2 Kings 2:2-18:31

The Voice

So the two men traveled down to Bethel together, ³ where Elisha was approached by the prophets’ disciples who lived there.

The two men then traveled to Jericho together, ⁵ where the prophets’ disciples living in Jericho approached Elisha.

So the two men then traveled to the Jordan River together.

⁷ While Elijah and Elisha were standing near the Jordan River, 50 of the prophets’ disciples from that area stood at a distance from them on the other side. ⁸ Elijah removed his cloak and rolled it up; then he struck the water with it, and the water divided. Elijah and Elisha then walked across on dry land. ⁹ After the two had made it to the other side of the Jordan, Elijah spoke to Elisha.

¹¹ Now as the two continued walking along and talking as they normally did, something incredible happened. A blazing chariot pulled by blazing horses stormed down from the heavens and came between Elijah and Elisha. Then Elijah was swept up into heaven by the fiery storm. ¹² Elisha witnessed this amazing spectacle.

Elisha never saw Elijah again. Elisha grabbed the clothes he was wearing, and he ripped them in half. ^13-14 He picked up Elijah’s cloak, which had dropped to the ground when he was taken up into heaven, and then he went back to the Jordan riverbank and stood. He struck the water with the cloak.

After Elisha struck the water, the Jordan River divided, just as when Elijah had struck the waters. Elisha then walked across on dry land.

¹⁵ The prophets’ disciples at Jericho standing on the opposite shore were watching this.

Then the prophets’ disciples at Jericho approached Elisha and humbled themselves before him.

¹⁷ But they kept asking his permission for a search, and he felt ashamed, so he finally agreed. They sent out a search party of 50 men who spent three days looking for Elijah, but they found no trace of him. ¹⁸ The search party came back to Elisha while he was still in Jericho.

So they brought him the bowl with the salt he had requested. ²¹ He then walked outside to the water spring and tossed some salt into it.

²² This water has been potable ever since, just as Elisha said.

²³ Elisha then traveled north to Bethel retracing his last steps with Elijah. On his way there, a large group of young boys came out of the city and began making fun of him: “Keep going, baldy! Keep going, baldy!” ²⁴ When Elisha looked back at them, he spoke against them by the authority of the Eternal. Almost immediately, 2 female bears walked out of the forest and ripped up 42 of the young boys. ²⁵ Elisha then returned to Mount Carmel, and he went back to Samaria.

3 During the 18th year of Jehoshaphat’s reign in Judah, Jehoram (Ahab’s son) took over the throne of Israel at Samaria for 12 years. ² The Eternal saw that he did wicked things, but not to the same degree his parents did. He tore down and had nothing to do with the pillar honoring Baal that his father had crafted. ³ But still, he walked the wicked path of Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) that caused the Israelites to live sinful lives. He never repented from his wickedness.

⁴ Mesha (Moab’s king) bred sheep and, as payment, he would give Israel’s king 100,000 lambs and the fleece of 100,000 rams. ⁵ But when Ahab died, Mesha (Moab’s king) turned against Israel’s king. ⁶ King Jehoram left Samaria and assembled the entire community of Israel. ⁷ He sent a message to Jehoshaphat (Judah’s king).

⁹ Israel’s king traveled with Judah’s king and Edom’s king. It was a difficult trip that lasted for seven days, a circular route around the territory held by Moab. By then there wasn’t any water for the army or for the livestock.

So Israel’s king (Jehoram), Jehoshaphat (Judah’s king), and Edom’s king went to find Elisha.

While the musician was playing, Elisha was empowered by the Eternal.

²⁰ In the morning, water coming from the higher ground in Edom filled the entire land around the time that sacrifices were offered.

²¹ The Moabites heard a rumor that the kings were about to wage war against them, so every man who could wear armor—from young men to old men—was called to battle and waited at the border. ²² They woke up at dawn, as the fiery glow of the sunrise was kissing the water. From the view of the Moabites, the water was blood red.

²⁴ But when the Moabite warriors arrived at the Israelite encampment, the Israelites jumped up and killed the Moabites. The surviving Moabites ran away, but the Israelites ran after them and killed them all. ²⁵ Then the Israelites destroyed every city, chopped down every decent tree, plugged up every water hole, and filled all the healthy land with stones along their way. Only the stone walls of Kir-hareseth remained after they were finished with it, but the men with slings later took care of these rocks as well. ²⁶ When Moab’s king perceived how dangerous the battle was, he gathered up 700 of his swordsmen who tried to make their way through to Edom’s king. But it was impossible.

²⁷ Desperate to survive, Moab’s king offered his own son, his oldest son who was next in line for the throne, as a burnt offering to Moab’s god Chemosh on the wall.

Then a fierce wrath swept against Israel, so they fled from Moab’s king and went back to their own country.

4 The wife of one of the prophets’ disciples pleaded with Elisha.

⁵ The widow went away from Elisha and enclosed herself in a room with her sons. One at a time, her sons held a container before her, and she poured. ⁶ Soon all of the containers were filled.

It was then that the oil ran out. ⁷ The widow then went back to Elisha, the man of God.

⁸ One day, Elisha traveled to Shunem. There was a well-known woman who lived there, and she convinced him to eat something. So whenever he walked by her house, he went in and ate.

¹¹ Elisha went by their house to eat one day, and he went and lay down in the upper room. ¹² He spoke to his servant, Gehazi.

So Gehazi called out her name, and she came to him.

Gehazi called out her name, and she came and stood at the entrance to the room.

¹⁷ But that time next year, the Shunammite woman did conceive and deliver a son, just as Elisha said she would. ¹⁸ When the child was older, he walked out to his father, who was harvesting the fields with the reapers.

²⁰ The servant brought the child inside to his mother; and about noon, while the boy was sitting in his mother’s lap, he died. ²¹ She took his lifeless body and laid him down on Elisha’s bed. She then closed the door and went away.

²⁴ She prepared the donkey and gave instructions to her servant.

²⁵ She rode quickly toward the man of God who was staying about a day away on Mount Carmel. As she approached, Elisha saw her at a distance.

²⁷ When she approached the man of God at the mountain, she fell to the ground and hugged his feet. Gehazi approached to pull her away, but the man of God stopped him.

Elisha then stood up and followed her to her house. ³¹ Gehazi went ahead of them and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but nothing happened. The boy did not move or make a sound. Gehazi went back to Elisha and reported this to him: “The boy did not wake up.”

³² Elisha arrived at the house and saw the lifeless body of the boy lying on Elisha’s bed. ³³ He went into the room, closed the door behind both of them, and prayed to the Eternal. ³⁴ Elisha approached the boy and lay down, placing his mouth on the boy’s mouth, his eyes on the boy’s eyes, and his hands on the boy’s hands. He covered the boy with his own body, and warmth returned to the boy’s body. ³⁵ Elisha turned around and paced back and forth in the house, then he went back into the room and covered the boy’s body with his own body. The boy sneezed seven times, and then he opened his eyes.

Gehazi told the Shunammite woman to go inside the room, and she did.

³⁷ She fell to the floor before Elisha’s feet, bowing to the ground, and she wept with happiness. She picked up her son and left the room with him.

