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 (A)Pul[a] the king of Assyria came against the land, and Menahem gave (B)Pul a thousand talents[b] of silver, that he might help him (C)to confirm his hold on the royal power. 20 Menahem exacted the money from Israel, that is, from all the wealthy men, fifty shekels[c] 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?

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 15:19 Another name for Tiglath-pileser III (compare verse 29)
  2. 2 Kings 15:19 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
  3. 2 Kings 15:20 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams

17 Menahem, Gadi’s son, became king of Israel in the thirty-ninth year of Judah’s King Azariah. He ruled for ten years in Samaria. 18 He did what was evil in the Lord’s eyes. Throughout his life, he didn’t deviate from the sins that Jeroboam, Nebat’s son, had caused Israel to commit. 19 When Assyria’s King Tiglath-pileser[a] marched against the land, Menahem gave Tiglath-pileser one thousand silver kikkars in order to become his ally and to strengthen his hold on the kingdom. 20 Menahem taxed Israel for this money. All the wealthy people had to give fifty silver shekels each to Assyria’s king. So Assyria’s king went home and didn’t stay there in the land. 21 The rest of Menahem’s deeds and all that he accomplished, aren’t they written in the official records of Israel’s kings?

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 15:19 Heb Pul