Books of Kings: the story of a fall

The Book of Kings(Melakhim in Hebrew) is divided into two books: 1 Kings and 2 Kings. These two books of the Old Testament follow the two books of Samuel. They belong to the so-called historical books of the Bible. Long attributed to the prophet Jeremiah , it seems more likely that these stories were written by several authors over several periods. The Books of Kings recount thehistory of the monarchy in Israel between 970 BC, at the beginning of King Solomon's reign, and 586 BC, i.e. up to the fall of Jerusalem and theexile to Babylon. It tells the story of the succession of kings of Judah and Israel during this period, as well as the messages of prophets such as Elijah and Elisha , announcing the fall of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. These biblical accounts contain rich spiritual lessons that are still relevant today.
Discover the eventful history of a people through its kings and a selection of key verses and passages from these two books of the Bible.

Updated on 27/03/2026|Reading time : 59 min

Contents of the 1st and 2nd Books of Kings

The reign of Solomon (1 Kings, chapters 1 to 11)

The first part of the 1st Book of Kings, from chapter 1 to chapter 11, deals with the reign of King Solomon . King David's son is chosen by his father to succeed him on the throne of a still-unified Israel. King David leaves him a beautiful spiritual testament : "I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong and be a man! Keep the mandate of the L ord , your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees as they are written in the law of Moses, that you may succeed in whatever you do, and wherever you turn," (1 Kings 2, 2-3).

Solomon was blessed by God. God grants him wisdom and wealth: So God said to him: Because you asked for this—you did not ask for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies—but you asked for discernment to know what is right— I now do as you request. I give you a heart so wise and discerning that there has never been anyone like you until now, nor after you will there be anyone to equal you. In addition, I give you what you have not asked for: I give you such riches and glory that among kings there will be no one like you all your days. " (1 Kings 3:11-13)

The judgment of King Solomon is one of the episodes in the first book of Kings that illustrates the great wisdom of this king.

King Solomon built the Temple of Jerusalem to house the Ark of the Covenant brought back by his father, King David. Made of cedar, bronze and gold, the Temple's beauty and grandeur surpassed anything ever built by human hands. But God reminds Solomon that it is not so much the luxury of this temple as the obedience of his people that will enable him to dwell with them: "As to this house you are building—if you walk in my statutes, carry out my ordinances, and observe all my commands, walking in them, I will fulfill toward you my word which I spoke to David your father." (1 Kings 6:12)

Solomon's fame is so great that it arouses the curiosity and admiration of the Queen of Sheba.

The Kingdom splits (1 Kings 12 to 2 Kings 17)

The second part covers the end of the first book of Kings and the beginning of the second book of Kings. It recounts how the kingdom of Israel is split in two following the death of King Solomon, who began sacrificing to idols at the end of his life. So God warns Solomon: "So the Lord said to Solomon: Since this is what you want, and you have not kept my covenant and the statutes which I enjoined on you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. But I will not do this during your lifetime, for the sake of David your father; I will tear it away from your son’s hand. Nor will I tear away the whole kingdom. I will give your son one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen. Threats to Solomon’s Kingdom." (1 Kings 11:11-13)

Thus appear :
- the Northern Kingdom - Kingdom of Israel - ruled by Jeroboam
- and the Southern Kingdom - Kingdom of Judah - ruled by Rehoboam, son of Solomon.

The successive reigns in these two kingdoms are described, illustrating the fidelity or infidelity of each to the Lord's laws. While some, like Hezekiah and Josiah, were attached to God and His commandments, others, like Ahab, fell into idolatry. The latter is notably known for having married Jezebel, who led him to the cult of Baal.

"Ahab, son of Omri, did what was evil in the L ord ’s sight more than any of his predecessors. It was not enough for him to follow the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat. He even married Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal, and worship him. Ahab set up an altar to Baal in the house of Baal which he built in Samaria, and also made an asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the L ord , the God of Israel, to anger than any of the kings of Israel before him." (1 Kings 16:30-33).

Yet God tried to warn Israel through the voice of his prophets , notably Elijah and Elisha. Sent by God, they constantly denounced the errors of the kings and called the people to repentance.

Fall of Jerusalem (2 Kings 18 to 2 Kings 25)

The second book of Kings ends with the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians.

"At that time officers of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, attacked Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, himself arrived at the city while his officers were besieging it. Then Jehoiachin, king of Judah, together with his mother, his ministers, officers, and functionaries, surrendered to the king of Babylon, who, in the eighth year of his reign, took him captive. He carried off all the treasures of the house of the L ord and the treasures of the king’s house, and broke up all the gold utensils that Solomon, king of Israel, had provided in the house of the L ord , as the L ord had decreed." (2 Kings 24, 10-13).

This marked the end of the kingdom of Judah, and the beginning of the Babylonian exile.

What we can learn from the books of Kings

The book of Kings shows us how a people blessed by God, under the reign of Solomon - to whom the Lord grants wealth and wisdom - gradually loses its greatness and freedom through the disobedience and unfaithfulness of its kings.

The importance of faithfulness to God

Many of the kings in the Book of Kings were unfaithful and brought their people down with them. Among these kings, we can cite Manasseh and Joachim for the Southern Kingdom (Judah) or Jeroboam and Ahab for the Northern Kingdom (Israel).

These kings led their people into idolatry , thus breaking one of Moses' commandments .

"The king took counsel, made two calves of gold, and said to the people: “You have been going up to Jerusalem long enough. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” And he put one in Bethel, the other in Dan. This led to sin, because the people frequented these calves in Bethel and in Dan." (1 Kings 12:28-30)

"He did what was evil in the L ord ’s sight, just as his ancestors had done." (2 Kings 23, 37).

