Book of 2nd Kings
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Verse by verse, account of the book of 2^nd Kings

2^nd Kings: chapter 1

¹After the death of Ahab, the nation of Moab rebelled against Israel. ²And shortly thereafter Ahaziah, king of the northern kingdom (Israel), fell through a lattice in his upper chamber and became sick. He then sent messengers to go and inquire of the Philistine god Baal-zebub, whether he would recover from this disease. ³But the angel of the LORD said to the prophet Elijah; Go up to meet the messengers of the king of Israel and say to them; Is it because there is not a God in Israel, that you go to inquire of the Philistine god Baal-zebub? ⁴Therefore the LORD says; Ahaziah will not get off of his bed, but shall die on it. And Elijah departed.

⁵When the messengers had returned to the king. The king asked them; Why they had returned so quickly? ⁶And they said to the king; A man came to us and said; Return to the king and say to him, the LORD says; Is it because there is not a God in Israel, that you go to inquire of the Philistine god Baal-zebub? Therefore, you will not get off of your bed, but shall die on it. ⁷The king then asked who this man was who spoke these words? ⁸And they said; He was a hairy man, having a leather girdle around him. And by this the king knew it was the prophet Elijah.

⁹Then the king sent a captain and fifty men to where Elijah was and they found Elijah sitting on top of a hill. And they spoke to him, saying; Elijah, man of God, the king has ordered you to come down to us. ¹⁰Elijah answered the captain; If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your men. And fire came down from heaven and consumed the men.

¹¹Again the king sent another captain and fifty more men. And called to Elijah, saying; O man of God, the king has ordered you to come down to us! ¹²But again Elijah answered and said; If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your men. And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed the men.

¹³Again the king sent a third group of men, a captain and fifty men. But, the captain of the men, dropped to his knees before Elijah and said; I beseech you, O man of God, to spare my life and the lives of these fifty men, may their lives be precious in your sight. ¹⁴For fire from heaven came down and burnt up the last two captains and their men of fifty each, however, let my life now be precious in your sight. ¹⁵And the angel of the LORD said to Elijah; Go down with the captain, do not be afraid.

¹⁶Elijah then said to king Ahaziah; Thus says the LORD; Forasmuch as you thought to inquire of the Philistine god Baal-zebub, because you have thought there is no God in Israel to inquire of. Therefore, you shall not get off of your bed, but shall die on it.

¹⁷And Ahaziah died according to the Word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. In the second year of the reign of Jehoram, the king of the southern kingdom of Judah. Joram his brother reigned as king of Israel, because Ahaziah was childless. ¹⁸The rest of the acts of king Ahaziah are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

2^nd Kings: chapter 2

¹And it happened that the LORD took Elijah up to heaven through a whirlwind, at the time when Elijah was with Elisha in the city of Gilgal. ²And Elijah said unto Elisha; I pray that you wait here, for the LORD has sent me to the city of Bethel. But, Elisha said to him; As the LORD lives and you live, I will not leave you. So they both went down to Bethel.

³Now in Bethel the sons of the prophets came to Elisha, saying; Do you know that the LORD will take your master, (Elijah) away from you today? And Elisha said, Yes, I know, but remain silent about it. ⁴Elijah again said to Elisha; I pray that you wait here, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho. But, Elisha said to him; As the LORD lives and you live, I will not leave you. So they both went down to Jericho.

⁵Also the sons of the prophets at Jericho came to Elisha, saying; Do you know that the LORD will take your master, (Elijah) away from you today? And Elisha said, Yes, I know, but remain silent about it. ⁶At Jericho Elijah said to Elisha; I pray that you wait here, for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan. But, Elisha said to him; As the LORD lives and you live, I will not leave you. So they both went on together.

⁷Near the Jericho river, fifty men of the sons of the prophets stood far off to view Elijah and Elisha by the Jordan river. ⁸And Elijah prepared his mantle, struck the waters of the Jordan river with it and they parted. And the two men crossed it on dry ground.

⁹When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha; Ask me of what I can do for you before I am taken away from you. And Elisha said; I pray that a double portion of your spirit would be upon me. ¹⁰And Elijah said; You have asked a hard thing, nevertheless, if you see me as I am taken up from you. It shall be as you said, otherwise it shall not be so. ¹¹And it happened, as they walked on and talked. There appeared a chariot and horses of fire that came between them and Elijah went up to heaven through a whirlwind. ¹²As Elisha saw it, he cried out; My father, my father, the Might and Driver of Israel and when he could no longer see Elijah, he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

¹³Elisha then took up Elijah's mantle that had fallen from him and returned to the bank of the Jordan river. ¹⁴There he took the mantle and struck the waters, saying; Where is the LORD God of Elijah? And the waters parted and Elisha crossed back over on dry ground.

¹⁵When the sons of the prophets saw Elisha, they said; The spirit of Elijah now rests upon Elisha. Then they came to meet him and bowed before him. ¹⁶Saying; we are your servants, fifty strong men. We wish to go and search for Elijah, perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him away and set him on a mountain or in a valley. And in response, Elisha said; No you shall not go and search. ¹⁷As they continually urged him, Elisha finally consented. And they sent fifty men to search for Elijah, but after three days they had not found him. ¹⁸Then they came back to Elisha, for he was still at Jericho and he said to them; Did I not tell you not to go?

¹⁹Then the men of the city said to Elisha; We pray of you on behalf of our city. The location of the city is good, but the water is bad and the land is barren. ²⁰Elisha said; Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it. ²¹And he went to the spring of the waters and threw the salt in, saying; Thus says the LORD, I have healed these waters, no longer shall you bring forth death or barren land. ²²That very day the waters were healed, according to the words that Elisha spoke.

²³Then Elisha left there and went to Bethel, as he was going up little children came out of the cities and mocked him, saying; Go up also in a whirlwind, you bald-head guy. ²⁴However Elisha looked at them and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And two female beers came out of the woods and tore apart forty-two of the children. ²⁵Elisha then left there and went to Mount Carmel and then returned to Samaria.

2^nd Kings: chapter 3

¹Now Joram, began to reign over the northern kingdom of Israel in the city of Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah and Joram reigned twelve years. ²But Joram did evil in the sight of the LORD, but was not as treacherous as his father or mother. For he put away the image of the false god that his father had made, however he did not put an end to serving and worshiping the Baals. ³Nevertheless he did the same sins that Jeroboam, the very first king of the northern kingdom of Israel had done, for he lead Israel into sin.

