It was while Pekah was king that Tiglath Pileser, the emperor of Assyria, captured the cities of Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, and Hazor, and the territories of Gilead, Galilee, and Naphtali, and took the people to Assyria as prisoners.

Then Shalmaneser invaded Israel and besieged Samaria. In the third year of the siege,

which was the ninth year of the reign of Hoshea, the Assyrian emperor captured Samaria, took the Israelites to Assyria as prisoners, and settled some of them in the city of Halah, some near the Habor River in the district of Gozan and some in the cities of Media.

You have heard what an Assyrian emperor does to any country he decides to destroy. Do you think that you can escape?

Where are the kings of the cities of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?"

I conquered the cities of Calno and Carchemish, the cities of Hamath and Arpad. I conquered Samaria and Damascus.

I reached out to punish those kingdoms that worship idols, idols more numerous than those of Jerusalem and Samaria.

The nations of the world were like a bird's nest, and I gathered their wealth as easily as gathering eggs. Not a wing fluttered to scare me off; no beak opened to scream at me!"

My ancestors destroyed the cities of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and killed the people of Betheden who lived in Telassar, and none of their gods could save them.

Where are the kings of the cities of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?"

We all know, LORD, that the emperors of Assyria have destroyed many nations, made their lands desolate,

Now, LORD our God, rescue us from the Assyrians, so that all the nations of the world will know that you alone are God."

he said, "Look how great Babylon is! I built it as my capital city to display my power and might, my glory and majesty."

"And now, I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, honor, and glorify the King of Heaven. Everything he does is right and just, and he can humble anyone who acts proudly."

He was so great that people of all nations, races, and languages were afraid of him and trembled. If he wanted to kill someone, he did; if he wanted to keep someone alive, he did. He honored or disgraced anyone he wanted to.

They talked about the God of Jerusalem in the same way that they talked about the gods of the other peoples, idols made by human hands.

Did the gods of any other nations save their countries from the emperor of Assyria?

When did any of the gods of all these countries ever save their country from our emperor? Then what makes you think the LORD can save Jerusalem?"

and burned up their gods---which were no gods at all, only images of wood and stone made by human hands.

Now, LORD our God, rescue us from the Assyrians, so that all the nations of the world will know that only you, O LORD, are God."

Our God is in heaven; he does whatever he wishes.

They have mouths, but cannot speak, and eyes, but cannot see.

They have hands, but cannot feel, and feet, but cannot walk; they cannot make a sound.

Do not be afraid, my people! You know that from ancient times until now I have predicted all that would happen, and you are my witnesses. Is there any other god? Is there some powerful god I never heard of ?"

It does no good to make a metal image to worship as a god!

(You people must tell them that the gods who did not make the earth and the sky will be destroyed. They will no longer exist anywhere on earth.)

The LORD made the earth by his power; by his wisdom he created the world and stretched out the heavens.

The God of Jacob is not like them; he is the one who made everything, and he has chosen Israel to be his very own people. The LORD Almighty is his name.

Now, you can see and hear for yourselves what this fellow Paul is doing. He says that hand-made gods are not gods at all, and he has succeeded in convincing many people, both here in Ephesus and in nearly the whole province of Asia.

So then, about eating the food offered to idols: we know that an idol stands for something that does not really exist; we know that there is only the one God.