³⁸ Elisha returned to Gilgal, and he found that there was a famine throughout the entire country. While the disciples of the local prophets were sitting with him, he told his servant to find a big pot and make a big stew for the prophets’ disciples.

³⁹ A man walked out into the fields to look for herbs, and he came across an uncultivated vine and picked enough wild gourds from it to fill the folds of his cloak. He chopped up the gourds and tossed them into the large pot of stew, not knowing what they were. ⁴⁰ Those who prepared the stew gave helpings of it to the men. While they were eating the stew, they cringed and pushed the bowls away from them. They could not eat it.

They brought him some meal, and Elisha threw it in the large pot and renewed the stew.

Everyone ate it, and there was nothing wrong with it this time.

⁴² Sometime later, a man from Baal-shalishah brought some food from the firstfruits of the harvest to the man of God: in his sack were 20 barley loaves and fresh produce still in the husk.

⁴⁴ He handed out the food to them; and exactly as the Eternal One said, they ate and had food to spare.

5 Naaman’s master considered him an extraordinary man. He was the military commander of Aram’s army, and he had won many important battles for Aram by the power of the Eternal. Naturally he was greatly esteemed by his king. Naaman was a fierce warrior, but he also had a skin disease. ² Now one time, the Arameans went out in raiding parties and took a little girl from Israel as their prisoner. The little girl became a servant to Naaman’s wife.

⁴ Naaman became hopeful, and he went and told his king what the little girl from Israel said.

Naaman left with the king’s letter in his hand, plus 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and 10 sets of fine clothing. ^6-7 Naaman handed the letter to Israel’s king, and the king read it.

⁸ Elisha, the man of God, received word that Israel’s king had ripped his clothing, so he sent a message to Israel’s king.

⁹ The king told Naaman to go find Elisha, so Naaman showed up at Elisha’s door with his horses and chariots. ¹⁰ Elisha did not show his face to Naaman, but instead sent instructions: “Wash yourself in the Jordan River seven times. The waters will heal you, and your skin will be back to normal. You will be cleansed.” ¹¹ Naaman boiled with anger as he left Elisha. He had come to his house expecting something much different.

Naaman then stormed away, boiling with anger. ¹³ Later his servants approached and spoke to him with respect.

¹⁴ So Naaman swallowed his pride, walked down to the Jordan River, and washed himself seven times, just as the man of God had instructed him to do. There, the miracle occurred. Naaman’s disease was healed: his skin was as new as an infant’s, and he was clean from the disease. ¹⁵ Naaman and all his entourage went back to the man of God.

Naaman tried again to give Elisha a gift, but Elisha would not take it.

So Naaman left and traveled for a while.

²⁰ About this time, Gehazi, who served Elisha, the man of God, had a wicked thought: “My master let this Aramean Naaman leave and refused Naaman’s gift! That means the gift is still with Naaman. As certain as the life of the Eternal, I vow to go after him and try to get the gift from him myself.”

²¹ So Gehazi went after Naaman. When Naaman saw Gehazi chasing him, he stepped down from his chariot in order to greet Elisha’s servant.

Naaman then put the 150 pounds of silver in two bags, along with two sets of clothing. He secured the bags, placed them in the possession of two of his servants, and gave them instructions to take the bags back to Elisha’s house with Gehazi. ²⁴ When Gehazi and Naaman’s servants arrived at the hill where Elisha’s house sat, Gehazi took the bags from Naaman’s servants and placed them in the house. He then told the servants to go back to Naaman, and so they went away. ²⁵ Gehazi then went to find Elisha.

Gehazi turned and departed from Elisha. By the time Gehazi had walked out of the room, the skin disease had entirely infected him, and his skin was as white as snow.

6 The students of the prophets spoke to Elisha.

⁴ Elisha traveled with them, and they cut down trees when they arrived at the Jordan. ⁵ While one of the students was cutting down a tree, the iron of the ax broke off and dropped into the river.

The man showed Elisha where it had dropped into the water, and Elisha took a stick and tossed it into the river. Then the iron of the ax floated to the surface.

The man then grabbed it.

⁸ Aram’s king had waged war against Israel. He gave instructions to those who served him: “I want my war camp at this particular place.” ⁹ The man of God sent a message to Israel’s king.

¹⁰ Israel’s king passed this warning on to those in the place the man of God had told him about. Elisha’s warning saved Israel’s king more than a few times. ¹¹ Aram’s king became greatly angered by this. He gathered his servants together.

The servants found Elisha and informed Aram’s king, “Elisha is in Dothan.” ¹⁴ So Aram’s king dispatched a great army of warriors, along with many horses and chariots, and they encircled the city of Dothan at night.

¹⁵ The servant of the man of God woke up early and went outside. There he saw a great army, along with many horses and chariots, encircling Dothan.

The Eternal awakened Elisha’s servant so that he could see. This is what he saw: the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha. ¹⁸ When the enemy approached Elisha, he prayed.

The Eternal blinded them, just as Elisha had requested.

Elisha then led them to Samaria.

The Eternal awakened the men so they could see. This is what they saw: they were in Samaria. ²¹ The king of Israel saw them.

²³ Israel’s king had the table set and offered the Arameans a great feast. After they ate and drank, Israel’s king told them to leave. They returned to their own master, and the Arameans stopped sending raiding parties into Israel.

²⁴ Later, Ben-hadad,^[a] Aram’s king, assembled his army and surrounded Samaria. ²⁵ There was already a famine in Samaria. Aram’s king surrounded Samaria for so long that, within Samaria, a donkey head cost two pounds of silver and two cups of dove’s dung^[b] cost two ounces of silver.

²⁶ Once when Israel’s king was walking on the wall, a woman yelled up to him.

³⁰ When the king heard of this horror, he ripped his clothes. Since he was walking on the wall, everyone who looked up saw that he was wearing sackcloth underneath.

³² Meanwhile Elisha was resting in his house with the elders. The king had sent a messenger to him; but before the messenger arrived at Elisha’s house, Elisha knew what would happen.

³³ While Elisha was telling the elders these things, the messenger arrived.

² Then the king’s first officer responded to the man of God.

³ Meanwhile four men with skin diseases were standing and conversing near the gate entrance.

⁵ Just before nightfall, they stood up and walked over to the Aramean camp, but when they got close to the camp, there was no one in sight. ⁶ The Lord had fooled the Aramean army. He had caused them to imagine the monstrous noise of a mighty army of chariots and horses coming toward them.

⁷ So the Arameans ran away just before nightfall, without any fighting taking place. God caused them to abandon their tents, their horses, their donkeys, and the campsite, and run for their lives.

⁸ When the diseased men arrived at the camp, they walked into one tent and ate and drank. They gathered up all the valuables they could find—clothes, silver, gold—and went out and hid them in a secret place. Then they went into another tent and did the same thing.

¹⁰ So they returned to the city and called to the gatekeepers.

¹¹ The gatekeepers went and told the palace about this strange news. ¹² The king woke up and listened to the report. He was immediately suspicious, so he explained his theory to his servants.

¹⁴ So a few men took a couple of chariots along with some of the horses that were still alive in the city, and Israel’s king told them, “Trail after the Aramean army, and get down to the bottom of this.” ¹⁵ The king’s messengers traveled to the Jordan River and found that the trail was covered with clothing and weapons and tools that the Arameans had left behind in their haste. The messengers immediately went back and told the king what they had found.

