2 Kings 19; 2 Kings 20; 2 Kings 21; John 4:1-30

1 When King Hezekiah heard what the field commander had said, he tore his clothes. He put on black clothes. Then he went into the LORD's temple.

2 Hezekiah sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, to the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz. He also sent the leading priests and the secretary Shebna to him. All of them were wearing black clothes.

3 They told Isaiah, "Hezekiah says, 'Today we're in great trouble. The LORD is warning us. He's bringing shame on us. Sometimes babies come to the moment when they should be born. But their mothers aren't strong enough to allow them to be born. Today we are like those mothers. We aren't strong enough to save ourselves.

4 " 'Perhaps the LORD your God will hear everything the field commander has said. His master, the king of Assyria, has sent him to make fun of the living God. Maybe the LORD your God will punish him for what he has heard him say. So pray for the remaining people who are still alive here.' "

5 King Hezekiah's officials came to Isaiah.

6 Then Isaiah said to them, "Tell your master, 'The LORD says, "Do not be afraid of what you have heard. The officers who are under the king of Assyria have spoken evil things against me.

7 Listen! I will send him news from his own country. It will upset him so much that he will return home. There I will have him cut down with a sword." ' "

8 The field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish. So the commander pulled his troops back from Jerusalem. He went to join the king. He found out that the king was fighting against Libnah.

9 During that time Sennacherib received a report. He was told that Tirhakah was marching out to fight against him. Tirhakah was the king of Egypt. He was from the land of Cush. Sennacherib sent messengers again to Hezekiah with a letter. It said,

10 "Tell Hezekiah, the king of Judah, 'Don't let the god you depend on trick you. He says, "Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria." But don't believe him.

11 " 'I'm sure you have heard about what the kings of Assyria have done to all of the other countries. They have destroyed them completely. So do you think you will be saved?

12 The kings who ruled before me destroyed many nations. Did the gods of those nations save them? Did the gods of Gozan, Haran or Rezeph save them? What about the gods of the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar?

13 Where is the king of Hamath? Where is the king of Arpad? Where is the king of the city of Sepharvaim? Where are the kings of Hena or Ivvah?' "

14 When Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers, he read it. Then he went up to the LORD's temple. There he spread the letter out in front of the Lord.

15 Hezekiah prayed to the Lord. He said, "Lord, you are the God of Israel. You sit on your throne between the cherubim. You alone are God over all of the kingdoms on earth. You have made heaven and earth.

16 Listen, Lord. Hear us. Open your eyes, Lord. Look at the trouble we're in. Listen to what Sennacherib is saying. You are the living God. And he dares to make fun of you!

17 "Lord, it's true that the kings of Assyria have completely destroyed many nations and their lands.

18 They have thrown the statues of the gods of those nations into the fire. And they have destroyed them. That's because they weren't really gods at all. They were nothing but statues that were made out of wood and stone. They were made by the hands of men.

19 "LORD our God, save us from the powerful hand of Sennacherib. Then all of the kingdoms on earth will know that you alone are God."

20 Isaiah sent a message to Hezekiah. Isaiah was the son of Amoz. Isaiah said, "The LORD is the God of Israel. He says, 'I have heard your prayer about Sennacherib, the king of Assyria.'

21 "Here is the message the LORD has spoken against him. The LORD says, " 'You will not win the battle over Zion. Its people hate you and make fun of you. The people of Jerusalem lift up their heads proudly as you run away.

22 Who have you laughed at? Who have you spoken evil things against? Who have you raised your voice against? Who have you looked at so proudly? You have done it against me. I am the Holy One of Israel!

23 Through your messengers you have laughed at me again and again. And you have said, "I have many chariots. With them I have climbed to the tops of the mountains. I've climbed the highest mountains in Lebanon. I've cut down its tallest cedar trees. I've cut down the best of its pine trees. I've reached its farthest parts. I've reached its finest forests.

24 I've dug wells in strange lands. I've drunk the water from them. I've walked through all of Egypt's streams. I've dried up every one of them."

25 " 'But I, the Lord, say, "Haven't you heard what I have done? Long ago I arranged for you to do all of that. In days of old I planned it. Now I have made it happen. You have turned cities with high walls into piles of stone.

26 Their people do not have any power left. They are troubled and put to shame. They are like plants in the field. They are like new green plants. They are like grass that grows on a roof. It dries up before it is completely grown.

27 " ' "But I know where you live. I know when you come and go. I know how very angry you are with me.

28 You roar against me and brag. And I have heard your bragging. So I will put my hook in your nose. I will put my bit in your mouth. And I will make you go home by the same way you came." ' "

29 The LORD said, "Hezekiah, here is a miraculous sign for you. "This year you will eat what grows by itself. In the second year you will eat what grows from that. But in the third year you will plant your crops and gather them in. You will plant your grapevines and eat their fruit.

