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2 Kings 11-17
English Standard Version

Athaliah Reigns in Judah

11 (A)Now when (B)Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family. 2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took (C)Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king's sons who were being put to death, and she put[a] him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus they[b] hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not put to death. 3 And he remained with her six years, hidden in the house of the Lord, while Athaliah reigned over the land.

Joash Anointed King in Judah

4 (D)But in the seventh year (E)Jehoiada sent and brought the captains of (F)the Carites and of the guards, and had them come to him in the house of the Lord. And he made a covenant with them and put them under oath in the house of the Lord, and he showed them the king's son. 5 And he commanded them, “This is the thing that you shall do: one third of you, (G)those who come off duty on the Sabbath and guard the king's house 6 ((H)another third being at the gate Sur and a third at the gate behind the guards) shall guard the palace.[c] 7 And the two divisions of you, which come on duty in force on the Sabbath and guard the house of the Lord on behalf of the king, 8 shall surround the king, each with his weapons in his hand. And whoever approaches the ranks is to be put to death. Be with the king (I)when he goes out and when he comes in.”

9 The captains did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and they each brought his men who were to go off duty on the Sabbath, with those who were to come on duty on the Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. 10 And the priest gave to the captains the spears and (J)shields that had been King David's, which were in the house of the Lord. 11 And the guards stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the south side of the house to the north side of the house, around the altar and the house on behalf of the king. 12 Then he brought out the king's son and put (K)the crown on him and gave him (L)the testimony. And they proclaimed him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, (M)“Long live the king!”

13 When Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she went into the house of the Lord to the people. 14 And when she looked, there was the king standing (N)by the pillar, according to the custom, and the captains and the trumpeters beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and (O)blowing trumpets. And Athaliah (P)tore her clothes and cried, “Treason! Treason!” 15 Then Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains who were set over the army, “Bring her out between the ranks, and put to death with the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest said, “Let her not be put to death in the house of the Lord.” 16 So they laid hands on her; and she went through the horses' entrance to the king's house, and there she was put to death.

17 And Jehoiada (Q)made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people, that they should be the Lord's people, and also (R)between the king and the people. 18 Then all the people of the land went to (S)the house of Baal and tore it down; (T)his altars and his images they broke in pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest posted watchmen over the house of the Lord. 19 And he took the captains, (U)the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the Lord, marching through (V)the gate of the guards to the king's house. And he took his seat on the throne of the kings. 20 So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet after Athaliah had been put to death with the sword at the king's house.

Jehoash Reigns in Judah

21 [d] (W)Jehoash[e] was seven years old when he began to reign.

12 In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash[f] began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba. 2 And Jehoash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all his days, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3 Nevertheless, (X)the high places were not taken away; the people continued to sacrifice and make offerings on the high places.

Jehoash Repairs the Temple

4 Jehoash said to the priests, “All the money of the holy things (Y)that is brought into the house of the Lord, the money for which each man is assessed—the money from the assessment of persons—and (Z)the money that a man's heart prompts him to bring into the house of the Lord, 5 let the priests take, each from his donor, and let them repair the house wherever any need of repairs is discovered.” 6 But by the twenty-third year of King Jehoash, the priests had made no repairs on the house. 7 Therefore King Jehoash summoned Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and said to them, “Why are you not repairing the house? Now therefore take no more money from your donors, but hand it over for the repair of the house.” 8 So the priests agreed that they should take no more money from the people, and that they should not repair the house.

9 Then Jehoiada the priest took (AA)a chest and bored a hole in the lid of it and set it beside the altar on the right side as one entered the house of the Lord. And the priests who guarded the threshold put in it all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord. 10 And whenever they saw that there was much money in the chest, the king's secretary and the high priest came up and they bagged and counted (AB)the money that was found in the house of the Lord. 11 Then they would give the money that was weighed out into the hands of the workmen who had the oversight of the house of the Lord. And they paid it out to the carpenters and the builders who worked on the house of the Lord, 12 and (AC)to the masons and the stonecutters, as well as to buy timber and quarried stone for making repairs on the house of the Lord, and for any outlay for the repairs of the house. 13 (AD)But there were not made for the house of the Lord (AE)basins of silver, snuffers, bowls, trumpets, or any vessels of gold, or of silver, from the money that was brought into the house of the Lord, 14 for that was given to the workmen who were repairing the house of the Lord with it. 15 And (AF)they did not ask for an accounting from the men into whose hand they delivered the money to pay out to the workmen, for they dealt honestly. 16 The money from (AG)the guilt offerings and the money from the (AH)sin offerings was not brought into the house of the Lord; (AI)it belonged to the priests.

17 At that time (AJ)Hazael king of Syria went up and fought against Gath and took it. But when Hazael set his face (AK)to go up against Jerusalem, 18 Jehoash king of Judah (AL)took all the sacred gifts that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah his fathers, the kings of Judah, had dedicated, (AM)and his own sacred gifts, and all the gold that was found in the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of the king's house, and sent these to Hazael king of Syria. Then Hazael went away from Jerusalem.

