Pul king of Assyria came to attack the land. Menahem gave him about seventy-four thousand pounds of silver so Pul would support him and make his hold on the kingdom stronger.
Tiglath-Pileser was king of Assyria. He attacked while Pekah was king of Israel, capturing the cities of Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, and Hazor. He also captured Gilead and Galilee and all the land of Naphtali and carried the people away to Assyria.
“When Israel saw its illness and Judah saw its wounds, Israel went to Assyria for help and sent to the great king of Assyria. But he cannot heal you or cure your wounds.
They did not turn to the Most High God. They are like a loose bow that can’t shoot. Because their leaders brag about their strength, they will be killed with swords, and the people in Egypt will laugh at them.
The Israelites offer sacrifices to me as gifts and eat the meat, but the Lord is not pleased with them. He remembers the evil they have done, and he will punish them for their sins. They will be slaves again as they were in Egypt.
The people will not stay in the Lord’s land. Israel will return to being captives as they were in Egypt, and in Assyria they will eat food that they are not allowed to eat.
Even if the people are not destroyed, Egypt will capture them; Memphis will bury them. Weeds will grow over their silver treasures, and thorns will drive them out of their tents.
“I destroyed some of you as I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. You were like a burning stick pulled from a fire, but still you did not come back to me,” says the Lord.
The king must not have too many horses for himself, and he must not send people to Egypt to get more horses, because the Lord has told you, “Don’t return that way again.”