¹⁶ Everyone in the city went and raided the abandoned Aramean camp. So 7 quarts of premium flour were sold for 11 grams, and 13 quarts of barley were sold for the same, just as the Eternal had said they would be. ¹⁷ The king instructed his first officer to guard the gate, but everyone ran over him at the gate on their way to raid the abandoned Aramean camp. He was killed, as the man of God had said he would be when the king had spoken to him.

¹⁸ You recall that this man of God had told the king, “By this time tomorrow, 7 quarts of premium flour will sell for 11 grams, and 13 quarts of barley will sell for the same at the market in the gate of Samaria.” ¹⁹ The officer had then asked, “Even if the Eternal carved out windows in heaven, is it really possible?” Elisha had replied, “You will witness this event, but you will not be allowed to enjoy the feast.” ²⁰ This was the truth about the officer’s destiny, for he was killed at the city entrance—trampled by the starving, miserable citizens of Samaria.

8 Elisha went and warned the mother of the boy whom he had brought back to life.

² The woman did exactly as the man of God instructed her to do. She got up, gathered her family and servants together, and then settled in Philistine territory for seven years. ³ After the seven years were over, she departed from Philistia and went back to her own land. When she returned home, she went straight to the king to argue that she be given back her house and her field.

⁴ The king was speaking with Gehazi, servant of the man of God.

⁵ So Gehazi told the king everything. Just when Gehazi got to the part about Elisha bringing the dead boy back to life, the boy’s mother walked in and argued that the king should give her back her house and her field. Gehazi’s excitement was piqued by the visitor’s timing.

⁶ The king asked the woman if this was true, and she confirmed Gehazi’s story. She told the king every detail. The king was delighted by this story, and he gave an assignment to one of his officials, a eunuch, on her behalf: “Give this woman back her house and her field, as well as all the earnings of her field that were harvested from the day that she left until now.”

⁷ Now when Elisha arrived in Damascus, Aram’s king, Ben-hadad, was ill. A message arrived for the king: “The man of God has just arrived in Damascus.”

⁹ Hazael greeted Elisha with a gift and with kindness. He did as instructed and offered him many excellent items from Damascus—40 camel loads of gifts.

¹¹ Elisha held his gaze on Hazael until the prophet was ashamed, but then the man of God broke down and cried.

¹⁴ Hazael went away from Elisha and went back to his king.

¹⁵ The next day, Hazael grabbed the cover off Ben-hadad’s bed, soaked it in water, and put it over the king’s face until he died. Hazael then inherited the throne and reigned over Aram.

¹⁶ During the 5th year of the reign of Joram (Ahab’s son) of Israel, and when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Jehoram (Jehoshaphat’s son) became Judah’s king. ¹⁷ When he inherited the throne, he was 32 years old, and his time as king lasted 8 years in Jerusalem. ¹⁸ He lived his life as if he were a king in Israel, in the same wicked manner as Ahab’s family. In fact, he married Ahab’s daughter, and he committed countless deeds which the Eternal deemed wicked. ¹⁹ But the Eternal refused to bring Judah to its end, because He had made a promise to David, His loyal servant, that David’s progeny would always carry the lamp of his presence.

²⁰ During Jehoram’s reign, Edom rebelled against Judah’s rule and appointed its own king. ²¹ Joram then traveled to Zair with all of his chariots. During the night, he awoke to find that the Edomites had surrounded his camp and chariot officers, so he fought them and broke out. After the attack, Joram and his people ran quickly back to their tents. ²² Edom has been in rebellion against Judah ever since, even to this very day; at the same time, Libnah also rebelled. ²³ Is not the rest of Joram’s story—his actions and lasting legacy—documented in the book of the chronicles of Judah’s kings? ²⁴ Joram left this world to sleep with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David; Joram’s son, Ahaziah, then inherited the throne of Judah.

²⁵ During the 12th year of the reign of Joram (Ahab’s son), Ahaziah (Jehoram’s son), Judah’s king, inherited the throne. ²⁶ Ahaziah was 22 years old when he inherited the throne in Jerusalem, but his reign was short-lived: only one year. Ahaziah’s mother was Athaliah (granddaughter of Omri, king of Israel). ²⁷ He lived in the same wicked way as Ahab’s family, committing evil in the eyes of the Eternal because he was a son-in-law to Ahab’s house.

²⁸ Ahaziah joined forces with Joram (Ahab’s son and Ahaziah’s own uncle) in battle against Hazael (Aram’s king) at Ramoth-gilead. There Joram was injured by the Arameans. ²⁹ King Joram went to Jezreel to be healed of his injuries, which he had received from the Arameans. He would have plenty of scars by which to remember the battle at Ramah where he fought against Aram’s king, Hazael. Ahaziah (son of Jehoram, king of Judah) then received word that Joram (Ahab’s son) was ill, so he went to visit him in Jezreel.

9 The prophet Elisha gave instructions to one of the prophets’ disciples.

⁴ The young prophet traveled to Ramoth-gilead. ⁵ When he got there, the military commanders were sitting together.

⁶ Jehu stood up, and he and the young prophet entered the house together. The young man anointed Jehu’s head with oil and spoke these words:

The young prophet then opened the door and departed in haste.

¹¹ When Jehu appeared before his master’s servants, one of the commanders questioned him.

¹³ All the men quickly took off their coats and placed them before Jehu on the steps. They sounded the trumpet.

¹⁴ Jehu (son of Jehoshaphat, Nimshi’s son) began plotting against Joram. The entire community of Israel with Joram was defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael (Aram’s king); but if you remember, ¹⁵ King Joram had gone to Jezreel to wait for his injuries to heal—the injuries the Arameans had given him while he was fighting against Aram’s king, Hazael.

¹⁶ Jehu took a chariot to Jezreel, where Joram was resting. As you may recall, Ahaziah (Judah’s king) was there visiting Joram. ¹⁷ The watchman was up on the watchtower in Jezreel, and he saw Jehu and his followers approaching.

¹⁸ A horseman went out and spoke to Jehu and his followers.

The watchman immediately went and updated Joram about the situation.

¹⁹ Joram summoned another horseman.

²⁰ The watchman then went and updated Joram about the situation again.

So they prepared his chariot; and he and Ahaziah (Judah’s king) went out together, each in his own chariot, to meet Jehu’s caravan on Naboth the Jezreelite’s land.

²³ Joram quickly realized that Jehu intended to attack, so he immediately turned his chariot around, quickly rode away, and yelled out to Ahaziah.

²⁴ But Jehu pulled his bowstring back as far as he could. He released an arrow that struck Joram between his shoulder blades, piercing straight through his heart. Joram fell over in his chariot.

²⁷ Ahaziah (Judah’s king) witnessed all of this from a distance, and he rode away by the path to Beth-haggan. Jehu went after him.

They shot him at Ibleam as he was driving up toward Gur. But he did not die there. He continued on to Megiddo, where he took his last breath.