The Death of Joash

19 Now the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 20 (AN)His servants arose and made a conspiracy (AO)and struck down Joash in the house of (AP)Millo, on the way that goes down to Silla. 21 It was (AQ)Jozacar the son of Shimeath and Jehozabad the son of (AR)Shomer, his servants, who struck him down, so that he died. And they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, (AS)and Amaziah his son reigned in his place.

Jehoahaz Reigns in Israel

13 In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. 2 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, (AT)which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart from them. 3 (AU)And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them continually into the hand of (AV)Hazael king of Syria and into the hand of (AW)Ben-hadad the son of Hazael. 4 Then Jehoahaz (AX)sought the favor of the Lord, and the Lord listened to him, (AY)for he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them. 5 (Therefore the Lord gave Israel (AZ)a savior, so that they escaped from the hand of the Syrians, and the people of Israel lived in (BA)their homes as formerly. 6 Nevertheless, they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, (BB)which he made Israel to sin, but walked[g] in them; and (BC)the Asherah also remained in Samaria.) 7 For there was not left to Jehoahaz an army of more than fifty horsemen and ten chariots and ten thousand footmen, for the king of Syria had destroyed them and made them like the dust (BD)at threshing. 8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 9 So Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria, and Joash his son reigned in his place.

Jehoash Reigns in Israel

10 In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash[h] the son of Jehoahaz began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years. 11 He also did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, (BE)which he made Israel to sin, but he walked in them. 12 (BF)Now the rest of the acts of Joash (BG)and all that he did, (BH)and the might with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 13 So Joash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne. And Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

The Death of Elisha

14 Now when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash king of Israel went down to him and wept before him, crying, (BI)“My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” 15 And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. 16 Then he said to the king of Israel, “Draw the bow,” and he drew it. And Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands. 17 And he said, “Open the window eastward,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot,” and he shot. And he said, “The Lord's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria! For you shall fight the Syrians in (BJ)Aphek until you have made an end of them.” 18 And he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground with them.” And he struck three times and stopped. 19 Then (BK)the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only (BL)three times.”

20 So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of (BM)Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year. 21 And as a man was being buried, behold, a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.

22 (BN)Now Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 23 (BO)But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them, (BP)and he turned toward them, (BQ)because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, nor has he cast them from his presence until now.

24 When Hazael king of Syria died, Ben-hadad his son became king in his place. 25 Then Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again from Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities (BR)that he had taken from Jehoahaz his father in war. (BS)Three times Joash defeated him and recovered the cities of Israel.

Amaziah Reigns in Judah

14 (BT)In the (BU)second year of Joash the son of Joahaz, king of Israel, (BV)Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. 3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not like David his father. He did in all things as Joash his father had done. 4 (BW)But the high places were not removed; (BX)the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. 5 And as soon as the royal power was (BY)firmly in his hand, he struck down his servants (BZ)who had struck down the king his father. 6 But he did not put to death the children of the murderers, according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, where the Lord commanded, (CA)“Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. But each one shall die for his own sin.”

7 (CB)He struck down ten thousand Edomites in (CC)the Valley of Salt and took (CD)Sela by storm, and called it (CE)Joktheel, which is its name to this day.

8 (CF)Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash[i] the son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, (CG)let us look one another in the face.” 9 And Jehoash king of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, (CH)“A thistle on Lebanon sent to a cedar on Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son for a wife,’ and a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle. 10 You have indeed (CI)struck down Edom, (CJ)and your heart has lifted you up. Be content with your glory, and stay at home, for why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you?”

11 But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah (CK)faced one another in battle at (CL)Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 12 And Judah was defeated by Israel, (CM)and every man fled to his home. 13 And Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem for four hundred cubits,[j] from (CN)the Ephraim Gate to (CO)the Corner Gate. 14 And he seized (CP)all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king's house, also hostages, and he returned to Samaria.

15 (CQ)Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash that he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 16 And Jehoash slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel, and Jeroboam his son reigned in his place.

17 (CR)Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. 18 Now the rest of the deeds of Amaziah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 19 And they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to (CS)Lachish. But they sent after him to Lachish and put him to death there. 20 And they brought him on horses; and he was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David. 21 And all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. 22 He built (CT)Elath and restored it to Judah, after the king slept with his fathers.

Jeroboam II Reigns in Israel

23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. 24 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, (CU)which he made Israel to sin. 25 (CV)He restored the border of Israel (CW)from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of (CX)the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant (CY)Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from (CZ)Gath-hepher. 26 For the Lord (DA)saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter, (DB)for there was none left, bond or free, and there was none to help Israel. 27 (DC)But the Lord had not said that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.

28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam and all that he did, and his might, how he fought, and how he restored (DD)Damascus and (DE)Hamath to Judah in Israel, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 29 And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, the kings of Israel, and Zechariah his son reigned in his place.

Azariah Reigns in Judah

15 (DF)In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, (DG)Azariah the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was (DH)sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. 3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 4 (DI)Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. 5 (DJ)And the Lord touched the king, so that he was a leper[k] to the day of his death, (DK)and he lived in a separate house.[l] And Jotham the king's son was over the household, governing the people of the land. 6 Now the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 7 And Azariah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers (DL)in the city of David, and Jotham his son reigned in his place.

