The Second of Kings
Outline of Contents
Chapter 1
	Elijah foretells Ahaziah’s death (1-18)
Chapter 2
	Elijah taken up in a windstorm (1-18)
		Elisha gets Elijah’s official garment (13, 14)
	Elisha heals Jericho’s water (19-22)
	Bears kill young boys from Bethel (23-25)
Chapter 3
	Jehoram, king of Israel (1-3)
	Moab rebels against Israel (4-25)
	Moab defeated (26, 27)
Chapter 4
	Elisha multiplies a widow’s oil (1-7)
	A Shunammite woman’s hospitality (8-16)
	Woman rewarded with a son; he dies (17-31)
	Elisha resurrects the dead son (32-37)
	Elisha makes stew edible (38-41)
	Elisha multiplies bread (42-44)
Chapter 5
	Naaman healed of leprosy by Elisha (1-19)
	Greedy Gehazi struck with leprosy (20-27)
Chapter 6
	Elisha makes axhead float (1-7)
	Elisha versus the Syrians (8-23)
		Eyes of Elisha’s attendant opened (16, 17)
		Syrians mentally blinded (18, 19)
	Famine in besieged Samaria (24-33)
Chapter 7
	Elisha foretells end of famine (1, 2)
	Food found at abandoned Syrian camp (3-15)
	Elisha’s prophecy fulfilled (16-20)
Chapter 8
	Shunammite woman’s land restored to her (1-6)
	Elisha, Ben-hadad, and Hazael (7-15)
	Jehoram, king of Judah (16-24)
	Ahaziah, king of Judah (25-29)
Chapter 9
	Jehu anointed as king of Israel (1-13)
	Jehu kills Jehoram and Ahaziah (14-29)
	Jezebel killed; dogs eat her flesh (30-37)
Chapter 10
	Jehu kills the house of Ahab (1-17)
		Jehonadab joins Jehu (15-17)
	Baal worshippers killed by Jehu (18-27)
	Summary of Jehu’s reign (28-36)
Chapter 11
	Athaliah usurps the throne (1-3)
	Jehoash secretly made king (4-12)
	Athaliah killed (13-16)
	Jehoiada’s reforms (17-21)
Chapter 12
	Jehoash, king of Judah (1-3)
	Jehoash repairs the temple (4-16)
	Syrian invasion (17, 18)
	Jehoash killed (19-21)
Chapter 13
	Jehoahaz, king of Israel (1-9)
	Jehoash, king of Israel (10-13)
	Elisha tests Jehoash’s zeal (14-19)
	Elisha’s death; his bones resurrect a man (20, 21)
	Elisha’s final prophecy fulfilled (22-25)
Chapter 14
	Amaziah, king of Judah (1-6)
	War with Edom and with Israel (7-14)
	Death of Jehoash of Israel (15, 16)
	Death of Amaziah (17-22)
	Jeroboam II, king of Israel (23-29)
Chapter 15
	Azariah, king of Judah (1-7)
	Israel’s last kings: Zechariah (8-12), Shallum (13-16), Menahem (17-22), Pekahiah (23-26), Pekah (27-31)
	Jotham, king of Judah (32-38)
Chapter 16
	Ahaz, king of Judah (1-6)
	Ahaz bribes the Assyrians (7-9)
	Ahaz copies pagan altar (10-18)
	Death of Ahaz (19, 20)
Chapter 17
	Hoshea, king of Israel (1-4)
	Fall of Israel (5, 6)
	Israel exiled because of apostasy (7-23)
	Foreigners brought into Samaritan cities (24-26)
	Samaritans’ mixed religion (27-41)
Chapter 18
	Hezekiah, king of Judah (1-8)
	Review of Israel’s fall (9-12)
	Sennacherib invades Judah (13-18)
	The Rabshakeh taunts Jehovah (19-37)
Chapter 19
	Hezekiah seeks God’s help through Isaiah (1-7)
	Sennacherib threatens Jerusalem (8-13)
	Hezekiah’s prayer (14-19)
	Isaiah conveys God’s answer (20-34)
	Angel slays 185,000 Assyrians (35-37)
Chapter 20
	Hezekiah’s sickness and recovery (1-11)
	Messengers from Babylon (12-19)
	Death of Hezekiah (20, 21)
Chapter 21
	Manasseh, king of Judah; his bloodshed (1-18)
		Jerusalem to be destroyed (12-15)
	Amon, king of Judah (19-26)
Chapter 22
	Josiah, king of Judah (1, 2)
	Instructions for temple repair (3-7)
	Book of the Law found (8-13)
	Huldah’s prophecy of calamity (14-20)
Chapter 23
	Josiah’s reforms (1-20)
	Passover celebrated (21-23)
	Josiah’s further reforms (24-27)
	Josiah’s death (28-30)
	Jehoahaz, king of Judah (31-33)
	Jehoiakim, king of Judah (34-37)
Chapter 24
	Jehoiakim’s rebellion and death (1-7)
	Jehoiachin, king of Judah (8, 9)
	First deportation to Babylon (10-17)
	Zedekiah, king of Judah; his rebellion (18-20)
Chapter 25
	Nebuchadnezzar’s siege of Jerusalem (1-7)
	Jerusalem and its temple destroyed; second deportation (8-21)
	Gedaliah made governor (22-24)
	Gedaliah murdered; people flee to Egypt (25, 26)
	Jehoiachin released in Babylon (27-30)
Chapter 1
1 After the death of Ahab, Moab revolted against Israel.
2 It was then that Ahaziah fell down through the grating in his roof chamber in Samaria and was injured. So he sent messengers and said to them: “Go, inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron to find out whether I will recover from this injury.” 3 But the angel of Jehovah said to Elijah [Meaning “My God Is Jehovah.”] the Tishbite: “Rise up, go to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron? 4 Therefore this is what Jehovah says: “You will not leave the bed on which you are lying, for you will certainly die.”’” With that Elijah went off.
5 When the messengers returned to him, he immediately said to them: “Why have you come back?” 6 They replied to him: “There was a man who came up to meet us, and he said to us, ‘Go, return to the king who sent you and tell him, “This is what Jehovah says: ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron? Therefore, you will not leave the bed on which you are lying, for you will certainly die.’”’” 7 At this he asked them: “What did the man look like who came up to meet you and spoke these words to you?” 8 So they said to him: “He was a man with a garment of hair and a leather belt around his waist.” Immediately he said: “It was Elijah the Tishbite.”
9 The king then sent to him a chief of 50 with his 50 men. When he went up to him, he was sitting on the top of the mountain. He said to him: “Man of the true God, the king says, ‘Come down.’” 10 But Elijah answered the chief of the 50: “Well, if I am a man of God, let fire come down from the heavens and consume you and your 50 men.” And fire came down from the heavens and consumed him and his 50 men.
11 So the king sent again to him another chief of 50 with his 50 men. He went and said to him: “Man of the true God, this is what the king says, ‘Come down quickly.’” 12 But Elijah answered them: “If I am a man of the true God, let fire come down from the heavens and consume you and your 50 men.” And fire of God came down from the heavens and consumed him and his 50 men.
13 Then the king sent again a third chief of 50 and his 50 men. But the third chief of 50 went up and bowed down on his knees in front of Elijah and began to beg for favor and say to him: “Man of the true God, please, let my life and the lives of [Or “let my soul and the souls of.”] these 50 servants of yours be precious in your eyes. 14 Fire has already come down from the heavens and consumed the two former chiefs of 50 and their groups of 50, but now let my life [Or “soul.”] be precious in your eyes.”
15 At that the angel of Jehovah told Elijah: “Go down with him. Do not be afraid of him.” So he rose and went down with him to the king. 16 Elijah then said to the king, “This is what Jehovah says: ‘You sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron. Is it because there is no God in Israel? Why did you not inquire of his word? Therefore, you will not leave the bed on which you are lying, for you will certainly die.’” 17 So he died, according to the word of Jehovah that Elijah had spoken; and because he did not have a son, Jehoram [That is, Ahaziah’s brother.] became king in his place, in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah.
18 As for the rest of the history of Ahaziah, what he did, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Israel?
Chapter 2
1 When Jehovah was about to take Elijah up to the heavens [Or “sky.”] in a windstorm, Elijah and Elisha went out from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha: “Stay here, please, because Jehovah has sent me on to Bethel.” But Elisha said: “As surely as Jehovah is living and as you are [Or “your soul is.”] living, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3 Then the sons of the prophets [“The sons of the prophets” seems to refer to a school of instruction for prophets or to an association of prophets.] in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him: “Do you know that today Jehovah is taking your master away from headship over you?” At this he said: “I already know it. Be silent.”
4 Elijah now said to him: “Elisha, stay here, please, because Jehovah has sent me on to Jericho.” But he said: “As surely as Jehovah is living and as you are [Or “your soul is.”] living, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. 5 Then the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho approached Elisha and said to him: “Do you know that today Jehovah is taking your master away from headship over you?” At this he said: “I already know it. Be silent.”
6 Elijah now said to him: “Stay here, please, because Jehovah has sent me on to the Jordan.” But he said: “As surely as Jehovah is living and as you are [Or “your soul is.”] living, I will not leave you.” So both of them went on. 7 And 50 of the sons of the prophets also went and stood watching from a distance while the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 Then Elijah took his official garment and rolled it up and struck the waters, and they were divided to the left and to the right, so that both of them went across on the dry ground.
9 As soon as they had gone across, Elijah said to Elisha: “Ask what you want me to do for you before I am taken from you.” So Elisha said: “Please, may I receive a double portion [Or “two parts.”] of your spirit?” 10 He replied: “You have asked a difficult thing. If you see me when I am taken from you, it will happen for you that way; but if you do not, it will not happen.”
11 As they were walking along, speaking as they walked, suddenly a fiery chariot and fiery horses made a separation between the two of them, and Elijah ascended to the heavens [Or “sky.”] in the windstorm. 12 While Elisha was watching, he was crying out: “My father, my father! The chariot of Israel and his horsemen!” When he could no longer see him, he took hold of his own garments and ripped them into two pieces. 13 After that he picked up the official garment of Elijah that had fallen off him and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the official garment of Elijah that had fallen off him and struck the waters and said: “Where is Jehovah, the God of Elijah?” When he struck the waters, they were divided to the left and to the right, so that Elisha went across.
15 When the sons of the prophets at Jericho saw him from a distance, they said: “The spirit of Elijah has settled down on Elisha.” So they went to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him. 16 They said to him: “Here are 50 capable men with your servants. Let them go, please, to look for your master. Perhaps the spirit [Or “wind.”] of Jehovah has lifted him up and then thrown him on one of the mountains or in one of the valleys.” But he said: “Do not send them.” 17 However, they kept urging him until he was embarrassed, so he said: “Send them.” They sent the 50 men, who kept looking for three days but did not find him. 18 When they returned to him, he was staying in Jericho. Then he said to them: “Did I not tell you not to go?”
19 In time the men of the city said to Elisha: “My master can see that the city is well-situated; but the water is bad, and the land is barren.” [Or possibly, “causing miscarriages.”] 20 At that he said: “Bring me a small new bowl and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. 21 Then he went out to the source of the water and threw salt into it and said: “This is what Jehovah says, ‘I have healed this water. No more will it cause death or barrenness.’” [Or possibly, “miscarriages.”] 22 And the water has been healed down to this day, according to the word spoken by Elisha.
23 He went up from there to Bethel. As he was going along the way, some young boys came out from the city and began to jeer at him, and they kept saying to him: “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” 24 Finally he turned around and looked at them and cursed them in the name of Jehovah. Then two she-bears came out of the forest and tore 42 of the children to pieces. 25 He kept going from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
Chapter 3
1 Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the 18th year of King Jehoshaphat of Judah, and he reigned for 12 years. 2 He kept doing what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes, but not to the extent of his father or his mother, for he removed the sacred pillar of Baal that his father had made. 3 However, he clung to the sins that Jeroboam the son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit. He did not depart from them.
4 Now Mesha the king of Moab was a sheep raiser, and he used to pay 100,000 lambs and 100,000 unshorn rams as tribute to the king of Israel. 5 As soon as Ahab died, the king of Moab revolted against the king of Israel. 6 So King Jehoram went out on that day from Samaria and mustered all Israel. 7 He also sent a message to King Jehoshaphat of Judah, saying: “The king of Moab has revolted against me. Will you go with me to war against Moab?” To this he said: “I will go. I am the same as you. My people are the same as your people. My horses are the same as your horses.” 8 Then he asked: “By which way should we go up?” He replied: “By the way of the wilderness of Edom.”