⁴Now Mesha, the king of Moab was yearly paying Ahab the king of Israel a tax of one hundred thousand lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand rams. ⁵But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

⁶So king Joram went out of Samaria, at the scheduled time of the year and he had all of Israel numbered. ⁷He then sent message to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, saying; The king of Moab has rebelled against me, will you go up with me against Moab into battle? And he answered; Yes, I will go up with you, I am one with you and my forces are as your forces. ⁸And Jehoshaphat asked; What way shall we go up? And Joram answered; The way through the wilderness of Edom.

⁹So both kings and the king of Edom went up. And they walked in what seemed to be circles for seven days not finding water for the army and for the cattle that followed them. ¹⁰And the king of Israel said; The LORD must have called us three kings together, to deliver us into the hands of Moabites! ¹¹But Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, said; Is there not a prophet of the LORD here, that we can inquire of the LORD through him? And one of the kings of Israel's men answered and said, There is Elisha who had served the prophet Elijah. ¹²And Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, said; Yes, The Word of the LORD is with him. So they all went down to see him.

¹³When they came to Elisha, he said to Joram, the king of Israel, What have I to do with you? Why do you not go to the false prophets of your father or your mother? And the king of Israel said to Elisha; No, for the LORD has called the three of us together to deliver us into the hand of the Moabites. ¹⁴Elisha then said; Truly, as the LORD God lives, before whom I stand, if it were not out of the respect I have for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not even see you.

¹⁵Elisha then told them to bring in a music minstrel. And when the minstrel played, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha. ¹⁶And he said, Thus says the LORD; Make this valley full of ditches. ¹⁷There shall not be wind or rain, but the valley shall fill with water, that you can drink of, both you and your cattle. ¹⁸This is but a small thing for the LORD to do, for He will also deliver the Moabites into your hands. ¹⁹You shall attack every fortified city and every city of choice, cut down every good tree and plug every well of water, destroying the land.

²⁰And in the morning, when the dally offering was given, water filled up the valley. ²¹Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them. Everyone that was able to fight, gathered at the border of Moab. ²²The Moabites rose up early the next day and the sun shone upon the water and the water on the other side appeared to be as red as blood to them. ²³And they said to themselves, This is blood, the kings must all be killed, therefore, we will simply walk in and take the spoil.

²⁴But when they came to Israel's camp, the Israelites rose up and struck the Moabites. To where they fled before them and the Israelites continued striking the Moabites, even as far back as their own country. ²⁵Once in their country, they destroyed the cities, filling the good land with stones. Plugging up all the wells of water and chopping down the good trees. Only the royal fortified city remained, until the catapults came in and took it. ²⁶And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was becoming too intense for him, he gathered seven hundred swordsmen to break through the line of the men of Edom, but they could not do so. ²⁷Then the king of Moab, took his eldest son that was to succeed him and he offered him up as a burnt offering upon the wall, so that the three kings could view his sacrifice. This caused there to be a great disgust against Israel and the other two kings departed from Joram, leaving the king of Israel and they returned to their own land.

2^nd Kings: chapter 4

¹Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying; My husband is dead and you know very well that he was a man of God. And now the creditor is coming to take my two sons away to be sold as slaves. ²Then Elisha asked her; What shall I do for you, what do you have in your house? And she replied; Your handmaid has nothing in the house, except a little pot of oil. ³Elisha said to her; Go and borrow as many empty vessels as you can from your neighbors. ⁴When you come into your house shut the door behind you and your sons and began to pour oil into all the vessels, from the one small jar. ⁵So she did as Elisha had told her, shutting the door behind her and her sons, who had gathered all the vessels and she poured out the oil. ⁶And when all the vessels were filled, she said to her son; Bring me yet more vessels. But, he replied; There are no more to be borrowed, at that the oil stopped. ⁷She then went and told the prophet and he said; Go and sell the oil and with the money from it, pay your debt and you and your children can live of the rest.

⁸On that same day, Elisha passed through the city of Shunem and there was a wealthy and influential woman who constrained him to eat bread with her. And it became that whenever Elisha passed through that city he would stop to eat bread with her. ⁹Given time, she said to her husband, I perceive that this is a holy man of God, that continually passes by. ¹⁰Let us make a chamber for him with a bed, a chair and a lamp. Then when he passes by to eat with us, he can also rest the night.

¹¹Soon afterwards Elisha came around again and rested in the upper chamber they had built for him. ¹²Elisha then told Gehazi his servant to call for the Shunammite woman. So the woman stood before him. ¹³And he said to the woman; You have been kind to us, what can I do for you, can I speak to the king on your behalf? And the woman answered, saying; I dwell among my own people, that is sufficient for me. ¹⁴Elisha then conferred with his servant Gehazi, of what could be done for her? And Gehazi answered, saying; She has no child and her husband is old.

¹⁵Again the Shunammite woman stood in the door. ¹⁶And Elisha said to her; About this time next year, you shall be embracing your own son. But, the woman answered saying; No, my lord, do not lie to your handmaid. ¹⁷And the woman conceived, a son at the time when Elisha had told her.

¹⁸Now one day when the child was grown, he went out to his father who was in the field with his reapers. ¹⁹And the son said to his father; My head aches. And the father instructed a servant to carry the boy to his mother. ²⁰The mother then held the boy until noon, when he died. ²¹She went to the upper chamber and laid the boy on the bed of the man of God, shutting the door behind her. ²²Calling her husband, she then said; I pray that you will have one of the servants saddle up a donkey for me, that I may go to the man of God and then return. ²³But her husband said; Why would you go to him today, it is neither the new moon, nor the Sabbath? And she said; All will be well. ²⁴So she saddled up a donkey, telling her servant, to lead on and make haste, do not restrain the pace for me, except, I say so.

²⁵When she came to Mount Carmel and Elisha saw her from afar off. He said to his servant Gehazi; There is the Shunammite woman. ²⁶Run and greet her, asking her if all is well with you, your husband and child? And the woman answered; All is well. ²⁷However when she came to Elisha at the top of the hill, she grabbed hold of his feet and Gehazi was about to pull her off. But, the man of God said; Let her be, for her soul is troubled, for the LORD has hidden this thing from me. ²⁸The woman then said; Did I ask of a son of my lord, did I not say, Do not deceive me?

