The children of Israel who lived in the north part of Israel did so bad against the Lord God that He had to take them out of their special land to another land to live under a really mean king.

When they couldn’t do bad on the outside, they did bad in secret, in their hearts.

Many times the Lord God sent men to tell them to turn away from the bad and come back to the Lord God, but they didn’t listen.

Then the mean king sent his own people to live in God’s special land, but they didn’t listen to the Lord God either, so he sent lions roaring among them.

That scared them and they started listening to the Lord God and asking Him how to live so the lions wouldn’t bite them.

Then they gave honor to the Lord God and did his ways, but also the old ways of the bad ones from their old land.

God’s people forgot the special deal the Lord God made with them and bowed down to bad ones that didn’t make them or the heavens and the earth and all things.

They forgot how the Lord had brought them out of the land of Egypt with many great miracles, the frogs and the flies and the hail, proving that He is the One with all the power.

He is the One who can save us from every bad thing.

Hezekiah was 25 years old when he was made king.

He did good in the eyes of the Lord God.

He took away bad stuff that brought trouble to the people.

He held on tight to the Lord God

 and didn’t stop following Him.

And the Lord God stayed with Hezekiah and made everything he did turn out real good.

But God’s people in the north part of Israel were carried away from God special land because they did much bad and wouldn’t do what the Lord God said.

Then the king who took God’s people out of their land came to Jerusalem and surrounded the city. They were going to take Jerusalem too.

King Hezekiah told the people not to worry. They would pray to God and He would keep them safe so they wouldn’t be taken away too.

The other king sent men to tell the people at Jerusalem not to believe Hezekiah’s words that God would keep them safe.

But the people didn’t answer the men any words because Hezekiah told them not to answer the men or believe their words, only to believe God.

When Hezekiah’s men came and told king Hezekiah the words of the enemy’s army outside the gate, Hezekiah tore his clothes and went quick to the house of the Lord.

Then he sent a message to the prophet, Isaiah, who told the people God’s words. He said, Today is a bad day of trouble. They say many bad things about the Lord.

We don’t have any strength to fight them. Maybe God will hear these words and stop this enemy from taking us.

The Lord sent back word to the king, Don’t be afraid of these words that this bad king spoke against me.

I will send a strong wind against him.

He will hear words that will scare him

and he will run back to his own land.

And the sword he has used against many others will fall back on him.

The bad king heard that Hezekiah was trusting in the Lord and he sent a letter with more words back to scare Hezekiah and God’s people.

Hezekiah took the letter to the temple and showed it to God.

He said to God, Please save us from this bad king so that all the kingdoms of the world will know that You are the only one with all the power, only You.

You are the boss over everything everywhere.