2 Kings 14–15

Amaziah King of Judah

14:1–7pp—2Ch 25:1–4,11–12 14:8–22pp—2Ch 25:17–26:2

14In the second year of Jehoash^a son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah began to reign. ²He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem. ³He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not as his father David had done. In everything he followed the example of his father Joash. ⁴The high places,^l however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

⁵After the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, he executed^m the officialsⁿ who had murdered his father the king. ⁶Yet he did not put the children of the assassins to death, in accordance with what is written in the Book of the Law^o of Moses where the Lord commanded: “Parents are not to be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.”^bp

⁷He was the one who defeated ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt^q and captured Sela^r in battle, calling it Joktheel, the name it has to this day.

⁸Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, with the challenge: “Come, let us face each other in battle.”

⁹But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle^s in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot. ¹⁰You have indeed defeated Edom and now you are arrogant.^t Glory in your victory, but stay at home! Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also?”

¹¹Amaziah, however, would not listen, so Jehoash king of Israel attacked. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth Shemesh^u in Judah. ¹²Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled to his home.^{v 13}Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down the wall^w of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate^x to the Corner Gate^y—a section about four hundred cubits long.^{c 14}He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace. He also took hostages and returned to Samaria.

¹⁵As for the other events of the reign of Jehoash, what he did and his achievements, including his war^z against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? ¹⁶Jehoash rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And Jeroboam his son succeeded him as king.

¹⁷Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. ¹⁸As for the other events of Amaziah’s reign, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

¹⁹They conspired^a against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish,^b but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there. ²⁰He was brought back by horse^c and was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors, in the City of David.

²¹Then all the people of Judah took Azariah,^dd who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. ²²He was the one who rebuilt Elath^e and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his ancestors.

Jeroboam II King of Israel

²³In the fifteenth year of Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam^f son of Jehoash king of Israel became king in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. ²⁴He did evil in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.^{g 25}He was the one who restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo Hamath^h to the Dead Sea,^ei in accordance with the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah^j son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher.

²⁶The Lord had seen how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free,^k was suffering;^fl there was no one to help them.^{m 27}And since the Lord had not said he would blot outⁿ the name of Israel from under heaven, he saved^o them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.

²⁸As for the other events of Jeroboam’s reign, all he did, and his military achievements, including how he recovered for Israel both Damascus^p and Hamath,^q which had belonged to Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals^r of the kings of Israel? ²⁹Jeroboam rested with his ancestors, the kings of Israel. And Zechariah his son succeeded him as king.

Azariah King of Judah

15:1–7pp—2Ch 26:3–4,21–23

15In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah^as son of Amaziah king of Judah began to reign. ²He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jekoliah; she was from Jerusalem. ³He did what was right^t in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. ⁴The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

⁵The Lord afflicted^u the king with leprosy^b until the day he died, and he lived in a separate house.^cv Jotham^w the king’s son had charge of the palace^x and governed the people of the land.

⁶As for the other events of Azariah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ⁷Azariah rested^y with his ancestors and was buried near them in the City of David. And Jotham^z his son succeeded him as king.

Zechariah King of Israel

⁸In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned six months. ⁹He did evil^a in the eyes of the Lord, as his predecessors had done. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

¹⁰Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah. He attacked him in front of the people,^d assassinated^b him and succeeded him as king. ¹¹The other events of Zechariah’s reign are written in the book of the annals^c of the kings of Israel. ¹²So the word of the Lord spoken to Jehu was fulfilled:^d “Your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”^e

Shallum King of Israel

¹³Shallum son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned in Samaria^e one month. ¹⁴Then Menahem son of Gadi went from Tirzah^f up to Samaria. He attacked Shallum son of Jabesh in Samaria, assassinated^g him and succeeded him as king.

¹⁵The other events of Shallum’s reign, and the conspiracy he led, are written in the book of the annals^h of the kings of Israel.

¹⁶At that time Menahem, starting out from Tirzah, attacked Tiphsahⁱ and everyone in the city and its vicinity, because they refused to open^j their gates. He sacked Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women.

Menahem King of Israel

¹⁷In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria ten years. ¹⁸He did evil^k in the eyes of the Lord. During his entire reign he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

¹⁹Then Pul^fl king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave him a thousand talents^g of silver to gain his support and strengthen his own hold on the kingdom. ²⁰Menahem exacted this money from Israel. Every wealthy person had to contribute fifty shekels^h of silver to be given to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria withdrew^m and stayed in the land no longer.

²¹As for the other events of Menahem’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? ²²Menahem rested with his ancestors. And Pekahiah his son succeeded him as king.

Pekahiah King of Israel

²³In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years. ²⁴Pekahiah did evilⁿ in the eyes of the Lord. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit. ²⁵One of his chief officers, Pekah^o son of Remaliah, conspired against him. Taking fifty men of Gilead with him, he assassinated^p Pekahiah, along with Argob and Arieh, in the citadel of the royal palace at Samaria. So Pekah killed Pekahiah and succeeded him as king.

²⁶The other events of Pekahiah’s reign, and all he did, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.

Pekah King of Israel

²⁷In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah^q son of Remaliah^r became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years. ²⁸He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

²⁹In the time of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser^s king of Assyria came and took Ijon,^t Abel Beth Maakah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor. He took Gilead and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali,^u and deported^v the people to Assyria. ³⁰Then Hoshea^w son of Elah conspired against Pekah son of Remaliah. He attacked and assassinated^x him, and then succeeded him as king in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah.

³¹As for the other events of Pekah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals^y of the kings of Israel?

Jotham King of Judah

15:33–38pp—2Ch 27:1–4,7–9

³²In the second year of Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham^z son of Uzziah king of Judah began to reign. ³³He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. ³⁴He did what was right^a in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Uzziah had done. ³⁵The high places,^b however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate^c of the temple of the Lord.

³⁶As for the other events of Jotham’s…