2 Kings 14–15

Amaziah King of Judah

14Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah during the second year Jehoash son of Jehoahaz was king of Israel. ²Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ruled twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother was named Jehoaddin, and she was from Jerusalem. ³Amaziah did what the Lord said was right. He did everything his father Joash had done, but he did not do as his ancestor David had done. ⁴The places where gods were worshiped were not removed, so the people still sacrificed and burned incense there.

⁵As soon as Amaziah took control of the kingdom, he executed the officers who had murdered his father the king. ⁶But he did not put to death the children of the murderers because of the rule written in the Book of the Teachings of Moses. The Lord had commanded: “Parents must not be put to death when their children do wrong, and children must not be put to death when their parents do wrong. Each must die for his own sins.” ⁿ

⁷In battle Amaziah killed ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He also took the city of Sela. He called it Joktheel, as it is still called today.

⁸Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel. They said, “Come, let’s meet face to face.”

⁹Then Jehoash king of Israel answered Amaziah king of Judah, “A thornbush in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar tree in Lebanon. It said, ‘Let your daughter marry my son.’ But then a wild animal from Lebanon came by, walking on and crushing the thornbush. ¹⁰You have defeated Edom, but you have become proud. Stay at home and brag. Don’t ask for trouble, or you and Judah will be defeated.”

¹¹But Amaziah would not listen, so Jehoash king of Israel went to attack. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other in battle at Beth Shemesh in Judah. ¹²Israel defeated Judah, and every man of Judah ran away to his home. ¹³At Beth Shemesh Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah. (Amaziah was the son of Joash, who was the son of Ahaziah.) Jehoash went up to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, which was about six hundred feet. ¹⁴He took all the gold and silver and all the utensils in the Temple of the Lord, and he took the treasuries of the palace and some hostages. Then he returned to Samaria.

¹⁵The other acts of Jehoash and his victories, including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, are written in the book of the history of the kings of Israel. ¹⁶Jehoash died and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel, and his son Jeroboam became king in his place.

¹⁷Amaziah son of Joash, the king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the king of Israel. ¹⁸The other things Amaziah did are written in the book of the history of the kings of Judah. ¹⁹The people in Jerusalem made plans against him. So he ran away to the town of Lachish, but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him. ²⁰They brought his body back on horses, and he was buried with his ancestors in Jerusalem, in the city of David.

²¹Then all the people of Judah made Uzziah ⁿ king in place of his father Amaziah. Uzziah was sixteen years old. ²²He rebuilt the town of Elath and made it part of Judah again after Amaziah died.

Jeroboam King of Israel

²³Jeroboam son of Jehoash became king of Israel in Samaria during the fifteenth year Amaziah was king of Judah. (Amaziah was the son of Joash.) Jeroboam ruled forty-one years, ²⁴and he did what the Lord said was wrong. Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to sin, and Jeroboam son of Jehoash did not stop doing the same sins. ²⁵Jeroboam won back Israel’s border from Lebo Hamath to the Dead Sea. This happened as the Lord, the God of Israel, had said through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher. ²⁶The Lord had seen how the Israelites, both slave and free, were suffering terribly. No one was left who could help Israel. ²⁷The Lord had not said he would completely destroy Israel from the world, so he saved the Israelites through Jeroboam son of Jehoash.

²⁸Everything else Jeroboam did is written down—all his victories and how he won back from Judah the towns of Damascus and Hamath for Israel. All this is written in the book of the history of the kings of Israel. ²⁹Jeroboam died and was buried with his ancestors, the kings of Israel. Jeroboam’s son Zechariah became king in his place.

Uzziah King of Judah

15Uzziah son of Amaziah became king of Judah during Jeroboam’s twenty-seventh year as king of Israel. ²Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he ruled fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother was named Jecoliah, and she was from Jerusalem. ³He did what the Lord said was right, just as his father Amaziah had done. ⁴But the places where gods were worshiped were not removed, so the people still made sacrifices and burned incense there.

⁵The Lord struck Uzziah with a skin disease, which he had until the day he died. So he had to live in a separate house. Jotham, the king’s son, was in charge of the palace, and he governed the people of the land.