²⁸ Ahaziah’s servants transported him to Jerusalem in a chariot. They buried him with his fathers in the city of David. ²⁹ During the 11th year of Joram (Ahab’s son), Ahaziah inherited the throne over Judah.

³⁰ When Jehu arrived in Jezreel, Jezebel was informed of his arrival. She put on her best make-up and fixed her hair, and she stuck her head out her window. ³¹ While Jehu rode through the gate, she taunted him.

A few officers, who were eunuchs, peered down at him.

They did as he instructed and threw her out the window. Her blood splattered everywhere—on the ground, on the wall, on the horses. He rode his horse over her and pounded her into the ground.

³⁴ He then went inside to eat and drink. After he had his fill, he gave instructions.

³⁵ They went out to clean up the mess and bury her body; but when they got there, they found a most haunting sight. All that remained was her skull, her feet, and the palms of her hands. ³⁶ They went back and told Jehu this news, and he explained it to them.

10 Ahab had many sons in Samaria—70 in all. This is how Jehu got the best of them:

Jehu wrote many letters to Samaria—to the leaders in Jezreel, the elders, as well as the caretakers of Ahab’s children.

⁴ The leaders of Jezreel became immensely afraid because of Jehu’s letter.

⁵ All the leading citizens of Jezreel—leader of the city, house managers, elders, and the children’s guardians—sent a letter back to Jehu.

All 70 of Ahab’s sons lived with the chief men in the city, who were their guardians. ⁷ After the leaders of Jezreel read Jehu’s second letter, they beheaded all 70 of Ahab’s sons. It was a horrific slaughter! They then placed all the heads in baskets and transported the blood-drenched baskets to Jezreel, so that Jehu would have proof of their obedience to him.

⁹ Dawn arrived, and Jehu addressed everyone.

¹¹ Jehu slaughtered everyone who belonged to Ahab’s household in Jezreel. He slaughtered all who knew Ahab—the mighty men of the city, the priests, and even mere acquaintances. There was not a single person left alive who knew Ahab.

¹² For example, on his way to Samaria, when Jehu was with the shepherds at Beth-eked, ¹³ he met some relatives of Ahaziah, king of Judah.

They seized Ahaziah’s relatives, and they slaughtered them at the ditch of Beth-eked. There were 42 men slaughtered that day. Not a single man was left alive. No mercy was shown.

¹⁵ Jehu left in his chariot, and he was met by Jehonadab (Rechab’s son).

Jehonadab offered his hand to Jehu, and Jehu lifted him up into the chariot.

So the two rode off together in Jehu’s chariot. ¹⁷ When they arrived in Samaria, Jehu slaughtered every person who was at all connected to Ahab. Finally every remnant of Ahab was erased from the earth. This all happened exactly as the Eternal said it would when He gave His message through Elijah.

¹⁸ For Jehu’s next ingenious move, he assembled everyone.

Jehu only said this sly thing so that he might slaughter Baal’s servants all in one attack.

They did as they were told.

²¹ Jehu spread the word of this sacred gathering throughout all of Israel. Every single one of Baal’s worshipers in the entire land attended. Everyone assembled inside the temple of Baal, and it was packed from wall to wall. Jehu continued pretending he was devoted to Baal. ²² He gave instructions to the wardrobe manager.

The wardrobe manager did as Jehu instructed and brought out the proper clothing to everyone.

²³ Jehu was accompanied by Jehonadab (Rechab’s son) as he entered the temple of Baal. Jehu gave a strict command to Baal’s worshipers.

²⁴ All of Baal’s servants began to give offerings and sacrifice burnt offerings to Baal. Outside the temple of Baal, Jehu had stationed 80 soldiers. He gave them strict instructions.

²⁵ Jehu offered a burnt offering for show; and after he finished with it, he gave the command to the soldiers and their officers.

The soldiers slaughtered every one of Baal’s servants with the sword—one by one. After the massacre was over, the soldiers and the officers then tossed the corpses outside of Baal’s temple. When they had removed all of the corpses, they entered the inner chamber. ²⁶ There they tore down and removed the sacred pillars from this pagan temple, and they set them on fire. ²⁷ They tore down Baal’s sacred pillar and proceeded to tear down the rest of Baal’s temple. Ever since then, that place has been designated as a latrine, even to this day.

²⁸ And that is the story of how Jehu exterminated Baal worship from the community of Israel. ²⁹ But Jehu emulated the wickedness of Jeroboam (Nebat’s son)—causing the Israelites to live sinful lives. He did not turn away from the golden calves in Bethel and in Dan.

³¹ After all that Jehu had done, and even after the Lord had honored him, he fell from the higher path, from the ways of the Eternal. His whole heart did not belong to Israel’s God. He walked the wicked path of Jeroboam, causing the Israelites to live sinful lives.

³² During that time, the Eternal One began reducing the territorial holdings of Israel.

Hazael conquered these sections throughout the land of Israel— ³³ all territories east of the Jordan River (where the Gileadites, the Gadites, the Reubenites, and the Manassites lived), from Aroer (near the Arnon Valley) north to Gilead and Bashan as well.

³⁴ Is not the rest of Jehu’s story—his accomplishments and his actions—documented in the book of the chronicles of Israel’s kings? ³⁵ Jehu left this world to sleep with his fathers, and he was laid to rest in Samaria. His son, Jehoahaz, then inherited the throne. ³⁶ Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria for 28 years.

11 When Ahaziah’s mother, Athaliah, found out that Ahaziah had been killed, she saw to it that the rest of the royal offspring were killed.

² Jehosheba, King Joram’s daughter and Ahaziah’s sister and wife of Jehoiada the priest, took one of Ahaziah’s sons, Joash,^[e] away from the rest of the royal offspring who were being killed; and she hid him in the bedchamber of the temple priests where he would be safe with his nurse. By hiding him from Athaliah, Jehosheba ensured his survival. ³ Joash and his nurse lived secretly in the Eternal’s temple for the six years Athaliah ruled Judah.

⁴ During the seventh year, Jehoiada summoned the commanders of the Carites’ divisions and of the soldiers; and he gave them instructions to meet him in the Eternal’s house. There in the temple, Jehoiada entered into a covenant with them and made them swear to honor it. Then he revealed Ahaziah’s son, Joash, to them.

⁹ All the commanders of hundreds did exactly as Jehoiada the priest had instructed them to do. The commanders gathered their men coming on duty and going off duty on the Sabbath and brought them to Jehoiada the priest. ¹⁰ The priest handed out King David’s spears and shields to all the commanders, the weapons that were kept in the Eternal’s temple. ¹¹ Then all the protectors took up their weapons and went to their posts—on the right and left of the palace, by the temple and its altar, and around the king.

¹² Jehoiada then escorted the king’s son and placed the crown atop his head. He gave him the testimony of dedication, and he anointed Joash as king. In that moment, his kingship was made official. Then every one clapped and cheered.

¹³ Athaliah heard the loud noise that the guards and the people were making, and she went to meet everyone who was in the Eternal’s temple. ¹⁴ When she got there, she looked over and saw the new king standing by the sacred pillar, according to tradition. The commanders and trumpeters were standing next to him. Everyone was celebrating and blowing their trumpets. When Athaliah perceived all of this, she tore her garments.

