17:1 In the twelfth year of King Ahaz’s reign over Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria ¹  for nine years. 17:2 He did evil in the sight of ²  the Lord, but not to the same degree as the Israelite kings who preceded him. 17:3 King Shalmaneser of Assyria threatened ³  him; Hoshea became his subject and paid him tribute. 17:4 The king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was planning a revolt. ⁴  Hoshea had sent messengers to King So ⁵  of Egypt and had not sent his annual tribute to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria arrested him and imprisoned him. ⁶  17:5 The king of Assyria marched through ⁷  the whole land. He attacked Samaria and besieged it for three years. 17:6 In the ninth year of Hoshea’s reign, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the people of Israel ⁸  to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, along the Habor (the river of Gozan), and in the cities of the Medes.

18:9 Then they asked him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He replied, “There, ¹  in the tent.” 18:10 One of them ²  said, “I will surely return ³  to you when the season comes round again, ⁴  and your wife Sarah will have a son!” ⁵  (Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, not far behind him. ⁶  18:11 Abraham and Sarah were old and advancing in years; ⁷  Sarah had long since passed menopause.) ⁸  18:12 So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, ⁹  “After I am worn out will I have pleasure, ¹⁰  especially when my husband is old too?” ¹¹