²⁹Elisha then said to Gehazi, Take my staff and go to where the child is, do not greet any man on the way or answer any man and lay my staff on the face of the child. ³⁰And the mother of the child said; As surely as the Lord lives, I will not leave you. So all of them left. ³¹But Gehazi passed on before them and laid the staff on the face of the child, but there was no life. So Gehazi turned back to where Elisha was and told him; The child has not come back to life. ³²When Elisha entered the house, the child was dead and was laying on his bed. ³³So he entered the room, shut the door and prayed to the LORD. ³⁴Elisha lay on the child, putting his mouth on the child's mouth, his eyes on the eyes of the child and his hands on the child's hands and the flesh of the child became warm. ³⁵Elisha then got up and paced the room and again stretched out on the boy and the child sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. ³⁶Elisha then call Gehazi to go and get the Shunammite woman. And when she had come in Elisha presented her son to her. ³⁷And the woman bowed herself to the ground and took up her son.

³⁸Then Elisha went to the city of Gilgal and there was a great famine in the land. Now the sons of the prophets were sitting before him and he said to his servant; Prepare a large pot of stew for the sons of the prophets. ³⁹And one of the prophets went into the field to gather herbs. Finding a wild vine, he gathered many wild gourds and put them into the pot of stew, not knowing what they were. ⁴⁰Then all the men ate of the stew. And as they were eating of the stew, they cried out and said; Elisha, there is death in this pot. ⁴¹And he said; Bring me some meal and he put it into the pot. Saying; Now dish it out to the people. And there was no further harm in the pot.

⁴²Now there came a man from the village of Baal-shalisha, who brought the man of God bread of his firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley and full ears of corn in the husk. And he provided this for the people to eat. ⁴³But his servant questioned, how this small amount of food would provide for one hundred hungry men. But, Elisha said; Give the people the food so they may eat, for the LORD has said they shall eat. ⁴⁴So he set it before the people and they ate, according to the Word of the LORD.

2^nd Kings: chapter 5

¹Naaman, was an honorable man, a mighty man of valor, captain of the army of Syria and he had great favor with the king. However. he now had leprosy. ²Now one of the Syrians raiding parities, had brought back captive a young girl from Israel, who was a maid to Naaman's wife. ³And the young girl said to her mistress, if only your husband would go to the prophet in Samaria, he would be healed from his leprosy. ⁴And it was told to Naaman what the girl from Israel had said. ⁵Naaman then received permission from the king of Syria and the king also sent him with a letter to the king of Israel. And Naaman took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand pieces of gold and ten changes of raiment. ⁶He first brought the letter to the king of Israel, that read. I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that he may recover from his leprosy in Israel. ⁷When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes, saying; Am I God, can I kill and then make alive again? Is the king of Syria seeking a quarrel against me? ⁸But when Elisha, the man of God heard that the king of Israel tore his clothes, he sent message to the king, saying; Send the man to me and he shall understand that there is a Prophet in Israel.

⁹So Naaman came with his chariot and horses, to the house of Elisha. ¹⁰And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying; Wash yourself in the Jordan seven times, your flesh shall then be restored and you shall be cleansed from leprosy. ¹¹However Naaman went away angry. Thinking, he could have come out and prayed over me, calling on the name of the LORD his God, to heal me. ¹²Thinking to himself, there are much cleaner river and waters than the Jordan in Syria, I have washed in them and have not gotten cleansed. So he turned and went away in a rage. ¹³But his servants said to him; If the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? Why not the simple thing of washing in the Jordan to be cleansed? ¹⁴So Naaman dipped himself seven times in the Jordan river, according to the words of the man of God and his flesh was restored and he was clean.

¹⁵Then Naaman and his company returned to the man of God and said to him; I now know that there is no God in all earth, but in Israel: therefore, I pray that you will take a blessing from your servant. ¹⁶However Elisha said, As the LORD, before whom I stand lives, I will not receive any offering. And even though Naaman urged Elisha to take something, Elisha still refused. ¹⁷Naaman then said, let me ask of you, that I can take back with me as much dirt as two mules can carry. Because from now on your servant will not worship or sacrifice to any gods, but only to the LORD. ¹⁸And, I pray that in this thing the LORD pardon His servant. That when the king of Syria, my master enters into the house of the false god Rimmon to worship there and he looks to me for support and I also bow myself in the house of Rimmon. When I bow down in the house of Rimmon, the LORD would pardon His servant in this thing. ¹⁹Then Elisha said to Naaman; Go in peace and Naaman departed.

²⁰But Gehazi, Elisha's servant, said; Elisha has not received from the hand of Naaman the Syrian. But, as the LORD lives, I will run after him and receive from him. ²¹So when Naaman saw Gehazi running after him, he stopped the chariot and stepped down to meet him, asking if all was well? ²²And Gehazi said; All is well. My master has sent me, for we have two young men coming to us from the sons of the prophets, therefore, would you give us a talent of silver and two changes of garments. ²³Naaman replied; Please take two talents. Then he bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments and laid them on two of his servants, to carry them for him. ²⁴When they had come to the tower, Gehazi took them from the servants and stored them away in the house and let the servants go. ²⁵Then he stood before his master. And Elisha said to him; Where have you come from? And Gehazi said; Your servant has gone nowhere. ²⁶Then Elisha said to him; My heart went with you when Naaman stopped his chariot to meet you. Is this a time to receive money, receive garments, gather treasures, menservants and maidservants? ²⁷Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall come upon you and your family forever. And Gehazi went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.

2^nd Kings: chapter 6

¹Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, This place where we dwell with you is too small for us. ²Therefore, let us go to Jordan and there we shall make a bigger place for us to live in. And Elisha answered, Yes, do so. ³And one of the prophets spoke; I pray that you would go with your servants and Elisha answered, Yes, I will go with you.

⁴So Elisha went with them and as they came to Jordan river, they began to cut down trees and gather lumber for building. ⁵But as one of the men was cutting his timber, the axe head fell into the water and the man cried out, master the axe head was borrowed. ⁶And Elisha, the man of God said; Where did it fall? And Elisha cut down a piece of timber and cast it into the river and the iron axe head floated to the surface. ⁷And the man reached out his hand, as Elisha told him to and took the axe head.

⁸Then the king of Syria came against Israel, taking counsel with his servants and conferring with them over his battle plans. ⁹However, Elisha, the man of God sent message to the king of Israel, telling of the king of Syria's battle plans. ¹⁰So the king of Israel was forewarned and prepared through Elisha's messages and he defeated Syria's ambush many times.

¹¹This greatly troubled the king of Syria, so he called his servants and said to them, Which one of you is in alliance with the king of Israel? ¹²And one of his servants said; None of us are my lord, but Elisha, the prophet of Israel, tells the king of Israel all of your battle plans.

