathen, whom the Lord had taken away before them, and wrought wicked things to anger the Lord,

And serued idoles: whereof the Lord had sayd vnto them, Ye shall do no such thing,

Notwithstanding the Lord testified to Israel, and to Iudah by all the Prophets, and by all the Seers, saying, Turne from your euill wayes, and keepe my commandements and my statutes, according to all the Lawe, which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my seruants the Prophets.

Neuerthelesse they would not obey, but hardened their neckes, like to the neckes of their fathers, that did not beleeue in the Lord their God.

And they refused his statutes and his couenant, that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies (wherewith he witnessed vnto them) and they followed vanitie, and became vaine, and followed the heathen that were round about them: concerning whome the Lord had charged them, that they should not do like them.

Finally they left all the commandements of the Lord their God, and made them molten images, euen two calues, and made a groue, and worshipped all the hoste of heauen, and serued Baal.

And they made their sonnes and their daughters passe thorowe the fire, and vsed witchcraft and inchantments, yea, solde them selues to doe euill in the sight of the Lord, to anger him.

Therefore the Lord was exceeding wroth with Israel, and put them out of his sight, and none was left but the tribe of Iudah onely.