14. So the warriors released the prisoners and handed over the plunder in the sight of the leaders and all the people.
15. Then the four men just mentioned by name came forward and distributed clothes from the plunder to the prisoners who were naked. They provided clothing and sandals to wear, gave them enough food and drink, and dressed their wounds with olive oil. They put those who were weak on donkeys and took all the prisoners back to their own people in Jericho, the city of palms. Then they returned to Samaria.
16. At that time King Ahaz of Judah asked the king of Assyria for help.
17. The armies of Edom had again invaded Judah and taken captives.
18. And the Philistines had raided towns located in the foothills of Judah and in the Negev of Judah. They had already captured and occupied Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages.
19. The lord was humbling Judah because of King Ahaz of Judah, for he had encouraged his people to sin and had been utterly unfaithful to the lord.
20. So when King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria arrived, he attacked Ahaz instead of helping him.
21. Ahaz took valuable items from the lord’s Temple, the royal palace, and from the homes of his officials and gave them to the king of Assyria as tribute. But this did not help him.