¹³The king then ordered his servants to spy out where Elisha was, so that he could take him. And the king was told that Elisha was in the city of Dothan. ¹⁴So by night the king sent, horses, chariots and a large army and they surrounded the city.

¹⁵Early in the morning when Elisha's servant had risen, he saw the Syrian army surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to Elisha, master! What shall we do? ¹⁶But Elisha answered, saying; Fear not! For they that are with us are greater than their army. ¹⁷And Elisha prayed, saying; LORD, I pray that you would open his eyes, so that he might see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man and he saw; the mountains around him were full of horses and chariots of fire. ¹⁸And as the enemy was advancing, Elisha prayed to the LORD, saying; I pray that You strike these people with blindness. And God struck the people with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

¹⁹Elisha then came and said to them; This is not the way, nor is it the right city, follow me and I will take you to the man that you seek and he took them to the capital city of Samaria. ²⁰When they had all come into the city of Samaria. Elisha prayed that the Lord would open the eyes of these men and the LORD opened their eyes.

²¹When the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, shall I strike them? ²²And Elisha answered; No, you have not taken them captive with the sword, you shall not strike them. But, rather you shall set bread and water before them and then send them back to their king. ²³So the king of Israel prepared great provisions for them and when they had eaten, he sent them back to their king. And when they had returned, the raiding parties within Syria did not come again to attack the land of Israel.

²⁴However, some time after this, Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his armies and went up and besieged Samaria. ²⁵This also brought a great famine upon Samaria. Where the head of a donkey was sold for eighty silver shekels and even a small amount of wild vegetables was sold for five silver shekels.

²⁶One day, as the king of Israel was walking on the wall of the city, a woman cried out to him, saying; Help, my lord, my king. ²⁷And the king said; If the LORD does not help you, how could I possibly help you? ²⁸However tell me what troubles you? And she said; This woman said to me, give me your son and we shall eat him today and we shall eat my son tomorrow. ²⁹So we boiled my son and ate him. The next day, I said to her, now give me your son that we may eat him, but she hid her son from me. ³⁰When the king heard these words from the woman, he tore his clothes and continued walking upon the wall. And when the people noticed his torn clothes, they saw that he had sackcloth on underneath his garments, for he was very distressed. ³¹The king then said; God do so and more to me, if Elisha is not beheaded this day.

³²Now Elisha sat in his house with the elders and the king sent a man to behead him. But, before the messenger came to him, Elisha said to the elders; This king of Israel, (Joram) the son of a murderer has sent a man to behead me. So when the messenger comes, do not let him in, but rather lock the door, for the king himself is not far behind. ³³And while Elisha yet talked with them, the messenger came and the king was right behind him. And the king said; This evil is of the LORD, why should I attend to the things of the LORD any longer?

2^nd Kings: chapter 7

¹Elisha then said; Thus said the LORD; Tomorrow about this time, the famine shall be over, a measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gates of Samaria. ²Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned on, said to Elisha, the man of God; If the LORD would make a window in heaven perhaps this thing might be? And Elisha answered back and said; You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat one bite of it.

³Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate of Samaria and they said one to another; Why should we sit here until we die? ⁴So they reviewed their options: If we enter into the famine struck city we will die, if we remain here, we will die. So let us go to the camp of the Syrians, perhaps they will save us alive. ⁵And at twilight they left to go to the camp of the Syrian. When they had arrived there and were in the midst of the Syrian camp, there was not a man in sight. ⁶For, earlier the Lord had made the Syrians armies to hear a great rumble of chariots, horses and the noise of thousands of marching men. And the Syrians said one to another, it is the king of Israel coming against us with the Hittites and the Egyptians. ⁷Therefore the Syrians fled in the twilight, leaving their tents, horses and all the supplies in the camp.

⁸As the four lepers were in the midst of the camp, they entered into a tent and ate and drank. Afterwards they carried out silver, gold and clothing and went and hid them. Then going into another tent, they carried out more treasures and went and hid them. ⁹Then they said to one another; What we are doing is not right, this is a day of good fortune and we should share it with others. If we wait here until morning harm is surely going to come our way. Therefore, let us go and tell the king of Israel.

¹⁰So the four men came into the city of Samaria and told the gatekeeper of the city. We went to the camp of the Syrians and there was not a man there, but there were horses tied up and their tents were filled with supplies. ¹¹And he called the porters and they informed the king. ¹²The king arose in the night and said to his servants; This is a trap, the Syrians know that we have a famine and are hungry. Thus they have left their camp and hid in the fields, thinking that when we leave our city, they will capture us alive and take our city. ¹³But one of his servants spoke up and said; Please let us take five of the horses that remain in the city and search this out and see.

¹⁴So they took two chariot horses and the king let them go to the camp of the Syrians. ¹⁵As they traveled to the Jordan river, all along the trail were garments and vessels that the Syrians had discarded in their haste to escape. So the messengers returned and told the king about this. ¹⁶The people then went out and raided the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the Word of the LORD spoken by Elisha, verse 7:2.

¹⁷And the king appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned on to be in charge of the gate of the city and the people trampled him in the gate and he died, as Elisha, the man of God had said when the king came down to him. ¹⁸For Elisha had spoken to the king, saying; About this time tomorrow, two measures of barley shall be sold for a shekel and a measure of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria, verse 7:2. ¹⁹As the captain spoke to the man of God, saying; If the LORD should open windows in heaven, perhaps this thing might be. And Elisha replied; You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it, verse 7:2. ²⁰And thus the captain was sent to guard the gate and he was trampled by all the people and he died.

2^nd Kings: chapter 8

¹Before the famine had come, Elisha had spoken to the woman whose son he had brought back to life, telling her that she and her household should leave this land and dwell someplace else, for the LORD would bring a famine on this land for seven years. ²So the woman did according to the words of the man of God and she and her household went to the land of the Philistines and dwelt there for seven years. ³After seven years, the woman returned back from the land of the Philistines and went to the king of Israel concerning her house and her land.

⁴Now the king was talking with Gehazi the servant of Elisha, the man of God. And was asking Gehazi to tell him of all the great things that Elisha has done. ⁵Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had raised a woman's child from the dead, this man and his mother walked in. Requesting of the king, that their land be restored to them. ⁶And when the king verified the story with the woman, he granted her an officer to restore all that was hers and even the past profits of the land, from the time she left until now.

