Old/New Testament
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.
Ahaz King of Judah
16 Ahaz was the son of Jotham king of Judah. Ahaz became king of Judah in the seventeenth year Pekah was king of Israel. Pekah was the son of Remaliah. 2 Ahaz was 20 years old when he became king. He ruled 16 years in Jerusalem. He was not like his ancestor David. He did not do what the Lord his God said was right. 3 Ahaz did the same things the kings of Israel had done. He even sacrificed his sons by burning them in the fire. He did the same hated sins as the other nations had done. And the Lord had forced these nations out of the land ahead of the Israelites. 4 Ahaz offered sacrifices and burned incense at the places where false gods were worshiped. And he did this on the hills and under every green tree.
5 Rezin king of Aram and Pekah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to attack it. (Pekah was the son of Remaliah.) They surrounded Ahaz but could not defeat him. 6 At that time Rezin king of Aram took back the city of Elath for Aram. He forced out all the people of Judah. Then Edomites moved into Elath. And they still live there today.
7 Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. Ahaz said, “I am your servant. Come and save me from the king of Aram and the king of Israel. They are attacking me.” 8 Ahaz took the silver and gold that was in the Temple of the Lord. He also took the treasuries of the palace. He sent these as a gift to the king of Assyria. 9 So the king of Assyria listened to Ahaz. He attacked Damascus and captured it. Then he sent all the people of Damascus to Kir. And he killed Rezin.
10 Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. Ahaz saw an altar at Damascus. He sent plans and a pattern of this altar to Uriah the priest. 11 So Uriah the priest built an altar. It was just like the plans King Ahaz had sent him from Damascus. Uriah finished the altar before King Ahaz came back from Damascus. 12 When the king arrived from Damascus, he saw the altar. He went near and offered sacrifices on it. 13 He burned his burnt offerings and grain offerings. He poured out his drink offering. He also sprinkled the blood of his fellowship offerings on the altar.
14 Ahaz moved the bronze altar that was before the Lord at the front of the Temple. It was between Ahaz’s altar and the Temple of the Lord. He put it on the north side of his altar. 15 King Ahaz gave a command to Uriah the priest. Ahaz said, “Burn the morning burnt offering and the evening grain offering on the large altar. Also offer the king’s burnt offering and his grain offering. Offer the whole burnt offering for all the people of the land. And offer their grain offering and drink offering. Sprinkle on the altar all the blood of the burnt offering and of the sacrifice. But I will use the bronze altar to ask questions of God.” 16 Uriah the priest did everything King Ahaz commanded him to do.
17 Then King Ahaz took off the side panels from the bases. He took the washing bowls off the top of the bases. He also took the large bowl, which was called the Sea, off the bronze bulls that held it up. And he put it on a stone base. 18 Ahaz took away the platform for the royal throne. It had been built at the Temple. He also took away the outside entrance for the king. He did these things because of the king of Assyria.
19 The other things Ahaz did as king are written down. They are in the book of the history of the kings of Judah. 20 Ahaz died and was buried with his ancestors in Jerusalem. Ahaz’s son Hezekiah became king in his place.
Jesus and Nicodemus
3 There was a man named Nicodemus who was one of the Pharisees. He was an important Jewish leader. 2 One night Nicodemus came to Jesus. He said, “Teacher, we know that you are a teacher sent from God. No one can do the miracles you do, unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth. Unless you are born again, you cannot be in God’s kingdom.”
4 Nicodemus said, “But if a man is already old, how can he be born again? He cannot enter his mother’s body again. So how can he be born a second time?”
5 But Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth. Unless you are born from water and the Spirit, you cannot enter God’s kingdom. 6 A person’s body is born from his human parents. But a person’s spiritual life is born from the Spirit. 7 Don’t be surprised when I tell you, ‘You must all be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wants to go. You hear the wind blow. But you don’t know where the wind comes from or where it is going. It is the same with every person who is born from the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus asked, “How can all this be possible?”
10 Jesus said, “You are an important teacher in Israel. But you still don’t understand these things? 11 I tell you the truth. We talk about what we know. We tell about what we have seen. But you don’t accept what we tell you. 12 I have told you about things here on earth, but you do not believe me. So surely you will not believe me if I tell you about the things of heaven! 13 The only one who has ever gone up to heaven is the One who came down from heaven—the Son of Man.[a]
14 “Moses lifted up the snake in the desert.[b] It is the same with the Son of Man. The Son of Man must be lifted up too. 15 Then everyone who believes in him can have eternal life.
16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son. God gave his Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life. 17 God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through him. 18 He who believes in God’s Son is not judged guilty. He who does not believe has already been judged guilty, because he has not believed in God’s only Son.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.