King Uzziah of Judah

1After Jeroboam #2 had been ruling Israel for almost twenty-seven years, Uzziah, the son of King Amaziah of Judah, began to rule.

2He was 16 years old when he started to rule, and he ruled in Jerusalem for 52 years. His mother was Jecoliah, from Jerusalem.

3He did things that Yahweh was pleased with, like his father Amaziah had done.

4But, the places at the pagan shrines where they worshiped Yahweh were not destroyed, and the people continued to burn incense to honor Yahweh at those places instead of in Jerusalem, the place that Yahweh had appointed.

5Yahweh caused Uzziah to become a leper, and he was a leper for the rest of his life. He was not allowed to live in the palace. He lived alone in a house, and his son Jotham ruled the country.

6If you want to know about everything else that Uzziah did, it is written [RHQ] in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Judah’.

7Uzziah died [EUP], and they buried him in the part of Jerusalem called ‘The City of David’, where his ancestors had been buried. Then his son Jotham officially became the king.

King Zechariah of Israel

8After Uzziah had been ruling Judah for almost thirty-eight years, Zechariah, the son of Jeroboam #2, became the king of Israel. He ruled in Samaria city for only six months.

9He did many things that Yahweh considered to be evil, like his ancestors had done. He committed the same kind of sins that Jeroboam #1 had committed, sins which led the Israeli people to sin.

10Then Shallum, the son of Jabesh, made plans to assassinate Zechariah. He killed him at Ibleam town, and then he became the king.

11Everything else that Zechariah did is written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Israel’.

12When Zechariah died, that ended the dynasty of King Jehu. That fulfilled what Yahweh said to King Jehu would happen: “Your son and grandson and great-grandson and great-great-grandson will all be kings of Israel.”

King Shallum of Israel

13Shallum, the son of Jabesh, became the king of Israel after King Uzziah had been ruling Judah for almost thirty-nine years. But Shallum ruled in Samaria for only one month.

14Then Menahem, the son of Gadi, went up from Tirzah city to Samaria and assassinated Shallum. Then Menahem became the king of Israel.

15Everything else that Shallum did, including his killing King Zechariah, is written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Israel’.

16While Menahem was ruling in Samaria, he completely destroyed Tappuah village south of Samaria and killed all the people who lived there and in the surrounding territory. He did that because the people in that city refused to surrender to him. With his sword he even ripped open the bellies of pregnant women.

King Menahem of Israel

17When King Azariah had been ruling Judah for almost thirty-nine years, Menahem, the son of Gadi, became the king of Israel. He ruled in Samaria for ten years.

18He did many things that Yahweh considered to be evil. He committed the same kinds of sins that King Jeroboam #1 had committed, sins that led the people of Israel to sin. He continued to commit those sins for the rest of his life.

19Then King Tiglath-Pileser of Assyria came with his army to attack Israel. So Menahem gave him ◄thirty-eight tons/35,000 kg.► of silver in order that Tiglath-Pileser would help Menahem to continue to be king and rule his country more strongly.

20Menahem obtained that money from the rich men in Israel. He compelled each of them to contribute 50 pieces of silver. So Tiglath-Pileser took that money and went back home.

21If you want to know more about everything that Menahem did, it is written [RHQ] in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Israel’.

22Menahem died [EUP] and was buried, and his son Pekahiah became the king of Israel.

King Pekahiah of Israel

23When King Uzziah had been ruling Judah for almost 50 years, Menahem’s son Pekahiah became the king of Israel. He ruled in Samaria for only two years.

24He did many things that Yahweh considered to be evil. He committed the same kind of sins that King Jeroboam #1 had committed, sins which led the people of Israel to sin.

25Then one of Pekahiah’s army commanders whose name was Pekah, the son of Remaliah, planned with 50 men from the Gilead region to kill Pekahiah. They assassinated him in a fortified place in the king’s palace in Samaria. Then Pekah became the king.

26Everything else that Pekahiah did is written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Israel’.

King Pekah of Israel

27When King Uzziah had been ruling Judah for almost 52 years, Pekah, the son of Remaliah, became the king of Israel. He ruled in Samaria for 20 years.

28He also did many things that Yahweh considered to be evil. He committed the same kind of sins that King Jeroboam #1 had committed, sins that led the people of Israel to sin.

29While Pekah was the king, Tiglath-Pileser, the king of Assyria, came with his army and captured the cities of Ijon, Abel-Beth-Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, and the regions of Gilead, Galilee, and Naphtali. His army forced the Israeli people to leave their country and go to live in Assyria.

30Then Hoshea, the son of Elah, plotted to kill Pekah. He assassinated him when Uzziah’s son Jotham had been ruling Judah for almost 20 years. Then Hoshea became the king of Israel.

31Everything else that Pekah did is written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Israel’.

King Jotham of Judah

32When Pekah had been ruling Israel for almost two years, Uzziah’s son Jotham began to rule Judah.

33He was 25 years old when he started to rule, and he ruled from Jerusalem for 16 years. His mother was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.

34He did many things that pleased Yahweh, like his father Uzziah had done.

35But he did not destroy the places on the tops of hills where the people worshiped Yahweh, and the people continued to burn incense there to honor Yahweh. Jotham’s workers built the Upper Gate of the temple.

36If you want to know more about everything else that Jotham did, it is written [RHQ] in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Judah’.

37It was during the time that Jotham was the king that Yahweh sent King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah of Israel with their armies to attack Judah.

38Jotham died [EUP] and was buried where his ancestors had been buried in the part of Jerusalem called ‘The City of David’. Then his son Ahaz became the king of Judah.