The Daily Audio Bible

Israel’s King Hoshea

17 In the twelfth year of Judah’s King Ahaz, Hoshea^(A) son of Elah became king over Israel in Samaria and reigned nine years. ² He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.^(B)

³ Shalmaneser^(C) king of Assyria attacked him,^(D) and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute money. ⁴ But the king of Assyria discovered Hoshea’s conspiracy. He had sent envoys to So king of Egypt^(E) and had not paid tribute money to the king of Assyria as in previous years.^[a] Therefore the king of Assyria arrested him and put him in prison. ⁵ Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole land, marched up to Samaria, and besieged it for three years.^(F)

The Fall of Samaria

⁶ In the ninth year of Hoshea,^(G) the king of Assyria captured Samaria. He deported^(H) the Israelites to Assyria and settled them in Halah and by the Habor, Gozan’s river, and in the cities of the Medes.^(I)

Why Israel Fell

⁷ This disaster happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt^(J) and because they had worshiped^[b] other gods.^{(K) 8} They had lived according to the customs of the nations that the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites^(L) and the customs the kings of Israel had introduced.^{(M) 9} The Israelites secretly did what was not right^[c] against the Lord their God. They built high places in all their towns from watchtower^(N) to fortified city. ¹⁰ They set up for themselves sacred pillars^(O) and Asherah poles^(P) on every high hill and under every green tree.^{(Q) 11} They burned incense on all the high places just like those nations that the Lord had driven out before them. They did evil things, provoking the Lord. ¹² They served idols, although the Lord had told them, “You must not do this.”^{(R) 13} Still, the Lord warned^(S) Israel and Judah through every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep My commands and statutes according to all the law I commanded your ancestors and sent to you through My servants the prophets.”^(T)

¹⁴ But they would not listen. Instead they became obstinate like^[d] their ancestors who did not believe the Lord their God.^{(U) 15} They rejected His statutes and His covenant He had made with their ancestors^(V) and the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves,^(W) following the surrounding nations the Lord had commanded them not to imitate.^(X)

¹⁶ They abandoned all the commands of the Lord their God. They made cast images^(Y) for themselves, two calves, and an Asherah pole.^(Z) They worshiped the whole heavenly host^(AA) and served Baal.^{(AB) 17} They made their sons and daughters pass through the fire^(AC) and practiced divination and interpreted omens.^(AD) They devoted themselves to do what was evil in the Lord’s sight and provoked Him.^(AE)

¹⁸ Therefore, the Lord was very angry with Israel, and He removed them from His presence.^(AF) Only the tribe of Judah remained.^{(AG) 19} Even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God^(AH) but lived according to the customs Israel had introduced.^{(AI) 20} So the Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and handed them over to plunderers until He had banished them from His presence.^(AJ)

Summary of Israel’s History

²¹ When the Lord tore^(AK) Israel from the house of David, Israel made Jeroboam son of Nebat king.^(AL) Then Jeroboam led Israel away from following the Lord and caused them to commit great sin. ²² The Israelites persisted in all the sins that Jeroboam committed and did not turn away from them.^{(AM) 23} Finally, the Lord removed Israel from His presence just as He had declared through all His servants the prophets. So Israel has been exiled to Assyria from their homeland until today.^(AN)

Foreign Refugees in Israel

²⁴ Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in place of the Israelites in the cities of Samaria. The settlers took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities.^{(AO) 25} When they first lived there, they did not fear Yahweh. So the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them.^{(AP) 26} The settlers spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations that you have deported and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the requirements of the God of the land. Therefore He has sent lions among them that are killing them because the people don’t know the requirements of the God of the land.”

²⁷ Then the king of Assyria issued a command: “Send back one of the priests you deported.^(AQ) Have him go and live there so he can teach them the requirements of the God of the land.” ²⁸ So one of the priests they had deported came and lived in Bethel,^(AR) and he began to teach them how they should fear Yahweh.

²⁹ But the people of each nation were still making their own gods in the cities where they lived and putting them in the shrines of the high places that the people of Samaria had made.^{(AS) 30} The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, ³¹ the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire^(AT) to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of the Sepharvaim. ³² They feared the Lord, but they also appointed from their number priests to serve them in the shrines of the high places.^{(AU) 33} They feared the Lord, but they also worshiped their own gods^(AV) according to the custom of the nations where they had been deported from.

³⁴ They are still practicing the former customs to this day. None of them fear the Lord or observe their statutes and ordinances, the law and commandments the Lord commanded the descendants of Jacob. He had renamed him Israel.^{(AW) 35} The Lord made a covenant with them and commanded them, “Do not fear other gods; do not bow down to them;^(AX) do not serve them; do not sacrifice to them.^{(AY) 36} Instead fear the Lord, who brought you from the land of Egypt with great power^(AZ) and an outstretched arm.^(BA) You are to bow down to Him, and you are to sacrifice to Him. ³⁷ You are to be careful always^(BB) to observe the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandments He wrote for you; do not fear other gods. ³⁸ Do not forget the covenant that I have made with you.^(BC) Do not fear other gods, ³⁹ but fear the Lord your God, and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”^(BD)