⁷Now Elisha had come to Damascus, the capital of Syria. And Ben-hadad the king of Syria was sick and he was told that Elisha, the man of God has come to us. ⁸And the king said to Hazael, one of his officers; Take a present to this man of God and inquire of the LORD of him, if I will recover from this disease? ⁹So Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking a present of every good thing Damascus has, goods carried by forty camels. When he came to Elisha, he said; Ben-hadad king of Syria has sent me to you, to ask if the king will recover from his sickness?

¹⁰Elisha said to him; Tell him that, he will certainly recover, but the LORD has shown me that he will surely die. ¹¹Elisha then stared hard at Hazael until Hazael was ashamed and the man of God wept. ¹²Hazael asked; Why do you weep my lord? And Elisha answered; Because I know of the evil that you will do to the children of Israel. You will set their strongholds on fire, kill their young men with the sword, murder their children and rip apart their women with children. ¹³And Hazael replied; Am I such a dog, that I should do such a hideous thing? And Elisha answered; The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Syria. ¹⁴Hazael then departed from Elisha and returned to the king and the king ask what Elisha said? And Hazael said; He told me that you would surely recover. ¹⁵But the very next day Hazael took a thick cloth, soaked it in water and spread it over the kings face, so that he died. And Hazael reigned in his place as king of Syria.

King Jehoram reigns over Judah for 8 years, (853-841bc.), (NOTE: This is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 21:4-20 .

¹⁶In the fifth year of Joram the king of Israel, Jehoshaphat the reigning king of Judah died and Jehoram began to reign as king of Judah. ¹⁷Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he began to reign and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. ¹⁸However he did evil in the sight of the LORD, walking in the ways of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife.

¹⁹Yet, the LORD would not destroy Judah. Because of the promise He gave to David His servant, to give him and his sons a light forever, ²⁰During the reign of Jehoram, Edom revolted against Judah and set up their own king in the land over themselves. ²¹So Jehoram and his armies went over to Zair, where the Edomites had set up their king. And he came against them by night. ²²Even to this day, Edom revolts against the control of Judah, For at that time, the Canaanite city of Libnah joined forces with Edom and revolted against Judah. ²³The rest of the acts of Jehoram and all that he did, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah, 2^nd Chronicles 21:1-20. ²⁴Jehoram died and was buried with his fathers in the city of David and his son Ahaziah then reigned as king of Judah.

King Ahaziah reigns over Judah for 1 year, (841bc.), (NOTE: This is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 22:1-9).

²⁵In the twelfth year of Joram the king of Israel, Ahaziah began to reign as king of Judah. ²⁶Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, he reigned one year in Jerusalem and his mother's name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri the king of Israel. ²⁷But Ahaziah, king of Judah, walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and the house of Ahab, doing evil in the sight of the LORD. For Ahaziah was the son-in-law of the line of Ahab, the past king of Israel.

²⁸For Ahaziah, the king of Judah went with Joram, the king of Israel to fight against Hazael, king of Syria in the fortified city of Ramoth-gilead. But, during the battle the Syrians wounded Joram, the king of Israel. ²⁹King Joram then left the battle to be healed in the city of Jezreel and Ahaziah the king of Judah went down to see Joram.

NOTE: (The reign of Ahaziah, king of Judah is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 22:1-9).

2^nd Kings: chapter 9

¹Now Elisha the prophet called one of the children of the prophets, saying to him; Take this flask of oil and go to the city of Ramoth-gilead. ²And when you arrive there, find Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, separate him from his brethren and bring him into a private room. ³Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head, saying; Thus says the LORD; I have anointed you to be king over Israel. And then quickly depart.

⁴So the young man, the prophet, went to the city of Ramoth-gilead. ⁵When he arrived, the captains of the armies were sitting together and he said; I have a word for Jehu. ⁶So Jehu arose and they both went into a private room. Then the prophet poured the oil on his head and said to Jehu; Thus says the LORD God of Israel; I have anointed you to be king over the people of the LORD, even over the people of Israel. ⁷And you shall strike the house of Ahab your master, that I may avenge the blood of My servants, the prophets and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel.

NOTE: (32 years earlier Jezebel tried to kill all the prophets of God, 1^st Kings 18:4).

⁸Every man of the house of Ahab shall perish. ⁹And the house of Ahab shall be cut off like the house of Jeroboam and the house of Baasha. ¹⁰And the dogs shall eat Jezebel's body in the streets of the city of Jezreel, for there shall be no one to bury her. And he opened the door and fled.

NOTE: (The job of anointing Jehu to be king over Israel was originally assigned to Elijah the prophet, 1^st Kings 19:16 but apparently had to be fulfilled by Elisha the prophet).

¹¹Jehu then returned to the other captains of the army and one asked him if all was well? Why did this crazy fellow come to you? Jehu said; Do you know of this man and of his business? ¹²And they said, It is false, tell us what did he say? So Jehu told them, this fellow said to me; Thus says the LORD; I have anointed you king over Israel. ¹³Then each man took his garment, draped them over the stairs and they blew their trumpets, saying, Jehu is king. ¹⁴However, Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat then conspired against Joram. Now Joram was reported to be at the city of Ramoth-gilead, he and all of Israel fighting against Hazael, the king of Syria. ¹⁵But King Joram had returned to the city of Jezreel to heal from his wounds, keeping the matter of his whereabouts silent.

¹⁶So Jehu rode in a chariot to the city of Jezreel, for he knew the king was there, because Ahaziah, king of Judah had come down to see king Joram. ¹⁷Now the watchman in Jezreel, spotted the company of Jehu and informed the king. And the king commanded that a horseman go out to meet them, asking if they come in peace? ¹⁸So one went out to meet him, saying; The king wishes to know if you come in peace? Jehu replied; What has the king to do with peace? And he took the messenger captive, for he did not wish the messenger to return and warn the king.

¹⁹The king then sent out a second on horseback, saying to them; The king asks if you come in peace? Jehu answered again; What has the king to do with peace? And took that messenger captive also. ²⁰Then the watchman reported that the second messenger was not returning. Also saying that the driving of the chariot is like the driving of Jehu, for he drives furiously. ²¹Joram, king of Israel then had his chariot made ready. And he and Ahaziah, king of Judah went out against Jehu, each in their own chariot. ²²When king Joram saw Jehu, he said; do you come in peace? And Jehu answered; How can there be peace, as long as the numerous whoredoms of your mother Jezebel and her witchcraft continues? ²³King Joram turned his chariot around and began to flee, saying to Ahaziah, king of Judah; Its a trap! ²⁴Then Jehu shot an arrow with his full strength, striking Joram between his arms and through the heart and he fell dead. ²⁵Jehu then said to Bidkar his captain; Take up the body and cast him in the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember when we were driving together after Ahab his father, the LORD spoke this against him. ²⁶For the LORD said; I have seen the blood of Naboth and of his sons and will require their blood of them. Therefore, according to the Word of the LORD, cast his body into that plot of ground,

NOTE:(The field of Naboth was stolen by King Ahab and his wife Jezebel, you can read about this in, 1^st kings 21:1-16, king Joram was a grandson of King Ahab, {example: showing the sins of the father's do carry down}).