9 The king of Israel then set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After they journeyed roundabout for seven days, there was no water for the camp and for the domestic animals that were following behind them. 10 The king of Israel said: “How terrible! Jehovah has called these three kings, only to give them into the hand of Moab!” 11 At that Jehoshaphat said: “Is there no prophet of Jehovah here through whom we may inquire of Jehovah?” So one of the servants of the king of Israel answered: “There is Elisha the son of Shaphat, who used to pour out water on the hands of Elijah.” [Or “who was Elijah’s servant.”] 12 Then Jehoshaphat said: “The word of Jehovah is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
13 Elisha said to the king of Israel: “What do I have to do with you? [Literally, “What to me and to you?”] Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother.” But the king of Israel said to him: “No, for it is Jehovah who has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.” 14 To this Elisha said: “As surely as Jehovah of armies whom I serve [Literally, “before whom I stand.”] is living, if I did not have regard for King Jehoshaphat of Judah, I would not look at you or take notice of you. 15 Now bring me a harpist.” [Or “musician.”] As soon as the harpist started playing, the hand of Jehovah came on him. 16 He said, “This is what Jehovah says: ‘Dig trench after trench in this valley, [Or “wadi.”] 17 for this is what Jehovah says: “You will not see wind, and you will not see rain; yet this valley [Or “wadi.”] will be filled with water, and you will drink from it, you, your livestock, and your other animals.”’ 18 But this is a trivial thing in the eyes of Jehovah, for he will also give Moab into your hand. 19 You must strike down every fortified city and every choice city, you should cut down every good tree, you should stop up all the springs of water, and you should ruin every good plot of land with stones.”
20 And in the morning, at the time of the morning grain offering, water was suddenly coming from the direction of Edom, and the land became filled with the water.
21 All the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, so they called together all the men who could bear arms, [Or “all who girded on a belt.”] and they stationed themselves at the border. 22 When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water, and to the Moabites on the opposite side, the water looked red like blood. 23 They said: “This is blood! The kings have surely slaughtered one another with the sword. So, then, to the spoil, O Moab!” 24 When they came into the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and began striking down the Moabites, who fled from them. They advanced into Moab, striking the Moabites down as they went. 25 They tore down the cities, and each man threw a stone into every good plot of land, filling it with stones; they stopped up every spring of water, and they cut down every good tree. Finally only the stone walls of Kir-hareseth remained standing, and the slingers surrounded it and struck it down.
26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle was lost, he took with him 700 men armed with swords to break through to the king of Edom; but they were not able to. 27 So he took his firstborn son who was going to reign in his place and offered him up as a burnt sacrifice on the wall. And there came to be great indignation against Israel, so they withdrew from against him and returned to their land.
Chapter 4
1 Now one of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying: “Your servant my husband is dead, and you well know that your servant had always feared Jehovah. Now a creditor has come to take both of my children as his slaves.” 2 At this Elisha said to her: “What can I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She replied: “Your servant has nothing at all in the house but a jar [Or “spouted jar.”] of oil.” 3 Then he said: “Go outside, ask for containers from all your neighbors, empty containers. Do not limit yourself to a few. 4 Then go in and close the door behind you and your sons. Fill all these containers, and set the full ones aside.” 5 So she left him.
When she closed the door behind her and her sons, they passed the containers to her, and she kept pouring. 6 When the containers were full, she said to one of her sons: “Bring another container to me.” But he said to her: “There are no more containers.” At that the oil stopped. 7 So she came in and told the man of the true God, and he said: “Go, sell the oil and pay off your debts, and you and your sons can live from what is left.”
8 One day Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman, and she urged him to eat a meal there. As often as he would pass by, he would stop there to eat. 9 So she said to her husband: “I know that it is a holy man of God who comes this way regularly. 10 Please, let us make a small room on the roof and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lampstand. Then, whenever he comes to us, he can stay there.”
11 One day he came there, and he went to the room on the roof to lie down. 12 He then said to Gehazi his attendant: “Call this Shunammite woman.” So he called her, and she stood before him. 13 Then he said to Gehazi: “Please tell her, ‘Here you have gone to all this trouble for us. What can be done for you? Should I speak in your behalf to the king or to the chief of the army?’” But her reply was: “I am living among my own people.” 14 So he said: “Then what can be done for her?” Gehazi now said: “Well, she does not have a son, and her husband is old.” 15 Immediately he said: “Call her.” So he called her, and she stood at the doorway. 16 Then he said: “At this time next year, you will be embracing a son.” But she said: “No, my master, man of the true God! Do not tell lies to your servant.”
17 However, the woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son at the same time the next year, just as Elisha had told her. 18 The child grew up, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. 19 He kept saying to his father: “My head, O my head!” Then his father said to the attendant: “Carry him to his mother.” 20 So he carried him back to his mother, and he sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. 21 Then she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of the true God, and she shut the door behind her and left. 22 She now called her husband and said: “Send me, please, one of the attendants and one of the donkeys, and let me go quickly to the man of the true God and return.” 23 But he said: “Why are you going to see him today? It is not a new moon or a sabbath.” However, she said: “Everything is all right.” 24 So she saddled the donkey and said to her attendant: “Go quickly. Do not slow down for me unless I tell you to.”
25 So she went to the man of the true God at Mount Carmel. As soon as the man of the true God saw her from afar, he said to Gehazi his attendant: “Look! The Shunammite woman is over there. 26 Please run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you well? Is your husband well? Is your child well?’” To this she said: “All is well.” 27 When she came to the man of the true God at the mountain, she at once grabbed hold of his feet. At this Gehazi came near to push her away, but the man of the true God said: “Let her alone, for she is in bitter distress, [Or “for her soul is bitter within her.”] and Jehovah has hidden it from me and has not told me.” 28 She then said: “Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, ‘You must not give me a false hope’?”
29 He immediately said to Gehazi: “Wrap your garments around your waist and take my staff in your hand and go. If you encounter anyone, do not greet him; and if anyone should greet you, do not answer him. Go and place my staff on the boy’s face.” 30 At this the boy’s mother said: “As surely as Jehovah is living and as you yourself are [Or “your soul is.”] living, I will not leave you.” So he got up and went with her. 31 Gehazi went before them and put the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. He went back to meet Elisha and told him: “The boy did not wake up.”
32 When Elisha came into the house, the boy was lying dead on his bed. 33 He went in and closed the door behind them both and began to pray to Jehovah. 34 Then he got up on the bed and lay down on the child and put his own mouth on the boy’s mouth, his own eyes on his eyes, and his own palms on his palms and kept bent over him, and the child’s body started to grow warm. 35 He walked back and forth in the house, and he got up on the bed and bent over him again. The boy sneezed seven times, after which he opened his eyes. 36 Elisha now called Gehazi and said: “Call the Shunammite woman.” So he called her and she came in to him. Then he said: “Pick up your son.” 37 And she came in and fell at his feet and bowed down to the ground before him, after which she picked up her son and went out.
38 When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was famine in the land. The sons of the prophets were sitting before him, and he said to his attendant: “Put the large pot on and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.” 39 So one of them went out to the field to pick mallows, and he found a wild vine and picked wild gourds from it, filling his garment. He then returned and sliced them into the stewpot, not knowing what they were. 40 They later served it to the men to eat, but as soon as they ate from the stew, they cried out: “There is death in the pot, O man of the true God.” And they could not eat it. 41 So he said: “Bring some flour.” After he threw it into the pot, he said: “Serve it to the people.” And nothing harmful was in the pot.
42 A man came from Baal-shalishah, and he brought the man of the true God 20 loaves of barley bread made from the first ripe fruits, as well as a bag of new grain. Then Elisha said: “Give it to the people so that they may eat.” 43 However, his attendant said: “How can I set this before 100 men?” To this he said: “Give it to the people so that they may eat, for this is what Jehovah says, ‘They will eat and have some left over.’” 44 At that he put it before them, and they ate and they had some left over, according to the word of Jehovah.
Chapter 5
1 Now Naaman the army chief of the king of Syria was a prominent man who was held in esteem by his lord, because through him Jehovah had given victory [Or “salvation.”] to Syria. He was a mighty warrior, although he was a leper. [Or “struck with a skin disease.”] 2 On one of their raids, the Syrians had taken captive from the land of Israel a little girl who became a servant to Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress: “If only my lord would visit the prophet in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 So he [Possibly referring to Naaman.] went and reported to his lord, telling him what the girl from Israel had said.
5 Then the king of Syria said: “Go now! And I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he went, taking with him ten talents [A talent equaled 34.2 kilograms (1,101 troy ounces). See Appendix B14.] of silver, 6,000 pieces of gold, and ten changes of garments. 6 He brought to the king of Israel the letter, which read: “Along with this letter that has come to you, I send my servant Naaman so that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he ripped his garments apart and said: “Am I God, to put to death and to keep alive? For he is sending this man to me, telling me to cure him of his leprosy! You can see for yourselves that he is seeking a quarrel with me.”
8 But when Elisha the man of the true God heard that the king of Israel had ripped his garments apart, he at once sent word to the king: “Why did you rip your garments apart? Please let him come to me so that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman came with his horses and his war chariots and stood at the entrance of the house of Elisha. 10 However, Elisha sent a messenger to tell him: “Go, wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored, and you will be clean.” 11 At this Naaman became indignant and started to leave, saying: “Here I said to myself, ‘He will come out to me and stand here and call on the name of Jehovah his God, moving his hand back and forth over the leprosy to cure it.’ 12 Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Can I not wash in them and become clean?” With that he turned and went away in a rage.
13 His servants now approached him and said: “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary, would you not do it? How much more, then, since he only said to you, ‘Wash and be clean’?” 14 At that he went down and plunged into [Or “immersed himself in.”] the Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of the true God. Then his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little boy, and he became clean.
15 After that he went back to the man of the true God, he and all his entourage, [Literally, “camp.”] and he stood before him and said: “Now I know that there is no God anywhere in all the earth but in Israel. Now accept, please, a gift [Literally, “blessing.”] from your servant.” 16 However, Elisha said: “As surely as Jehovah whom I serve [Literally, “before whom I stand.”] is living, I will not accept it.” He urged him to accept it, but he kept refusing. 17 Finally Naaman said: “If not, please, let your servant be given two mule-loads of soil from this land, for your servant will no longer offer a burnt offering or a sacrifice to any gods other than Jehovah. 18 But may Jehovah forgive your servant for this one thing: When my lord goes into the house [Or “temple.”] of Rimmon to bow down there, he supports himself on my arm, so I have to bow down at the house of Rimmon. When I bow down at the house of Rimmon, may Jehovah, please, forgive your servant for this.” 19 At this he said to him: “Go in peace.” After he departed from him and had traveled for some distance, 20 Gehazi the attendant of Elisha the man of the true God said to himself: ‘Here my master has spared this Syrian Naaman by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as Jehovah is living, I will run after him and take something from him.’ 21 So Gehazi chased after Naaman. When Naaman saw someone running after him, he got down from his chariot to meet him and said: “Is everything all right?” 22 To this he said: “All is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Look! Just now two young men from the mountainous region of Ephraim from the sons of the prophets came to me. Give them, please, a talent of silver and two changes of garments.’” 23 Naaman said: “Go on, take two talents.” He kept urging him, and he wrapped up two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and gave them to two of his attendants, who carried them before him.
24 When he reached Ophel, [A location in Samaria, possibly a hill or a fortification.] he took them from their hand and put them in the house and sent the men away. After they left, 25 he went in and stood by his master. Elisha now said to him: “Where did you come from, Gehazi?” But he said: “Your servant did not go anywhere.” 26 Elisha said to him: “Was my heart not there with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to accept silver or to accept garments or olive groves or vineyards or sheep or cattle or male or female servants? 27 Now Naaman’s leprosy will stick to you and your descendants forever.” Immediately he went out from before him a leper, white as snow.
Chapter 6
1 The sons of the prophets said to Elisha: “Look! The place where we are staying with you is too cramped for us. 2 Please let us go to the Jordan. Let each of us take a log from there and make a place there where we can dwell.” He said: “Go.” 3 One of them said: “Will you please come along with your servants?” At that he said: “I will come.” 4 So he went with them, and they came to the Jordan and began to cut down the trees. 5 As one of them was cutting down a tree, the axhead fell into the water, and he cried out: “Alas, my master, it was borrowed!” 6 The man of the true God said: “Where did it fall?” So he showed him the place. He then cut off a piece of wood and threw it there and made the axhead float. 7 He said: “Lift it out.” So he reached out his hand and took it.
8 Now the king of Syria went to war against Israel. He consulted with his servants and said: “I will encamp at such and such a place with you.” 9 Then the man of the true God sent word to the king of Israel, saying: “Beware of passing by this place, because that is where the Syrians are coming down.” 10 So the king of Israel sent word to the place that the man of the true God had warned him about. He kept warning him, and he stayed away from there on several occasions. [Or “more than once or twice.”]
11 This enraged the king [Literally, “the heart of the king.”] of Syria, so he summoned his servants and said to them: “Tell me! Who among us is on the side of the king of Israel?” 12 Then one of his servants said: “None of us, my lord the king! It is Elisha the prophet in Israel who tells the king of Israel the things that you say in your own bedroom.” 13 He said: “Go and find out where he is, so that I may send men to capture him.” Later the report was made to him: “He is in Dothan.” 14 He immediately sent horses and war chariots there, as well as a large army; they came by night and surrounded the city.