Zechariah Reigns in Israel

8 In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six months. 9 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as his fathers had done. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, (DM)which he made Israel to sin. 10 Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him and (DN)struck him down at Ibleam and put him to death and reigned in his place. 11 Now the rest of the deeds of Zechariah, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 12 (This was (DO)the promise of the Lord that he gave to Jehu, “Your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.” And so it came to pass.)

Shallum Reigns in Israel

13 Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the thirty-ninth year of (DP)Uzziah[m] king of Judah, and he reigned one month in (DQ)Samaria. 14 Then Menahem the son of Gadi came up from (DR)Tirzah and came to Samaria, and he struck down Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria and put him to death and reigned in his place. 15 Now the rest of the deeds of Shallum, and the conspiracy that he made, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 16 At that time Menahem sacked Tiphsah and all who were in it and its territory from Tirzah on, because they did not open it to him. Therefore he sacked it, (DS)and he ripped open all the women in it who were pregnant.

Menahem Reigns in Israel

17 In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem the son of Gadi began to reign over Israel, and he reigned ten years in Samaria. 18 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart all his days from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 19 (DT)Pul[n] the king of Assyria came against the land, and Menahem gave (DU)Pul a thousand talents[o] of silver, that he might help him (DV)to confirm his hold on the royal power. 20 Menahem exacted the money from Israel, that is, from all the wealthy men, fifty shekels[p] of silver from every man, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back and did not stay there in the land. 21 Now the rest of the deeds of Menahem and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 22 And Menahem slept with his fathers, and Pekahiah his son reigned in his place.

Pekahiah Reigns in Israel

23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years. 24 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, (DW)which he made Israel to sin. 25 And Pekah the son of Remaliah, his captain, conspired against him with fifty men of the people of Gilead, and struck him down in Samaria, in the citadel of the king's house with Argob and Arieh; he put him to death and reigned in his place. 26 Now the rest of the deeds of Pekahiah and all that he did, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

Pekah Reigns in Israel

27 In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years. 28 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, (DX)which he made Israel to sin.

29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel, (DY)Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured (DZ)Ijon, (EA)Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, (EB)Kedesh, (EC)Hazor, Gilead, and (ED)Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and he carried the people captive to Assyria. 30 Then Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah and struck him down and put him to death and reigned in his place, (EE)in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. 31 Now the rest of the acts of Pekah and all that he did, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

Jotham Reigns in Judah

32 In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, Jotham the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, began to reign. 33 He was (EF)twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. 34 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, (EG)according to all that his father Uzziah had done. 35 (EH)Nevertheless, the high places were not removed. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. He built (EI)the upper gate of the house of the Lord. 36 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 37 In those days the Lord began to send (EJ)Rezin the king of Syria and (EK)Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah. 38 Jotham slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Ahaz his son reigned in his place.

Ahaz Reigns in Judah

16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 Ahaz was (EL)twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God, as his father David had done, 3 but he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. (EM)He even burned his son as an offering,[q] (EN)according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. 4 (EO)And he sacrificed and made offerings (EP)on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.

5 (EQ)Then Rezin king of Syria and (ER)Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, came up to wage war on Jerusalem, and they besieged Ahaz (ES)but could not conquer him. 6 At that time Rezin the king of Syria recovered (ET)Elath for Syria and drove the men of Judah from (EU)Elath, and the Edomites came to Elath, where they dwell to this day. 7 (EV)So Ahaz sent messengers to (EW)Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son. Come up and rescue me from the hand of the king of Syria and from the hand of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.” 8 Ahaz also (EX)took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasures of the king's house and sent a present to the king of Assyria. 9 (EY)And the king of Assyria listened to him. The king of Assyria marched up against Damascus (EZ)and took it, carrying its people captive to (FA)Kir, and he killed Rezin.

10 When King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet (FB)Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, he saw the altar that was at Damascus. And King Ahaz sent to (FC)Uriah the priest a model of the altar, and its pattern, exact in all its details. 11 And Uriah the priest built the altar; in accordance with all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus, so Uriah the priest made it, before King Ahaz arrived from Damascus. 12 And when the king came from Damascus, the king viewed the altar. (FD)Then the king drew near to the altar and went up on it 13 and burned his burnt offering and his grain offering and poured his drink offering and threw the blood of his peace offerings on the altar. 14 And (FE)the bronze altar that was before the Lord he removed (FF)from the front of the house, from the place between (FG)his altar and the house of the Lord, and put it on the north side of (FH)his altar. 15 And King Ahaz commanded Uriah the priest, saying, “On the great altar burn (FI)the morning burnt offering and the evening grain offering and the king's burnt offering and his grain offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their grain offering and their drink offering. And throw on it all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifice, but (FJ)the bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by.” 16 Uriah the priest did all this, as King Ahaz commanded.

17 And King Ahaz cut off the frames of the stands and removed the basin from them, and he took down (FK)the sea[r] from off the bronze oxen that were under it and put it on a stone pedestal. 18 And the covered way for the Sabbath that had been built inside the house and the outer entrance for the king he caused to go around the house of the Lord, because of the king of Assyria. 19 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz that he did, are they not written (FL)in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 20 And Ahaz slept with his fathers and (FM)was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.

