2 Kings 15:8-30

Common English Bible

Zechariah rules Israel

⁸ Zechariah, Jeroboam’s son, became king of Israel in Samaria in the thirty-eighth year of Judah’s King Azariah. He ruled for six months. ⁹ He did what was evil in the Lord’s eyes, just as his ancestors had done. He didn’t deviate from the sins that Jeroboam, Nebat’s son, had caused Israel to commit. ¹⁰ Shallum, Jabesh’s son, plotted against Zechariah. He struck him down in public,^[a] murdering him. Shallum then succeeded him as king. ¹¹ The rest of Zechariah’s deeds are written in the official records of Israel’s kings. ¹² This was exactly what the Lord spoke to Jehu: Your descendants will sit on Israel’s throne for four generations. And that’s exactly what happened.

Shallum rules Israel

¹³ Shallum, Jabesh’s son, became king in the thirty-ninth year of Judah’s King Uzziah. He ruled for one month in Samaria. ¹⁴ Menahem, Gadi’s son, went up from Tirzah and came to Samaria. He struck down Jabesh’s son Shallum in Samaria, murdering him. Menahem then succeeded him as king. ¹⁵ The rest of Shallum’s deeds and the conspiracy he plotted are written in the official records of Israel’s kings.

Menahem rules Israel

¹⁶ Menahem then moved from Tirzah and attacked Tiphsah, all its citizens, and its neighboring areas. Because they wouldn’t surrender, he attacked and ripped open all its pregnant women. ¹⁷ Menahem, Gadi’s son, became king of Israel in the thirty-ninth year of Judah’s King Azariah. He ruled for ten years in Samaria. ¹⁸ He did what was evil in the Lord’s eyes. Throughout his life, he didn’t deviate from the sins that Jeroboam, Nebat’s son, had caused Israel to commit. ¹⁹ When Assyria’s King Tiglath-pileser^[b] marched against the land, Menahem gave Tiglath-pileser one thousand silver kikkars in order to become his ally and to strengthen his hold on the kingdom. ²⁰ Menahem taxed Israel for this money. All the wealthy people had to give fifty silver shekels each to Assyria’s king. So Assyria’s king went home and didn’t stay there in the land. ²¹ The rest of Menahem’s deeds and all that he accomplished, aren’t they written in the official records of Israel’s kings? ²² Menahem lay down with his ancestors. His son Pekahiah succeeded him as king.

Pekahiah rules Israel

²³ Pekahiah, Menahem’s son, became king of Israel in the fiftieth year of Judah’s King Azariah. He ruled for two years in Samaria. ²⁴ He did what was evil in the Lord’s eyes. He didn’t deviate from the sins that Jeroboam, Nebat’s son, had caused Israel to commit. ²⁵ Pekah, Remaliah’s son and Pekahiah’s officer, plotted against him. Pekah struck Pekahiah in Samaria at the palace fortress, along with Argob and Arieh.^[c] Pekah had fifty Gileadites with him. He murdered Pekahiah and succeeded him as king. ²⁶ The rest of Pekahiah’s deeds and all that he accomplished are written in the official records of Israel’s kings.

Pekah rules Israel

²⁷ Pekah, Remaliah’s son, became king of Israel in the fifty-second year of Judah’s King Azariah. Pekah ruled for twenty years in Samaria. ²⁸ He did what was evil in the Lord’s eyes. He didn’t deviate from the sins that Jeroboam, Nebat’s son, had caused Israel to commit. ²⁹ In the days of Israel’s King Pekah, Assyria’s King Tiglath-pileser came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, and Hazor. He also captured Gilead, Galilee, and all the land of Naphtali. He sent the people into exile to Assyria. ³⁰ Then Hoshea, Elah’s son, plotted against Pekah, Remaliah’s son. He struck Pekah down, murdering him. Hoshea became king after Pekah in the twentieth year of Uzziah’s son Jotham.