¹⁵ Jehoiada the priest was in charge of all the commanders of hundreds who were in charge of the army units.

Because the priest had warned, “Do not spill her blood in the Eternal’s temple,” ¹⁶ they grabbed her and escorted her to the palace entrance that was used by mounted riders, and they executed her there.

¹⁷ Jehoiada then entered into a covenant between the Eternal, the king, and the people: the king and his people would belong to the Eternal and live as God’s people, and the people would accept Joash as their king. ¹⁸ Immediately after the covenant was made, everyone in the country rushed over to Baal’s temple and demolished it. They destroyed Baal’s altars and shattered everything made in his image. They slaughtered Mattan, Baal’s priest, right in front of the altars. Jehoiada then designated special guards to protect the Eternal’s temple. ¹⁹ He gathered up the commanders of hundreds of the Carites’ divisions, the soldiers, and everyone in the entire country. They escorted the king from the Eternal’s temple to the palace and then traveled together through the soldiers’ gate. King Joash then sat upon the throne. ²⁰ Everyone in the entire country was glad, and the entire city was calm and at peace. They had put an end to Athaliah by killing her with a sword at the palace.

²¹ Jehoash^[f] was only seven years old when all this took place and he began to reign.

12 During Jehu’s seventh year, Jehoash inherited the throne in Jerusalem. His reign lasted for 40 years. His mother was Zibiah of Beersheba. ² Jehoash was righteous in the Eternal’s eyes during the entire time he was mentored by Jehoiada the priest. ³ But the high places remained. They were not destroyed, and people still went to them to offer sacrifices and burn incense.

⁶ During King Jehoash’s 23rd year, the Eternal One’s temple was only getting worse because the priests had not used any money to repair the Eternal One’s house. ⁷ So King Jehoash questioned Jehoiada and the other priests.

⁸ The priests agreed they would not take any more monetary offerings from anyone, and they would not repair the Eternal’s temple.

^9-10 Jehoiada the priest gouged a hole in the lid of a chest and set it next to the altar. He put it on the right side of the altar, so that everyone walked past it as they entered into the Eternal’s temple. The priests who stood at the entrance placed all the monetary offerings that were carried into the Eternal’s temple into the chest. When the chest was almost full, the king’s secretary and the high priest counted the money and placed it into separate bags. ¹¹ They handed the money to the workers who took care of the Eternal’s temple, and then handed out money to the carpenters and builders who repaired it, ¹² and they also gave some of the money to the masons and stonecutters who paid for the wood and carved stone and other materials that went into repairing the Eternal’s temple. ¹³ None of the monetary offerings that were given to the Eternal’s temple were used to make silver cups, snuffers, bowls, trumpets, gold vessels, or silver vessels. ¹⁴ All the money went to those who repaired the Eternal’s temple for their work. ¹⁵ The priests did not ask for any receipts or documentation to be made of the financial handlings. The workers were completely trustworthy and did not cheat. ¹⁶ Any monetary offerings—be they guilt offerings or sin offerings—still belonged to the priests and were not carried into the Eternal’s temple.

¹⁷ Meanwhile Hazael (Aram’s king) was fighting Gath in Philistia, and he took the entire city captive. Then he put his sights on Jerusalem. ¹⁸ Jehoash, Judah’s king, gathered up all the sacred articles that his ancestors, Judah’s kings—Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah—had consecrated, as well as all the many articles he himself had consecrated. He gathered up all the gold in the treasuries in the Eternal’s temple and in the palace, and he sent it all to Hazael, Aram’s king. After that, Hazael departed from Jerusalem.

¹⁹ Is not the rest of Jehoash’s^[g] story—his actions and lasting legacy—documented in the book of the chronicles of Judah’s kings? ²⁰ Those who served Joash plotted against him, and they killed him at the house of Millo while he was on his way to Silla.

²¹ Joash’s own servants, Jozacar (Shimeath’s son) and Jehozabad (Shomer’s son) were the ones who assassinated him. They laid him to rest with his ancestors in the city of David. Joash’s son, Amaziah, then inherited the throne.

13 When Joash, son of Ahaziah and king of Judah, had ruled Judah 23 years, Jehoahaz (Jehu’s son) succeeded his father as king of Israel in Samaria. He sat upon the throne for 17 years. ² Jehoahaz committed evil in the Eternal’s eyes. He walked the wicked path of Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) causing the Israelites to live sinful lives. Jehoahaz did not abandon Jeroboam’s sins.

³ The Eternal’s wrath burned against Israel, and He handed them over to Hazael, Aram’s king, and to Ben-hadad, Hazael’s son. ⁴ Jehoahaz begged for the Eternal One to hear him, and the Eternal granted his desperate request and listened to him. He perceived the suffering of Israel, and He knew how Aram’s king caused that suffering. ⁵ The Eternal One sent a savior, so that they escaped from the rule of the Arameans. The Israelites then went back to living in their own tents. ⁶ Even though they escaped from the Arameans, the Israelites continued walking the wicked path that they had learned from the family of Jeroboam—the path that caused the Israelites to live sinful lives. The sacred poles were not demolished in Samaria either. They remained standing and in use. ⁷ Jehoahaz’s army was decimated. He was left with only 50 horsemen, 10 chariots, and 10,000 foot soldiers at most. Aram’s king had killed everyone else. They were trampled like dust on the ground.

⁸ Is not the rest of Jehoahaz’s story—his actions and lasting legacy—documented in the book of the chronicles of Israel’s kings? ⁹ Jehoahaz left this world to sleep with his fathers and was laid to rest in Samaria. His son, Joash, then inherited the throne.

¹⁰ During the 37th year of Joash of Judah’s reign, Jehoash (Jehoahaz’s son) inherited the throne of Israel in Samaria. His reign lasted 16 years. ¹¹ He committed evil in the Eternal’s eyes. He walked the wicked path of Jeroboam (Nebat’s son)—causing the Israelites to live sinful lives.

¹² Is not the rest of the story of Joash (King of Israel)—his actions and his courage toward Amaziah, Judah’s king—documented in the book of the chronicles of Israel’s kings? ¹³ Joash of Israel left this world to sleep with his fathers and was laid to rest in Samaria with Israel’s kings. Jeroboam then inherited the throne.

¹⁴ Now Elisha was sick with a terminal illness; and Joash, Israel’s king, came to visit him. He cried over Elisha,

Joash did as Elisha instructed and brought a bow and some arrows back to Elisha’s bedside.

So Joash gripped the bow, and Elisha placed his hands over the king’s hands.

So Joash opened the window.

So Joash drew back the bow and launched the arrow as far as he could.

So Joash took the arrows.

So Joash hit the ground three times and stood up. ¹⁹ But the man of God became angry at this.

²⁰ Elisha then died and was laid to rest.

The Moabite bandits used to storm the land every spring. It was expected by the people. ²¹ During the springtime, while a group of men were out burying a man, they spied a gang of bandits approaching them. They became afraid, so they threw the dead man’s body into Elisha’s grave. As soon as the dead man’s body touched the bones of Elisha, the dead man miraculously came back to life and stood up.