Hoshea Reigns in Israel

17 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, (FN)Hoshea the son of Elah began to reign in Samaria over Israel, and he reigned nine years. 2 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him. 3 (FO)Against him came up (FP)Shalmaneser king of Assyria. And Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute. 4 But the king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshea, for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison. 5 Then the king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to Samaria, and for three years he besieged it.

The Fall of Israel

6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria (FQ)captured Samaria, (FR)and he carried the Israelites away to Assyria (FS)and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of (FT)Gozan, and in the cities of (FU)the Medes.

Exile Because of Idolatry

7 And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, (FV)who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods 8 (FW)and walked in the customs of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel, (FX)and in the customs that the kings of Israel had practiced. 9 And the people of Israel did secretly against the Lord their God things that were not right. They built for themselves high places in all their towns, (FY)from watchtower to fortified city. 10 They set up for themselves (FZ)pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, 11 and there they made offerings on all the high places, as the nations did whom the Lord carried away before them. And they did wicked things, provoking the Lord to anger, 12 and they served idols, (GA)of which the Lord had said to them, “You shall not do this.” 13 Yet the Lord (GB)warned Israel and Judah (GC)by every prophet (GD)and every seer, saying, (GE)“Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.”

14 But they would not listen, (GF)but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the Lord their God. 15 They despised his statutes (GG)and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after (GH)false idols (GI)and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the (GJ)Lord had commanded them that they should not do like them. 16 And they abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made for themselves metal images of (GK)two calves; and they (GL)made an Asherah and (GM)worshiped all the host of heaven and served (GN)Baal. 17 (GO)And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings[s] and used (GP)divination and (GQ)omens and (GR)sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. 18 Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. None was left but (GS)the tribe of Judah only.

19 (GT)Judah also did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the customs that Israel had introduced. 20 And the Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel and afflicted them (GU)and gave them into the hand of plunderers, until he had cast them out of his sight.

21 (GV)When he had torn Israel from the house of David, (GW)they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. And Jeroboam drove Israel from following the Lord (GX)and made them commit great sin. 22 The people of Israel walked in all the sins that Jeroboam did. They did not depart from them, 23 until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight, (GY)as he had spoken by all his servants the prophets. (GZ)So Israel was exiled from their own land to Assyria until this day.

Assyria Resettles Samaria

24 (HA)And the king of Assyria brought people from (HB)Babylon, Cuthah, (HC)Avva, (HD)Hamath, and (HE)Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the people of Israel. And they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities. 25 And at the beginning of their dwelling there, they did not fear the Lord. Therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them. 26 So the king of Assyria was told, “The nations that you have carried away and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the law of the god of the land. Therefore he has sent lions among them, and behold, they are killing them, because they do not know the law of the god of the land.” 27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, “Send there one of the priests whom you carried away from there, and let him[t] go and dwell there and teach them the law of the god of the land.” 28 So one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and lived in (HF)Bethel and taught them how they should fear the Lord.

29 But every nation still made gods of its own and put them (HG)in the shrines of the high places that the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities in which they lived. 30 The men of (HH)Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, 31 and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites (HI)burned their children in the fire to (HJ)Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of (HK)Sepharvaim. 32 (HL)They also feared the Lord (HM)and appointed from among themselves all sorts of people as priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of (HN)the high places. 33 So they feared the Lord but also served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.

34 To this day they do according to the former manner. They do not fear the Lord, and they do not follow the statutes or the rules or the law or the commandment that the Lord commanded the children of Jacob, (HO)whom he named Israel. 35 The Lord made a covenant with them and commanded them, (HP)“You shall not fear other gods (HQ)or bow yourselves to them or serve them or sacrifice to them, 36 but (HR)you shall fear the Lord, (HS)who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and (HT)with an outstretched arm. You shall bow yourselves to him, and to him you shall sacrifice. 37 And the statutes and the rules and the law and the commandment that he wrote for you, (HU)you shall always be careful to do. (HV)You shall not fear other gods, 38 and (HW)you shall not forget the covenant that I have made with you. (HX)You shall not fear other gods, 39 but (HY)you shall fear the Lord your God, and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.” 40 However, they would not listen, but they did according to their former manner.