15 When the attendant [Or “minister.”] of the man of the true God rose early and went outside, he saw that an army with horses and war chariots was surrounding the city. At once the attendant said to him: “Alas, my master! What are we to do?” 16 But he said: “Do not be afraid! For there are more who are with us than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha began to pray and say: “O Jehovah, open his eyes, please, that he may see.” Immediately Jehovah opened the attendant’s eyes and he saw, and look! the mountainous region was full of horses and war chariots of fire all around Elisha.
18 When the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to Jehovah and said: “Please, strike this nation with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, just as Elisha had requested. 19 Elisha now said to them: “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and let me lead you to the man you are looking for.” However, he led them to Samaria.
20 When they arrived in Samaria, Elisha said: “O Jehovah, open their eyes so that they may see.” So Jehovah opened their eyes, and they saw that they were in the middle of Samaria. 21 When the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha: “Should I strike them down, should I strike them down, my father?” 22 But he said: “You must not strike them down. Do you strike down those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Give them bread and water so they may eat and drink and return to their lord.” 23 So he spread a great feast for them, and they ate and drank, after which he sent them away to return to their lord. And not once did the marauder bands of the Syrians come again into the land of Israel.
24 Afterward Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his army [Literally, “camp.”] together and went up and besieged Samaria. 25 So there was a great famine in Samaria, and they besieged it until a donkey’s head was worth 80 silver pieces, and a fourth of a cab measure [A cab equaled 1.22 liters (1.11 dry quarts). See Appendix B14.] of dove’s droppings was worth 5 silver pieces. 26 As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him: “Help us, O my lord the king!” 27 To this he said: “If Jehovah does not help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor? Or from the wine or oil press?” 28 The king asked her: “What is the matter with you?” She replied: “This woman said to me, ‘Hand over your son, and we will eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ 29 So we boiled my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, ‘Hand over your son so that we may eat him.’ But she hid her son.”
30 As soon as the king heard the woman’s words, he ripped his garments apart. When he passed by on the wall, the people saw that he was wearing sackcloth under his clothes. [Or “underneath, next to his skin.”] 31 Then he said: “So may God do to me and add to it if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on him today!”
32 Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a man ahead of him, but before the messenger arrived, Elisha said to the elders: “Have you seen how this son of a murderer has sent to take off my head? Watch when the messenger comes, close the door, and hold the door shut against him. Is not the sound of his lord’s footsteps behind him?” 33 While he was still speaking with them, the messenger came to him, and the king said: “This calamity is from Jehovah. Why should I wait any longer for Jehovah?”
Chapter 7
1 Elisha now said, “Listen to the word of Jehovah. This is what Jehovah says: ‘Tomorrow about this time at the gate [Or “markets.”] of Samaria, a seah measure [A seah equaled 7.33 liters (6.66 dry quarts). See Appendix B14.] of fine flour will be worth a shekel, [A shekel equaled 11.4 grams (0.367 troy ounces). See Appendix B14.] and two seah measures of barley will be worth a shekel.’” 2 At that the adjutant whom the king relied on said to the man of the true God: “Even if Jehovah should open floodgates in the heavens, could this [Literally, “this word.”] possibly take place?” To that he said: “You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat from it.”
3 There were four lepers at the entrance of the city gate, and they said to one another: “Why are we sitting here until we die? 4 If we say, ‘Let us go into the city,’ while the famine is in the city, we would die there. And if we sit here, we will die anyway. So now let us go over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare our lives, we will live, but if they put us to death, then we will die.” 5 They then got up in the evening darkness and entered the camp of the Syrians. When they reached the outskirts of the Syrian camp, there was nobody there.
6 For Jehovah had caused the Syrian camp to hear the sound of war chariots and horses, the sound of a huge army. So they said to one another: “Look! The king of Israel has hired the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to come against us!” 7 They immediately got up and fled in the evening darkness, leaving their tents, horses, donkeys, and the whole camp just as it was, and they fled for their lives. [Or “souls.”]
8 When these lepers reached the outskirts of the camp, they entered into one of the tents and began to eat and drink. They carried away from there silver, gold, and garments and went and hid them. Then they returned and entered another tent and carried things away from there and went and hid them.
9 Finally they said to one another: “What we are doing is not right. This day is a day of good news! If we hesitate and wait until dawn, we will deserve to be punished. Let us now go and report this at the king’s house.” 10 So they went and called out to the gatekeepers of the city and reported to them: “We went into the camp of the Syrians, but nobody was there—we did not hear anyone at all. There were only the horses and donkeys tied and the tents left just as they were.” 11 At once the gatekeepers called out, and it was reported inside the king’s house.
12 Immediately the king got up by night and said to his servants: “Please let me tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry, so they left the camp to hide in the field, saying, ‘They will come out of the city, and we will catch them alive and enter into the city.’” 13 Then one of his servants said: “Please, let some men take five of the remaining horses that are in the city. Look! They will end up the same as all the crowd of Israel that remain here. Look! They will end up the same as all the crowd of Israel that perished. Let us then send them out and see.” 14 So they took two chariots with horses, and the king sent them out to the camp of the Syrians, saying: “Go and see.” 15 They followed them as far as the Jordan, and the entire way was covered with garments and utensils that the Syrians had thrown away as they fled in panic. The messengers returned and reported it to the king.
16 The people then went out and plundered the camp of the Syrians, so that a seah measure of fine flour came to be worth a shekel, and two seah measures of barley came to be worth a shekel, according to the word of Jehovah. 17 The king had appointed the adjutant whom he relied on to be in charge of the gate, but the people trampled him to death at the gate, just as the man of the true God had told the king when he came down to him. 18 It happened just as the man of the true God had said to the king: “Two seah measures of barley will be worth a shekel, and a seah measure of fine flour will be worth a shekel tomorrow at this time at the gate of Samaria.” 19 But the adjutant had said to the man of the true God: “Even if Jehovah should open floodgates in the heavens, could such a thing [Literally, “such a word as this.”] take place?” To this Elisha had said: “You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat from it.” 20 That is exactly what happened to him, because the people trampled him to death at the gate.
Chapter 8
1 Elisha said to the woman whose son he had restored to life: [Or “had revived.”] “Rise up and go, you with your household, and live as a foreigner wherever you can, for Jehovah has declared a famine, and it will come on the land for seven years.” 2 So the woman got up and did what the man of the true God said. She went with her household and settled in the land of the Philistines for seven years.
3 At the end of seven years, the woman returned from the land of the Philistines and went to appeal to the king for her house and her field. 4 Now the king was speaking to Gehazi the attendant of the man of the true God, saying: “Relate to me, please, all the great things that Elisha has done.” 5 Just as he was relating to the king how he had restored the dead one to life, the woman whose son he had restored to life came to the king, appealing for her house and her field. At once Gehazi said: “My lord the king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.” 6 At that the king asked the woman, and she related the story to him. Then the king assigned her a court official, telling him: “Return all that belongs to her and all the products of the field from the day she left the land until now.”
7 Elisha came to Damascus when Ben-hadad the king of Syria was sick. So the report was made to him: “The man of the true God has come here.” 8 At that the king said to Hazael: “Take a gift with you and go and meet the man of the true God. Inquire of Jehovah through him, asking, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’” 9 Hazael went to meet him and took a gift with him, every sort of good thing of Damascus, the load of 40 camels. He came and stood before him and said: “Your son, Ben-hadad the king of Syria, has sent me to you, asking, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’” 10 Elisha replied to him: “Go and tell him, ‘You will certainly recover,’ but Jehovah has shown me that he will certainly die.” 11 And he kept staring at him to the point of embarrassment. Then the man of the true God gave way to weeping. 12 Hazael asked: “Why is my lord weeping?” He replied: “Because I know what harm you will do to the people of Israel. Their fortified places you will set on fire, their choice men you will kill with the sword, their children you will dash to pieces, and their pregnant women you will rip open.” 13 Hazael said: “How could your servant, who is a mere dog, do such a deed?” But Elisha said: “Jehovah has shown me that you will be king over Syria.”
14 Then he left Elisha and returned to his own lord, who said to him: “What did Elisha say to you?” He replied: “He told me that you will certainly recover.” 15 But the next day, Hazael took a coverlet, dipped it in water, and held [Or “placed.”] it over his face until he died. And Hazael became king in his place.
16 In the fifth year of Jehoram the son of Ahab the king of Israel, while Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Jehoram the son of King Jehoshaphat of Judah became king. 17 He was 32 years old when he became king, and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem. 18 He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as those of the house of Ahab had done, for Ahab’s daughter had become his wife; and he kept doing what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes. 19 But Jehovah did not want to bring Judah to ruin for the sake of David his servant, since he had promised him to give a lamp to him and to his sons always.
20 In his days Edom revolted against Judah and then set up its own king. 21 So Jehoram crossed over to Zair with all his chariots, and he rose up by night and defeated the Edomites who were surrounding him and the chariot commanders; and the troops fled to their tents. 22 But Edom has kept up its revolt against Judah to this day. Libnah also revolted at that time.
23 And the rest of the history of Jehoram, all that he did, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Judah? 24 Then Jehoram was laid to rest with his forefathers and was buried with his forefathers in the City of David. And his son Ahaziah became king in his place.
25 In the 12th year of Jehoram the son of Ahab the king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of King Jehoram of Judah became king. 26 Ahaziah was 22 years old when he became king, and he reigned for one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah the granddaughter [Literally, “daughter.”] of King Omri of Israel. 27 He walked in the way of the house of Ahab and kept doing what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes, like the house of Ahab, for he was related to the house of Ahab by marriage. 28 So he went with Jehoram the son of Ahab to wage war against King Hazael of Syria at Ramoth-gilead, but the Syrians wounded Jehoram. 29 So King Jehoram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds that the Syrians had inflicted on him at Ramah when he fought against King Hazael of Syria. Ahaziah the son of Jehoram the king of Judah went down to Jezreel to see Jehoram the son of Ahab, because he had been wounded. [Or “he was sick.”]
Chapter 9
1 Elisha the prophet then called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him: “Wrap your garments around your waist, and quickly take this flask of oil with you and go to Ramoth-gilead. 2 When you arrive there, look for Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi; go in and have him get up from among his brothers and take him into the innermost room. 3 Then take the flask of oil and pour it out on his head and say, ‘This is what Jehovah says: “I anoint you as king over Israel.”’ Then open the door and flee without delay.”
4 So the prophet’s attendant got on his way to Ramoth-gilead. 5 When he arrived, the army chiefs were seated there. He said: “I have a message for you, O chief.” Jehu asked: “For which one of us?” He said: “For you, O chief.” 6 So Jehu got up and went into the house; the attendant poured the oil out on his head and said to him, “This is what Jehovah the God of Israel says: ‘I anoint you as king over Jehovah’s people, over Israel. 7 You must strike down the house of Ahab your lord, and I will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and of all the servants of Jehovah who died at the hands of Jezebel. 8 And the whole house of Ahab will perish; and I will annihilate from Ahab every male, [Literally, “anyone urinating against a wall.” A Hebrew expression of contempt referring to males.] including the helpless and weak in Israel. 9 And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. 10 As for Jezebel, the dogs will eat her up in the plot of land at Jezreel, and no one will bury her.’” With that he opened the door and fled.
11 When Jehu went back to the servants of his lord, they asked him: “Is everything all right? Why did this crazy man come to you?” He answered them: “You know that sort of man and his sort of talk.” 12 But they said: “That is not true! Tell us, please.” Then he said: “This is what he said to me, and then he added, ‘This is what Jehovah says: “I anoint you as king over Israel.”’” 13 At this each of them quickly took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps, and they blew the horn and said: “Jehu has become king!” 14 Then Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Jehoram.
Jehoram had been on guard at Ramoth-gilead, he with all Israel, because of King Hazael of Syria. 15 King Jehoram later returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds that the Syrians inflicted on him when he fought King Hazael of Syria.
Jehu now said: “If you agree, [Or “your soul agrees.”] do not let anyone escape from the city to go and report this in Jezreel.” 16 Then Jehu mounted his chariot and went to Jezreel, for Jehoram was lying there wounded, and King Ahaziah of Judah had gone down to see Jehoram. 17 As the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel, he saw the throng of Jehu’s men approaching. At once he said: “I see a throng of men.” Jehoram said: “Take a cavalryman and send him to meet them, and let him say, ‘Are you coming in peace?’” 18 So a horseman went to meet him and said: “This is what the king says, ‘Are you coming in peace?’” But Jehu said: “What do you have to do with ‘peace’? Fall in behind me!”
The watchman then reported: “The messenger reached them, but he has not returned.” 19 So he sent out a second horseman, who said when he came to them: “This is what the king says, ‘Are you coming in peace?’” But Jehu said: “What do you have to do with ‘peace’? Fall in behind me!”