When Solomon was old his wives had turned his heart to follow other gods, and his heart was not entirely with the L ord , his God, as the heart of David his father had been. Solomon followed Astarte, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites. Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the L ord , and he did not follow the L ord unreservedly as David his father had done.)." (1 Kings 11, 4-6

These examples teach us that, at any moment, we too can be tempted or misled away from God. It is throughout our lives that we must continually make the conscious and voluntary choice of God.

Consequences and responsibility

By their unfaithfulness, it was not only these kings who strayed from God, but all the people he governed. The consequences of their choices go far beyond their own lives.

"This came about because the Israelites sinned against the Lord , their God, who had brought them up from the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. They venerated other gods, they followed the rites of the nations whom the L ord had dispossessed before the Israelites and those that the kings of Israel had practiced." (2 Kings 17, 7-8).

This reminds us how much our actions and our spiritual or moral choices have an impact on those around us, especially those who take their example from us or for whom we are responsible.

The importance of repentance

Despite their errors, some kings recognized their sin (or those of their predecessors) and repented.

This was the case withHezekiah: "It was he who removed the high places, shattered the pillars, cut down the asherah, and smashed the bronze serpent Moses had made, because up to that time the Israelites were burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.) He put his trust in the L ord , the God of Israel; and neither before nor after him was there anyone like him among all the kings of Judah. Hezekiah held fast to the L ord and never turned away from following him, but observed the commandments the L ord had given Moses. The L ord was with him, and he succeeded in all he set out to do. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. "(2 Kings 18:4-7)

And of Manasseh (his conversion is recounted in the second book of Chronicles): "He [Manasseh] removed the foreign gods and the idol from the House of the Lord, as well as all the altars he had built on the mountain of the House of the Lord and in Jerusalem, and threw them out of the city. He restored the altar of the Lord, offered sacrifices of peace and thanksgiving on it, and commanded the people of Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel" (2 Chronicles 33:15-16).

These examples show us thatthere isno fatality. No matter what we've done, no matter what we've inherited, we can always come back to God. Repentance is always possible .

Listen carefully

The unfaithfulness of the kings of Israel stemmed in part from bad influences. They let themselves be seduced and advised by speeches and examples that distracted them from their deeper identity. In the face of this, the prophets try to warn and admonish them. Admittedly, their warnings are less pleasant to hear, but they do shine in truth.

"When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is it you, you disturber of Israel?” He answered, “It is not I who disturb Israel, but you and your father’s house, by forsaking the commands of the L ord and you by following the Baals."(1 Kings 18:17-18 )

What are the words that seduce me? What are the words that move me? Which words shake me up and challenge me? What do I feel, deep down, to be true and right? Taking the time to question what we hear, what we see and what it produces in us helps us to better discern the paths we should follow. When faced with a difficult decision or choice, we can also invoke the Holy Spirit to make sure we're hearing the right voice.

In this way, we can question ourselves in the face of the prophet Elijah's challenge:
" Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you straddle the issue? If the Lord is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him.) "(1 Kings 18:21)

List of the kings of Israel and Judah

Here is the list of kings - in chronological order - mentioned in the books of kings after the Kingdom split at the end of King Solomon's reign.

Kings and Queens of Judah (Southern Kingdom)

1. Rehoboam (1 Kings 12, 1-24

Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel had come to make him king. When Jeroboam, son of Nebat, heard about it, he was still in Egypt. He had fled from King Solomon and remained in Egypt, and they sent for him. Then Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and they said to Rehoboam, “Your father put a heavy yoke on us. If you now lighten the harsh servitude and the heavy yoke your father imposed on us, we will be your servants.” He answered them, “Come back to me in three days,” and the people went away. King Rehoboam asked advice of the elders who had been in his father Solomon’s service while he was alive, and asked, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” They replied, “If today you become the servant of this people and serve them, and give them a favorable answer, they will be your servants forever.” But he ignored the advice the elders had given him, and asked advice of the young men who had grown up with him and were in his service. He said to them, “What answer do you advise that we should give this people, who have told me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father imposed on us’?” The young men who had grown up with him replied, “This is what you must say to this people who have told you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy; you lighten it for us.’ You must say, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins. My father put a heavy yoke on you, but I will make it heavier. My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.’” Jeroboam and the whole people came back to King Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had instructed them: “Come back to me in three days.” Ignoring the advice the elders had given him, the king gave the people a harsh answer. He spoke to them as the young men had advised: “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will make it heavier. My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.” The king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the L ord : he fulfilled the word the L ord had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam, son of Nebat. When all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king: “What share have we in David? We have no heritage in the son of Jesse. To your tents, Israel! Now look to your own house, David.” So Israel went off to their tents. But Rehoboam continued to reign over the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah. King Rehoboam then sent out Adoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam then managed to mount his chariot and flee to Jerusalem. And so Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they summoned him to an assembly and made him king over all Israel. None remained loyal to the house of David except the tribe of Judah alone. Divine Approval. On his arrival in Jerusalem, Rehoboam assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin—one hundred and eighty thousand elite warriors—to wage war against the house of Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam, son of Solomon. However, the word of God came to Shemaiah, a man of God: Say to Rehoboam, son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and to Benjamin, and to the rest of the people: Thus says the L ord : You must not go out to war against your fellow Israelites. Return home, each of you, for it is I who have brought this about. They obeyed the word of the L ord and turned back, according to the word of the Lord .