⁴⁰ However, they would not listen but continued practicing their former customs. ⁴¹ These nations feared the Lord but also served their idols. Their children and grandchildren continue doing as their fathers did until today.^(BE)

Judah’s King Hezekiah

18 In the third year of Israel’s King Hoshea^(BF) son of Elah, Hezekiah^(BG) son of Ahaz became king of Judah. ² He was 25 years old when he became king and reigned 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi^[e] daughter of Zechariah. ³ He did what was right in the Lord’s sight just as his ancestor David had done.^{(BH) 4} He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles.^(BI) He broke into pieces the bronze snake that Moses made,^(BJ) for the Israelites burned incense to it up to that time. He called it Nehushtan.^[f]

⁵ Hezekiah trusted in the Lord God of Israel;^(BK) not one of the kings of Judah was like him, either before him or after him.^{(BL) 6} He remained faithful to Yahweh^(BM) and did not turn from following Him but kept the commands the Lord had commanded Moses.

⁷ The Lord was with him, and wherever he went he prospered.^(BN) He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.^{(BO) 8} He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its borders,^(BP) from watchtower^(BQ) to fortified city.

Review of Israel’s Fall

⁹ In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Israel’s King Hoshea son of Elah, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and besieged it.^{(BR) 10} The Assyrians captured it at the end of three years. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Israel’s King Hoshea, Samaria was captured. ¹¹ The king of Assyria deported the Israelites to Assyria and put them in Halah and by the Habor, Gozan’s river, and in the cities of the Medes,^{(BS) 12} because they did not listen to the voice of the Lord their God but violated His covenant—all He had commanded Moses the servant of the Lord. They did not listen, and they did not obey.^(BT)

Paul in Macedonia

20 After the uproar was over, Paul sent for the disciples, encouraged them, and after saying good-bye, departed to go to Macedonia.^{(A) 2} And when he had passed through those areas and exhorted them at length, he came to Greece ³ and stayed three months. When he was about to set sail for Syria, a plot was devised against him by the Jews, so a decision was made to go back through Macedonia.^{(B) 4} He was accompanied^[a] by Sopater son of Pyrrhus^[b] from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy,^(C) and Tychicus^(D) and Trophimus^(E) from Asia. ⁵ These men went on ahead and waited for us in Troas,^{(F) 6} but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread.^(G) In five days we reached them at Troas, where we spent seven days.

Eutychus Revived at Troas

⁷ On the first day of the week, we^[c] assembled to break bread.^(H) Paul spoke to them, and since he was about to depart the next day, he extended his message until midnight. ⁸ There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we were assembled, ⁹ and a young man named Eutychus was sitting on a window sill and sank into a deep sleep as Paul kept on speaking. When he was overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. ¹⁰ But Paul went down, fell on him, embraced him, and said, “Don’t be alarmed, for his life is in him!”^{(I) 11} After going upstairs, breaking the bread, and eating, Paul conversed a considerable time until dawn. Then he left. ¹² They brought the boy home alive and were greatly comforted.

From Troas to Miletus

¹³ Then we went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, intending to take Paul on board there. For these were his instructions, since he himself was going by land. ¹⁴ When he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. ¹⁵ Sailing from there, the next day we arrived off Chios. The following day we crossed over to Samos, and^[d] the day after, we came to Miletus.^{(J) 16} For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so he would not have to spend time in Asia, because he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, for the day of Pentecost.^(K)

Farewell Address to the Ephesian Elders

¹⁷ Now from Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. ¹⁸ And when they came to him, he said to them: “You know, from the first day I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time^(L)— ¹⁹ serving the Lord with all humility, with tears, and with the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews^(M)— ²⁰ and that I did not shrink back from proclaiming to you anything that was profitable or from teaching it to you in public and from house to house. ²¹ I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God^(N) and faith in our Lord Jesus.^(O)

²² “And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, bound in my spirit,^[e] not knowing what I will encounter there,^{(P) 23} except that in town after town the Holy Spirit testifies to me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me.^{(Q) 24} But I count my life of no value to myself, so that I may finish my course^[f] and the ministry^(R) I received from the Lord Jesus,^(S) to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.

²⁵ “And now I know that none of you will ever see my face again—everyone I went about preaching the kingdom to. ²⁶ Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent^[g] of everyone’s blood,^{(T) 27} for I did not shrink back from declaring to you the whole plan of God.^{(U) 28} Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock^(V) that the Holy Spirit has appointed you to as overseers,^(W) to shepherd the church of God,^[h] which He purchased with His own blood.^{(X) 29} I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰ And men will rise up from your own number with deviant doctrines to lure the disciples into following them.^{(Y) 31} Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning each one of you with tears.^(Z)

³² “And now^[i] I commit you to God and to the message of His grace,^(AA) which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance^(AB) among all who are sanctified. ³³ I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.^{(AC) 34} You yourselves know that these hands have provided for my needs and for those who were with me.^{(AD) 35} In every way I’ve shown you that by laboring like this, it is necessary to help the weak and to keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, for He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

³⁶ After he said this, he knelt down and prayed with all of them.^{(AE) 37} There was a great deal of weeping by everyone. They embraced Paul and kissed him, ³⁸ grieving most of all over his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship.^(AF)

Psalm 148

Creation’s Praise of the Lord