²² Hazael, Aram’s king, persecuted and abused the Israelites all during Jehoahaz’s reign. ²³ But the Eternal One was gracious and compassionate toward them. He was good and turned his face to them because of the covenant He had made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Eternal, true to His promise, had protected them and remained near them until now.

²⁴ After Hazael (Aram’s king) died, his son, Ben-hadad, inherited the throne. ²⁵ Jehoash, the king of Israel and Jehoahaz’s son, captured the same cities from Ben-hadad (Hazael’s son) that Ben-hadad had captured from his father, Jehoahaz. Joash crushed him and delivered Israel’s cities three different times just as Elisha had prophesied.

14 During the second year of Joash (son of Joahaz, Israel’s king), Amaziah (son of Joash, Judah’s king) inherited the throne in Judah. ² Amaziah was 25 years old when he took the throne, and he sat upon it in Jerusalem for 29 years. Amaziah’s mother was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. ³ Amaziah did what was good in the Eternal’s eyes, but not to the extent that his forefather David had. Amaziah was a lot more like his father, Joash, than he was like David, for he was not as devoted to the Lord as David was. ⁴ But the high places were not destroyed. They remained standing, and everyone continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

⁵ As soon as Amaziah inherited the throne, he crushed all the servants who participated in the assassination of his father, King Joash. ⁶ But he left the sons of the murderers alive because of the Eternal’s command written in Moses’ book of laws, “Fathers should not be killed because of the sins of their sons, and sons should not be killed because of the sins of their fathers. Every man is to be held accountable for his own sins.”^[i]

⁷ Amaziah crushed 10,000 Edomites while fighting in the valley of Salt, and he won Sela in battle and renamed it Joktheel. That name remains today.

⁸ Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, Israel’s king, who was the son of Jehoahaz (Jehu’s son).

¹¹ But Amaziah was stubborn and did not listen to Jehoash’s advice. So Jehoash (Israel’s king) went to meet Amaziah (Judah’s king) face-to-face at Beth-shemesh, in the land of Judah. ¹² Israel won the victory, and Judah was left defeated. Then both went back to their own tents. ¹³ Jehoash (Israel’s king) took Amaziah (Judah’s king) captive at Beth-shemesh and brought him to Jerusalem. Jehoash demolished a large part of the Jerusalem Wall—from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate, 600 feet in all. ¹⁴ He then took possession of all the precious valuables he could find—the gold, silver, and objects that were in the Eternal’s temple and in the king’s palace treasuries. He also took hostages and then went back to Samaria.

¹⁵ Are not the remainder of Jehoash’s deeds—his mighty actions and how he defeated Amaziah (Judah’s king)—documented in the book of the chronicles of Israel’s kings? ¹⁶ Jehoash left this world to sleep with his fathers and was laid to rest in Samaria with Israel’s kings. His son, Jeroboam, then inherited the throne in Israel.

¹⁷ Amaziah (Joash’s son), king of Judah was alive for 15 years after the death of Jehoash (Jehoahaz’s son), king of Israel. ¹⁸ Is not the rest of Amaziah’s story—his actions and lasting legacy—documented in the book of the chronicles of Judah’s kings? ¹⁹ They plotted against him in Jerusalem, and he ran away to Lachish. But they followed after him to Lachish and killed him. ²⁰ They brought his body back to Jerusalem on horses, and they buried him with his ancestors in the city of David, as was tradition. ²¹ Everyone in Judah raised up his 16-year-old son, Azariah, to be king. Azariah then inherited his father’s throne. ²² After his father left this world to sleep with his fathers, Azariah rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah.

²³ During the 15th year of Amaziah (Joash’s son), Jeroboam (Jehoash’s son) inherited Israel’s throne in Samaria. Jeroboam’s reign lasted 41 years. ²⁴ Jeroboam (Joash’s son) committed evil in the Eternal’s eyes. He walked the wicked path of Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) causing the Israelites to live sinful lives. ²⁵ He reinstated Israel’s border from the Hamath entrance to Aram all the way to the Arabah Sea. He did this exactly as the Eternal One, the True God of Israel, had said through his servant, the prophet Jonah (Amittai’s son) who was from Gath-hepher.

²⁶ The Eternal One observed Israel’s intense, bitter suffering whether they were free men or slaves. There was no one who came to the aid of Israel. ²⁷ The Eternal had not said He would erase the reputation or remembrance of Israel from under heaven, so He rescued them through Jeroboam (Joash’s son).

²⁸ Is not the rest of Jeroboam’s story—how he restored Damascus and Hamath to Judah in Israel^[j] through his military exploits—documented in the book of the chronicles of Israel’s kings? ²⁹ Jeroboam left this world to sleep with his fathers, including Israel’s kings. His son, Zechariah, then inherited the throne.

15 During the 27th year of Jeroboam, king of Israel, Azariah (Amaziah’s son) inherited the throne of Judah. ² Azariah was only 16 years old when he inherited the throne, and his reign in Jerusalem lasted 52 years. His mother was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. ³ He did what was good in the Eternal’s eyes and followed in the footsteps of his father, Amaziah.

⁴ But the high places remained. They were not destroyed, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. ⁵ Sadly, the Eternal One afflicted the king with a skin disease until his dying day. He lived in a quarantined house so that he would not make anyone else ritually unclean; and his son, Jotham, took care of Azariah’s household and acted as judge over all the people in Judah.

⁶ Is not the rest of Azariah’s story—his actions and lasting legacy—documented in the book of the chronicles of Judah’s kings? ⁷ Azariah left this world to sleep with his fathers, and his body was laid to rest with his ancestors in the city of David, as was tradition. Azariah’s son, Jotham, then inherited the throne.

⁸ During Azariah’s 38th year as king of Judah, Zechariah (Jeroboam’s son) inherited the throne of Israel in Samaria. His reign only lasted six months. ⁹ He committed evil in the Eternal’s eyes, just as those who reigned before him did. He walked the wicked path of Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) causing the Israelites to live sinful lives. ¹⁰ Shallum (Jabesh’s son) plotted against Zechariah and assassinated him in front of everyone. Shallum then inherited the throne.

¹¹ Is not the rest of Zechariah’s story—his actions and lasting legacy—documented in the book of the chronicles of Israel’s kings?

¹² This is the promise that the Eternal One had given to Jehu: “Your sons, until the fourth generation, will reign over Israel.” And that is exactly what happened.

¹³ Shallum (Jabesh’s son) took over the throne during the 39th year of Uzziah (also known as Azariah), Judah’s king. Shallum’s reign lasted one month in Samaria. ¹⁴ Menahem (Gadi’s son) arrived in Samaria from Tirzah and assassinated Shallum (Jabesh’s son). Menahem then inherited the throne. ¹⁵ Is not the rest of Shallum’s story—including the coup he planned—documented in the book of the chronicles of Israel’s kings?

¹⁶ Menahem then attacked Tiphsah and everyone who was living there, all the way to Tirzah. He savagely attacked them because they would not let him in. He, in a nightmarish act, tore apart every pregnant woman he could find.

¹⁷ During Azariah’s 39th year as Judah’s king, Menahem (Gadi’s son) took over Israel’s throne in Samaria. His reign lasted 10 years. ¹⁸ He committed evil in the Eternal’s eyes. He walked the wicked path of Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) causing the Israelites to live sinful lives.