41 (HZ)So these nations feared the Lord and also served their carved images. Their children did likewise, and their children's children—as their fathers did, so they do to this day.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 11:2 Compare 2 Chronicles 22:11; Hebrew lacks and she put
  2. 2 Kings 11:2 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate (compare 2 Chronicles 22:11) she
  3. 2 Kings 11:6 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
  4. 2 Kings 11:21 Ch 12:1 in Hebrew
  5. 2 Kings 11:21 Jehoash is an alternate spelling of Joash (son of Ahaziah) as in verse 2
  6. 2 Kings 12:1 Jehoash is an alternate spelling of Joash (son of Ahaziah) as in 11:2; also verses 2, 4, 6, 7, 18
  7. 2 Kings 13:6 Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, Vulgate; Hebrew he walked
  8. 2 Kings 13:10 Jehoash is an alternate spelling of Joash (son of Jehoahaz) as in verses 9, 12–14; also verse 25
  9. 2 Kings 14:8 Jehoash is an alternate spelling of Joash (son of Jehoahaz) as in 13:9, 12–14; also verses 9, 11–16
  10. 2 Kings 14:13 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
  11. 2 Kings 15:5 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
  12. 2 Kings 15:5 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
  13. 2 Kings 15:13 Another name for Azariah
  14. 2 Kings 15:19 Another name for Tiglath-pileser III (compare verse 29)
  15. 2 Kings 15:19 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
  16. 2 Kings 15:20 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
  17. 2 Kings 16:3 Or made his son pass through the fire
  18. 2 Kings 16:17 Compare 1 Kings 7:23
  19. 2 Kings 17:17 Or made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire
  20. 2 Kings 17:27 Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew them
Listen to 2 Kings 11-17
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2 Kings 11-17
New International Version

Athaliah and Joash(A)

11 When Athaliah(B) the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family. 2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram[a] and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash(C) son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed.(D) 3 He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the Lord for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.

4 In the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the commanders of units of a hundred, the Carites(E) and the guards and had them brought to him at the temple of the Lord. He made a covenant with them and put them under oath at the temple of the Lord. Then he showed them the king’s son. 5 He commanded them, saying, “This is what you are to do: You who are in the three companies that are going on duty on the Sabbath(F)—a third of you guarding the royal palace,(G) 6 a third at the Sur Gate, and a third at the gate behind the guard, who take turns guarding the temple— 7 and you who are in the other two companies that normally go off Sabbath duty are all to guard the temple for the king. 8 Station yourselves around the king, each of you with weapon in hand. Anyone who approaches your ranks[b] is to be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes.”

9 The commanders of units of a hundred did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each one took his men—those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty—and came to Jehoiada the priest. 10 Then he gave the commanders the spears and shields(H) that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of the Lord. 11 The guards, each with weapon in hand, stationed themselves around the king—near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.

12 Jehoiada brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; he presented him with a copy of the covenant(I) and proclaimed him king. They anointed(J) him, and the people clapped their hands(K) and shouted, “Long live the king!”(L)

13 When Athaliah heard the noise made by the guards and the people, she went to the people at the temple of the Lord. 14 She looked and there was the king, standing by the pillar,(M) as the custom was. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets.(N) Then Athaliah tore(O) her robes and called out, “Treason! Treason!”(P)

15 Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops: “Bring her out between the ranks[c] and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “She must not be put to death in the temple(Q) of the Lord.” 16 So they seized her as she reached the place where the horses enter(R) the palace grounds, and there she was put to death.(S)

17 Jehoiada then made a covenant(T) between the Lord and the king and people that they would be the Lord’s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people.(U) 18 All the people of the land went to the temple(V) of Baal and tore it down. They smashed(W) the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest(X) of Baal in front of the altars.

Then Jehoiada the priest posted guards at the temple of the Lord. 19 He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites,(Y) the guards and all the people of the land, and together they brought the king down from the temple of the Lord and went into the palace, entering by way of the gate of the guards. The king then took his place on the royal throne. 20 All the people of the land rejoiced,(Z) and the city was calm, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword at the palace.

21 Joash[d] was seven years old when he began to reign.[e]

Joash Repairs the Temple(AA)

12 [f]In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash[g](AB) became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba. 2 Joash did what was right(AC) in the eyes of the Lord all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3 The high places,(AD) however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

4 Joash said to the priests, “Collect(AE) all the money that is brought as sacred offerings(AF) to the temple of the Lord—the money collected in the census,(AG) the money received from personal vows and the money brought voluntarily(AH) to the temple. 5 Let every priest receive the money from one of the treasurers, then use it to repair(AI) whatever damage is found in the temple.”

6 But by the twenty-third year of King Joash the priests still had not repaired the temple. 7 Therefore King Joash summoned Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and asked them, “Why aren’t you repairing the damage done to the temple? Take no more money from your treasurers, but hand it over for repairing the temple.” 8 The priests agreed that they would not collect any more money from the people and that they would not repair the temple themselves.

9 Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in its lid. He placed it beside the altar, on the right side as one enters the temple of the Lord. The priests who guarded the entrance(AJ) put into the chest all the money(AK) that was brought to the temple of the Lord. 10 Whenever they saw that there was a large amount of money in the chest, the royal secretary(AL) and the high priest came, counted the money that had been brought into the temple of the Lord and put it into bags. 11 When the amount had been determined, they gave the money to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. With it they paid those who worked on the temple of the Lord—the carpenters and builders, 12 the masons and stonecutters.(AM) They purchased timber and blocks of dressed stone for the repair of the temple of the Lord, and met all the other expenses of restoring the temple.

13 The money brought into the temple was not spent for making silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, trumpets or any other articles of gold(AN) or silver for the temple of the Lord; 14 it was paid to the workers, who used it to repair the temple. 15 They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty.(AO) 16 The money from the guilt offerings(AP) and sin offerings[h](AQ) was not brought into the temple of the Lord; it belonged(AR) to the priests.