20 The watchman then reported: “He reached them, but he has not returned, and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the grandson [Literally, “son.”] of Nimshi, for he drives like a madman.” 21 Jehoram said: “Hitch up!” So his war chariot was hitched up and King Jehoram of Israel and King Ahaziah of Judah each went out in his own war chariot to meet Jehu. They encountered him in the plot of land of Naboth the Jezreelite.
22 As soon as Jehoram saw Jehu, he said: “Are you coming in peace, Jehu?” But he said: “What peace could there be as long as there is the prostitution of Jezebel your mother and her many sorceries?” 23 At once Jehoram turned his chariot to flee, and he said to Ahaziah: “We have been tricked, Ahaziah!” 24 Jehu took his bow in hand and shot Jehoram between the shoulders, and the arrow came out at his heart, and he collapsed in his war chariot. 25 He then said to Bidkar his adjutant: “Pick him up and throw him into the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. Remember, you and I were riding together [Literally, “riding teams.”] behind Ahab his father when Jehovah himself made this pronouncement against him: 26 ‘“As surely as I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons yesterday,” declares Jehovah, “I will repay you in this very plot of land,” declares Jehovah.’ So now pick him up and throw him into the plot of land, according to the word of Jehovah.”
27 When King Ahaziah of Judah saw what was happening, he fled by way of the garden house. (Later Jehu pursued him and said: “Strike him down also!” So they struck him down in the chariot on his way up to Gur, which is by Ibleam. But he continued his flight to Megiddo and died there. 28 Then his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and they buried him in his grave with his forefathers in the City of David. 29 It was in the 11th year of Jehoram the son of Ahab that Ahaziah had become king over Judah.)
30 When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. So she painted her eyes with black paint [Or “eye shadow.”] and adorned her head and looked down through the window. 31 As Jehu came in through the gate, she said: “Did it go well with Zimri, the killer of his lord?” 32 Looking up to the window, he said: “Who is on my side? Who?” Immediately two or three court officials looked down at him. 33 He said: “Throw her down!” So they threw her down, and some of her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses, and he trampled her. 34 After that he went in and ate and drank. He then said: “Please, take care of this accursed woman and bury her. After all, she is the daughter of a king.” 35 But when they went to bury her, they did not find anything but her skull and her feet and the palms of her hands. 36 When they returned and told him, he said: “This fulfills the word of Jehovah that he spoke through his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘In the plot of land of Jezreel, the dogs will eat the flesh of Jezebel. 37 And the dead body of Jezebel will become as manure on the surface of the field in the plot of land of Jezreel, so that they may not say: “This is Jezebel.”’”
Chapter 10
1 Now Ahab had 70 sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the princes of Jezreel, the elders, and the guardians of Ahab’s children, [Literally, “the guardians of Ahab.”] saying: 2 “Now when this letter comes to you, the sons of your lord will be with you, as well as the war chariots, the horses, a fortified city, and weapons. 3 Select the best and most suitable [Or “upright.”] of the sons of your lord and put him on the throne of his father. Then fight for the house of your lord.”
4 But they were overcome with fear and said: “Look! If two kings could not stand before him, how can we stand?” 5 So the overseer of the palace, [Literally, “house.”] the governor of the city, the elders, and the guardians sent this message to Jehu: “We are your servants, and we will do everything that you tell us. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever seems good in your eyes.”
6 Then he wrote them a second letter, saying: “If you belong to me and are willing to obey me, bring the heads of the sons of your lord and come to me tomorrow at this time at Jezreel.”
Now the 70 sons of the king were with the distinguished men of the city who were raising them. 7 As soon as the letter came to them, they took the sons of the king and slaughtered them, 70 men, and they put their heads in baskets and sent them to him at Jezreel. 8 The messenger came in and told him: “They have brought the heads of the sons of the king.” So he said: “Put them in two heaps at the entrance of the city gate until morning.” 9 When he went out in the morning, he stood before all the people and said: “You are innocent. [Or “righteous.”] Yes, I conspired against my lord, and I killed him, but who struck down all of these? 10 Know, then, that not a single word of Jehovah’s that Jehovah has spoken against the house of Ahab will go unfulfilled, [Literally, “will fall to the earth.”] and Jehovah has done what he spoke through his servant Elijah.” 11 Moreover, Jehu struck down all who were left of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, as well as all his distinguished men, his acquaintances, and his priests, until he had left him no survivor.
12 Then he got up and went on his way to Samaria. The binding house [Apparently a place where sheep were bound in order to be sheared.] of the shepherds was on the way. 13 There Jehu encountered the brothers of King Ahaziah of Judah, and he said to them, “Who are you?” They said: “We are the brothers of Ahaziah, and we are on our way down to ask if all is well with the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother.” [Or “the lady.”] 14 Immediately he said: “Capture them alive!” So they captured them alive and slaughtered them at the cistern of the binding house, 42 men. He did not let a single one of them survive.
15 As he went from there, he encountered Jehonadab the son of Rechab, who was coming to meet him. When he greeted [Or “blessed.”] him, he said to him: “Is your heart fully [Literally, “upright.”] with me, just as my heart is with your heart?”
Jehonadab replied: “It is.”
“If so, give me your hand.”
So he gave him his hand, and Jehu pulled him up into the chariot with him. 16 Then he said: “Come along with me, and see my toleration of no rivalry toward [Or “my zeal for.”] Jehovah.” So they had him ride with him in his war chariot. 17 Then he came to Samaria, and he struck down all who were left over of Ahab’s house in Samaria until he had annihilated them, according to Jehovah’s word that he had spoken to Elijah.
18 Further, Jehu collected all the people together and said to them: “Ahab worshipped Baal a little, but Jehu will worship him much more. 19 So summon all the prophets of Baal, all his worshippers, and all his priests to me. Do not let a single one be absent, because I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Anyone who is absent will not live.” But Jehu was acting with cunning to destroy the worshippers of Baal.
20 Jehu continued: “Declare [Literally, “Sanctify.”] a solemn assembly for Baal.” So they proclaimed it. 21 After that Jehu sent word throughout Israel, and all the worshippers of Baal came. Not a single one was left out who did not come. They entered the house [Or “temple.”] of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled from end to end. 22 He said to the one who was in charge of the wardrobe: “Bring out garments for all the worshippers of Baal.” So he brought out the clothing for them. 23 Then Jehu and Jehonadab the son of Rechab went into the house of Baal. He now said to the worshippers of Baal: “Search carefully and see that there are no worshippers of Jehovah here, only worshippers of Baal.” 24 Finally they came in to offer up sacrifices and burnt offerings. Jehu had stationed 80 of his men outside and said: “If any one of the men I am putting into your hands escapes, it will be your life for his.” [Or “it will be your soul for his soul.”]
25 As soon as he finished offering up the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guards [Literally, “runners.”] and the adjutants: “Come in and strike them down! Do not let a single one escape!” So the guards and the adjutants struck them down with the sword and threw them out, and they kept going as far as the inner sanctuary [Literally, “the city,” perhaps a fortresslike structure.] of the house of Baal. 26 Then they brought out the sacred pillars of the house of Baal and burned each one. 27 They tore down the sacred pillar of Baal, and they tore down the house of Baal and turned it into latrines, as it remains to this day.
28 Thus Jehu annihilated Baal out of Israel. 29 However, Jehu did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam the son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit as regards the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan. 30 So Jehovah said to Jehu: “Because you have acted well and have done what is right in my eyes by carrying out all that was in my heart to do to the house of Ahab, four generations of your sons will sit on the throne of Israel.” 31 But Jehu did not take care to walk in the Law of Jehovah the God of Israel with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.
32 In those days Jehovah started to cut off [Or “reduce.”] Israel piece by piece. Hazael kept attacking them throughout the territory of Israel, 33 from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead—of the Gadites, the Reubenites, and the Manassites—from Aroer, which is by the Arnon Valley, [Or “Wadi Arnon.”] to Gilead and Bashan.
34 And the rest of the history of Jehu, all that he did and all his mightiness, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Israel? 35 Then Jehu was laid to rest with his forefathers, and they buried him in Samaria; and his son Jehoahaz became king in his place. 36 The length [Literally, “The days.”] of Jehu’s reign over Israel was 28 years in Samaria.
Chapter 11
1 Now when Athaliah, Ahaziah’s mother, saw that her son had died, she rose up and destroyed the entire royal line. [Literally, “all seed of the kingdom.”] 2 However, Jehosheba the daughter of King Jehoram, Ahaziah’s sister, took Jehoash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the sons of the king who were to be put to death, keeping him and his nurse in an inner bedroom. They managed to keep him concealed from Athaliah, so he was not put to death. 3 He remained with her for six years, hidden at the house of Jehovah, while Athaliah was ruling over the land.
4 In the seventh year, Jehoiada sent for the chiefs of hundreds of the Carian bodyguard and of the palace guards [Literally, “the runners.”] and had them come to him at the house of Jehovah. He made a pact [Or “covenant.”] with them and had them swear to it at the house of Jehovah, and then he showed them the son of the king. 5 He ordered them: “This is what you are to do: One third of you will be on duty on the Sabbath and will keep strict watch over the king’s house, [Or “palace.”] 6 another third will be at the Gate of the Foundation, and another third will be at the gate behind the palace guards. You will take turns watching over the house. 7 Your two divisions that are supposed to be off duty on the Sabbath must keep strict watch over the house of Jehovah to protect the king. 8 You must surround the king on every side, each with his weapons in hand. Anyone entering within the ranks will be put to death. Stay with the king wherever he goes.” [Literally, “when he goes out and when he comes in.”]
9 The chiefs of hundreds did exactly what Jehoiada the priest had commanded. So each one took his men who were on duty on the Sabbath, together with those who were off duty on the Sabbath, and they came in to Jehoiada the priest. 10 The priest then gave the chiefs of hundreds the spears and the circular shields that had belonged to King David, which were in the house of Jehovah. 11 And the palace guards took their positions, each with his weapons in hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, by the altar and by the house, all around the king. 12 Then Jehoiada brought the king’s son out and put on him the crown [Or “diadem.”] and the Testimony, [Possibly a scroll containing the Law of God.] and they made him king and anointed him. They began to clap their hands and say: “Long live the king!”
13 When Athaliah heard the sound of the people running, she immediately came to the people at the house of Jehovah. 14 Then she saw the king standing there by the pillar according to the custom. The chiefs and the trumpeters were with the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing the trumpets. At this Athaliah ripped her garments apart and cried out: “Conspiracy! Conspiracy!” 15 But Jehoiada the priest commanded the chiefs of hundreds, those appointed over the army, and said to them: “Take her out from among the ranks, and if anyone follows her, put him to death with the sword!” For the priest had said: “Do not put her to death in the house of Jehovah.” 16 So they seized her, and when she reached the place where the horses enter the king’s house, [Or “palace.”] she was put to death there.
17 Then Jehoiada made a covenant between Jehovah and the king and the people, that they would continue as the people of Jehovah, and he also made a covenant between the king and the people. 18 After that all the people of the land came to the house [Or “temple.”] of Baal and tore down his altars, completely smashed his images, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.
Then the priest appointed overseers over the house of Jehovah. 19 Further, he took the chiefs of hundreds, the Carian bodyguard, the palace guards, and all the people of the land to escort the king down from the house of Jehovah, and they came to the king’s house [Or “palace.”] by the way of the gate of the palace guard. He then sat on the throne of the kings. 20 So all the people of the land rejoiced and the city was quiet, for they had put Athaliah to death with the sword at the king’s house.
21 Jehoash was seven years old when he became king.
Chapter 12
1 In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash became king, and he reigned for 40 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah from Beer-sheba. 2 Jehoash continued doing what was right in Jehovah’s eyes all the days that Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3 However, the high places were not removed, and the people were still sacrificing and making sacrificial smoke on the high places.
4 Jehoash said to the priests: “Take all the money that is brought to the house of Jehovah for the holy offerings, the money for which each one is assessed, the money given as an estimated value for a person, [Or “soul.”] and all the money that each person’s heart is moved to bring to the house of Jehovah. 5 The priests will personally take it from their donors [Or “acquaintances.”] and use it to repair the house, wherever any damage is [Or “cracks are.”] found.”
6 By the 23rd year of King Jehoash, the priests had not yet repaired the damage to the house. 7 So King Jehoash called Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and said to them: “Why are you not repairing the damage to the house? Therefore, do not take any more money from your donors unless it is used to repair the house.” 8 At that the priests agreed not to take any more money from the people and not to be responsible for repairing the house.