2. Abijah (1 Kings 15, 1-8)

In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, son of Nebat, Abijam became king of Judah; he reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah, daughter of Abishalom. He followed all the sins his father had committed before him, and his heart was not entirely with the L ord , his God, as was the heart of David his father. Yet for David’s sake the L ord , his God, gave him a holding in Jerusalem, raising up his son after him and permitting Jerusalem to endure, because David had done what was right in the sight of the L ord and did not disobey any of his commands as long as he lived, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite. There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days. The rest of the acts of Abijam, with all that he did, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah. There was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. Abijam rested with his ancestors; they buried him in the City of David, and his son Asa succeeded him as king. Reign of Asa.

3. Asa (1 Kings 15, 9-24)

In the twentieth year of Jeroboam, king of Israel, Asa, king of Judah, became king; he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah, daughter of Abishalom. Asa did what was right in the sight of the L ord like David his father, banishing the pagan priests from the land and removing all the idols his ancestors had made. He also deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother, because she had made an outrageous object for Asherah. Asa cut down this object and burned it in the Wadi Kidron. The high places did not disappear; yet Asa’s heart was entirely with the L ord as long as he lived. He brought into the house of the L ord his father’s and his own votive offerings of silver and gold and various vessels. There was war between Asa and Baasha, king of Israel, all their days. Baasha, king of Israel, attacked Judah and fortified Ramah to blockade Asa, king of Judah. Asa then took all the silver and gold remaining in the treasuries of the house of the L ord and the house of the king. Entrusting them to his ministers, King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad, son of Tabrimmon, son of Hezion, king of Aram, who ruled in Damascus. He said: “There is a treaty between you and me, as there was between your father and my father. I am sending you a present of silver and gold. Go, break your treaty with Baasha, king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.” Ben-hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the leaders of his troops against the cities of Israel. They attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinnereth, besides all the land of Naphtali. When Baasha heard of it, he left off fortifying Ramah, and stayed in Tirzah. Then King Asa summoned all Judah without exception, and they carried away the stones and beams with which Baasha was fortifying Ramah. With them King Asa built Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah. All the rest of the acts of Asa, with all his valor and all that he did, and the cities he built, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah. But in his old age, Asa had an infirmity in his feet. Asa rested with his ancestors; he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David his father, and his son Jehoshaphat succeeded him as king. Reign of Nadab.

4. Jehoshaphat (1 Kings 22, 41-50)

Jehoshaphat, son of Asa, became king of Judah in the fourth year of Ahab, king of Israel. Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah, daughter of Shilhi. He walked in the way of Asa his father unceasingly, doing what was right in the L ord ’s sight. Nevertheless, the high places did not disappear, and the people still sacrificed on the high places and burned incense there. Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel. The rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, with his valor, what he did and how he fought, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah. He removed from the land the rest of the pagan priests who had remained in the reign of Asa his father. There was no king in Edom, but an appointed regent. Jehoshaphat made Tarshish ships to go to Ophir for gold; but in fact the ships did not go, because they were wrecked at Ezion-geber. That was the time when Ahaziah, son of Ahab, had said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants accompany your servants in the ships.” But Jehoshaphat would not agree.

5. Joram (1 Kings 22, 51-53)

Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors; he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David his father, and his son Jehoram succeeded him as king. Reign of Ahaziah. Ahaziah, son of Ahab, became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah; he reigned two years over Israel. He did what was evil in the sight of the L ord , walking in the way of his father, his mother, and Jeroboam, son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin.

6. Ocozias (2 Kings 1, 1-18)

After Ahab’s death, Moab rebelled against Israel. Ahaziah fell through the lattice of his roof terrace at Samaria and was injured. So he sent out messengers with the instructions: “Go and inquire of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury.” Meanwhile, the messenger of the L ord said to Elijah the Tishbite: Go and meet the messengers of Samaria’s king, and tell them: “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron?” For this, the L ord says: You shall not leave the bed upon which you lie; instead, you shall die. And Elijah departed. The messengers then returned to Ahaziah, who asked them, “Why have you returned?” They answered, “A man met us and said to us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him: The L ord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron? For this you shall not leave the bed upon which you lie; instead, you shall die.’” The king asked them, “What was the man like who met you and said these things to you?” They replied, “He wore a hairy garment with a leather belt around his waist.” “It is Elijah the Tishbite!” he exclaimed. Then the king sent a captain with his company of fifty men after Elijah. The prophet was seated on a hilltop when he found him. He said, “Man of God, the king commands you, ‘Come down.’” Elijah answered the captain, “Well, if I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men. The king sent another captain with his company of fifty men after Elijah. He shouted up and said, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down immediately!’” Elijah answered them, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And divine fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men. The king sent a third captain with his company of fifty men. When the third captain had climbed the hill, he fell to his knees before Elijah, pleading with him. He said, “Man of God, let my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servants, count for something in your sight! Already fire has come down from heaven, consuming the first two captains with their companies of fifty men. But now, let my life count for something in your sight!” Then the messenger of the L ord said to Elijah: Go down with him; you need not be afraid of him. So Elijah left and went down with him to the king. He declared to the king: “Thus says the L ord : Because you sent messengers to inquire of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron—do you think there is no God in Israel to inquire of?—you shall not leave the bed upon which you lie; instead you shall die.” Ahaziah died according to the word of the L ord spoken by Elijah. Since he had no son, Joram succeeded him as king, in the second year of Joram, son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. The rest of the acts of Ahaziah, which he did, are recorded in the book of chronicles of the kings of Israel.