17 About this time Hazael(AS) king of Aram went up and attacked Gath and captured it. Then he turned to attack Jerusalem. 18 But Joash king of Judah took all the sacred objects dedicated by his predecessors—Jehoshaphat, Jehoram and Ahaziah, the kings of Judah—and the gifts he himself had dedicated and all the gold found in the treasuries of the temple of the Lord and of the royal palace, and he sent(AT) them to Hazael king of Aram, who then withdrew(AU) from Jerusalem.

19 As for the other events of the reign of Joash, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 20 His officials(AV) conspired against him and assassinated(AW) him at Beth Millo,(AX) on the road down to Silla. 21 The officials who murdered him were Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer. He died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. And Amaziah his son succeeded him as king.

Jehoahaz King of Israel

13 In the twenty-third year of Joash son of Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. 2 He did evil(AY) in the eyes of the Lord by following the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit, and he did not turn away from them. 3 So the Lord’s anger(AZ) burned against Israel, and for a long time he kept them under the power(BA) of Hazael king of Aram and Ben-Hadad(BB) his son.

4 Then Jehoahaz sought(BC) the Lord’s favor, and the Lord listened to him, for he saw(BD) how severely the king of Aram was oppressing(BE) Israel. 5 The Lord provided a deliverer(BF) for Israel, and they escaped from the power of Aram. So the Israelites lived in their own homes as they had before. 6 But they did not turn away from the sins(BG) of the house of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit; they continued in them. Also, the Asherah pole[i](BH) remained standing in Samaria.

7 Nothing had been left(BI) of the army of Jehoahaz except fifty horsemen, ten chariots and ten thousand foot soldiers, for the king of Aram had destroyed the rest and made them like the dust(BJ) at threshing time.

8 As for the other events of the reign of Jehoahaz, all he did and his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 9 Jehoahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. And Jehoash[j] his son succeeded him as king.

Jehoash King of Israel

10 In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years. 11 He 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; he continued in them.

12 As for the other events of the reign of Jehoash, all he did and his achievements, including his war against Amaziah(BK) king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals(BL) of the kings of Israel? 13 Jehoash rested with his ancestors, and Jeroboam(BM) succeeded him on the throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

14 Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. “My father! My father!” he cried. “The chariots(BN) and horsemen of Israel!”

15 Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,”(BO) and he did so. 16 “Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.

17 “Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!”(BP) Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.”(BQ)

18 Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. 19 The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.”(BR)

20 Elisha died and was buried.

Now Moabite raiders(BS) used to enter the country every spring. 21 Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life(BT) and stood up on his feet.

22 Hazael king of Aram oppressed(BU) Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. 23 But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant(BV) with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy(BW) them or banish them from his presence.(BX)

24 Hazael king of Aram died, and Ben-Hadad(BY) his son succeeded him as king. 25 Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz recaptured from Ben-Hadad son of Hazael the towns he had taken in battle from his father Jehoahaz. Three times(BZ) Jehoash defeated him, and so he recovered(CA) the Israelite towns.

Amaziah King of Judah(CB)(CC)

14 In the second year of Jehoash[k] son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah began to reign. 2 He 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. 3 He 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. 4 The high places,(CD) however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

5 After the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, he executed(CE) the officials(CF) who had murdered his father the king. 6 Yet he did not put the children of the assassins to death, in accordance with what is written in the Book of the Law(CG) 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.”[l](CH)

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

8 Then 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.”

9 But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle(CK) 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. 10 You have indeed defeated Edom and now you are arrogant.(CL) Glory in your victory, but stay at home! Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also?”

11 Amaziah, however, would not listen, so Jehoash king of Israel attacked. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth Shemesh(CM) in Judah. 12 Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled to his home.(CN) 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(CO) of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate(CP) to the Corner Gate(CQ)—a section about four hundred cubits long.[m] 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.

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

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

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

21 Then all the people of Judah took Azariah,[n](CV) who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. 22 He was the one who rebuilt Elath(CW) and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his ancestors.

Jeroboam II King of Israel

23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam(CX) son of Jehoash king of Israel became king in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. 24 He 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.(CY) 25 He was the one who restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo Hamath(CZ) to the Dead Sea,[o](DA) in accordance with the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah(DB) son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher.

26 The Lord had seen how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free,(DC) was suffering;[p](DD) there was no one to help them.(DE) 27 And since the Lord had not said he would blot out(DF) the name of Israel from under heaven, he saved(DG) them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.

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

Azariah King of Judah(DK)

15 In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah[q](DL) son of Amaziah king of Judah began to reign. 2 He 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. 3 He did what was right(DM) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. 4 The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

5 The Lord afflicted(DN) the king with leprosy[r] until the day he died, and he lived in a separate house.[s](DO) Jotham(DP) the king’s son had charge of the palace(DQ) and governed the people of the land.

6 As 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? 7 Azariah rested(DR) with his ancestors and was buried near them in the City of David. And Jotham(DS) his son succeeded him as king.

Zechariah King of Israel

8 In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned six months. 9 He did evil(DT) 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.