30 The people of Judah who are still alive will be like plants. Once more they will put down roots and produce fruit.

31 Out of Jerusalem will come those who remain. Out of Mount Zion will come those who are still left alive. "My great love will make sure that happens. I rule over all.

32 "Here is a message from me about the king of Assyria. It says, " 'He will not enter this city. He will not even shoot an arrow at it. He will not come near it with a shield. He will not build a ramp in order to climb over its walls.

33 By the same way he came he will go home. He will not enter this city,' announces the Lord.

34 " 'I will guard this city and save it. I will do it for myself. And I will do it for my servant David.' "

35 That night the angel of the LORD went into the camp of the Assyrians. He put to death 185,000 soldiers there. The people of Jerusalem got up the next morning. They looked out and saw all of the dead bodies.

36 So Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, took the army tents down. Then he left. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.

37 One day Sennacherib was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch. His sons Adrammelech and Sharezer cut him down with their swords. Then they escaped to the land of Ararat. Esarhaddon became the next king after his father Sennacherib.

1 In those days Hezekiah became very sick. He knew he was about to die. The prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, went to him. Isaiah told Hezekiah, "The LORD says, 'Put everything in order. Make out your will. You are going to die soon. You will not get well again.' "

2 Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall. He prayed to the Lord. He said,

3 "Lord, please remember how faithful I've been to you. I've lived the way you wanted me to. I've served you with all my heart. I've done what is good in your sight." And Hezekiah cried bitterly.

4 Isaiah was leaving the middle courtyard. Before he had left it, a message came to him from the Lord. He said,

5 "Go back and speak to Hezekiah. He is the leader of my people. Tell him, 'The Lord, the God of King David, says, "I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. And I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to my temple.

6 I will add 15 years to your life. And I will save you and this city from the powerful hand of the king of Assyria. I will guard this city. I will do it for myself. And I will do it for my servant David." ' "

7 Then Isaiah said, "Press some figs together. Spread them on a piece of cloth." So that's what they did. Then they applied it to Hezekiah's boil. And he got well again.

8 Hezekiah had said to Isaiah, "You say the LORD will heal me. You say that I'll go up to his temple on the third day from now. What will the miraculous sign be to prove he'll really do that?"

9 Isaiah answered, "The LORD will do what he has promised. Here is his sign to you. Do you want the shadow the sun makes to go forward ten steps? Or do you want it to go back ten steps?"

10 "It's easy for the shadow to go forward ten steps," said Hezekiah. "So have it go back ten steps."

11 Then the prophet Isaiah called out to the Lord. And the LORD made the shadow go back ten steps. It went back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway Ahaz had made.

12 At that time Merodach-Baladan, the king of Babylonia, sent Hezekiah letters and a gift. He had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. Merodach-Baladan was the son of Baladan.

13 Hezekiah received the messengers. He showed them everything that was in his storerooms. He showed them the silver and gold. He showed them the spices and the fine olive oil. He showed them where he kept his weapons. And he showed them all of his treasures. In fact, he showed them everything that was in his palace and in his whole kingdom.

14 Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah. He asked him, "What did those men say? Where did they come from?" "They came from a land far away," Hezekiah said. "They came from Babylon."

15 The prophet asked, "What did they see in your palace?" "They saw everything in my palace," Hezekiah said. "I showed them all of my treasures."

16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Listen to the LORD's message. He says,

17 'You can be sure the time will come when everything in your palace will be carried off to Babylon. Everything the kings before you have stored up until this day will be taken away. There will not be anything left,' says the Lord.

18 'Some of the members of your family line will be taken away. They will be your own flesh and blood. They will include the children who will be born into your family line in years to come. And they will serve the king of Babylonia in his palace.' "

19 "The message the LORD has spoken through you is good," Hezekiah replied. He thought, "There will be peace and safety while I'm still living."

20 The other events of the rule of Hezekiah are written down. Everything he accomplished is written down. That includes how he made the pool and the tunnel. He used them to bring water into Jerusalem. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Judah.

21 Hezekiah joined the members of his family who had already died. His son Manasseh became the next king after him.

1 Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 55 years. His mother's name was Hephzibah.

2 Manasseh did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He followed the practices of the nations. The LORD hated those practices. He had driven those nations out to make room for the people of Israel.

3 Manasseh rebuilt the high places. His father Hezekiah had destroyed them. Manasseh also set up altars to the god Baal. He made a pole that was used to worship the goddess Asherah. Ahab, the king of Israel, had done those same things. Manasseh even bowed down to all of the stars. And he worshiped them.

4 He built altars in the LORD's temple. The LORD had said about his temple, "I will put my Name there in Jerusalem."

5 In both courtyards of the LORD's temple Manasseh built altars to honor all of the stars.

6 He sacrificed his own son in the fire to another god. He practiced all kinds of evil magic. He got messages from those who had died. He talked to the spirits of the dead. He did many things that were evil in the sight of the Lord. He made him very angry.