7. Queen Athaliah (2 Kings 11, 1-21)

When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she began to kill off the whole royal family. But Jehosheba, daughter of King Joram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash, Ahaziah’s son, and spirited him away, along with his nurse, from the bedroom where the princes were about to be slain. He was concealed from Athaliah, and so he did not die. For six years he remained hidden with her in the house of the L ord , while Athaliah ruled as queen over the land. Death of Athaliah. But in the seventh year, Jehoiada summoned the captains of the Carians and of the guards. He had them come to him in the house of the L ord , made a covenant with them, exacted an oath from them in the house of the L ord , and then showed them the king’s son. He gave them these orders: “This is what you must do: one third of you who come on duty on the sabbath shall guard the king’s house; another third shall be at the gate Sur; and the last third shall be at the gate behind the guards. You shall guard the palace on all sides, while the two of your divisions who are going off duty that week shall keep guard over the house of the L ord for the king. You shall surround the king, each with drawn weapons, and anyone who tries to approach the guard detail is to be killed; stay with the king, wherever he goes.” The captains did just as Jehoiada the priest commanded. Each took his troops, both those going on duty for the week and those going off duty that week, and came to Jehoiada the priest. He gave the captains King David’s spear and quivers, which were in the house of the L ord . And the guards, with drawn weapons, lined up from the southern to the northern limit of the enclosure, surrounding the altar and the temple on the king’s behalf. Then Jehoiada brought out the king’s son and put the crown and the testimony upon him. They proclaimed him king and anointed him, clapping their hands and shouting, “Long live the king!” When Athaliah heard the noise made by the people, she came before them in the house of the L ord . When she saw the king standing by the column, as was the custom, and the captains and trumpeters near the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets, Athaliah tore her garments and cried out, “Treason, treason!” Then Jehoiada the priest instructed the captains in command of the force: “Escort her with a guard detail. If anyone follows her, let him die by the sword.” For the priest had said, “She must not die in the house of the L ord .” So they seized her, and when she reached the Horse Gate of the king’s house, she was put to death. Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the L ord and the king and the people, by which they would be the L ord ’s people; and another between the king and the people. Thereupon all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and demolished it. They shattered its altars and images completely, and slew Mattan, the priest of Baal, before the altars. Jehoiada the priest appointed a detachment for the house of the L ord , and took the captains, the Carians, the guards, and all the people of the land, and they led the king down from the house of the L ord ; they came through the guards’ gate to the king’s house, and Joash took his seat on the royal throne. All the people of the land rejoiced and the city was quiet, now that Athaliah had been slain with the sword at the king’s house.

8. Joash (2 Kings 11; 12, 21)

Jehoiada brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; he presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and shouted, “Long live the king!”Joashwas seven years old when he began to reign

9. Amaziah (2 Kings 14, 1-20)

In the second year of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah, son of Joash, king of Judah, became king. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin, from Jerusalem. He did what was right in the L ord ’s eyes, though not like David his father. He did just as his father Joash had done, though the high places did not disappear, and the people continued to sacrifice and to burn incense on the high places. When Amaziah had the kingdom firmly in hand, he struck down the officials who had struck down the king, his father. But their children he did not put to death, according to what is written in the book of the law of Moses, which the L ord commanded: “Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their parents; only for one’s own crimes shall a person be put to death.” Amaziah struck down ten thousand Edomites in the Salt Valley. He took Sela in battle and renamed it Joktheel, the name it has to this day. Then Amaziah sent messengers to Joash, son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, with this message: “Come, let us meet face to face.” Joash, king of Israel, sent this reply to Amaziah, king of Judah: “A thistle of Lebanon sent word to a cedar of Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage,’ but an animal of Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle underfoot. You have indeed struck down Edom, and your heart is lifted up; enjoy your glory, but stay home! Why bring misfortune and failure on yourself and on Judah with you?” But Amaziah did not listen. So Joash, king of Israel, advanced, and he and Amaziah, king of Judah, met face to face at Beth-shemesh of Judah, and Judah was defeated by Israel, and all fled to their tents. But Amaziah, king of Judah, son of Joash, son of Ahaziah, was captured by Joash, king of Israel, at Beth-shemesh. When they came to Jerusalem Joash tore down the wall of Jerusalem, from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, four hundred cubits. He took all the gold and silver and all the vessels found in the house of the L ord and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and hostages as well. Then he returned to Samaria. The rest of the acts of Joash, what he did and his valor, and how he made war against Amaziah, king of Judah, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. Joash rested with his ancestors; he was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel, and his son Jeroboam succeeded him as king. Amaziah, son of Joash, king of Judah, survived Joash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, by fifteen years. The rest of the acts of Amaziah are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah. When a conspiracy was formed against him in Jerusalem, he fled to Lachish. But he was pursued to Lachish and killed there. He was brought back on horses and was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors in the City of David.

10. Uzziah (2 Kings 14, 21; 15, 7)

Thereupon all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was only sixteen years old, and made him king to succeed Amaziah, his father.

11. Jotham (2 Kings 15, 32-38)

In the second year of Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel, Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, became king. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerusha, daughter of Zadok. He did what was right in the L ord ’s sight, just as his father Uzziah had done, though the high places did not disappear, and the people continued to sacrifice and to burn incense on the high places. It was he who built the Upper Gate of the L ord ’s house. The rest of the acts of Jotham, with what he did, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah. It was at that time that the L ord began to unleash Rezin, king of Aram, and Pekah, son of Remaliah, against Judah. Jotham rested with his ancestors; he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David his father, and his son Ahaz succeeded him as king.