10 Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah. He attacked him in front of the people,[t] assassinated(DU) him and succeeded him as king. 11 The other events of Zechariah’s reign are written in the book of the annals(DV) of the kings of Israel. 12 So the word of the Lord spoken to Jehu was fulfilled:(DW) “Your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”[u]

Shallum King of Israel

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

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

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

Menahem King of Israel

17 In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria ten years. 18 He did evil(ED) 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.

19 Then Pul[v](EE) king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave him a thousand talents[w] of silver to gain his support and strengthen his own hold on the kingdom. 20 Menahem exacted this money from Israel. Every wealthy person had to contribute fifty shekels[x] of silver to be given to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria withdrew(EF) and stayed in the land no longer.

21 As 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? 22 Menahem rested with his ancestors. And Pekahiah his son succeeded him as king.

Pekahiah King of Israel

23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years. 24 Pekahiah did evil(EG) 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. 25 One of his chief officers, Pekah(EH) son of Remaliah, conspired against him. Taking fifty men of Gilead with him, he assassinated(EI) Pekahiah, along with Argob and Arieh, in the citadel of the royal palace at Samaria. So Pekah killed Pekahiah and succeeded him as king.

26 The 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

27 In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah(EJ) son of Remaliah(EK) became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years. 28 He 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.

29 In the time of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser(EL) king of Assyria came and took Ijon,(EM) Abel Beth Maakah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor. He took Gilead and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali,(EN) and deported(EO) the people to Assyria. 30 Then Hoshea(EP) son of Elah conspired against Pekah son of Remaliah. He attacked and assassinated(EQ) him, and then succeeded him as king in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah.

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

Jotham King of Judah(ES)

32 In the second year of Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham(ET) son of Uzziah king of Judah began to reign. 33 He 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. 34 He did what was right(EU) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Uzziah had done. 35 The high places,(EV) however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate(EW) of the temple of the Lord.

36 As 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(EX) king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.) 38 Jotham 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.

Ahaz King of Judah(EY)

16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz(EZ) son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. 2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right(FA) in the eyes of the Lord his God. 3 He followed the ways of the kings of Israel(FB) and even sacrificed his son(FC) in the fire, engaging in the detestable(FD) practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. 4 He offered sacrifices and burned incense(FE) at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.(FF)

5 Then Rezin(FG) king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem and besieged Ahaz, but they could not overpower him. 6 At that time, Rezin(FH) king of Aram recovered Elath(FI) for Aram by driving out the people of Judah. Edomites then moved into Elath and have lived there to this day.

7 Ahaz sent messengers to say to Tiglath-Pileser(FJ) king of Assyria, “I am your servant and vassal. Come up and save(FK) me out of the hand of the king of Aram and of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.” 8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent it as a gift(FL) to the king of Assyria. 9 The king of Assyria complied by attacking Damascus(FM) and capturing it. He deported its inhabitants to Kir(FN) and put Rezin to death.

10 Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. He saw an altar in Damascus and sent to Uriah(FO) the priest a sketch of the altar, with detailed plans for its construction. 11 So Uriah the priest built an altar in accordance with all the plans that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus and finished it before King Ahaz returned. 12 When the king came back from Damascus and saw the altar, he approached it and presented offerings[y](FP) on it. 13 He offered up his burnt offering(FQ) and grain offering,(FR) poured out his drink offering,(FS) and splashed the blood of his fellowship offerings(FT) against the altar. 14 As for the bronze altar(FU) that stood before the Lord, he brought it from the front of the temple—from between the new altar and the temple of the Lord—and put it on the north side of the new altar.

15 King Ahaz then gave these orders to Uriah the priest: “On the large new altar, offer the morning(FV) burnt offering and the evening grain offering, the king’s burnt offering and his grain offering, and the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their grain offering and their drink offering. Splash against this altar the blood of all the burnt offerings and sacrifices. But I will use the bronze altar for seeking guidance.”(FW) 16 And Uriah the priest did just as King Ahaz had ordered.

17 King Ahaz cut off the side panels and removed the basins from the movable stands. He removed the Sea from the bronze bulls that supported it and set it on a stone base.(FX) 18 He took away the Sabbath canopy[z] that had been built at the temple and removed the royal entryway outside the temple of the Lord, in deference to the king of Assyria.(FY)

19 As for the other events of the reign of Ahaz, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 20 Ahaz rested(FZ) with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.

Hoshea Last King of Israel(GA)

17 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea(GB) son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. 2 He did evil(GC) in the eyes of the Lord, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.

3 Shalmaneser(GD) king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea, who had been Shalmaneser’s vassal and had paid him tribute.(GE) 4 But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was a traitor, for he had sent envoys to So[aa] king of Egypt,(GF) and he no longer paid tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore Shalmaneser seized him and put him in prison.(GG) 5 The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege(GH) to it for three years. 6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria(GI) captured Samaria(GJ) and deported(GK) the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan(GL) on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes.

