2 Kings 15
International Children’s Bible
Azariah King of Judah
15 Azariah[a] son of Amaziah became king of Judah. This was during Jeroboam’s twenty-seventh year as king of Israel. 2 Azariah was 16 years old when he became king. He ruled 52 years in Jerusalem. His mother was named Jecoliah, and she was from Jerusalem. 3 He did what the Lord said was right. He obeyed God just as his father Amaziah had done. 4 But the places where false gods were worshiped were not removed. So the people still made sacrifices and burned incense there.
5 The Lord struck Azariah with a harmful skin disease. He had this disease until the day he died. He lived in a separate house. Jotham, the king’s son, was in charge of the palace. He governed the people of the land.
6 All the other things Azariah did are written down. They are in the book of the history of the kings of Judah. 7 Azariah died and was buried near his ancestors in Jerusalem. And his son Jotham became king in his place.
Zechariah King of Israel
8 Zechariah son of Jeroboam was king over Israel in Samaria. He ruled for six months. This was during Azariah’s thirty-eighth year as king of Judah. 9 Zechariah did what the Lord said was wrong. He did just as his ancestors had done. Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused the people of Israel to sin. And Zechariah did not stop doing the same sins.
10 Shallum son of Jabesh made plans against Zechariah. He killed Zechariah in Ibleam. And Shallum became king in Zechariah’s place. 11 The other acts of Zechariah are written down. They are in the book of the history of the kings of Israel. 12 Now the Lord had told Jehu: “Your sons down to your great-great-grandchildren will be kings of Israel.” And the Lord’s word came true.
Shallum King of Israel
13 Then Shallum son of Jabesh became king. This was during Uzziah’s thirty-ninth year as king of Judah. Shallum ruled for a month in Samaria. 14 Then Menahem son of Gadi came up from Tirzah to Samaria. He attacked Shallum son of Jabesh in Samaria. He killed him and became king in Shallum’s place.
15 The other acts of Shallum and his secret plans are written down. They are in the book of the history of the kings of Israel.
Menahem King of Israel
16 Menahem started out from Tirzah and attacked Tiphsah. He destroyed the city and the area nearby. This was because the people had refused to open the city gate for him. So he defeated them and ripped open all their pregnant women.
17 Menahem son of Gadi became king over Israel. This was during Azariah’s thirty-ninth year as king of Judah. And Menahem ruled ten years in Samaria. 18 He did what the Lord said was wrong. Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to sin. And all the time Menahem was king, he did not stop doing the same sins.
19 Pul king of Assyria came to attack the land. Menahem gave him about 74,000 pounds of silver. This was so Pul would support Menahem and make his hold on the kingdom stronger. 20 Menahem raised the money by taxing all the rich men of Israel. He taxed each man about 1¼ pounds of silver. Then he gave the money to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria left and did not stay in the land.
21 Everything else Menahem did is written down. It is in the book of the history of the kings of Israel. 22 Then Menahem died. And his son Pekahiah became king in his place.
Pekahiah King of Israel
23 Pekahiah son of Menahem became king over Israel in Samaria. This was during Azariah’s fiftieth year as king of Judah. Pekahiah ruled two years. 24 He did what the Lord said was wrong. Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to sin. And Pekahiah did not stop doing the same sins.
25 Pekah son of Remaliah was one of Pekahiah’s captains. He made plans against Pekahiah. He took 50 men of Gilead with him and killed Pekahiah. They killed him, Argob and Arieh in the palace at Samaria. Then Pekah became king in Pekahiah’s place.
26 Everything else Pekahiah did is written down. It is in the book of the history of the kings of Israel.
Pekah King of Israel
27 Pekah son of Remaliah became king over Israel in Samaria. This was during Azariah’s fifty-second year as king of Judah. And Pekah ruled 20 years. 28 He did what the Lord said was wrong. Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to sin. And Pekah did not stop doing the same sins.
29 Tiglath-Pileser, also called Pul, was king of Assyria. He attacked while Pekah was king of Israel. Tiglath-Pileser captured the cities of Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor. He also captured Gilead and Galilee. And he captured all the land of Naphtali. He sent the people from these places away to Assyria. 30 Then Hoshea son of Elah made plans against Pekah son of Remaliah. Hoshea attacked and killed Pekah. Then he became king in Pekah’s place. This was during the twentieth year Jotham son of Uzziah was king.