12. Ahaz (2 Kings 16, 1-20)

In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God. He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.

13. Hezekiah (2 Kings 18, 1-37)

In the third year of Hoshea, son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, king of Judah, became king. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi, daughter of Zechariah. He did what was right in the L ord ’s sight, just as David his father had done. It was he who removed the high places, shattered the pillars, cut down the asherah, and smashed the bronze serpent Moses had made, because up to that time the Israelites were burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.) He put his trust in the Lord , the God of Israel; and neither before nor after him was there anyone like him among all the kings of Judah. Hezekiah held fast to the L ord and never turned away from following him, but observed the commandments the L ord had given Moses. The L ord was with him, and he succeeded in all he set out to do. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. It was he who struck the Philistines as far as Gaza, and all its territory from guard post to garrisoned town. In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea, son of Elah, king of Israel, Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, attacked Samaria and laid siege to it, and after three years they captured it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, the ninth year of Hoshea, king of Israel, Samaria was taken. The king of Assyria then deported the Israelites to Assyria and led them off to Halah, and the Habor, a river of Gozan, and the cities of the Medes. This happened because they did not obey the L ord , their God, but violated his covenant; they did not obey nor do all that Moses, the servant of the L ord , commanded. Sennacherib and Hezekiah. In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. Hezekiah, king of Judah, sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: “I have done wrong. Leave me, and whatever you impose on me I will bear.” The king of Assyria exacted three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold from Hezekiah, king of Judah. Hezekiah gave him all the funds there were in the house of the L ord and in the treasuries of the king’s house. At the same time, Hezekiah removed the nave doors and the uprights of the house of the L ord , which the king of Judah had ordered to be overlaid with gold, and gave them to the king of Assyria. The king of Assyria sent the general, the lord chamberlain, and the commander from Lachish with a great army to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They went up and came to Jerusalem, to the conduit of the upper pool on the highway of the fuller’s field, where they took their stand. They called for the king, but Eliakim, son of Hilkiah, the master of the palace, came out, along with Shebnah the scribe and the chancellor Joah, son of Asaph. The commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you base this trust of yours? Do you think mere words substitute for strategy and might in war? In whom, then, do you place your trust, that you rebel against me? Do you trust in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it? That is what Pharaoh, king of Egypt, is to all who trust in him. Or do you people say to me, “It is in the L ord our God we trust!”? Is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, commanding Judah and Jerusalem, “Worship before this altar in Jerusalem”?’ “Now, make a wager with my lord, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses if you are able to put riders on them. How then can you turn back even a captain, one of the least servants of my lord, trusting, as you do, in Egypt for chariots and horses? Did I come up to destroy this place without the L ord ? The L ord himself said to me: Go up and destroy that land!” Then Eliakim, son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah and Joah said to the commander: “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic; we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah within earshot of the people who are on the wall.” But the commander replied: “Was it to your lord and to you that my lord sent me to speak these words? Was it not rather to those sitting on the wall, who, with you, will have to eat their own excrement and drink their urine?” Then the commander stepped forward and cried out in a loud voice in the language of Judah, “Listen to the words of the great king, the king of Assyria. Thus says the king: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he cannot rescue you from my hand. And do not let Hezekiah induce you to trust in the L ord , saying, ‘The L ord will surely rescue us, and this city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.’ Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: Make peace with me, and surrender to me! Eat, each of you, from your vine, each from your own fig tree. Drink water, each from your own well, until I arrive and take you to a land like your own, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of rich olives and honey. Live, and do not die! And do not listen to Hezekiah when he would incite you by saying, ‘The L ord will rescue us.’ Has any of the gods of the nations ever rescued his land from the power of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Did they indeed rescue Samaria from my power? Which of the gods for all these lands ever rescued his land from my power? Will the L ord then rescue Jerusalem from my power?” But the people remained silent and did not answer at all, for the king’s command was, “Do not answer him.” Then the master of the palace, Eliakim, son of Hilkiah, Shebnah the scribe, and the chancellor Joah, son of Asaph, came to Hezekiah with their garments torn, and reported to him the words of the commander.

14. Manasseh (2 Kings 21, 1-18)

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. He did what was evil in the L ord ’s sight, following the abominable practices of the nations whom the L ord had dispossessed before the Israelites. He rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed. He set up altars to Baal and also made an asherah, as Ahab, king of Israel, had done. He bowed down to the whole host of heaven and served them. He built altars in the house of the L ord , of which the L ord had said: In Jerusalem I will set my name. And he built altars for the whole host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the L ord . He immolated his child by fire. He practiced soothsaying and divination, and reintroduced the consulting of ghosts and spirits. He did much evil in the L ord ’s sight and provoked him to anger. The Asherah idol he had made, he placed in the L ord ’s house, of which the L ord had said to David and to his son Solomon: In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I shall set my name forever. I will no longer make Israel step out of the land I gave their ancestors, provided that they are careful to observe all I have commanded them and the entire law which Moses my servant enjoined upon them. But they did not listen. Manasseh misled them into doing even greater evil than the nations the L ord had destroyed at the coming of the Israelites. Then the L ord spoke through his servants the prophets: “Because Manasseh, king of Judah, has practiced these abominations, and has done greater evil than all that was done by the Amorites before him, and has led Judah into sin by his idols, therefore, thus says the L ord , the God of Israel: I am about to bring such evil on Jerusalem and Judah that, when any hear of it, their ears shall ring: I will measure Jerusalem with the same cord as I did Samaria, and with the plummet I used for the house of Ahab. I will wipe Jerusalem clean as one wipes a dish, wiping it inside and out. I will cast off the survivors of my inheritance. I will deliver them into enemy hands, to become prey and booty for all their enemies, because they have done what is evil in my sight and provoked me from the day their ancestors came forth from Egypt until this very day.” Manasseh shed so much innocent blood that it filled the length and breadth of Jerusalem, in addition to the sin he caused Judah to commit by doing what was evil in the L ord ’s sight. The rest of the acts of Manasseh, with all that he did and the sin he committed, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah. Manasseh rested with his ancestors; he was buried in his palace garden, the garden of Uzza, and his son Amon succeeded him as king. Reign of Amon.