Israel Exiled Because of Sin

7 All this took place because the Israelites had sinned(GM) against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt(GN) from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods 8 and followed the practices of the nations(GO) the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. 9 The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city(GP) they built themselves high places in all their towns. 10 They set up sacred stones(GQ) and Asherah poles(GR) on every high hill and under every spreading tree.(GS) 11 At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the Lord had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that aroused the Lord’s anger. 12 They worshiped idols,(GT) though the Lord had said, “You shall not do this.”[ab] 13 The Lord warned(GU) Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers:(GV) “Turn from your evil ways.(GW) Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets.”(GX)

14 But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked(GY) as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. 15 They rejected his decrees and the covenant(GZ) he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols(HA) and themselves became worthless.(HB) They imitated the nations(HC) around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.”

16 They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves,(HD) and an Asherah(HE) pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts,(HF) and they worshiped Baal.(HG) 17 They sacrificed(HH) their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens(HI) and sold(HJ) themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.

18 So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence.(HK) Only the tribe of Judah was left, 19 and even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God. They followed the practices Israel had introduced.(HL) 20 Therefore the Lord rejected all the people of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers,(HM) until he thrust them from his presence.(HN)

21 When he tore(HO) Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat their king.(HP) Jeroboam enticed Israel away from following the Lord and caused them to commit a great sin.(HQ) 22 The Israelites persisted in all the sins of Jeroboam and did not turn away from them 23 until the Lord removed them from his presence,(HR) as he had warned(HS) through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland(HT) into exile in Assyria, and they are still there.

Samaria Resettled

24 The king of Assyria(HU) brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim(HV) and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns. 25 When they first lived there, they did not worship the Lord; so he sent lions(HW) among them and they killed some of the people. 26 It was reported to the king of Assyria: “The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know what the god of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what he requires.”

27 Then the king of Assyria gave this order: “Have one of the priests you took captive from Samaria go back to live there and teach the people what the god of the land requires.” 28 So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came to live in Bethel and taught them how to worship the Lord.

29 Nevertheless, each national group made its own gods in the several towns(HX) where they settled, and set them up in the shrines(HY) the people of Samaria had made at the high places.(HZ) 30 The people from Babylon made Sukkoth Benoth, those from Kuthah made Nergal, and those from Hamath made Ashima; 31 the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire as sacrifices to Adrammelek(IA) and Anammelek, the gods of Sepharvaim.(IB) 32 They worshiped the Lord, but they also appointed all sorts(IC) of their own people to officiate for them as priests in the shrines at the high places. 33 They worshiped the Lord, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.

34 To this day they persist in their former practices. They neither worship the Lord nor adhere to the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands that the Lord gave the descendants of Jacob, whom he named Israel.(ID) 35 When the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: “Do not worship(IE) any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them.(IF) 36 But the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm,(IG) is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices. 37 You must always be careful(IH) to keep the decrees(II) and regulations, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. 38 Do not forget(IJ) the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods. 39 Rather, worship the Lord your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”

40 They would not listen, however, but persisted in their former practices. 41 Even while these people were worshiping the Lord,(IK) they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 11:2 Hebrew Joram, a variant of Jehoram
  2. 2 Kings 11:8 Or approaches the precincts
  3. 2 Kings 11:15 Or out from the precincts
  4. 2 Kings 11:21 Hebrew Jehoash, a variant of Joash
  5. 2 Kings 11:21 In Hebrew texts this verse (11:21) is numbered 12:1.
  6. 2 Kings 12:1 In Hebrew texts 12:1-21 is numbered 12:2-22.
  7. 2 Kings 12:1 Hebrew Jehoash, a variant of Joash; also in verses 2, 4, 6, 7 and 18
  8. 2 Kings 12:16 Or purification offerings
  9. 2 Kings 13:6 That is, a wooden symbol of the goddess Asherah; here and elsewhere in 2 Kings
  10. 2 Kings 13:9 Hebrew Joash, a variant of Jehoash; also in verses 12-14 and 25
  11. 2 Kings 14:1 Hebrew Joash, a variant of Jehoash; also in verses 13, 23 and 27
  12. 2 Kings 14:6 Deut. 24:16
  13. 2 Kings 14:13 That is, about 600 feet or about 180 meters
  14. 2 Kings 14:21 Also called Uzziah
  15. 2 Kings 14:25 Hebrew the Sea of the Arabah
  16. 2 Kings 14:26 Or Israel was suffering. They were without a ruler or leader, and
  17. 2 Kings 15:1 Also called Uzziah; also in verses 6, 7, 8, 17, 23 and 27
  18. 2 Kings 15:5 The Hebrew for leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
  19. 2 Kings 15:5 Or in a house where he was relieved of responsibilities
  20. 2 Kings 15:10 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts in Ibleam
  21. 2 Kings 15:12 2 Kings 10:30
  22. 2 Kings 15:19 Also called Tiglath-Pileser
  23. 2 Kings 15:19 That is, about 38 tons or about 34 metric tons
  24. 2 Kings 15:20 That is, about 1 1/4 pounds or about 575 grams
  25. 2 Kings 16:12 Or and went up
  26. 2 Kings 16:18 Or the dais of his throne (see Septuagint)
  27. 2 Kings 17:4 So is probably an abbreviation for Osorkon.
  28. 2 Kings 17:12 Exodus 20:4,5
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