9 Jehoiada the priest then took a chest and bored a hole in its lid and put it next to the altar on the right as one enters the house of Jehovah. That is where the priests who served as doorkeepers would put all the money that was brought into the house of Jehovah. 10 Whenever they saw that there was a great deal of money in the chest, the secretary of the king and the high priest would come up and collect [Or “put into bags.” Literally, “bind.”] and count the money that had been brought to the house of Jehovah. 11 They would give the money that had been counted to those appointed over the work being done in the house of Jehovah. They, in turn, paid it to the woodworkers and to the builders who were working at the house of Jehovah, 12 as well as to the masons and the stonecutters. They also bought timbers and hewn stones for repairing the damage to the house of Jehovah and used the money for all the other expenses incurred in repairing the house.
13 However, none of the money brought to the house of Jehovah was used to make basins of silver, extinguishers, bowls, trumpets, or any sort of gold or silver article for the house of Jehovah. 14 They would give it only to those who did the work, and with it they repaired the house of Jehovah. 15 They would not call for an accounting from the men to whom they gave the money to give to the workers, for they were trustworthy. 16 However, the money for guilt offerings and the money for sin offerings was not brought to the house of Jehovah; it belonged to the priests.
17 It was then that Hazael the king of Syria went up to fight against Gath, and he captured it, after which he decided to attack [Literally, “Hazael set his face to go up against.”] Jerusalem. 18 At that King Jehoash of Judah took all the holy offerings that his forefathers Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, the kings of Judah, had sanctified, as well as his own holy offerings and all the gold to be found in the treasuries of the house of Jehovah and the king’s house, [Or “palace.”] and sent them to Hazael the king of Syria. So he withdrew from Jerusalem.
19 As for the rest of the history of Jehoash, all that he did, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Judah? 20 However, his servants joined in a conspiracy against him and struck Jehoash down at the house of the Mound, [Or “at Beth-millo.”] on the way that goes down to Silla. 21 His servants Jozacar the son of Shimeath and Jehozabad the son of Shomer were the ones who struck him and put him to death. They buried him with his forefathers in the City of David, and his son Amaziah became king in his place.
Chapter 13
1 In the 23rd year of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah the king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned for 17 years. 2 He continued to do what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes, and he persisted in the sin that Jeroboam the son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit. He did not turn away from it. 3 So Jehovah’s anger grew hot against Israel, and he gave them into the hand of King Hazael of Syria and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael all their days.
4 In time Jehoahaz begged for the favor [Or “softened the face.”] of Jehovah, and Jehovah listened to him, for he had seen the oppression the king of Syria had inflicted on Israel. 5 So Jehovah provided Israel with a savior to free them from Syria’s grip, and the Israelites were able to dwell in their homes as before. [That is, in peace and security.] 6 (However, they did not depart from the sin of the house of Jeroboam that he had caused Israel to commit. They continued in this sin, [Literally, “In it he walked.”] and the sacred pole [See Glossary.] continued to stand in Samaria.) 7 Jehoahaz was left with an army of only 50 horsemen, 10 chariots, and 10,000 foot soldiers, because the king of Syria had destroyed them, trampling them like the dust at threshing time.
8 As for the rest of the history of Jehoahaz, all that he did and his mightiness, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Israel? 9 Then Jehoahaz was laid to rest with his forefathers, and they buried him in Samaria; and his son Jehoash became king in his place.
10 In the 37th year of King Jehoash of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned for 16 years. 11 He continued to do what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes, not departing from all the sins that Jeroboam the son of Nebat had made Israel commit. He continued [Literally, “walked.”] in these sins.
12 As for the rest of the history of Jehoash, all that he did and his mightiness and how he fought against King Amaziah of Judah, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Israel? 13 Then Jehoash was laid to rest with his forefathers, and Jeroboam [That is, Jeroboam II.] sat on his throne. And Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
14 Now when Elisha became ill with the sickness from which he eventually died, Jehoash the king of Israel came down to him and wept over him, saying: “My father, my father! The chariot of Israel and his horsemen!” 15 Elisha then said to him: “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. 16 Then he said to the king of Israel: “Put your hand to the bow.” So he put his hand to it, after which Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands. 17 Then he said: “Open the window toward the east.” So he opened it. Elisha said: “Shoot!” So he shot. He now said: “Jehovah’s arrow of victory, [Or “salvation.”] the arrow of victory over [Or “salvation against.”] Syria! You will strike down [Or “defeat.”] Syria at Aphek until you finish it off.”
18 He continued: “Take the arrows,” and he took them. Then he said to the king of Israel: “Strike the ground.” So he struck the ground three times and stopped. 19 At that the man of the true God grew indignant at him and said: “You should have struck the ground five or six times! Then you would have struck down Syria until you finished it off, but now you will strike down Syria only three times.”
20 After that Elisha died and was buried. There were Moabite marauder bands that would come into the land at the beginning of the year. [Literally, “at the coming in of the year,” likely in the spring.] 21 As some men were burying a man, they saw the marauder band, so they quickly threw the man into Elisha’s burial place and ran off. When the man touched the bones of Elisha, he came to life and stood on his feet.
22 Now King Hazael of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 23 However, Jehovah extended favor and mercy to them and showed his concern for them for the sake of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He did not want to bring them to ruin, and he has not cast them away from his presence to this day. 24 When King Hazael of Syria died, his son Ben-hadad became king in his place. 25 Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz then took back from Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities that he had taken in war from Jehoahaz his father. Three times Jehoash struck him down, [Or “defeated him.”] and he recovered the cities of Israel.
Chapter 14
1 In the second year of Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz the king of Israel, Amaziah the son of King Jehoash of Judah became king. 2 He was 25 years old when he became king, and he reigned for 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. 3 He continued to do what was right in Jehovah’s eyes, but not like David his forefather. He did everything as Jehoash his father had done. 4 However, the high places were not removed, and the people were still sacrificing and making sacrificial smoke on the high places. 5 As soon as he had the kingdom firmly in his control, he struck down his servants who had struck down his father the king. 6 But he did not put the sons of the murderers to death, in harmony with Jehovah’s commandment written in the book of Moses’ Law: “Fathers should not be put to death for their sons, and sons should not be put to death for their fathers; but each one should be put to death for his own sin.” 7 He struck down the Edomites in the Valley of Salt, 10,000 men, and captured Sela in the war, and its name became Joktheel to this day.
8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu the king of Israel, saying: “Come, let us confront each other in battle.” [Or “meet face-to-face.”] 9 King Jehoash of Israel sent this message to King Amaziah of Judah: “The thorny weed in Lebanon sent a message to the cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.’ However, a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thorny weed. 10 True, you have struck down Edom, so your heart has become arrogant. Enjoy your glory, but stay in your own house. [Or “palace.”] Why should you provoke disaster and fall, bringing Judah down with you?” 11 But Amaziah did not listen.
So King Jehoash of Israel went up, and he and King Amaziah of Judah confronted each other in battle at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 12 Judah was defeated by Israel, so each one fled to his home. [Literally, “tent.”] 13 King Jehoash of Israel captured King Amaziah of Judah, son of Jehoash son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh. Then they came to Jerusalem, and he made a breach in the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, 400 cubits. [About 178 meters (584 feet). See Appendix B14.] 14 He took all the gold and the silver and all the articles that were found in the house of Jehovah and in the treasuries of the house [Or “palace.”] of the king, as well as hostages. Then he returned to Samaria.
15 As for the rest of the history of Jehoash, what he did and his mightiness and how he fought against King Amaziah of Judah, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Israel? 16 Then Jehoash was laid to rest with his forefathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and his son Jeroboam [That is, Jeroboam II.] became king in his place.
17 Amaziah the son of Jehoash the king of Judah lived for 15 years after the death of Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz the king of Israel. 18 As for the rest of the history of Amaziah, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Judah? 19 Later a conspiracy was formed against him at Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish, but they sent men after him to Lachish and put him to death there. 20 So they carried him back on horses, and he was buried in Jerusalem with his forefathers in the City of David. 21 Then all the people of Judah took Azariah, [Meaning “Jehovah Has Helped.” He is called Uzziah at 2 Kings 15:13; 2 Chronicles 26:1-23; Isaiah 6:1; and Zechariah 14:5.] who was 16 years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. 22 He rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after the king [That is, his father Amaziah.] was laid to rest with his forefathers.
23 In the 15th year of Amaziah the son of Jehoash the king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of King Jehoash of Israel became king in Samaria, and he reigned for 41 years. 24 He continued to do what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes. He did not depart from all the sins that Jeroboam the son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit. 25 He restored the boundary of Israel from Lebo-hamath [Or “the entrance of Hamath.”] clear to the Sea of the Arabah, [That is, the Salt Sea, or the Dead Sea.] according to the word that Jehovah the God of Israel spoke through his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher. 26 For Jehovah had seen the very bitter affliction of Israel. There was no one left to help Israel, not even the helpless or the weak. 27 But Jehovah had promised not to wipe out the name of Israel from under the heavens. So he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Jehoash.
28 As for the rest of the history of Jeroboam, all that he did and his mightiness, how he fought and how he restored Damascus and Hamath to Judah in Israel, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Israel? 29 Then Jeroboam was laid to rest with his forefathers, with the kings of Israel; and his son Zechariah became king in his place.
Chapter 15
1 In the 27th year of King Jeroboam [That is, Jeroboam II.] of Israel, Azariah [Meaning “Jehovah Has Helped.” He is called Uzziah at 2 Kings 15:13; 2 Chronicles 26:1-23; Isaiah 6:1; and Zechariah 14:5.] the son of King Amaziah of Judah became king. 2 He was 16 years old when he became king, and he reigned for 52 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. 3 He continued to do what was right in Jehovah’s eyes, just as his father Amaziah had done. 4 However, the high places were not removed, and the people were still sacrificing and making sacrificial smoke on the high places. 5 Jehovah afflicted the king, and he remained a leper until the day of his death; and he stayed in a separate house, while the king’s son Jotham was in charge of the house, [Or “palace.”] judging the people of the land. 6 As for the rest of the history of Azariah, all that he did, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Judah? 7 Then Azariah was laid to rest with his forefathers, and they buried him with his forefathers in the City of David; and his son Jotham became king in his place.
8 In the 38th year of King Azariah of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned for six months. 9 He did what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes, just as his forefathers had done. He did not depart from the sins that Jeroboam the son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit. 10 Then Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him and struck him down at Ibleam. After putting him to death, he became king in his place. 11 As for the rest of the history of Zechariah, it is written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Israel. 12 That fulfilled Jehovah’s word spoken to Jehu: “Four generations of your sons will sit on the throne of Israel.” And that is how it happened.
13 Shallum the son of Jabesh became king in the 39th year of King Uzziah of Judah, and he reigned for a full month in Samaria. 14 Then Menahem the son of Gadi came up from Tirzah to Samaria and struck down Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria. After putting him to death, he became king in his place. 15 As for the rest of the history of Shallum and the conspiracy that he formed, it is written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Israel. 16 It was then that Menahem came from Tirzah and struck down Tiphsah and all who were in it and its territory, because it did not open its gates to him. He struck it down and ripped open its pregnant women.
17 In the 39th year of King Azariah of Judah, Menahem the son of Gadi became king over Israel, and he reigned for ten years in Samaria. 18 He continued to do what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes. He did not depart from all the sins that Jeroboam the son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit, all his days. 19 King Pul of Assyria came into the land, and Menahem gave Pul 1,000 talents [A talent equaled 34.2 kilograms (1,101 troy ounces). See Appendix B14.] of silver in return for his support in strengthening his hold on the kingdom. 20 So Menahem raised the silver from Israel by exacting it from the prominent, wealthy men. He gave the king of Assyria 50 silver shekels [A shekel equaled 11.4 grams (0.367 troy ounces). See Appendix B14.] for each man. Then the king of Assyria turned back and did not stay in the land. 21 As for the rest of the history of Menahem, all that he did, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Israel? 22 Then Menahem was laid to rest with his forefathers; and his son Pekahiah became king in his place.
23 In the 50th year of King Azariah of Judah, Pekahiah the son of Menahem became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned for two years. 24 He continued to do what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes. He did not depart from the sins that Jeroboam the son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit. 25 Then his adjutant Pekah the son of Remaliah conspired against him and struck him down in Samaria in the fortified tower of the king’s house [Or “palace.”] with Argob and Arieh. He had 50 men of Gilead with him; and after he put him to death, he became king in his place. 26 As for the rest of the history of Pekahiah, all that he did, it is written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Israel.
27 In the 52nd year of King Azariah of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned for 20 years. 28 He continued to do what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes, and he did not depart from the sins that Jeroboam the son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit. 29 In the days of King Pekah of Israel, King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria invaded and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and he took the inhabitants into exile in Assyria. 30 Then Hoshea the son of Elah formed a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and he struck him and put him to death; and he became king in his place in the 20th year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. 31 As for the rest of the history of Pekah, all that he did, it is written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Israel.
