2 Kings 15

Azariah becomes the king of Judah

1Jeroboam had been king of Israel for nearly 27 years when Azariah began to rule Judah. Azariah was the son of Amaziah, the king of Judah. 2Azariah was 16 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 52 years. His mother’s name was Jecoliah. She was born in Jerusalem. 3The LORD saw that Azariah did the right things, as his father Amaziah had done. 4But he did not remove the high places. The people continued to offer animals to Baal and to burn incense there. 5And the LORD punished the king. The king had the illness called leprosy. He had it until the day that he died. He lived in a separate house. The king’s son Jotham had to rule the palace and the people in the country. 6Azariah did many other things while he was king. They wrote all those things in a book. It is called ‘the reports about the kings of Judah’. 7So Azariah died like his ancestors. And people buried him with them in the City of David. His son Jotham became king after him.

Zechariah becomes the king of Israel

8When Azariah had been king for nearly 38 years, Zechariah became king of Israel in Samaria. Zechariah was the son of Jeroboam and he ruled Israel for 6 months. 9The LORD saw that he did bad things, as his ancestors had done. He continued to do the sins of Jeroboam. Jeroboam was the son of Nebat and he had caused the people in Israel to do these sins. 10Shallum was the son of Jabesh. He and his friends decided to kill Zechariah. Shallum attacked Zechariah in front of the people. He killed him and he became king instead of him. 11Other things happened while Zechariah ruled Israel. They are in a book. It is called ‘the reports about the kings of Israel’. 12So it happened as the LORD had spoken to Jehu. The LORD had said, ‘You and 4 of your descendants will rule Israel.’

Shallum becomes the king of Israel

13When Uzziah had been the king of Judah for 39 years, Shallum became the king of Israel. Shallum was the son of Jabesh. Shallum ruled in Samaria for one month. 14Then Menahem went from Tirzah up to Samaria. Menahem was the son of Gadi. He attacked Shallum, the son of Jabesh, in Samaria. He killed him and he became king of Israel after him. 15Other things that happened when Shallum was king are in a book. It is called ‘the reports about the kings of Israel’. It includes the way that he killed Zechariah. 16When Menahem came from Tirzah, he attacked Tiphsah. He attacked everybody that was in the city and near it. He did this because they would not open their gates. He destroyed Tiphsah and he cut open all the pregnant women.

Menahem becomes the king of Israel

17When Azariah had been the king of Judah for nearly 39 years, Menahem became the king of Israel. Menahem was the son of Gadi, and he ruled in Samaria for 10 years. 18The LORD saw that Menahem did bad things. All the time that he was king, he continued to do the sins of Jeroboam. Jeroboam was the son of Nebat. Jeroboam had caused the people in Israel to do these sins also. 19Then Pul, the king of Assyria, attacked the country of Israel. Menahem gave him 1000 talents of silver so that Pul would help Menahem. That would make Menahem stronger in his own country. 20Menahem caused the people in Israel to give him this money. He caused every rich man to give 50 shekels of silver to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria went home. He did not stay for a longer time in the country Israel. 21The other things that happened to King Menahem are in a book. It is called ‘the reports about the kings of Israel’. Everything that he did is in that book. 22So Menahem died like his ancestors. And Pekahiah, his son, became king after him.

Pekahiah becomes the king of Israel

23When Azariah had been the king of Judah for nearly 50 years, Pekahiah became the king of Israel in Samaria. Pekahiah was the son of Menahem. He ruled Israel for two years. 24The LORD saw that Pekahiah did bad things. He continued to do the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. Jeroboam had caused the people in Israel to do these sins also. 25One of his important officers was Pekah, the son of Remaliah. Pekah decided to kill Pekahiah. He took 50 men from Gilead with him, and he killed Pekahiah. He also killed Argob and Arieh in a strong room in the king’s palace. The king’s palace was in Samaria. So Pekah killed Pekahiah and he became king after him. 26Somebody wrote the other things that King Pekahiah did in a book. It is called ‘the reports about the kings of Israel’. The book contains everything that Pekahiah did.

Pekah becomes the king of Israel and Assyria beats Israel

27When Azariah had been king of Judah for nearly 52 years, Pekah became the king of Israel in Samaria. Pekah was the son of Remaliah and he ruled Israel for 20 years. 28The LORD saw that Pekah did bad things. He continued to do the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. Jeroboam had caused the people in Israel to do these sins also.

29While Pekah was the king of Israel, Tiglath Pileser came from Assyria. He was the king of Assyria. He beat the people in many places in Israel: Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, Galilee and all of Naphtali. He took the people that lived in these places to Assyria. 30Then Hoshea decided to kill Pekah the son of Remaliah. Hoshea was the son of Elah. Hoshea attacked Pekah and killed him. So Hoshea became king after Pekah. It was when Jotham had been king of Judah for nearly 20 years. Jotham was the son of Uzziah. 31Somebody wrote the other things that King Pekah did in a book. It is called ‘the reports about the kings of Israel’. The book contains everything that Pekah did.

Jotham becomes the king of Judah

32When Pekah had been the king of Israel for nearly 2 years, Jotham began to rule Judah. Pekah was the son of Remaliah and Jotham was the son of Uzziah. 33Jotham was 25 years old when he became king. And he ruled in Jerusalem for 16 years. His mother’s name was Jerusha. She was the daughter of Zadok. 34The LORD saw that Jotham did right things, as his father Uzziah had done. 35But he did not remove the high places. The people in Judah continued to offer animals to Baal and to burn incense on them. Jotham built again the High Gate of the house of the LORD. 36Somebody wrote the other things that King Jotham did in a book. It is called ‘the reports about the kings of Judah’. The book contains everything that Jotham did. 37Then the LORD began to send Rezin and Pekah against the people in Judah. Rezin was the king of Aram and Pekah was the son of Remaliah. And Jotham died like his ancestors and people buried him with his ancestors in the City of his ancestor, David. His son Ahaz became king after him.

38

Notes about chapter 15 ▼

▼15:38 Verse 1 In Isaiah 6:1 and also in 2 Kings 15:13, 30-34, Azariah is called Uzziah.

▼

▼15:38 Verse 12 The 4 descendants were Jehoahaz, Jehoash, Jeroboam the Second and Zechariah.