2 Kings 15
GOD’S WORD Translation
King Azariah of Judah(A)
15 In Jeroboam’s twenty-seventh year as king of Israel, Amaziah’s son Azariah [a] began to rule as king of Judah. 2 He was 16 years old when he began to rule, and he ruled for 52 years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jecoliah from Jerusalem.
3 He did what the Lord considered right, as his father Amaziah had done. 4 But the illegal places of worship were still not torn down. The people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense at these worship sites.
Azariah’s Skin Disease(B)
5 The Lord inflicted the king with a skin disease that lasted until the day the king died. So the king lived in a separate house. The king’s son Jotham was in charge of the palace and governed the country.
6 Isn’t everything else about Azariah—everything he did—written in the official records of the kings of Judah? 7 Azariah lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. His son Jotham succeeded him as king.
King Zechariah of Israel Rules for Six Months
8 In Azariah’s thirty-eighth year as king of Judah, Jeroboam’s son Zechariah was king of Israel in Samaria for six months. 9 He did what the Lord considered evil, as his ancestors had done. He didn’t turn away from the sins that Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) led Israel to commit. 10 Shallum, son of Jabesh, plotted against Zechariah, attacked him at Kabal Am, killed him, and succeeded him as king. 11 Everything else about Zechariah is written in the official records of the kings of Israel. 12 It happened exactly as the Lord had told Jehu: “Four generations of your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel.”
King Shallum of Israel Rules for One Month
13 Shallum, son of Jabesh, became king in Azariah’s thirty-ninth year as king of Judah. Shallum ruled for an entire month in Samaria. 14 Then Menahem, son of Gadi, came from Tirzah to Samaria, attacked Shallum (son of Jabesh), killed him, and succeeded him as king. 15 Everything else about Shallum—all about his conspiracy—is written in the official records of the kings of Israel. 16 Then Menahem attacked Tiphsah, everyone there, and its territory. Because the city didn’t open its gates for him, he attacked it and ripped open all its pregnant women.
King Menahem of Israel
17 In Azariah’s thirty-ninth year as king of Judah, Menahem, son of Gadi, began to rule as king of Israel. He ruled for 10 years in Samaria. 18 He did what the Lord considered evil. During his entire life he never turned away from the sins that Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) led Israel to commit.
19 King Pul of Assyria came to ⌞attack⌟ the country. So Menahem gave Pul 75,000 pounds of silver to gain his support and help strengthen his hold on the kingdom. 20 Menahem raised the money from all the wealthy men in Israel. Each gave 20 ounces of silver for the king of Assyria. Then the king of Assyria left the country. 21 Isn’t everything else about Menahem—everything he did—written in the official records of the kings of Israel? 22 Menahem lay down in death with his ancestors, and his son Pekahiah succeeded him as king.
King Pekahiah of Israel
23 In Azariah’s fiftieth year as king of Judah, Menahem’s son Pekahiah began to rule. Pekahiah was king of Israel in Samaria for two years. 24 He did what the Lord considered evil. He didn’t turn away from the sins that Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) led Israel to commit. 25 His officer Pekah, son of Remaliah, plotted against him. With 50 men from Gilead, Pekah attacked Pekahiah, Argob, and Arieh in the fortress of the royal palace in Samaria. Pekah killed him and succeeded him as king. 26 Everything else about Pekahiah—everything he did—is written in the official records of the kings of Israel.
King Pekah of Israel
27 In Azariah’s fifty-second year as king of Judah, Pekah, son of Remaliah, began to rule Israel in Samaria. He ruled for 20 years. 28 He did what the Lord considered evil. He did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) led Israel to commit. 29 In the days of King Pekah of Israel, King Tiglath Pileser of Assyria took Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, Galilee, and the entire territory of Naphtali. He also took the people away to Assyria as captives. 30 Hoshea, son of Elah, plotted against Pekah, son of Remaliah. Hoshea attacked him and killed him. Hoshea began to rule as king in his place in the twentieth year that Azariah, son of Jotham, was king of Judah. 31 Everything else about Pekah—everything he did—is written in the official records of the kings of Israel.