32 In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel, Jotham the son of King Uzziah of Judah became king. 33 He was 25 years old when he became king, and he reigned for 16 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. 34 He kept doing what was right in Jehovah’s eyes, just as his father Uzziah had done. 35 However, the high places were not removed, and the people were still sacrificing and making sacrificial smoke on the high places. He was the one who built the upper gate of the house of Jehovah. 36 As for the rest of the history of Jotham, what he did, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Judah? 37 In those days Jehovah began sending Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah. 38 Then Jotham was laid to rest with his forefathers and was buried with his forefathers in the City of David his forefather. And his son Ahaz became king in his place.
Chapter 16
1 In the 17th year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of King Jotham of Judah became king. 2 Ahaz was 20 years old when he became king, and he reigned for 16 years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the eyes of Jehovah his God as David his forefather had done. 3 Instead, he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and he even made his own son pass through the fire, following the detestable practices of the nations that Jehovah had driven out from before the Israelites. 4 He also kept sacrificing and making sacrificial smoke on the high places, on the hills, and under every luxuriant tree.
5 It was then that King Rezin of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to wage war against Jerusalem. They laid siege against Ahaz but were not able to capture the city. 6 At that time King Rezin of Syria restored Elath to Edom, after which he drove the Jews [Or “the men of Judah.”] out of Elath. And the Edomites entered Elath, and they have occupied it down to this day. 7 So Ahaz sent messengers to King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria, saying: “I am your servant and your son. Come up and save me from the hand of the king of Syria and the hand of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.” 8 Ahaz then took the silver and the gold that was to be found at the house of Jehovah and in the treasuries of the king’s house [Or “palace.”] and sent the king of Assyria a bribe. 9 The king of Assyria responded to his request, and he went up to Damascus and captured it and led its people into exile to Kir, and he put Rezin to death.
10 Then King Ahaz went to meet King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria at Damascus. When he saw the altar that was in Damascus, King Ahaz sent Urijah the priest a plan of the altar, showing its pattern and how it was made. 11 Urijah the priest built an altar according to all the directions that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus. Urijah the priest finished building it before King Ahaz returned from Damascus. 12 When the king returned from Damascus and saw the altar, he approached the altar and made offerings on it. 13 And on that altar he continued to make his burnt offerings and his grain offerings smoke; he also poured out his drink offerings and sprinkled the blood of his communion sacrifices on it. 14 Then he moved the copper altar that was before Jehovah from its place in front of the house, from between his own altar and the house of Jehovah, and he put it at the north side of his own altar. 15 King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest: “Make the morning burnt offering smoke on the great altar, also the evening grain offering, the king’s burnt offering, and his grain offering, as well as the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the drink offerings of all the people. You should also sprinkle on it all the blood of the burnt offerings and all the blood of the other sacrifices. As for the copper altar, let me decide what to do with it.” 16 And Urijah the priest did everything that King Ahaz had commanded.
17 Furthermore, King Ahaz cut the side panels of the carriages into pieces and removed the basins from them, and he took the Sea down off the copper bulls that supported it and put it on a stone pavement. 18 And the covered structure for the Sabbath that had been built in the house and the king’s outer entryway he shifted away from the house of Jehovah; he did so because of the king of Assyria.
19 As for the rest of the history of Ahaz, what he did, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Judah? 20 Then Ahaz was laid to rest with his forefathers and was buried with his forefathers in the City of David; and his son Hezekiah [Meaning “Jehovah Strengthens.”] became king in his place.
Chapter 17
1 In the 12th year of King Ahaz of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah became king over Israel in Samaria; he ruled for nine years. 2 He continued to do what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes, only not to the extent of the kings of Israel prior to him. 3 King Shalmaneser of Assyria came up against him, and Hoshea became his servant and began to pay tribute to him. 4 However, the king of Assyria learned that Hoshea was involved in a conspiracy, for he had sent messengers to King So of Egypt and did not bring the tribute up to the king of Assyria as in former years. Therefore, the king of Assyria kept him confined and bound in prison.
5 The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, and he came to Samaria and laid siege to it for three years. 6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria. He then led the people of Israel into exile in Assyria and made them dwell in Halah and in Habor at the river Gozan and in the cities of the Medes.
7 This happened because the people of Israel had sinned against Jehovah their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the control of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshipped [Literally, “feared.”] other gods, 8 they followed the customs of the nations that Jehovah had driven out from before the Israelites, and they followed the customs that the kings of Israel had established.
9 The Israelites were pursuing the things that were not right according to Jehovah their God. They kept building high places in all their cities, from watchtower to fortified city. [That is, in every place, whether sparsely inhabited or populous.] 10 They kept setting up for themselves sacred pillars and sacred poles [See Glossary.] on every high hill and under every luxuriant tree; 11 and on all the high places they would make sacrificial smoke just as the nations did that Jehovah had driven into exile from before them. They kept doing wicked things to offend Jehovah.
12 They continued to serve disgusting idols, [The Hebrew term may be related to a word for “dung” and is used as an expression of contempt.] about which Jehovah had told them: “You must not do this!” 13 Jehovah kept warning Israel and Judah through all his prophets and every visionary, saying: “Turn back from your wicked ways! Keep my commandments and my statutes according to all the law that I commanded your forefathers and that I sent to you through my servants the prophets.” 14 But they did not listen, and they remained just as stubborn as [Literally, “hardened their neck like the neck of.”] their forefathers who had not shown faith in Jehovah their God. 15 They continued rejecting his regulations and his covenant that he had made with their forefathers and his reminders that he had given to warn them, and they kept following worthless idols and became worthless themselves, imitating the nations all around them that Jehovah had commanded them not to imitate.
16 They kept leaving all the commandments of Jehovah their God, and they made metal statues [Or “molten statues.”] of two calves and a sacred pole, [See Glossary.] and they bowed down to all the army of the heavens and served Baal. 17 They also made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, they practiced divination and looked for omens, and they kept devoting [Literally, “selling.”] themselves to do what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah, to offend him.
18 So Jehovah was very angry with Israel, so that he removed them from his sight. He did not let any remain but the tribe of Judah alone.
19 Even Judah did not keep the commandments of Jehovah their God; they also walked in the customs that Israel followed. 20 Jehovah rejected all the descendants of Israel and humiliated them and gave them into the hand of plunderers, until he had cast them away from before him. 21 He ripped Israel away from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. But Jeroboam caused Israel to stray from following Jehovah, and he caused them to commit a great sin. 22 And the people of Israel kept walking in all the sins that Jeroboam had committed. They did not depart from them 23 until Jehovah removed Israel from his sight, just as he had declared through all his servants the prophets. So Israel was taken into exile from its land to Assyria, where they remain to this day.
24 The king of Assyria then brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the Israelites; they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities. 25 When they first began dwelling there, they did not fear [Or “worship.”] Jehovah. So Jehovah sent lions among them, and they killed some of the people. 26 It was reported to the king of Assyria: “The nations that you have taken into exile and resettled in the cities of Samaria do not know the religion [Or “religious customs.”] of the God of the land. So he keeps sending lions among them, which are putting them to death, because none of them know the religion of the God of the land.”
27 At that the king of Assyria commanded: “Have one of the priests whom you took into exile from there return to live there and to teach them the religion of the God of the land.” 28 So one of the priests whom they had taken into exile from Samaria came back to live in Bethel, and he began to teach them how they should fear [Or “worship.”] Jehovah.
29 However, each different nation made their own god, [Or “gods.”] which they placed in the houses of worship on the high places that the Samaritans had made; each different nation did so in their cities where they were living. 30 So the men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, 31 and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak. The Sepharvites would burn their sons in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. 32 Although they feared Jehovah, they appointed priests for the high places from the people in general, and these officiated for them at the houses of worship on the high places. 33 Thus, they feared Jehovah, but they worshipped their own gods according to the religion [Or “religious customs.”] of the nations from which they had been deported.
34 To this day they follow their former religions. [Or “religious customs.”] None of them worship [Literally, “fear.”] Jehovah, and none follow his statutes, his judgments, the Law, and the commandment that Jehovah gave the sons of Jacob, whose name he changed to Israel. 35 When Jehovah made a covenant with them, he commanded them: “You must not fear other gods, and you must not bow down to them or serve them or sacrifice to them. 36 But Jehovah, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm, is the One you should fear, and to him you should bow down, and to him you should sacrifice. 37 And the regulations, the judgments, the Law, and the commandment that he wrote for you, you should always follow carefully, and you must not fear other gods. 38 And you must not forget the covenant that I made with you, and you must not fear other gods. 39 But it is Jehovah your God whom you should fear, as he is the one who will rescue you out of the hand of all your enemies.”
40 But they did not obey, and they followed their former religion. [Or “religious customs.”] 41 So these nations came to fear Jehovah, but they were also serving their own graven images. Both their sons and their grandsons have done just as their forefathers did, down to this day.
Chapter 18
1 In the third year of Hoshea the son of Elah the king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of King Ahaz of Judah became king. 2 He was 25 years old when he became king, and he reigned for 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi [An abbreviated form of Abijah.] the daughter of Zechariah. 3 He kept doing what was right in Jehovah’s eyes, just as David his forefather had done. 4 He was the one who removed the high places, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the sacred pole. [See Glossary.] He also crushed the copper serpent that Moses had made; for down to that time the people of Israel had been making sacrificial smoke to it and it used to be called the copper serpent-idol. [Or “called Nehushtan.”] 5 He trusted in Jehovah the God of Israel; there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah after him nor among those prior to him. 6 He held fast to Jehovah. He did not turn away from following him; he continued to keep the commandments that Jehovah had given to Moses. 7 And Jehovah was with him. Wherever he went, he acted wisely. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to serve him. 8 He also defeated the Philistines clear to Gaza and its territories, from watchtower to fortified city. [That is, in every place, whether sparsely inhabited or populous.]
9 In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, that is, the seventh year of Hoshea the son of Elah the king of Israel, King Shalmaneser of Assyria came up against Samaria and began to lay siege to it. 10 They captured it at the end of three years; in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of King Hoshea of Israel, Samaria was captured. 11 Then the king of Assyria took Israel into exile in Assyria and settled them in Halah and in Habor at the river Gozan and in the cities of the Medes. 12 This was because they had not listened to the voice of Jehovah their God but kept violating his covenant, all that Moses the servant of Jehovah had commanded. They neither listened nor obeyed.
13 In the 14th year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib the king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. 14 So King Hezekiah of Judah sent word to the king of Assyria at Lachish: “I am at fault. Withdraw from against me, and I will give whatever you may impose on me.” The king of Assyria imposed on King Hezekiah of Judah a fine of 300 silver talents [A talent equaled 34.2 kilograms (1,101 troy ounces). See Appendix B14.] and 30 gold talents. 15 So Hezekiah gave all the silver that could be found at the house of Jehovah and in the treasuries of the king’s house. [Or “palace.”] 16 At that time Hezekiah removed [Literally, “cut off.”] the doors of the temple of Jehovah and the doorposts that King Hezekiah of Judah himself had overlaid, [That is, overlaid with gold.] and he gave them to the king of Assyria.
17 The king of Assyria then sent the Tartan, [Or “the commander.”] the Rabsaris, [Or “the chief court official.”] and the Rabshakeh [Or “the chief cupbearer.”] with a vast army from Lachish to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. They went up to Jerusalem and took up a position by the conduit of the upper pool, which is at the highway of the laundryman’s field. 18 When they called for the king to come out, Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the household, [Or “palace.”] Shebnah the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder came out to them.
19 So the Rabshakeh said to them: “Please, say to Hezekiah, ‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: “What is the basis for your confidence? 20 You are saying, ‘I have a strategy and the power to wage war,’ but these are empty words. In whom have you put your trust, so that you dare to rebel against me? 21 Look! You trust in the support of this crushed reed, Egypt, which if a man should lean on it would enter into his palm and pierce it. That is the way Pharaoh king of Egypt is to all those who trust in him. 22 And if you should say to me, ‘We trust in Jehovah our God,’ is he not the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, while he says to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You should bow down before this altar in Jerusalem’?”’ 23 So now make this wager, please, with my lord the king of Assyria: I will give you 2,000 horses if you are able to find enough riders for them. 24 How, then, could you drive back even one governor who is the least of my lord’s servants, while you put your trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? 25 Now is it without authorization from Jehovah that I have come up against this place to destroy it? Jehovah himself said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.’”
26 At this Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah and Joah said to the Rabshakeh: “Speak to your servants, please, in the Aramaic [Or “Syrian.”] language, for we can understand it; do not speak to us in the language of the Jews in the hearing of the people on the wall.” 27 But the Rabshakeh said to them: “Is it just to your lord and to you that my lord sent me to speak these words? Is it not also to the men who sit on the wall, those who will eat their own excrement and drink their own urine along with you?”
