Kings of Israel: Jehoahaz and Jehoash

13 In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu became king over Israel at Samaria, and he reigned for seventeen years. He did evil in the sight of the Lord, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, (A)into which he misled Israel; he did not turn from them. (B)So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He continually handed them over to (C)Hazael king of Aram, and to (D)Ben-hadad, the son of Hazael. Then (E)Jehoahaz appeased the Lord, and the Lord listened to him; for (F)He saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Aram oppressed them. And the Lord gave Israel a [a](G)savior, so that they [b]escaped from under the hand of the Arameans; and the sons of Israel lived in their tents as previously. Nevertheless they did not abandon the sins of the house of Jeroboam, (H)into which he misled Israel; rather, they walked in [c]them; and (I)the [d]Asherah also remained standing in Samaria. For he left to Jehoahaz no more of the [e]army than fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand infantry, because the king of Aram had eliminated them and (J)made them like the dust at threshing. Now as for 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? And Jehoahaz [f]lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria; and his son Joash became king in his place.

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Notas al pie

  1. 2 Kings 13:5 Or deliverer
  2. 2 Kings 13:5 Lit went out
  3. 2 Kings 13:6 Lit it
  4. 2 Kings 13:6 I.e., wooden symbol of a female deity
  5. 2 Kings 13:7 Lit people
  6. 2 Kings 13:9 I.e., died

Jehoahaz Rules in Israel

13 Jehoahaz son of Jehu began to rule over Israel in the twenty-third year of King Joash’s reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria seventeen years. But he did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. He followed the example of Jeroboam son of Nebat, continuing the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit. So the Lord was very angry with Israel, and he allowed King Hazael of Aram and his son Ben-hadad to defeat them repeatedly.

Then Jehoahaz prayed for the Lord’s help, and the Lord heard his prayer, for he could see how severely the king of Aram was oppressing Israel. So the Lord provided someone to rescue the Israelites from the tyranny of the Arameans. Then Israel lived in safety again as they had in former days.

But they continued to sin, following the evil example of Jeroboam. They also allowed the Asherah pole in Samaria to remain standing. Finally, Jehoahaz’s army was reduced to 50 charioteers, 10 chariots, and 10,000 foot soldiers. The king of Aram had killed the others, trampling them like dust under his feet.

The rest of the events in Jehoahaz’s reign—everything he did and the extent of his power—are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. When Jehoahaz died, he was buried in Samaria. Then his son Jehoash[a] became the next king.

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Notas al pie

  1. 13:9 Hebrew Joash, a variant spelling of Jehoash; also in 13:10, 12, 13, 14, 25.