2 Kings 15

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 reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ³⁷(In those days the Lord began to send Rezin^d king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.) ³⁸Jotham rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David, the city of his father. And Ahaz his son succeeded him as king.