28 Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out loudly in the language of the Jews, saying: “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria. 29 This is what the king says, ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he is not able to rescue you out of my hand. 30 And do not let Hezekiah cause you to trust in Jehovah by saying: “Jehovah will surely rescue us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” 31 Do not listen to Hezekiah, for this is what the king of Assyria says: “Make peace with me and surrender, [Literally, “Make a blessing with me and come out to me.”] and each of you will eat from his own vine and from his own fig tree and will drink the water of his own cistern, 32 until I come and take you to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Then you will live and not die. Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he misleads you by saying, ‘Jehovah will rescue us.’ 33 Have any of the gods of the nations rescued their land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 34 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they rescued Samaria out of my hand? 35 Who among all the gods of the lands have rescued their land out of my hand, so that Jehovah should rescue Jerusalem out of my hand?”’”
36 But the people kept silent and did not say a word to him in reply, for the order of the king was, “You must not answer him.” 37 But Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the household, [Or “palace.”] Shebnah the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder came to Hezekiah with their garments ripped apart and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.
Chapter 19
1 As soon as King Hezekiah heard this, he ripped his garments apart and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of Jehovah. 2 Then he sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the household, [Or “palace.”] Shebnah the secretary, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz. 3 They said to him: “This is what Hezekiah says, ‘This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, [Or “insult.”] and of disgrace; for the children are ready to be born, [Literally, “have come to the opening of the womb.”] but there is no strength to give birth. 4 Perhaps Jehovah your God will hear all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his lord sent to taunt the living God, and he will call him to account for the words that Jehovah your God has heard. So offer up a prayer in behalf of the remnant who have survived.’”
5 So the servants of King Hezekiah went in to Isaiah, 6 and Isaiah said to them: “This is what you should say to your lord, ‘This is what Jehovah says: “Do not be afraid because of the words that you heard, the words with which the attendants of the king of Assyria blasphemed me. 7 Here I am putting a thought in his mind, [Literally, “a spirit in him.”] and he will hear a report and return to his own land; and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.”’”
8 After the Rabshakeh heard that the king of Assyria had pulled away from Lachish, he returned to him and found him fighting against Libnah. 9 Now the king heard it said about King Tirhakah of Ethiopia: “Here he has come out to fight against you.” So he sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying: 10 “This is what you should say to King Hezekiah of Judah, ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by saying: “Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” 11 Look! You have heard what the kings of Assyria did to all the lands by devoting them to destruction. Will you alone be rescued? 12 Did the gods of the nations that my forefathers destroyed rescue them? Where are Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Tel-assar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of the cities of Sepharvaim, and of Hena, and of Ivvah?’”
14 Hezekiah took the letters out of the hand of the messengers and read them. Hezekiah then went up to the house of Jehovah and spread them [Literally, “it.”] out before Jehovah. 15 And Hezekiah began to pray before Jehovah and say: “O Jehovah the God of Israel, sitting enthroned above [Or possibly, “between.”] the cherubs, you alone are the true God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth. 16 Incline your ear, O Jehovah, and hear! Open your eyes, O Jehovah, and see! Hear the words that Sennacherib has sent to taunt the living God. 17 It is a fact, O Jehovah, that the kings of Assyria have devastated the nations and their lands. 18 And they have thrown their gods into the fire, because they were not gods but the work of human hands, wood and stone. That is why they could destroy them. 19 But now, O Jehovah our God, please save us out of his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are God, O Jehovah.”
20 Isaiah son of Amoz then sent this message to Hezekiah: “This is what Jehovah the God of Israel says, ‘I have heard your prayer to me concerning King Sennacherib of Assyria. 21 This is the word that Jehovah has spoken against him:
“The virgin daughter of Zion despises you, she scoffs at you.
The daughter of Jerusalem shakes her head at you.
22 Whom have you taunted and blasphemed?
Against whom have you raised your voice
And lifted your arrogant eyes?
It is against the Holy One of Israel!
23 Through your messengers you have taunted Jehovah and said,
‘With the multitude of my war chariots
I will ascend the heights of mountains,
The remotest parts of Lebanon.
I will cut down its lofty cedars, its choice juniper trees.
I will enter its farthest retreats, its densest forests.
24 I will dig wells and drink foreign waters;
I will dry up all the streams [Or “the Nile canals.”] of Egypt with the soles of my feet.’
25 Have you not heard? From long ago it was determined. [Literally, “done.”]
From days gone by I have prepared [Or “formed.”] it.
Now I will bring it about.
You will turn fortified cities into desolate piles of ruins.
26 Their inhabitants will be helpless;
They will be terrified and put to shame.
They will become as vegetation of the field and green grass,
As grass of the roofs that is scorched by the east wind.
27 But I well know when you sit, when you go out, when you come in,
And when you are enraged against me,
28 Because your rage against me and your roaring have reached my ears.
So I will put my hook in your nose and my bridle between your lips,
And I will lead you back the way you came.”
29 “‘And this will be the sign for you: [That is, Hezekiah.] This year you will eat what grows on its own; [Or “the growth from spilled kernels of grain.”] and in the second year you will eat grain that sprouts from that; but in the third year you will sow seed and reap, and you will plant vineyards and eat their fruitage. 30 Those of the house of Judah who escape, those who are left, will take root downward and produce fruit upward. 31 For a remnant will go out of Jerusalem and survivors from Mount Zion. The zeal of Jehovah of armies will do this.
32 “‘Therefore this is what Jehovah says about the king of Assyria:
“He will not come into this city
Or shoot an arrow there
Or confront it with a shield
Or cast up a siege rampart against it.
33 By the way he came he will return;
He will not come into this city,” declares Jehovah.
34 “I will defend this city and save it for my own sake
And for the sake of my servant David.”’”
35 On that very night the angel of Jehovah went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When people rose up early in the morning, they saw all the dead bodies. 36 So King Sennacherib of Assyria departed and returned to Nineveh and stayed there. 37 And as he was bowing down at the house [Or “temple.”] of his god Nisroch, his own sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword and then escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon became king in his place.
Chapter 20
1 In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came and said to him, “This is what Jehovah says: ‘Give instructions to your household, for you will die; you will not recover.’” 2 At that he turned his face to the wall and began to pray to Jehovah: 3 “I beg you, O Jehovah, remember, please, how I have walked before you faithfully and with a complete heart, and I have done what was good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah began to weep profusely.
4 Isaiah had not yet gone out to the middle courtyard when Jehovah’s word came to him, saying: 5 “Go back and say to Hezekiah, the leader of my people, ‘This is what Jehovah the God of David your forefather says: “I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. Here I am healing you. On the third day you will go up to the house of Jehovah. 6 I will add 15 years to your life, [Literally, “days.”] and I will rescue you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city for my own sake and for the sake of David my servant.”’”
7 Isaiah then said: “Bring a cake of pressed dried figs.” So they brought it and applied it to the boil, after which he gradually recovered.
8 Hezekiah had asked Isaiah: “What is the sign to show that Jehovah will heal me and that I will go up on the third day to the house of Jehovah?” 9 Isaiah replied: “This is the sign from Jehovah to show you that Jehovah will carry out the word that he has spoken: Do you want the shadow on the stairway [Perhaps these stairs were used to count time, as on a sundial.] to move forward ten steps or back ten steps?” 10 Hezekiah said: “It is an easy thing for the shadow to extend itself ten steps but not to go back ten steps.” 11 So Isaiah the prophet called out to Jehovah, and He made the shadow on the stairway of Ahaz go back ten steps after it had already descended the steps.
12 At that time the king of Babylon, Berodach-baladan son of Baladan, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. 13 Hezekiah welcomed [Or “listened to.”] them and showed them his entire treasure-house—the silver, the gold, the balsam oil and other precious oil, his armory, and everything that was to be found in his treasuries. There was nothing that Hezekiah did not show them in his own house [Or “palace.”] and in all his dominion.
14 After that Isaiah the prophet came in to King Hezekiah and asked him: “What did these men say, and where did they come from?” So Hezekiah said: “They came from a distant land, from Babylon.” 15 Next he asked: “What did they see in your house?” [Or “palace.”] Hezekiah replied: “They saw everything in my house. [Or “palace.”] There was nothing that I did not show them in my treasuries.”
16 Isaiah now said to Hezekiah: “Hear the word of Jehovah, 17 ‘Look! Days are coming, and all that is in your house [Or “palace.”] and all that your forefathers have stored up to this day will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left,’ says Jehovah. 18 ‘And some of your own sons to whom you will become father will be taken and will become court officials in the palace of the king of Babylon.’”
19 At that Hezekiah said to Isaiah: “The word of Jehovah that you have spoken is good.” Then he added: “It is good if there will be peace and stability [Or “truth.”] during my lifetime.” [Literally, “days.”]
20 As for the rest of the history of Hezekiah, all his mightiness and how he made the pool and the conduit and brought the water into the city, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Judah? 21 Then Hezekiah was laid to rest with his forefathers; and his son Manasseh became king in his place.
Chapter 21
1 Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king, and he reigned for 55 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2 He did what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes, following the detestable practices of the nations that Jehovah had driven out from before the people of Israel. 3 He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed, and he set up altars to Baal and made a sacred pole, [See Glossary.] just as Ahab the king of Israel had done. And he bowed down to all the army of the heavens and served them. 4 He also built altars in the house of Jehovah, about which Jehovah had said: “In Jerusalem, I will put my name.” 5 And he built altars to all the army of the heavens in two courtyards of the house of Jehovah. 6 And he made his own son pass through the fire; he practiced magic, looked for omens, and appointed spirit mediums and fortune-tellers. He did on a grand scale what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes, to offend him.
7 He put the carved image of the sacred pole [See Glossary.] that he made into the house about which Jehovah 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 will permanently put my name. 8 And I will never again make the feet of Israel wander from the land that I gave to their forefathers, provided they carefully observe all that I have commanded them, the entire Law that my servant Moses ordered them to follow.” 9 But they did not obey, and Manasseh kept leading them astray, causing them to do greater evil than the nations that Jehovah had annihilated from before the Israelites.
10 Jehovah kept speaking through his servants the prophets, saying: 11 “Manasseh the king of Judah has done all these detestable things; he has acted more wickedly than all the Amorites before him, and he has made Judah sin with his disgusting idols. [The Hebrew term may be related to a word for “dung” and is used as an expression of contempt.] 12 Therefore this is what Jehovah the God of Israel says: ‘Here I am bringing such a disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that it will make both ears of anyone who hears about it tingle. 13 And I will stretch out on Jerusalem the measuring line applied to Samaria and use the leveling tool [Or “plumb line.”] applied to the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem clean, just as one wipes a bowl clean, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14 I will forsake the remnant of my inheritance and give them into the hand of their enemies, and they will become plunder and spoil to all their enemies, 15 because they did what was bad in my eyes and were continually offending me from the day that their forefathers came out of Egypt to this day.’”
16 Manasseh also shed innocent blood in very great quantity until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to the other, besides his sin of causing Judah to sin by doing what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah. 17 As for the rest of the history of Manasseh and all that he did and the sins that he committed, are they not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Judah? 18 Then Manasseh was laid to rest with his forefathers and was buried in the garden of his house, in the garden of Uzza; and his son Amon became king in his place.
19 Amon was 22 years old when he became king, and he reigned for two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz from Jotbah. 20 He continued to do what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes, just as his father Manasseh had done. 21 He kept walking in all the ways that his father walked, and he continued serving and bowing down to the disgusting idols that his father had served. 22 So he abandoned Jehovah the God of his forefathers, and he did not walk in the way of Jehovah. 23 Eventually Amon’s servants conspired against him and put the king to death in his own house. 24 But the people of the land struck down all those who conspired against King Amon, and they made his son Josiah king in his place. 25 As for the rest of the history of Amon, what he did, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Judah? 26 So they buried him in his grave in the garden of Uzza, and his son Josiah became king in his place.
Chapter 22
1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned for 31 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah from Bozkath. 2 He did what was right in Jehovah’s eyes and walked in all the ways of David his forefather, and he did not deviate to the right or to the left.
3 In the 18th year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan the secretary, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam, to the house of Jehovah, saying: 4 “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, and let him collect all the money that is being brought into the house of Jehovah, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people. 5 Have them give it to those appointed over the work in the house of Jehovah who, in turn, will give it to the workers in the house of Jehovah who are to repair the damage to [Or “the cracks in.”] the house, 6 that is, to the craftsmen, the builders, and the masons; and they are to use it to buy timbers and hewn stones to repair the house. 7 But no accounting should be required of them for the money that they are given, because they are trustworthy.”
8 Later Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary: “I have found the book of the Law in the house of Jehovah.” So Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who began to read it. 9 Then Shaphan the secretary went to the king and told him: “Your servants have poured out the money that was found in the house, and they have handed it over to those appointed over the work in the house of Jehovah.” 10 Shaphan the secretary also told the king: “There is a book that Hilkiah the priest has given me.” Then Shaphan began to read it before the king.
11 As soon as the king heard the words of the book of the Law, he ripped his garments apart. 12 Then the king gave this order to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king’s servant: 13 “Go, inquire of Jehovah in my behalf, in behalf of the people, and in behalf of all Judah concerning the words of this book that has been found; for Jehovah’s rage that has been set ablaze against us is great, because our forefathers did not obey the words of this book by observing all that is written concerning us.”
