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

Menahem over Israel

17 In the (A)thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem the son of Gadi became king over Israel and reigned for ten years in Samaria. 18 He did evil in the sight of the Lord; for all his days he did not desist from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, into which he misled Israel.

19 (B)Pul, the king of Assyria, came against the land, and Menahem gave Pul a [a]thousand talents of silver so that his hand might be with him to (C)strengthen the [b]kingdom [c]under his rule. 20 Then Menahem collected the money from Israel, from all the [d]mighty men of wealth, from each man fifty shekels of silver to pay the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria returned and did not stay there in the land. 21 Now as for 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?

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 15:19 About 38 tons or 34 metric tons
  2. 2 Kings 15:19 Or royal power
  3. 2 Kings 15:19 Lit in his hand
  4. 2 Kings 15:20 I.e., landowners