2 Kings Chapter 15
Azariah, king of Judah

1 Azariah, son of Amaziah, king of Judah, began to reign in the twenty-seventh year of the reign of Jeroboam in Israel.

2 He was sixteen years old when he began his reign; he reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.

3 He did what pleased Yahweh, like his father Amaziah had done.

4 But the Sanc tuaries of the Hillsides were not demolished, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense on them.

5 Yahweh struck down the king. He became sick with leprosy, and he re mained a leper to the day of his death. He lived in an isolated house, while Jotham, his son, was head of the king’s household and administered justice in the kingdom.

6 Now the rest about Azariah and all that he did is written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah.

7 When Azariah died, they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and his son Jotham succeeded him.


The last kings of Israel

8 Zechariah, son of Jeroboam, began to reign over Israel in Samaria, its capital, in the thirty-eighth year of Azariah, king of Judah. For the six months that he stayed in power,

9 he acted badly towards Yahweh, as his fathers had done, for he did not turn away from the sins which Jero boam, son of Nebat, made Israel com mit.

10 Shallum, son of Jabesh, conspired against him, and struck him down at Ibleam. He killed him and reigned in his place.

11 Now the rest regarding Zechariah is written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

12 In this way the pro mise Yah weh had made to Jehu was fulfilled: “Your sons until the fourth generation shall sit upon the throne of Israel.” And so it was.

13 Shallum, son of Jabesh, began to reign in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah, king of Judah, and he reigned for a month in Sa maria.

14 Then Menahem, son of Gadi, rebelled against him in Tirzah. He came to Samaria and killed Shallum in that city. Having killed Shallum, Mena hem reigned in his place.

15 Now the rest about Shallum and the conspiracy which he plotted is written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

16 Then Menahem seized Tappuah and killed its inhabitants, devastating its territory from Tir zah onwards, since they would not open the gates to him. And he ripped open all the pregnant women.

17 Menahem, son of Gadi, began to reign in the thirty-ninth year of Azariah, king of Judah. He reigned for ten years in Samaria,

18 and he too acted badly to wards Yahweh, for he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, which he made Israel commit.

19 In his days, Pul, the king of Assyria, invaded the land of Israel. And Me nahem had to give him a thousand talents of silver so that the king of Asshur would receive him as an ally and keep him in power.

20 Menahem exacted the money from all the wealthy and prominent peo ple of Israel to give to the king of Asshur: fifty pieces of silver from each one. With this, the king of Asshur turned back and did not stay there in the land.

21 Now the rest regarding Menahem and all that he did is written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

22 When Me na hem died, his son Pekahiah succeeded him.

23 Pekahiah, son of Menahem, began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the fiftieth year of Aza riah, king of Judah. He reigned for two years,

24 during which he acted badly towards Yahweh; he did not turn away from the sins which Jeroboam, son of Nebat, made Israel commit.

25 His general, Pekah, son of Rema liah, rebelled against him. He led some fifty men from the province of Gilead, and they came to kill him in Samaria in the tower of the palace. With the king dead, Pekah succeeded him.

26 The rest about Pekahiah and all that he did is written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

27 In the fifty-second year of Azariah, king of Judah, Pekah, son of Remaliah, began to reign over Israel in Samaria, its capital. He reigned for twenty years, and he acted badly towards Yahweh,

28 for he did not turn away from the sins which Jeroboam made Israel commit.

29 In the time of Pekah, king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, came and seized Iyon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, the territory of Gilead and Galilee, and the whole land of Naphtali, and deported their inhabitants to Asshur.

30 Then Hoshea, son of Elah, conspired against Pekah, son of Rema liah, killed him and reigned in his place.

31 The rest about Pekah and all that he did is written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.


Jotham, king of Judah

32 Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, be gan to reign in the second year of Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel.

33 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jerusha, daughter of Zadok.

34 He did what pleased Yahweh, as his father had done,

35 but he did not abolish the Sanctuaries on the high places where the people con tinued to offer sacrifices and burn incense.
He built the Upper Gate of the House of Yah weh

36 The rest about Jotham and all that he did is written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah.

37 In those days, Yah weh began to send Rezin, king of Aram, and Pekah, son of Rema liah, against Judah.

38 When Jotham died, they buried him with his fathers in the city of his ancestor David, and his son Ahaz succeeded him