King Jotham of Judah(C)
32 In the second year that King Pekah, son of Remaliah, ruled Israel, Jotham, son of Azariah, began to rule as king of Judah. 33 He was 25 years old when he began to rule. He ruled for 16 years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jerusha, daughter of Zadok. 34 He did what the Lord considered right, as his father Azariah had done. 35 But the illegal places of worship were not torn down. The people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense at these worship sites. Jotham built the Upper Gate of the Lord’s temple. 36 Isn’t everything else about Jotham—everything he did—written in the official records of the kings of Judah?
37 In those days the Lord began to use King Rezin of Aram and Pekah, son of Remaliah, to attack Judah. 38 Jotham lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of his ancestor David. His son Ahaz succeeded him as king.
Footnotes
- 15:1 In the Masoretic Text this king of Judah is also called Uzziah.
2 Kings 15
Amplified Bible
Series of Kings: Azariah (Uzziah) over Judah
15 In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam [II] king of Israel, Azariah (Uzziah) the son of Amaziah king of Judah became king. 2 He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. 3 He did right in the sight of the Lord, in accordance with all that his father Amaziah had done. 4 Only [the altars on] the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places [instead of worshiping God at the temple]. 5 And the Lord struck (afflicted) the king, and he was a leper until the day of his death, and lived in a separate house. Jotham the king’s son was in charge of the household, judging the people of the land.(A) 6 Now the rest of Azariah’s acts, and everything that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 7 Azariah slept with his fathers [in death], and they buried him with his fathers in the City of David. His son Jotham became king in his place.
Zechariah over Israel
8 In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam [II] became king over Israel in Samaria for six months. 9 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, just as his fathers had done; he did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam [I] the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin. 10 But Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah and struck and killed him in the presence of the people and reigned in his place. 11 Now the rest of the acts of Zechariah, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 12 This is [the fulfillment of] the word of the Lord which He spoke to Jehu, saying, “Your sons (descendants) shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.” And so it came to pass.(B)
13 Shallum the son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah (Azariah) king of Judah, and he reigned one month in Samaria. 14 For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah and came to Samaria, and struck and killed Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria and became king in his place. 15 The rest of Shallum’s acts, and his conspiracy which he made, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 16 Then Menahem struck [the town of] Tiphsah and all who were in it and its borders from Tirzah; [he attacked it] because they did not surrender to him; so he struck it and ripped up all [a]the women there who were pregnant.
Menahem over Israel
17 In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem the son of Gadi became king over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria. 18 He did evil in the sight of the Lord; for all his days he did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin.
19 Pul, [Tiglath-pileser III] king of Assyria, came against the land [of Israel], and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver [as a bribe], so that he might help him to strengthen his control of the kingdom. 20 Menahem exacted the money from Israel, from all the wealthy, influential men, fifty shekels of silver from each 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 Menahem’s acts, and everything 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 [in death]; his son Pekahiah became king in his place.
Pekahiah over Israel
23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah the son of Menahem became king over Israel, and reigned two years in Samaria. 24 He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not turn from the [idolatrous] sins of Jeroboam [I] the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin. 25 But Pekah the son of Remaliah, his officer, conspired against Pekahiah and struck him in Samaria, in the citadel of the king’s house, with Argob and Arieh; and with Pekah were fifty Gileadites. So he killed Pekahiah and became king in his place. 26 Now the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, all that he did, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
Pekah over Israel
27 In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah became king over Israel, and reigned twenty years in Samaria. 28 He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not turn from the [idolatrous] sins of Jeroboam [I] the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin.
29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of [the tribe of] Naphtali, and he carried the people captive to Assyria. 30 Hoshea the son of Elah conspired against Pekah the son of Remaliah [of Israel]; he struck and killed him, and became king in his place in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah [king of Judah]. 31 Now the rest of Pekah’s acts, and everything that he did, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of Israel’s Kings.
Jotham over Judah
32 In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah became king. 33 When he was twenty-five years old, he became king [over Judah], and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. 34 He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, in accordance with everything that his father Uzziah had done. 35 Only [the altars on] the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places [rather than in the temple]. He built 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 Judah’s Kings? 37 In those days the Lord began sending Rezin the king of Aram (Syria) and [Israel’s king] Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah. 38 Jotham slept with his fathers [in death], and was buried with them in the City of David his father (ancestor). Ahaz his son became king in his place.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 15:16 This type of barbarous act was more common among the pagan rulers than the Hebrews. See 8:12.
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