15. Amon (2 Kings 21, 19-26)

Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth, daughter of Haruz, from Jotbah. He did what was evil in the L ord ’s sight, as his father Manasseh had done. He walked in all the ways of his father; he served the idols his father had served, and bowed down to them. He abandoned the L ord , the God of his ancestors, and did not walk in the way of the L ord . Officials of Amon plotted against him and killed the king in his palace, but the people of the land then slew all who had plotted against King Amon, and the people of the land made his son Josiah king in his stead. The rest of the acts of Amon, which he did, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah. He was buried in his own grave in the garden of Uzza, and his son Josiah succeeded him as king.

16. Josiah (2 Kings 22, 1; 23, 30)

Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jedidah, daughter of Adaiah, from Bozkath.

17. Jehoahaz (2 Kings 23, 31-34)

Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal, daughter of Jeremiah, from Libnah. He did what was evil in the L ord ’s sight, just as his ancestors had done. Pharaoh Neco took him prisoner at Riblah in the land of Hamath, thus ending his reign in Jerusalem. He imposed a fine upon the land of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. Pharaoh Neco then made Eliakim, son of Josiah, king in place of Josiah his father; he changed his name to Jehoiakim. Jehoahaz he took away with him to Egypt, where he died.

18. Jehoiakim (2 Kings 23, 34; 24, 7)

Pharaoh Neco then made Eliakim, son of Josiah, king in place of Josiah his father; he changed his name to Jehoiakim. Jehoahaz he took away with him to Egypt, where he died.

19. Jehoiachin (2 Kings 24, 8-16)

Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta, daughter of Elnathan, from Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the L ord ’s sight, just as his father had done. At that time officers of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, attacked Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, himself arrived at the city while his officers were besieging it. Then Jehoiachin, king of Judah, together with his mother, his ministers, officers, and functionaries, surrendered to the king of Babylon, who, in the eighth year of his reign, took him captive. He carried off all the treasures of the house of the L ord and the treasures of the king’s house, and broke up all the gold utensils that Solomon, king of Israel, had provided in the house of the L ord , as the L ord had decreed. He deported all Jerusalem: all the officers and warriors of the army, ten thousand in number, and all the artisans and smiths. Only the lowliest of the people of the land were left. He deported Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king’s mother, his wives, his functionaries, and the chiefs of the land he led captive from Jerusalem to Babylon. All seven thousand soldiers of the army, and a thousand artisans and smiths, all of them trained warriors, these too the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.

20. Zedekiah (2 Kings 24, 17-20)

In place of Jehoiachin the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king; he changed his name to Zedekiah. Reign of Zedekiah. Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal, daughter of Jeremiah, from Libnah. He did what was evil in the sight of the L ord , just as Jehoiakim had done. This befell Jerusalem and Judah because the L ord was so angry that he cast them out of his sight. Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

Kings of Israel (Northern Kingdom)

1. Jeroboam I (1 Kings 12, 25-33)

Jeroboam built up Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. Then he left it and built up Penuel. Jeroboam’s Cultic Innovations. Jeroboam thought to himself: “Now the kingdom will return to the house of David. If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the L ord in Jerusalem, the hearts of this people will return to their master, Rehoboam, king of Judah, and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam, king of Judah.” The king took counsel, made two calves of gold, and said to the people: “You have been going up to Jerusalem long enough. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” And he put one in Bethel, the other in Dan. This led to sin, because the people frequented these calves in Bethel and in Dan. He also built temples on the high places and made priests from among the common people who were not Levites. Divine Disapproval. Jeroboam established a feast in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month like the pilgrimage feast in Judah, and he went up to the altar. He did this in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. He stationed in Bethel the priests of the high places he had built. Jeroboam went up to the altar he built in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, the month he arbitrarily chose. He established a feast for the Israelites, and he went up to the altar to burn incense.

2. Nadab (1 Kings 15, 25-31)

Nadab, son of Jeroboam, became king of Israel in the second year of Asa, king of Judah. For two years he reigned over Israel. He did what was evil in the L ord ’s sight, walking in the way of his father and the sin he had caused Israel to commit. Baasha, son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, plotted against him and struck him down at Gibbethon of the Philistines, which Nadab and all Israel were besieging. Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa, king of Judah, and succeeded him as king. Once he was king, he killed the entire house of Jeroboam, not leaving a single soul but destroying Jeroboam utterly, according to the word of the L ord spoken through his servant, Ahijah the Shilonite, because of the sins Jeroboam committed and caused Israel to commit, by which he provoked the L ord , the God of Israel, to anger. The rest of the acts of Nadab, with all that he did, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

3. Baasha (1 Kings 15, 27-30)

Baasha, son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, plotted against him and struck him down at Gibbethon of the Philistines, which Nadab and all Israel were besieging. Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa, king of Judah, and succeeded him as king. Once he was king, he killed the entire house of Jeroboam, not leaving a single soul but destroying Jeroboam utterly, according to the word of the L ord spoken through his servant, Ahijah the Shilonite, because of the sins Jeroboam committed and caused Israel to commit, by which he provoked the L ord , the God of Israel, to anger.