⁶All the other things Uzziah did are written in the book of the history of the kings of Judah. ⁷Uzziah died and was buried near his ancestors in Jerusalem, and his son Jotham became king in his place.

Zechariah King of Israel

⁸Zechariah son of Jeroboam was king over Israel in Samaria. He ruled for six months during Uzziah’s ⁿ thirty-eighth year as king of Judah. ⁹Zechariah did what the Lord said was wrong, just as his ancestors had done. Jeroboam son of Nebat had led the people of Israel to sin, and Zechariah did not stop doing the same sins.

¹⁰Shallum son of Jabesh made plans against Zechariah and killed him in front of the people. Then Shallum became king in his place. ¹¹The other acts of Zechariah are written in the book of the history of the kings of Israel. ¹²The Lord had told Jehu: “Your sons down to your great-great-grandchildren will be kings of Israel,” and the Lord’s word came true.

Shallum King of Israel

¹³Shallum son of Jabesh became king during Uzziah’s thirty-ninth year as king of Judah. Shallum ruled for a month in Samaria. ¹⁴Then Menahem son of Gadi came up from Tirzah to Samaria and attacked Shallum son of Jabesh in Samaria. He killed him and became king in Shallum’s place.

¹⁵The other acts of Shallum and his secret plans are written in the book of the history of the kings of Israel.

Menahem King of Israel

¹⁶Menahem started out from Tirzah and attacked Tiphsah, destroying the city and the area nearby. This was because the people had refused to open the city gate for him. He defeated them and ripped open all their pregnant women.

¹⁷Menahem son of Gadi became king over Israel during Uzziah’s thirty-ninth year as king of Judah. Menahem ruled ten years in Samaria, ¹⁸and he did what the Lord said was wrong. Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to sin, and all the time Menahem was king, he did not stop doing the same sins.

¹⁹Pul 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. ²⁰Menahem taxed Israel to pay about one and one-fourth pounds of silver to each soldier of the king of Assyria. So the king left and did not stay in the land.

²¹Everything else Menahem did is written in the book of the history of the kings of Israel. ²²Then Menahem died, and his son Pekahiah became king in his place.

Pekahiah King of Israel

²³Pekahiah son of Menahem became king over Israel in Samaria during Uzziah’s ⁿ fiftieth year as king of Judah. Pekahiah ruled two years, ²⁴and he did what the Lord said was wrong. Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to sin, and Pekahiah did not stop doing the same sins.

²⁵Pekah son of Remaliah was one of Pekahiah’s captains, and he made plans against Pekahiah. He took fifty men of Gilead with him and killed Pekahiah, as well as Argob and Arieh, in the palace at Samaria. Then Pekah became king in Pekahiah’s place.

²⁶Everything else Pekahiah did is written in the book of the history of the kings of Israel.

Pekah King of Israel

²⁷Pekah son of Remaliah became king over Israel in Samaria during Uzziah’s ⁿ fifty-second year as king of Judah. Pekah ruled twenty years, ²⁸and he did what the Lord said was wrong. Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to sin, and Pekah did not stop doing the same sins.

²⁹Tiglath-Pileser ⁿ 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. ³⁰Then Hoshea son of Elah made plans against Pekah son of Remaliah and attacked and killed him. Then Hoshea became king in Pekah’s place during the twentieth year Jotham son of Uzziah was king.

³¹Everything else Pekah did is written in the book of the history of the kings of Israel.

Jotham King of Judah

³²Jotham son of Uzziah became king of Judah during the second year Pekah son of Remaliah was king of Israel. ³³Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ruled sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. ³⁴Jotham did what the Lord said was right, just as his father Uzziah had done. ³⁵But the places where gods were worshiped were not removed, and the people still made sacrifices and burned incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the Temple of the Lord.

³⁶The other things Jotham did while he was king are written in the book of the history of the kings of Judah. ³⁷At that time the Lord began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah. ³⁸Jotham died and was buried with his ancestors in Jerusalem, the city of David, his ancestor. Then Jotham’s son Ahaz became king in his place.