31 Everything else Pekah did is written down. It is in the book of the history of the kings of Israel.
Jotham King of Judah
32 Then Jotham son of Uzziah became king of Judah. This was during the second year Pekah son of Remaliah was king of Israel. 33 Jotham was 25 years old when he became king. He ruled 16 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. 34 Jotham did what the Lord said was right. He obeyed God just as his father Uzziah had done. 35 But the places where false gods were worshiped were not removed. And the people still made sacrifices and burned incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the Temple of the Lord.
36 The other things Jotham did while he was king are written down. They are in the book of the history of the kings of Judah. 37 At that time the Lord began to send Rezin king of Aram against Judah. He also sent Pekah son of Remaliah against them. 38 Jotham died and was buried with his ancestors in Jerusalem. It was the city of David, his ancestor. And Jotham’s son Ahaz became king in his place.
Footnotes
- 14:21; 15:1 Azariah Also called Uzziah in 2 Chronicles.
2 Kings 15
New King James Version
Azariah Reigns in Judah(A)
15 In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, (B)Azariah the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, (C)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 Jecholiah of Jerusalem. 3 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done, 4 (D)except that the [a]high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. 5 Then the Lord (E)struck the king, so that he was a leper until the day of his (F)death; so he (G)dwelt in an isolated house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the royal house, judging 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 So Azariah [b]rested with his fathers, and (H)they buried him with his fathers in the City of David. Then Jotham his son reigned in his place.
Zechariah Reigns in Israel
8 In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, (I)Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six months. 9 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, (J)as his fathers had done; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. 10 Then Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and (K)struck and killed him in front of the people; and he reigned in his place.
11 Now the rest of the acts of Zechariah, indeed they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
12 This was the word of the Lord which He spoke to Jehu, saying, (L)“Your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.” And so it was.
Shallum Reigns in Israel
13 Shallum the son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of [c]Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned a full month in Samaria. 14 For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from (M)Tirzah, came to Samaria, and struck Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria and killed him; and he reigned in his place.
15 Now the rest of the acts of Shallum, and the conspiracy which he [d]led, indeed they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. 16 Then from Tirzah, Menahem attacked (N)Tiphsah, all who were there, and its territory. Because they did not surrender, therefore he attacked it. All (O)the women there who were with child he ripped open.
Menahem Reigns in 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 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not depart all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. 19 (P)Pul[e] king of Assyria came against the land; and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his [f]hand might be with him to (Q)strengthen the kingdom under his control. 20 And Menahem (R)exacted[g] the money from Israel, from all the very wealthy, from each man fifty shekels of silver, 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 acts of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 22 So Menahem [h]rested with his fathers. Then 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 became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years. 24 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. 25 Then Pekah the son of Remaliah, an officer of his, conspired against him and [i]killed him in Samaria, in the (S)citadel of the king’s house, along with Argob and Arieh; and with him were fifty men of Gilead. He killed him and reigned in his place.
26 Now the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, indeed 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, (T)Pekah the son of Remaliah became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years. 28 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. 29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel, [j]Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria (U)came and took (V)Ijon, Abel Beth Maachah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali; and he (W)carried them captive to Assyria. 30 Then Hoshea the son of Elah led a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and struck and killed him; so he (X)reigned in his place in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.
31 Now the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, indeed they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
Jotham Reigns in Judah(Y)
32 In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, (Z)Jotham the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, began to reign. 33 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was [k]Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. 34 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord; he did (AA)according to all that his father Uzziah had done. 35 (AB)However the [l]high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. (AC)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 the kings of Judah? 37 In those days the Lord began to send (AD)Rezin king of Syria and (AE)Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah. 38 So Jotham [m]rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David his father. Then Ahaz his son reigned in his place.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 15:4 Places for pagan worship
- 2 Kings 15:7 Died and joined his ancestors
- 2 Kings 15:13 Azariah, 2 Kin. 14:21ff.; 15:1ff.
- 2 Kings 15:15 Lit. conspired
- 2 Kings 15:19 Tiglath-Pileser III, v. 29
- 2 Kings 15:19 Support
- 2 Kings 15:20 took
- 2 Kings 15:22 Died and joined his ancestors
- 2 Kings 15:25 Lit. struck
- 2 Kings 15:29 A later name of Pul, v. 19
- 2 Kings 15:33 Jerushah, 2 Chr. 27:1
- 2 Kings 15:35 Places for pagan worship
- 2 Kings 15:38 Died and joined his ancestors
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