14 So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess. She was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah son of Harhas, the caretaker of the wardrobe, and she was dwelling in the Second Quarter of Jerusalem; and they spoke to her there. 15 She said to them: “This is what Jehovah the God of Israel says, ‘Tell the man who sent you to me: 16 “This is what Jehovah says, ‘I will bring calamity on this place and its inhabitants, all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read. 17 Because they have abandoned me and are making sacrifices smoke to other gods in order to offend me with all the work of their hands, my rage will be set ablaze against this place and it will not be extinguished.’” 18 But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of Jehovah, this is what you should say to him, “This is what Jehovah the God of Israel says: ‘Regarding the words that you have heard, 19 because your heart was responsive [Literally, “soft.”] and you humbled yourself before Jehovah on hearing what I have spoken against this place and its inhabitants—that they would become an object of horror and a curse—and you ripped your garments apart and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares Jehovah. 20 That is why I will gather you to your ancestors, [This is a poetic expression for death.] and you will be laid in your grave in peace, and your eyes will not see all the calamity that I will bring on this place.’”’” Then they brought the reply to the king.
Chapter 23
1 So the king sent word, and they summoned all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 2 After that the king went up to the house of Jehovah with all the men of Judah, all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, and the prophets—all the people, from small to great. He read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the house of Jehovah. 3 The king stood by the pillar and made a covenant [Or “renewed the covenant.”] before Jehovah, that he would follow Jehovah and keep his commandments, his reminders, and his statutes with all his heart and with all his soul [See Glossary.] by carrying out the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people agreed to the covenant.
4 The king then ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests of the second rank, and the doorkeepers to bring out from the temple of Jehovah all the utensils made for Baal, for the sacred pole, [See Glossary.] and for all the army of the heavens. Then he burned them outside Jerusalem on the terraces of Kidron, and he took their ashes to Bethel. 5 So he put out of business the foreign-god priests, whom the kings of Judah had appointed to make sacrificial smoke on the high places in the cities of Judah and the surroundings of Jerusalem, as well as those making sacrificial smoke to Baal, to the sun, to the moon, to the constellations of the zodiac, and to all the army of the heavens. 6 He brought the sacred pole [See Glossary.] out from the house of Jehovah to the outskirts of Jerusalem, to the Kidron Valley, and he burned it in the Kidron Valley and ground it to dust and scattered its dust on the graves of the common people. 7 He also tore down the houses of the male temple prostitutes, which were in the house of Jehovah and where the women were weaving tent shrines for the sacred pole. [See Glossary.]
8 Then he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and he made unfit for worship the high places where the priests had been making sacrificial smoke, from Geba to Beer-sheba. He also tore down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the chief of the city, which were on the left as one entered the city gate. 9 The priests of the high places did not serve at the altar of Jehovah in Jerusalem, but they did eat unleavened bread along with their brothers. 10 He also made unfit for worship Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Sons of Hinnom, [See Glossary, “Gehenna.”] so that no one could make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to Molech. 11 And he prohibited the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated [Literally, “given.”] to the sun from entering the house of Jehovah by the chamber [Or “dining room.”] of Nathan-melech the court official, which was in the porticoes; and he burned the chariots of the sun in the fire. 12 The king also tore down the altars that the kings of Judah had set up on the roof of Ahaz’s upper chamber, as well as the altars that Manasseh had set up in two courtyards of the house of Jehovah. He crushed them and scattered their dust in the Kidron Valley. 13 And the king made unfit for worship the high places in front of Jerusalem that were to the south [Literally, “right.” That is, south, when one faces east.] of the Mount of Ruination, [That is, the Mount of Olives, particularly the southern extremity also known as the Mount of Offense.] which Solomon the king of Israel had built to Ashtoreth the disgusting goddess of the Sidonians; and to Chemosh the disgusting god of Moab; and to Milcom the detestable god of the Ammonites. 14 He broke the sacred pillars to pieces and cut down the sacred poles [See Glossary.] and filled their places with human bones. 15 He also tore down the altar in Bethel, the high place that Jeroboam the son of Nebat had made that caused Israel to sin. After tearing down that altar and the high place, he burned the high place, ground it to dust, and burned the sacred pole. [See Glossary.]
16 When Josiah turned and saw the graves on the mountain, he had the bones taken from the graves and burned them on the altar, making it unfit for worship, according to Jehovah’s word that had been proclaimed by the man of the true God who foretold that these things would happen. 17 Then he said: “What is the gravestone over there that I am looking at?” At this the men of the city said to him: “It is the grave of the man of the true God from Judah who foretold these things that you have done against the altar of Bethel.” 18 So he said: “Let him rest. Do not let anyone disturb his bones.” So they left his bones undisturbed, as well as the bones of the prophet who had come from Samaria.
19 Josiah also removed all the houses of worship on the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had built to offend God, and he did the same thing to them that he had done at Bethel. 20 So he sacrificed on the altars all the priests of the high places who were there, and he burned human bones on them. After that he returned to Jerusalem.
21 The king now commanded all the people: “Hold a Passover to Jehovah your God as is written in this book of the covenant.” 22 No Passover like this had been held since the days when the judges had judged Israel or in all the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah. 23 But in the 18th year of King Josiah, this Passover to Jehovah was held in Jerusalem.
24 Josiah also cleared out the spirit mediums, the fortune-tellers, the teraphim statues, [Or “household gods; idols.”] the disgusting idols, [The Hebrew term may be related to a word for “dung” and is used as an expression of contempt.] and all the disgusting things that had appeared in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, in order to carry out the words of the Law that were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had found in the house of Jehovah. 25 There was no king like him prior to him, who returned to Jehovah with all his heart and with all his soul [See Glossary.] and with all his strength, according to all the Law of Moses; nor did anyone like him rise up after him.
26 Nevertheless, Jehovah did not turn away from his burning anger that blazed against Judah because of all the offensive things that Manasseh had done to offend Him. 27 Jehovah said: “I will also remove Judah from my sight, just as I removed Israel; and I will reject this city that I chose, Jerusalem, and the house about which I said, ‘My name will continue there.’”
28 As for the rest of the history of Josiah, all that he did, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Judah? 29 In his days Pharaoh Nechoh the king of Egypt came to meet the king of Assyria by the Euphrates River, and King Josiah went out to confront him; but when Nechoh saw him, he put him to death at Megiddo. 30 So his servants transported his dead body in a chariot from Megiddo and brought him to Jerusalem and buried him in his grave. Then the people of the land took Josiah’s son Jehoahaz and anointed him and made him king in place of his father.
31 Jehoahaz was 23 years old when he became king, and he reigned for three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah. 32 He began to do what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes, according to all that his forefathers had done. 33 Pharaoh Nechoh imprisoned him at Riblah in the land of Hamath, to keep him from reigning in Jerusalem, and then imposed on the land a fine of 100 silver talents [A talent equaled 34.2 kilograms (1,101 troy ounces). See Appendix B14.] and a gold talent. 34 Furthermore, Pharaoh Nechoh made Josiah’s son Eliakim king in place of his father Josiah and changed his name to Jehoiakim; but he took Jehoahaz and brought him to Egypt, where he eventually died. 35 Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he had to tax the land to give the silver that Pharaoh demanded. He exacted an assessed amount of silver and gold from each of the people of the land to give to Pharaoh Nechoh.
36 Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he became king, and he reigned for 11 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zebidah the daughter of Pedaiah from Rumah. 37 He continued to do what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes, according to all that his forefathers had done.
Chapter 24
1 In Jehoiakim’s days King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came against him, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years. However, he turned against him and rebelled. 2 Then Jehovah began to send against him marauder bands of Chaldeans, Syrians, Moabites, and Ammonites. He kept sending them against Judah to destroy it, according to Jehovah’s word that he had spoken through his servants the prophets. 3 Surely it was by the order of Jehovah that this happened to Judah, to remove them from his sight because of all the sins that Manasseh had committed, 4 and also the innocent blood that he had shed, for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood and Jehovah was not willing to forgive.
5 As for the rest of the history of Jehoiakim, all that he did, is it not written in the book of the history of the times of the kings of Judah? 6 Then Jehoiakim was laid to rest with his forefathers; and his son Jehoiachin became king in his place.
7 Never again did the king of Egypt venture out of his land, for the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt, from the Wadi [See Glossary.] of Egypt up to the Euphrates River.
8 Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he became king, and he reigned for three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. 9 He continued to do what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes, according to all that his father had done. 10 During that time the servants of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. 11 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to the city while his servants were laying siege to it.
12 King Jehoiachin of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, along with his mother, his servants, his princes, and his court officials; and the king of Babylon took him captive in the eighth year of his reign. 13 Then he took out from there all the treasures of the house of Jehovah and the treasures of the king’s house. [Or “palace.”] He cut into pieces all the gold utensils that Solomon the king of Israel had made in the temple of Jehovah. This happened just as Jehovah had foretold. 14 He took into exile all Jerusalem, all the princes, all the mighty warriors, and every craftsman and metalworker [Or possibly, “builder of bulwarks.”]—he took 10,000 into exile. No one was left behind except the poorest people of the land. 15 Thus he took Jehoiachin into exile to Babylon; he also led away the king’s mother, the king’s wives, his court officials, and the foremost men of the land, taking them into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16 The king of Babylon also took into exile to Babylon all the warriors, 7,000, as well as 1,000 craftsmen and metalworkers, [Or possibly, “builders of bulwarks.”] all of them mighty men and trained for war. 17 The king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah.
18 Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king, and he reigned for 11 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah. 19 He continued to do what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 20 It was because of Jehovah’s anger that these things took place in Jerusalem and in Judah, until he cast them out of his sight. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
Chapter 25
1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem. He camped against it and built a siege wall all around it, 2 and the city was under siege until the 11th year of King Zedekiah. 3 On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was severe in the city, and there was no food for the people of the land. 4 The city wall was broken through, and all the soldiers fled by night through the gate between the double wall near the king’s garden, while the Chaldeans were surrounding the city; and the king went by the way of the Arabah. 5 But the Chaldean army pursued the king, and they overtook him in the desert plains of Jericho, and all his troops were scattered from his side. 6 Then they seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and they passed sentence on him. 7 They slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes; then Nebuchadnezzar blinded Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him with copper fetters, and brought him to Babylon.
8 In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, that is, in the 19th year of King Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the chief of the guard, the servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 9 He burned down the house of Jehovah, the king’s house, [Or “palace.”] and all the houses of Jerusalem; he also burned down the house of every prominent man. 10 And the walls surrounding Jerusalem were pulled down by the entire Chaldean army that was with the chief of the guard. 11 Nebuzaradan the chief of the guard took into exile the rest of the people who were left in the city, the deserters who had gone over to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the population. 12 But the chief of the guard left some of the poorest people of the land to serve as vinedressers and as compulsory laborers. 13 And the Chaldeans broke into pieces the copper pillars of the house of Jehovah and the carriages and the copper Sea that were in the house of Jehovah, and they carried the copper away to Babylon. 14 They also took the cans, the shovels, the extinguishers, the cups, and all the copper utensils used in the temple service. 15 The chief of the guard took the fire holders and the bowls that were of genuine gold and silver. 16 As for the two pillars, the Sea, and the carriages that Solomon had made for the house of Jehovah, the copper of all these articles was beyond weighing. 17 Each pillar was 18 cubits [A cubit equaled 44.5 centimeters (17.5 inches). See Appendix B14.] high, and the capital on it was of copper; and the height of the capital was three cubits, and the network and pomegranates all around on the capital were all made of copper. The second pillar with its network was like it.
18 The chief of the guard also took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and the three doorkeepers. 19 And he took from the city one court official who was the commissioner over the soldiers, five close associates of the king who were found in the city, as well as the secretary of the chief of the army, the one mustering the people of the land, and 60 men of the common people of the land who were yet found in the city. 20 Nebuzaradan the chief of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 21 The king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah went into exile from its land.
22 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan over the people whom he had left behind in the land of Judah. 23 When all the army chiefs and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah, they immediately came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. They were Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan the son of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, together with their men. 24 Gedaliah swore an oath to them and their men and said to them: “Do not be afraid of being servants to the Chaldeans. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.”
25 And in the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah son of Elishama, who was of the royal line, [Literally, “the seed of the kingdom.”] came with ten other men, and they struck down Gedaliah and he died, along with the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him in Mizpah. 26 After that all the people, from small to great, including the army chiefs, rose up and went to Egypt, for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.
27 And in the 37th year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, in the 12th month, on the 27th day of the month, King Evil-merodach of Babylon, in the year he became king, released [Literally, “raised up the head of.”] King Jehoiachin of Judah from prison. 28 He spoke kindly with him and put his throne higher than the thrones of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. 29 So Jehoiachin took off his prison garments, and he regularly ate before him all the days of his life. 30 A regular allowance of food was given him from the king, day after day, all the days of his life.