²⁷And when Ahaziah, the king of Judah saw Jehu, he also fled, by the way, of the road to Beth-Haggan. Jehu pursued him, ordering that he also should be killed and they wounded the king as he fled and he died in the fortified city of Megiddo. ²⁸From there the king's servants carried his body to Jerusalem, where they buried him in the tomb with his fathers in the city of David. ²⁹In the eleventh year of Joram, the king of Israel, Ahaziah began to reign over Judah.

³⁰When Jehu had come to the city of Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, (Ahab's widow) she made herself up and looked out a window. ³¹And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said; Is the one who has conspired against and kill his master at peace? ³²Jehu then looked up at the windows and said; Who is on my side? And two or three of the palace eunuchs looked out at him. ³³And he said; Throw her down! So they threw her out of the window and some of her blood splattered on the wall and the horses. And as her body lay in the street and Jehu rode over her. ³⁴When he had come in, he ate and drink and gave orders to have the body of this cursed woman given a proper burial, for she was a king's daughter.

(NOTE: Jezebel, was the wife of king Ahab king of Judah and daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, 1^st kings 16:31).

³⁵And when they went to bury her, they could only find parts of her skeleton, her skull, feet and hands. ³⁶So the servants told Jehu and Jehu said; The Word of the LORD, spoken by Elijah has been fulfilled, In the city of Jezreel, the wild dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel. ³⁷And what remains of Jezebel shall be as dung, that onlookers shall say; Is this Jezebel?

2^nd Kings: chapter 10

¹Now Ahab had seventy sons living in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters to the elders that oversaw Ahab's children, that read. ²Since you oversee your master's sons and have chariots, horses and armor at your disposal, all within a fortified city. ³Select now the best and most fit of your master's sons, set him on his father's throne and come and defend your master's house.

⁴When they read this, they were exceedingly afraid, for they knew that Jehu had killed two kings and they wondered how they could stand? ⁵And the elders that were over the household and the city, sent a message back to Jehu, saying; We are your servants and will do all that you ask of us. We will not make anyone king, you are in control, do what seems good in your own eyes.

⁶Jehu then wrote a second letter, saying; If you are my servants and will obey my words, Take the heads of your master's sons and come to me to the city of Jezreel by tomorrow. ⁷So it was that when the letter had come to them, they killed all the king's sons, seventy persons and put their heads in baskets, sending them to Jehu in the city of Jezreel. ⁸And a messenger told Jehu, that the heads of the king's sons had been brought. And Jehu gave orders to, form two piles at the entrance of the gate of the city, until morning. ⁹And in the morning, he stood near the gate and said to all the people, All of you are just and innocent, I conspired against my master and did kill him, but who has killed all of these? ¹⁰However, know that not one Word of the LORD shall fall to the ground that was spoken by the LORD's prophet Elisha concerning the house of Ahab. ¹¹So Jehu killed all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, the great men, all of his kinsfolk and his priests, he left him none remaining.

¹²Then he departed for Samaria and as he was on the way at the place called the shearing house. ¹³Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah, the king of Judah, who had come down to greet the sons of the king and queen. ¹⁴And Jehu ordered his men to take and kill them and forty-two men were killed.

¹⁵When Jehu departed, he came upon Jehonadab, (NOTE: a strong supporter of Jehu and the destruction of the house of Ahab) coming to meet him. Jehu said to him; Is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. Jehu said; If all is well then give me your hand and he brought him up into the chariot with him. ¹⁶Jehu then said, Come with me and I will show you the zeal that I have for the LORD. ¹⁷And when they had come into Samaria, Jehu killed all that remained of the house of Ahab, according to the Word of the LORD, spoken by Elijah, 1^st kings 21:17-26,

¹⁸Jehu gathered all the people together, saying to them; Ahab served the (false) god of Baal a little, but I shall serve him much. ¹⁹Therefore, have all the prophets, priests and servants of Baal gather before me, don't allow one to be absent, for I have a great sacrifice to give Baal. (However, Jehu said this in trickery, with the intent of destroying the worshippers of Baal). ²⁰Jehu then said; We shall proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal and so they proclaimed it. ²¹Throughout all of Israel, all the worshippers of Baal came into the house of Baal. ²²Then Jehu instructed that all the worshipers of Baal be given robes to wear. ²³Then Jehu and Jehonadab entered the house of Baal and said to the worshippers. Verify for me that none of the servants of the LORD God of Israel are here in this house, but only the worshippers of Baal. ²⁴When they went into offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu appointed eighty men to stand guard outside and told them; That if any of the guards I have appointed, lets a man escape, he shall pay with his own life.

²⁵As soon as they had finished offering up the burnt offering. Jehu said to the guard and the captains, who were outside. Kill all of them, do not let one escape! ²⁶And they brought the images out of the house of Baal and burned them. ²⁷They broke down the image of Baal and tore down the house of Baal, declaring it to be forever unclean to this day. ²⁸Thus Jehu destroyed Baal from out of Israel.

²⁹But Jehu did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, who led Israel into sin. The golden calves that were set up in Bethel and Dan, were not removed, 1^st Kings 12:28. ³⁰However the LORD said to Jehu; Because you have done well in executing that which is right in My eyes and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in My heart. Your children to the forth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel. ³¹Even still Jehu was not concerned about walking in the law of the LORD God of Israel, with all his heart. For he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, that led Israel into sin.

³²In those days, the LORD began to cut off territories of Israel and they were conquered by Hazael, the king of Syria. ³³Lands from the Jordan river eastward, all the land of Gilead, of the tribes of Glad, Reuben and Manasseh, from the town of Aroer, the city of Gilead to the territory of Bashan. ³⁴The rest of the acts of Jehu, all that he did and his might, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. ³⁵And Jehu died and was buried in Samaria and his son Jehoahaz then reigned as king of Israel. ³⁶Jehu reigned over Israel for twenty-eight years, from Samaria.