7 Manasseh had carved a pole for worshiping Asherah. He put it in the temple. The LORD had spoken to David and his son Solomon about the temple. He had said, "My Name will be in this temple and in Jerusalem forever. Out of all of the cities in the tribes of Israel I have chosen Jerusalem.

8 I gave this land to your people who lived long ago. I will not make the Israelites wander away from it again. But they must be careful to do everything I commanded them. They must obey the whole Law that my servant Moses gave them."

9 But the people didn't pay any attention. Manasseh led them down the wrong path. They did more evil things than the nations the LORD had destroyed to make room for the people of Israel.

10 The LORD spoke through his servants the prophets. He said,

11 "Manasseh, the king of Judah, has committed terrible sins. I hate them. Manasseh has done more evil things than the Amorites who were in the land before him. And he has led Judah to commit sin by worshiping his statues of gods.

12 "I am the God of Israel. I tell you, 'I am going to bring trouble on Jerusalem and Judah. It will be so horrible that the ears of everyone who hears about it will ring.

13 I will measure out punishment against Jerusalem, just as I did against Samaria. I used a plumb line against the royal family of Ahab to prove that they did not measure up to my standards. I will use the same plumb line against Jerusalem. I will wipe out Jerusalem, just as someone wipes a dish. I will wipe it and turn it upside down.

14 I will desert those who remain among my people. I will hand them over to their enemies. All of their enemies will rob them.

15 " 'That is because my people have done what is evil in my sight. They have made me very angry. They have done that from the day their own people came out of Egypt until this very day.' "

16 Manasseh also spilled the blood of many people who weren't guilty of doing anything wrong. He spilled so much blood that he filled Jerusalem with it from one end of the city to the other. And he caused Judah to commit sin. So they also did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.

17 The other events of the rule of Manasseh are written down. Everything he did is written down. That includes the sin he committed. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Judah.

18 Manasseh joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in his palace garden. It was called the garden of Uzza. Manasseh's son Amon became the next king after him.

19 Amon was 22 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for two years. His mother's name was Meshullemeth. She was the daughter of Haruz. She was from Jotbah.

20 Amon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, just as his father Manasseh had done.

21 He lived the way his father had lived. He worshiped the statues of the gods his father had worshiped. He bowed down to them.

22 He deserted the Lord, the God of his people. He didn't live the way the LORD wanted him to.

23 Amon's officials made plans against him. They murdered the king in his palace.

24 Then the people of the land killed all those who had made plans against King Amon. They made his son Josiah king in his place.

25 The other events of the rule of Amon are written down. Everything he did is written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Judah.

26 Amon's body was buried in his grave in the garden of Uzza. His son Josiah became the next king after him.

1 The Pharisees heard that Jesus was winning and baptizing more disciples than John.

2 But in fact Jesus was not baptizing. His disciples were.

3 When the Lord found out about all this, he left Judea. He went back to Galilee again.

4 Jesus had to go through Samaria.

5 He came to a town in Samaria called Sychar. It was near the piece of land Jacob had given his son Joseph.

6 Jacob's well was there. Jesus was tired from the journey. So he sat down by the well. It was about noon.

7 A woman from Samaria came to get some water. Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?"

8 His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.

9 The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew. I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" She said this because Jews don't have anything to do with Samaritans.

10 Jesus answered her, "You do not know what God's gift is. And you do not know who is asking you for a drink. If you did, you would have asked him. He would have given you living water."

11 "Sir," the woman said, "you don't have anything to get water with. The well is deep. Where can you get this living water?

12 "Our father Jacob gave us the well. He drank from it himself. So did his sons and his flocks and herds. Are you more important than he is?"

13 Jesus answered, "All who drink this water will be thirsty again.

14 But anyone who drinks the water I give him will never be thirsty. In fact, the water I give him will become a spring of water in him. It will flow up into eternal life."

15 The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water. Then I will never be thirsty. And I won't have to keep coming here to get water."

16 He told her, "Go. Get your husband and come back."

17 "I have no husband," she replied. Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband.

18 The fact is, you have had five husbands. And the man you have now is not your husband. What you have just said is very true."

19 "Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet.

20 Our people have worshiped on this mountain for a long time. But you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."

21 Jesus said, "Believe me, woman. A time is coming when you will not worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.

22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know. Salvation comes from the Jews.

23 "But a new time is coming. In fact, it is already here. True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. They are the kind of worshipers the Father is looking for.

24 "God is spirit. His worshipers must worship him in spirit and in truth."

25 The woman said, "I know that Messiah is coming." (He is called Christ.) "When he comes, he will explain everything to us."

26 Then Jesus said, "I, the one speaking to you, am he."

27 Just then Jesus' disciples returned. They were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, "What do you want from her?" No one asked, "Why are you talking with her?"

28 The woman left her water jar and went back to the town. She said to the people,

29 "Come. See a man who told me everything I've ever done. Could this be the Christ?"

30 The people came out of the town and made their way toward Jesus.