4. Elah (1 Kings 16, 6-14)

Baasha rested with his ancestors; he was buried in Tirzah, and his son Elah succeeded him as king. (Through the prophet Jehu, son of Hanani, the word of the L ord came against Baasha and his house, because of all the evil Baasha did in the sight of the L ord , provoking him to anger by his deeds so that he became like the house of Jeroboam, and because of what he destroyed.) Reign of Elah. In the twenty-sixth year of Asa, king of Judah, Elah, son of Baasha, became king of Israel in Tirzah for two years. His servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, plotted against him. As he was in Tirzah, drinking to excess in the house of Arza, master of his palace in Tirzah, Zimri entered; he struck and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa, king of Judah, and succeeded him as king. Once he was king, seated on the throne, he killed the whole house of Baasha, not sparing a single male relative or friend of his. Zimri destroyed the entire house of Baasha, according to the word the L ord spoke against Baasha through Jehu the prophet, because of all the sins which Baasha and his son Elah committed and caused Israel to commit, provoking the L ord , the God of Israel, to anger by their idols. The rest of the acts of Elah, with all that he did, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. Reign of Zimri.

5. Zimri (1 Kings 16, 9-20)

His servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, plotted against him. As he was in Tirzah, drinking to excess in the house of Arza, master of his palace in Tirzah, Zimri entered; he struck and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa, king of Judah, and succeeded him as king. Once he was king, seated on the throne, he killed the whole house of Baasha, not sparing a single male relative or friend of his. Zimri destroyed the entire house of Baasha, according to the word the L ord spoke against Baasha through Jehu the prophet, because of all the sins which Baasha and his son Elah committed and caused Israel to commit, provoking the L ord , the God of Israel, to anger by their idols. The rest of the acts of Elah, with all that he did, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. Reign of Zimri. In the twenty-seventh year of Asa, king of Judah, Zimri became king for seven days in Tirzah. The army was encamped at Gibbethon of the Philistines when they heard, “Zimri has formed a conspiracy and has killed the king.” So that day in the camp all Israel made Omri, commander of the army, king of Israel. Omri and all Israel with him marched up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah. When Zimri saw that the city was captured, he entered the citadel of the king’s house and burned it down over him. He died because of the sins he had committed, doing what was evil in the L ord ’s sight by walking in the way of Jeroboam and the sin he had caused Israel to commit. The rest of the acts of Zimri, with the conspiracy he carried out, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. Civil War.

6. Omri (1 Kings 16, 21-28)

At that time the people of Israel were divided in two, half following Tibni, son of Ginath, to make him king, and half for Omri. The partisans of Omri prevailed over those of Tibni, son of Ginath. Tibni died and Omri became king. Reign of Omri. In the thirty-first year of Asa, king of Judah, Omri became king of Israel for twelve years; the first six of them he reigned in Tirzah. He then bought the mountain of Samaria from Shemer for two silver talents and built upon the mountain the city he named Samaria, after Shemer, the former owner. But Omri did what was evil in the L ord ’s sight, more than any of his predecessors. In every way he imitated the sinful conduct of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, and the sin he had caused Israel to commit, thus provoking the L ord , the God of Israel, to anger by their idols. The rest of the acts of Omri, what he did and his valor, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. Omri rested with his ancestors; he was buried in Samaria, and Ahab his son succeeded him as king. Reign of Ahab.

7. Ahab (1 Kings 16, 29-34)

Ahab, son of Omri, became king of Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa, king of Judah. Ahab, son of Omri, reigned over Israel in Samaria for twenty-two years. Ahab, son of Omri, did what was evil in the L ord ’s sight more than any of his predecessors. It was not enough for him to follow the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat. He even married Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal, and worship him. Ahab set up an altar to Baal in the house of Baal which he built in Samaria, and also made an asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the L ord , the God of Israel, to anger than any of the kings of Israel before him. During his reign, Hiel from Bethel rebuilt Jericho. At the cost of Abiram, his firstborn son, he laid the foundation, and at the cost of Segub, his youngest son, he set up the gates, according to the word of the L ord spoken through Joshua, son of Nun.

8. Ahaziah (1 Kings 22, 51-53)

9. Jehu (2 Kings 9:1; 10, 36)

Elisha the prophet called one of the guild prophets and said to him: “Get ready for a journey. Take this flask of oil with you, and go to Ramoth-gilead.

10. Jehoahaz (2 Kings 13, 1-9)

In the twenty-third year of Joash, son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, became king over Israel in Samaria for seventeen years. He did what was evil in the L ord ’s sight: he did not depart from following the sins that Jeroboam, son of Nebat, had caused Israel to commit. The L ord was angry with Israel and for a long time gave them into the power of Hazael, king of Aram, and of Ben-hadad, son of Hazael. Then Jehoahaz entreated the L ord , who heard him, since he saw the oppression to which the king of Aram had subjected Israel. So the L ord gave Israel a savior, and the Israelites, freed from the power of Aram, dwelt in their own tents as formerly. Nevertheless, they did not desist from the sins the house of Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit, but persisted in them. The Asherah remained even in Samaria. No army was left to Jehoahaz, except fifty horses with ten chariots and ten thousand foot soldiers, since the king of Aram had destroyed them and trampled them like dust. The rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, with all that he did and his valor, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. Jehoahaz rested with his ancestors; he was buried in Samaria and his son Joash succeeded him as king. Reign of Joash of Israel.