¹⁹ Tiglath-pileser,^[k] Assyria’s king, waged war against Israel, but Menahem tried to pay tribute with 37 tons of silver so that Tiglath-pileser would help make Menahem’s rule stronger and save Israel from invasion. ²⁰ Menahem gathered the money from all the rich people in Israel. He took 20 ounces of silver from each person and gave it to the Assyrian king. After he had received all the money, the Assyrian king went back to Assyria.

²¹ Is not the rest of Menahem’s story—his actions and lasting legacy—documented in the book of the chronicles of Israel’s kings? ²² Menahem left this world to sleep with his fathers. Menahem’s son, Pekahiah, then inherited the throne.

²³ During Azariah’s 50th year as king of Judah, Pekahiah (Menahem’s son) inherited the throne of Israel in Samaria, and his reign only lasted two years. ²⁴ He committed evil in the Eternal’s eyes. He walked the wicked path of Jeroboam (Nebat’s son), causing the Israelites to live sinful lives. ²⁵ Pekah (Remaliah’s son), one of Pekahiah’s officials, plotted against him in secret and killed him in Samaria, along with two of Pekahiah’s loyal bodyguards, Argob and Arieh. The killings took place in the palace citadel. The conspirator, Pekah, was joined by 50 Gileadites in his assassination of the king and two of his bodyguards. Pekah then took over the throne. ²⁶ Is not the rest of Pekahiah’s story—his actions and lasting legacy—documented in the book of the chronicles of Israel’s kings?

²⁷ During Azariah’s 52nd year as king of Judah, Pekah (Remaliah’s son) inherited Israel’s throne in Samaria. His reign lasted 20 years. ²⁸ He committed evil in the Eternal’s eyes. He walked the wicked path of Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) causing the Israelites to live sinful lives.

²⁹ During Pekah’s reign over Israel, Tiglath-pileser, the Assyrian king, took possession of Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, Galilee, and all of Naphtali; and he also took the inhabitants as captives and deported them to Assyria. ³⁰ Hoshea (Elah’s son) secretly plotted against Pekah (Remaliah’s son) and assasinated him. Hoshea then took over the throne during the 20th year of the reign of Jotham (son of Azariah who was also known as Uzziah) in Judah.

³¹ Is not the rest of Pekah’s story—his actions and lasting legacy—documented in the book of the chronicles of Israel’s kings?

³² During the second year of Pekah (Remaliah’s son) the king in Israel, Jotham (son of Azariah who was also known as Uzziah) inherited the throne of Judah. ³³ Jotham was 25 years old when he inherited the throne. His reign in Jerusalem lasted 16 years. His mother was Jerusha (Zadok’s daughter). ³⁴ He did what was good in the Eternal’s eyes and followed the example of his father, Uzziah. ³⁵ But the high places remained, though Jotham did not support them. Sacrifices were still offered and incense was still burned there by the people. He also constructed the upper gate of the Eternal’s house.

³⁶ Is not the rest of Jotham’s story—his actions and lasting legacy—documented in the book of the chronicles of Judah’s kings? ³⁷ During that time, the Eternal One dispatched Rezin (Aram’s king) and Pekah (Remaliah’s son) from Israel to wage war against Judah. ³⁸ Jotham left this world to sleep with his fathers and was laid to rest in the city of David. His son, Ahaz, then inherited the throne.

16 During the 17th year of the reign of Pekah (Remaliah’s son) as king of Israel, Ahaz (Jotham’s son) inherited the throne in Judah. ² Ahaz was 20 years old when he inherited the throne, and his reign in Jerusalem lasted 16 years. He did not do what was good in the eyes of the Eternal, his True God, unlike his ancestor, David. ³ He walked the wicked path of Israel’s kings, and he even made his own son go through the fire as a child sacrifice. He did this, modeling the abhorrent practices of nations whom the Eternal had exiled to make way for the Israelites. ⁴ He also offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on hills, and beneath every green tree.

⁵ Then Rezin, Aram’s king, and Pekah (Remaliah’s son and king of Israel) approached Jerusalem with one thing in mind—war.

They laid siege to Ahaz but were unsuccessful in defeating him. ⁶ Rezin, Aram’s king, brought Elath back into Aram’s possession. He drove out the Judeans who lived there. Arameans moved back to Elath and still live there today.

⁷ Ahaz dispatched messengers to Tiglath-pileser, Assyria’s king.

⁸ Ahaz then gathered up all the silver and gold in the Eternal’s temple and in the palace treasuries, and he gave it to Assyria’s king as a gift. ⁹ Assyria’s king received the gift and listened to the message. He responded by attacking and capturing Damascus, the capital of Aram. He exiled the inhabitants of Damascus to Kir, and he killed Rezin.

¹⁰ King Ahaz traveled to Damascus to meet with Assyria’s king, Tiglath-pileser. There he laid eyes upon the altar in Damascus so he sent renderings of the altar—its patterns and design—to the priest Urijah.

¹¹ Urijah the priest then constructed an altar from the plans King Ahaz had sent from Damascus. Urijah made it an exact likeness, and he completed it before Ahaz returned from Damascus.

¹² After his return from Damascus, Ahaz saw the new altar Urijah had constructed, walked up to it, and offered ¹³ burnt offerings, meal offerings, and drink offerings and anointed the altar with blood from the peace offerings as Solomon had done when he dedicated the first bronze altar. ¹⁴ He carried the bronze altar from the entryway of the temple to the north side of the new altar, so that it remained before the Eternal One.

¹⁶ Urijah the priest followed all of King Ahaz’s instructions.

¹⁷ Then King Ahaz severed the edges of the stands and took out the basins. He removed the basin from the bronze oxen beneath it and set it on a stone platform. ¹⁸ He also took out the Sabbath canopy that was constructed in the Eternal One’s temple and the outer entryway for the king because of Assyria’s king. ¹⁹ Is not the rest of Ahaz’s story—his actions and lasting legacy—documented in the book of the chronicles of Judah’s kings? ²⁰ Ahaz left this world to sleep with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of David, as was tradition. His son, Hezekiah, then inherited the throne.

17 During the 12th year of Ahaz (Judah’s king), Hoshea (Elah’s son) inherited Israel’s throne in Samaria. His reign lasted nine years. ² He committed evil in the Eternal’s eyes, but not in the same way some of Israel’s kings had.

³ Shalmaneser, Assyria’s king, waged war against Hoshea, but Hoshea humbled himself before Shalmaneser by paying tribute. ⁴ But Shalmaneser sensed a secret plot in Hoshea who, instead of paying the expected tribute to Shalmaneser as he had done yearly, had sent messengers to So, the king of Egypt. Because of this, Assyria’s king bound and locked Hoshea in prison.

⁵ Assyria’s king then invaded Israel and besieged Samaria for three years. ⁶ During Hoshea’s ninth year, Assyria’s king captured Samaria and carried off the Israelites to exile in Assyria. The exiles were forced to stay in Halah and Habor on the Gozan River and also in the cities of the Medes.