2^nd Kings: chapter 11

Queen Athaliah reigns over Judah for 6 years, (841-835bc.), (NOTE: This is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 22:10 .

¹Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah, (NOTE: Ahaziah was the king of Judah), learned that her son was dead, she took action and destroyed all the royal descendants. (NOTE: Athaliah was the daughter of king Ahab and perhaps the daughter of Jezebel). ²However Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, her nephew and hid him away from the king's sons who were being killed. They hid him along with his nurse from Athaliah, so that he was not put to death. ³For six years he was hidden in the house of the LORD with his nurse, while Athaliah reigned over the land as queen.

King Joash reigns over Judah for 40 years, (835-796bc.), (NOTE: This is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 24:1) .

⁴In the seventh year Jehoiada, the priest sent for the captains of the guard and brought them into the house of the LORD. There he made a covenant and took an oath with them, showing them the king's son. ⁵Jehoiada commanded them, when you enter into your guard duty on the Sabbath, a third of your force shall keep watch of the king's house. ⁶A third of the force shall guard the gate of Sur and the other third shall guard the gate behind the guard, to keep watch over the king's house. ⁷There shall be two shifts of guards on the Sabbath and they shall keep watch of the king. ⁸Every man shall be completely armed and shall encompass the king, as he comes in and goes out. And if any man should be seen as a threat, let him be killed.

⁹The captains then did accordingly, presenting the two groups of guards before Jehoiada the priest. ¹⁰To the captains, Jehoiada gave king David's spears and shields, that were in the temple of the LORD. ¹¹And the guards stood with their weapons surrounding the king, from one corner of the temple to the other corner. ¹²Jehoiada then brought out the king's son, put a crown on him, gave him a scroll of the Mosaic law and anointed him, They then clapped their hands and said; God save the king.

¹³Now when Athaliah, the existing queen heard the noise of the guards and the people running to see, she also came with the people into the temple of the LORD. ¹⁴When the queen saw the king standing by a pillar, with the princes and the trumpeters around him and all the people of the land rejoicing over him. She tore her clothes and cried out, this is treason, it is treason! ¹⁵Jehoiada the priest then commanded the captains to bind her, remove her from the house of the LORD and kill her, also killing anyone that was loyal to her. ¹⁶And they led her out, by way of the horse entrance of the palace and killed her in the horse corral.

NOTE: (The reign of Athaliah, queen of Judah is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 22:10-23:15).

¹⁷Jehoiada then spoke a covenant between the LORD, the king and the people that they would be the LORD's people. ¹⁸All the people of the land then went into the house of Baal and tore it down. destroying the altars and the images, killing Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. Jehoiada the priest then appointed officers over the house of the LORD. ¹⁹With the captains, the guard and the people of the land following, Jehoiada then brought the king from the house of the LORD, to the king's house. ²⁰All the people of the land then rejoiced, for the city was now peaceful, because they had killed Athaliah the queen, besides the king's house. ²¹Joash was seven years old when he began to reign.

2^nd Kings: chapter 12

¹In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash began to reign, he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem and his mother's name was Zibiah. ²And king Joash did what was right in the sight of the LORD as long as Jehoiada the priest instructed him. ³However the high places were not destroyed, for the people still sacrificed and burnt incense at them.

⁴Now Jehoash instructed the priests, that all the money that comes into the house of the LORD, whether it be given of mandatory offerings or of freewill sacrifice. ⁵Should be used to repair the house of the LORD. ⁶Yet even in the twenty-third year of king Jehoash, the priests had not made the necessary repairs on the house of the LORD. ⁷Then king Joash called for Jehoiada the priest and the other priests, questioning them; Why the needed repairs had not been made to the house of the LORD? Further saying, Therefore, you are no longer responsible for this work to be done, do not take any money for the repairs, but turn it all over to me. ⁸And the priests consented to receive no more money from the people for the repair, neither would they be in charge of the repairs.

⁹Then Jehoiada the priest took a chest, put a hole in the lid of it and set it on the right side of the altar, as one enters into the house of the LORD. And the priests that kept the door put all the money brought into the house of the LORD, into it. ¹⁰After time, when there was much money in the chest. The king's scribe and high priest counted the money and put it into bags. ¹¹And the money was given to the carpenters and builders. ¹²To masons, stone workers, lumber jacks and for other miscellaneous items that needed repair for the house of the LORD. ¹³However no utensils were made for the house of the LORD, bowls of silver, snuffers, basins or trumpets. ¹⁴For all the money was given to the workmen, for the repairs to the house of the LORD. ¹⁵Nor did they need to check on the men's work, who they gave the money to, for they were honest and faithful men. ¹⁶Only the money from the trespass and sin offerings went directly to the priests.

¹⁷Now Hazael, the king of Syria fought against the Philistine city of Gath and captured it. Hazael, then planed to go up to Jerusalem. ¹⁸Joash, the king of Judah then took all the holy items from the house of the LORD. Items that had been dedicated by past kings or of himself, he took all the gold that was in the house of the LORD and the kings house and sent it to Hazael king of Syria and this satisfied Hazael and he went away from Jerusalem.

¹⁹The rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah, 2^nd Chronicles 23:16-24:27.

²⁰And Joash was killed by his own servants when he went to the house of Millo. ²¹Jozachar and Jehozabad, his servants killed him and buried him with his fathers in the city of David and his son Amaziah his son reigned as king of Judah.

2^nd Kings: chapter 13

¹In the twenty-third year of Joash the king of Judah, Jehoahaz began to reign over Israel in Samaria and he reigned for seventeen years. ²However he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, following in the sins of his fathers, which led Israel into sin. ³And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel and the LORD delivered them into the hands of Hazael king of Syria and Ben-hadad, his son, for all their days.

⁴But Jehoahaz then called upon the LORD and the LORD hearkened unto him, for the LORD saw the oppression of the Israelites. ⁵And the LORD gave Israel a deliverer, to deliver them from the oppression of the Syrians and the children of Israel were able to dwell in their tents again. ⁶Nevertheless they did not turn from their sins, for their idolatries shrines remained in Samaria. ⁷And Israel's fighting force was a mere fifty horsemen, ten chariots and ten thousand footmen, for the king of Syria had destroyed their army. ⁸The rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, what he did and of his might, is recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. ⁹Jehoahaz died and was buried in Samaria and his son Joash reigned as king of Israel.

¹⁰In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash began to reign as king of Israel in Samaria and reigned for sixteen years. ¹¹But he also did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, for he walked in the sins of his fathers, leading Israel into sin. ¹²The rest of the acts of Jehoash, all that he did and his might. Telling of the battle against Amaziah king of Judah, they are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. ¹³Jehoash died and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel and Jeroboam then reigned as king of Israel.