11. Joash (2 Kings 13, 10-25)

In the fifteenth year of Amaziah, son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam, son of Joash, king of Israel, became king in Samaria for forty-one years. He did evil in the L ord ’s sight; he did not desist from any of the sins that Jeroboam, son of Nebat, had caused Israel to commit. He restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo-hamath to the sea of the Arabah, as the L ord , the God of Israel, had foretold through his servant, the prophet Jonah, son of Amittai, from Gath-hepher. For the L ord saw the very bitter affliction of Israel, where there was neither bond nor free, no one at all to help Israel. Since the L ord had not resolved to wipe out the name of Israel from under the heavens, he saved them through Jeroboam, son of Joash. The rest of the acts of Jeroboam, with all that he did and his valor, how he fought, and how he regained Damascus and Hamath for Israel, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. Jeroboam rested with his ancestors, the kings of Israel, and his son Zechariah succeeded him as king.

12. Jeroboam II (2 Kings 14, 23-29)

13. Zechariah (2 Kings 15, 8-12)

In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah, king of Judah, Zechariah, son of Jeroboam, became king over Israel in Samaria for six months. He did what was evil in the L ord ’s sight, as his ancestors had done, and did not desist from the sins that Jeroboam, son of Nebat, had caused Israel to commit. Shallum, son of Jabesh, plotted against him and struck him down at Ibleam. He killed him and reigned in his place. As for the rest of the acts of Zechariah, these are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. This was the word the L ord had spoken to Jehu: Sons of your line to the fourth generation shall sit upon the throne of Israel; and so it was. Reign of Shallum of Israel.

14. Salum (2 Kings 15, 10-15)

Shallum, son of Jabesh, plotted against him and struck him down at Ibleam. He killed him and reigned in his place. As for the rest of the acts of Zechariah, these are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. This was the word the L ord had spoken to Jehu: Sons of your line to the fourth generation shall sit upon the throne of Israel; and so it was. Reign of Shallum of Israel. Shallum, son of Jabesh, became king in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah, king of Judah; he reigned one month in Samaria. Menahem, son of Gadi, came up from Tirzah to Samaria, and struck down Shallum, son of Jabesh, in Samaria. He killed him and reigned in his place. As for the rest of the acts of Shallum, with the conspiracy he carried out, these are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

15. Menahem (2 Kings 15, 14-22)

Menahem, son of Gadi, came up from Tirzah to Samaria, and struck down Shallum, son of Jabesh, in Samaria. He killed him and reigned in his place. As for the rest of the acts of Shallum, with the conspiracy he carried out, these are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. At that time, Menahem attacked Tappuah, all its inhabitants, and its whole district as far as Tirzah, because they did not let him in. He attacked them; he even ripped open all their pregnant women. Reign of Menahem of Israel. In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah, king of Judah, Menahem, son of Gadi, became king over Israel for ten years in Samaria. He did what was evil in the L ord ’s sight as long as he lived, not desisting from the sins that Jeroboam, son of Nebat, had caused Israel to commit. Pul, king of Assyria, came against the land. But Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver to have his help in holding onto his kingdom. Menahem paid out silver on behalf of Israel, that is, for all the people of substance, by giving the king of Assyria fifty shekels of silver for each one. So the king of Assyria went home and did not stay in the land. The rest of the acts of Menahem, with all that he did, are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. Menahem rested with his ancestors, and his son Pekahiah succeeded him as king. Reign of Pekahiah of Israel.

16. Pekahiah (2 Kings 15, 23-26)

In the fiftieth year of Azariah, king of Judah, Pekahiah, son of Menahem, became king over Israel in Samaria for two years. He did what was evil in the L ord ’s sight, not desisting from the sins that Jeroboam, son of Nebat, had caused Israel to commit. His adjutant Pekah, son of Remaliah, conspired against him, and struck him down at Samaria within the palace stronghold; he had with him fifty men from Gilead. He killed him and reigned in his place. As for the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, with all that he did, these are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. Reign of Pekah of Israel.

17. Pekah (2 Kings 15, 27-31)

In the fifty-second year of Azariah, king of Judah, Pekah, son of Remaliah, became king over Israel in Samaria for twenty years. He did what was evil in the L ord ’s sight, not desisting from the sins that Jeroboam, son of Nebat, had caused Israel to commit. In the days of Pekah, king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, came and took Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee—all the land of Naphtali—deporting the inhabitants to Assyria. Hoshea, son of Elah, carried out a conspiracy against Pekah, son of Remaliah; he struck and killed him, and succeeded him as king in the twentieth year of Jotham, son of Uzziah. As for the rest of the acts of Pekah, with all that he did, these are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. Reign of Jotham of Judah.

18. Hosea (2 Kings 17, 1-6)

In the twelfth year of Ahaz, king of Judah, Hoshea, son of Elah, became king in Samaria over Israel for nine years. He did what was evil in the L ord ’s sight, yet not to the extent of the kings of Israel before him. Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, advanced against him, and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute. But the king of Assyria found Hoshea guilty of conspiracy for sending messengers to the king of Egypt at Sais, and for failure to pay the annual tribute to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria arrested and imprisoned him. Then the king of Assyria occupied the whole land and attacked Samaria, which he besieged for three years. Israelites Deported. In Hoshea’s ninth year, the king of Assyria took Samaria, deported the Israelites to Assyria, and settled them in Halah, and at the Habor, a river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

Sources

1 Traduction Bible Association Épiscopale Liturgique pour les pays Francophones : https://www.aelf.org/