⁷ This all happened because the Israelites had committed countless wicked deeds against their God, the Eternal One, who brought them out of Egypt and freed them from the oppression fueled by Pharaoh, Egypt’s king. They revered gods other than the Lord ⁸ and lived by the wicked traditions of the people whom the Eternal had forced out of the land before the Israelites arrived. They lived by the religious and cultural practices that Israel’s kings had introduced. ⁹ The Israelites committed unrighteous acts and tried to hide them from the Eternal their God; but of course, the Lord witnessed them all. They constructed high places everywhere, small or large—from lookout towers to fortified cities. ¹⁰ They decorated every hill and the shade of every tree with holy pillars and sacred poles. ¹¹ They burned incense at all the high places just as the people whom the Eternal One had forced out of the land before them had done. They repeated the very same sins. They did many wicked deeds, provoking the anger of the Eternal. ¹² They placed themselves in the service of idols—the same ones He had given them instructions about, commanding, “Do not do this. They are evil!”^[l]

¹³ The Eternal One gave fair warning to Israel and Judah. He gave His warning through the mouths of prophets and seers throughout the land: “Abandon your wickedness, and obey My commands and laws which I gave to your ancestors through the mouths of My servants, the prophets.”

¹⁴ But the Israelites were fools and did not heed the warning. They were stubborn just like their ancestors who did not trust in the Eternal One their God. ¹⁵ They spurned His laws and even the covenant He had entered into with their ancestors. They rejected the fair warnings He gave to them. They were devoted to their own vanity and followed the same wicked path as the neighboring nations—the ones He had instructed them not to imitate. ¹⁶ They abandoned all the laws the Eternal One their God had given to them. They crafted two golden calves, put up a sacred pole, and also praised the sun, the moon, the stars, and Baal as their master. ¹⁷ They made their children pass through the fire, they performed witchcraft and divining, and they committed evil in the eyes of the Eternal and provoked Him to burn with anger. ¹⁸ Therefore, He was furious with Israel, so He banished them from His sight. The only tribe that remained was Judah. ¹⁹ But Judah also abandoned the laws of their God, the Eternal One, and they walked the same wicked path the Israelites had walked. ²⁰ He rejected all the sons and daughters of Israel and banished them from His sight. He made them suffer and handed them over to pillagers until they were finally cast out of His presence.

²¹ After the Eternal had cut Israel out of the house of David, the people made Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) their first king. But he caused the people to turn away from the Eternal One and caused Israel to sin in every way. ²² The Israelites walked the wicked path of Jeroboam ²³ until the Eternal removed Israel from His presence, just as He had said through the mouths of His servants the prophets. The Israelites were forced to leave their own land and go live in Assyria, where they still dwell today.

²⁴ Assyria’s king transported men from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sephar-vaim, and he made them live in the Samaritan towns and cities where the Israelites had lived. Samaria now belonged to these new inhabitants of the towns and cities. ²⁵ When they first began living in Samaria, the foreigners lacked any fear of the Eternal One. So He caused lions to invade their ignorant community and kill some of the people. ²⁶ One of them contacted Assyria’s king.

²⁸ Ironically a priest who was exiled by God for not following His ways was brought back to Samaria and became responsible for teaching the new inhabitants how to revere the Eternal. He stayed at Bethel.

²⁹ Even after all of this, all the nations were still crafting their own gods and placing them in the high places built by the Samaritans, each nation in the cities where it settled. ³⁰ The Babylonian men crafted Succoth-benoth, the Cuth men crafted Nergal, the Hamath men crafted Ashima, ³¹ the Avvites crafted Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites gave their own children as burnt sacrifices to their gods Adrammelech and Anammelech. ³² They also greatly feared the Eternal One and nominated some of their own men to act as priests at the high places, interceding for them at the high places’ temples. ³³ They feared Him while at the same time honoring the gods of the nations from where they had been exiled.

³⁴ Still today, they honor the earlier traditions of the wicked people before them, and they fail to revere the Eternal properly. They do not honor the sacred laws and judgments that He gave to the descendants of Jacob (whom He called Israel). ³⁵ He entered into a sacred covenant with the new Samaritans and gave them the same sacred commands to follow.

⁴⁰ But they did not listen to the Lord’s message. Instead they did just as they had done when they lived in their own nations. ⁴¹ They feared the Eternal One while at the same time serving their own idols. Their descendants have done the same ever since.

18 During the third year of Hoshea (Elah’s son and the last king of Israel), Hezekiah (Ahaz’s son) inherited the throne in Judah. ² Hezekiah was 25 when he inherited the throne. His reign in Jerusalem lasted 29 years. His mother was Abi (Zechariah’s daughter). ³ He did what was good in the Eternal’s eyes, and he walked the same righteous path as his ancestor, David.

⁴ He tore down all of the wicked high places and demolished all the holy pillars and the sacred pole. He shattered the bronze serpent that Moses had crafted because the Israelites burned incense to honor it.^[m] The bronze serpent was named, “the bronze thing.”^{[n] 5} Hezekiah put his trust in the Eternal One, Israel’s God. Before and after his righteous reign, no other king ever compared to him in Judah. ⁶ He embraced the Eternal, and he did not abandon the righteous path. He obeyed all the sacred laws that the Eternal had given to Moses. ⁷ The Eternal One was with Hezekiah, and His blessings covered him everywhere he went. Hezekiah defied Assyria’s king and refused to humble himself before him, unlike his father, Ahaz. ⁸ He conquered the Philistines all the way to Gaza, taking everything from imposing lookout towers to large fortified cities.

⁹ During King Hezekiah’s fourth year, which was the seventh year of Hoshea (king of Israel and Elah’s son), Shalmaneser, Assyria’s king, waged war against Samaria and attacked it with full force. ¹⁰ After three years, during Hezekiah’s sixth year in Judah and Hoshea’s ninth year as king of Israel, they took possession of Samaria. ¹¹ Assyria’s king transported the Israelites to Assyria as exiles. He forced them to live in Halah on the Habor (the river of Gozan) and in the cities of the Medes. ¹² This took place because they did not obey the warning of the Eternal their God. Instead they transgressed both the sacred covenant He had made with them and everything Moses, the servant of the Eternal, had commanded. They would not listen to the sacred laws, much less obey them.

¹³ During King Hezekiah’s 14th year, Sennacherib, Assyria’s king, attacked and captured all of Judah’s fortified cities. ¹⁴ Hezekiah (Judah’s king) sent a message to Sennacherib at Lachish.

Assyria’s king demanded 11 tons of silver and one ton of gold from Hezekiah, king of Judah. ¹⁵ Hezekiah gathered up all the silver he could find in the Eternal’s temple and in the palace treasuries; and he gave it to Assyria’s king, just as he had demanded. ¹⁶ He even stripped the gold off the Eternal’s temple doors and doorposts that he had gilded, and he handed it over to Assyria’s king.

¹⁷ Assyria’s king then dispatched a large army to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. The army was led by three senior military officers, Tartan, Rab-saris, and Rabshakeh, from Lachish. They came to Jerusalem and waited by the channel of the upper pool. (The channel is on the main route to the fuller’s field.) ¹⁸ They called out to the king; but instead of the king coming out to meet them, Eliakim (Hilkiah’s son) the palace administrator, Shebnah the lawyer, and Joah (Asaph’s son) the reporter to the king and the people approached them.