Day 120, 2 Kings 15-16

Today continued on with all the different kings…

Azariah Reigns in Judah

Azariah was the son of Amaziah, king of Judah. He began to reign when he was sixteen years old, and reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and made offerings there.

The Lord had touched him so that he was a leper until the day of his death. He had to live in a separate house, and his son Jotham was over the household governing the people of the land.

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

Zechariah Reigns in Israel

Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria for six months. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as his fathers had done. Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him and struck him down and killed him; and he reigned in his place.

Shallum Reigns in Israel

Shallum the son of Jabesh reigned in Samaria for one month. Then Menahem, the son of Gadi came up and struck him and put him to death. Menahem reigned in his place.

At that time Menahem sacked Tiphsah and all who were in it and its territory from Tirzah on, because they did not open it to him. Therefore he sacked it, and he ripped open all the women in it who were pregnant.

Menahem Reigns in Israel

Menahem reigned over Israel for ten years in Samaria. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. When Pul the king of Assyria came against the land, Menahem gave him a thousand talents to help confirm his hold on the royal power. He exacted money from all the wealthy men, to give to the king of Assyria, so he turned back and did not stay there in the land.

When Menahem died, his son Pekahiah reigned in his place.

Pekahiah Reigns in Israel

Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned for two years. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. And Pekah, the son of Remaliah, his captain, conspired against him with fifty men of the people of Gilead. They struck him down in Samaria, in the citadel of the king’s house. He killed him and reigned in his place.

Pekah Reigns in Israel

Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned for twenty years. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.

Then the king of Assyria came and captured a bunch of land and cities, and carried the people of those places away captive to Assyria.

Then Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah, and killed him. He reigned in his place.

Jotham Reigns in Judah

Jotham the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, began to reign. He was twenty-five years old, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Nevertheless, the high places were not removed, and the people still sacrificed and made offerings there.

He built the upper gate of the house of the Lord.

In those days the Lord began to send Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah.

Jotham selpt with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. Ahaz his son reigned in his place.

Ahaz Reigns in Judah

Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign. He was twenty years old and reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God, as his father David had done, but he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel.

He even burned his son as an offering, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. He sacrificed and made offerings on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.

Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah king of Israel, came to wage war on Jerusalem, and they besieged Ahaz but could not conquer him. Ahaz sent messengers to the king of Assyria asking for help because he was under attack. He took the silver and gold and treasures and sent them to him as a present. The king of Assyria listened to him, and marched up against Damascus and took it. He carried all its people captive, and killed Rezin.

King Ahaz sent to Uriah the priest a model of the altar he wanted built; its pattern, exact in all its details. And Uriah the priest built the altar. They sacrificed and made offerings there. And the bronze altar that was before the Lord was removed from the front of the house of the Lord, and put on the north side of his altar.

When Ahaz died he was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.

Hoshea the son of Elah began to reign in Samaria over Israel, and he reigned nine years. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him.

Against him came Shalmaneser king of Assyria, and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute. But the king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshea, for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egpyt, and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison. Then the king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to Samaria, and for three years he besieged it.