¹⁴Now Elisha the prophet was taken ill and he was dying. And Jehoash, the king of Israel came and wept over him, saying; O my father, my father, the power and the might of Israel. ¹⁵Then Elisha said to the king; Take a bow and arrows. So the king picked up a bow. ¹⁶Elisha then told the king to put his hands on the bow and Elisha also put his hands on top of the king's hands. ¹⁷He then told the king to open the window facing east and to shoot an arrow and the king did so. Then Elisha said; This is the arrow of the LORD's deliverance from Syria, for you shall strike the Syrians in the city of Aphek, until you have consumed them. ¹⁸Elisha then said to the king; Take up the arrows and strike upon the ground. So the king struck upon the ground three times. ¹⁹And Elisha, the man of God was angry with him and said; You should have struck the ground five or six times, then you would have struck Syria until it was totally consumed. But, now you shall strike Syria only three times.

²⁰Elisha then died and was buried. Now in the beginning of the year, Moabite raiding parities invaded the land. ²¹Now as they were burying a certain man, they spotted a raiding parity and they cast the man into the Elisha's tomb: When the body touched the bones of Elisha, the man's life was revived and he stood up on his feet.

²²However Hazael, the king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz, the king of Israel. ²³And the LORD was gracious and had compassion on them, showing them respect, because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and He would not destroy them, neither would He cast them from His presence. ²⁴And when Hazael, the king of Syria died, Ben-hadad his son reigned in his stead. ²⁵Then Jehoash, the king of Israel fought against Ben-hadad, the king of Syria and took back the cities, which his father Jehoahaz had lost. Jehoash beat back the Syrians three times and recovered the cities of Israel.

2^nd Kings: chapter 14

King Amaziah reigns over Judah for 29 years, (796-767bc.), (NOTE: This is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 25:1-28 .

¹In the second year of Jehoash the king of Israel, Amaziah began to reign as king of Judah. ²Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddan. ³And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD. He did not serve the LORD as king David had, but he did according to all things as Joash his father had done. ⁴For the high places were not destroyed, the people still brought sacrifice and burnt incense at them.

⁵As soon Amaziah was confirmed and the kingdom was his, he killed his two servants, (Jozachar and Jehozabad) which had killed Joash his father who had been king of Judah, verse 12:21. ⁶But his children he did not kill. According to the law of Moses, commanded by the LORD, that says; The fathers shall not be put to death because of the children, nor shall the children be put to death because of the fathers, but every man shall be liable for his own sin, Deuteronomy 24:16.

⁷Amaziah killed ten thousand men of Edom in the valley of salt, taking the city of Sela and renaming the city to be called Joktheel, (the name means: God's reward of victory).

⁸Then Amaziah, the king of Judah sent a message to Joash, the king of Israel, saying; Come, let us test each other in battle. ⁹And Jehoash the king of Israel sent message back, saying; The thistle that was in Lebanon said to the cedar in Lebanon, give your daughter to my son for a wife, (NOTE: giving your daughter as a wife, is seen as making an alliance between two countries). Then there came a wild beast that was in Lebanon and crushed the thistle underfoot. ¹⁰You have had victory over Edom and your heart is proud and rightly so. But, remain at home for why should you cause your own hurt and Judah's destruction? ¹¹But Amaziah would not hear. Therefore, Joash king of Israel went up and they tested each other in battle at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. ¹²In the battle, Judah faired badly before Israel and the men of Judah fled to their own tents. ¹³Jehoash the king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, at the city of Beth-shemesh. Then he went to Jerusalem and destroyed about six hundred feet of the city wall, from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate. ¹⁴And he took the gold, silver, all the vessels that were found in the house of the LORD, the treasures that were in the king's house, along with hostages and then he returned to Samaria.

¹⁵The rest of the acts of Jehoash that he did, his might and the battle with Amaziah king of Judah, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. ¹⁶And Jehoash died and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel and Jeroboam then reigned as king of Israel.

¹⁷Amaziah the king of Judah lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash the king of Israel. ¹⁸The rest of the acts of Amaziah, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah, 2^nd Chronicles 25:1-28.

¹⁹A conspiracy then formed against Amaziah in Jerusalem and he fled to the walled city of Lachish, within Judah. However, they found him and killed him there. ²⁰And brought his body back and buried him at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David. ²¹After the death of Amaziah, all the people of Judah took his sixteen year old son, Azariah and made him king of Judah. ²²After his father's death, his son, Azariah, rebuilt and restored the seaport town of Elath to Judah.

²³In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the king of Judah, Jeroboam II, the king of Israel began to reign and reigned forty-one years in Samaria. ²⁴However Jeroboam II, did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, he did not depart from the sins of the first king of Israel, Jeroboam I. ²⁵Jeroboam II, restored the coast of Israel from the borders of the Syrian fortress Hamath to the dead sea, according to the Word of the LORD God of Israel, that was spoken by His servant the prophet Jonah of Gath-hepher, (NOTE: this is Jonah the prophet who the book of Jonah is written about). ²⁶For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel was very bitter, for none throughout the land was exempt and there was not a deliverer for Israel. ²⁷Yet the Lord would not decree to blot out the names of Israel from under heaven. therefore, He preserved them by the hand of Jeroboam II, the king of Israel.

²⁸The rest of the acts of Jeroboam, all that he did, his might and how he fought and recovered for Israel Damascus and Hamath, which belonged to Judah, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. ²⁹Jeroboam died and was buried with the kings of Israel and Zachariah his son reigned over Israel.

2^nd Kings: chapter 15

King Azariah (Uzziah) reigns over Judah for 52 years, (790-739bc.), (NOTE: This is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 26:1-23 .

¹In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam II, king of Israel, Azariah began to reign as king of Judah. ²He was sixteen years old when he began to reign and he reigned fifty-two years from Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jecholiah. ³He did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. ⁴However the high places were not removed, for the people still brought sacrifices and burnt incense at them. ⁵But the LORD struck the king with leprosy until the day of his death. And Jotham his son was over the house, judging the people of Judah. ⁶The rest of the acts of Azariah and all that he did, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah, 2^nd Chronicles 26:1-23. ⁷And Azariah died and was buried with his fathers in the city of David and his son Jotham reigned as king of Judah.

⁸In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zachariah reigned over Israel in Samaria for six months. ⁹But he did evil in the sight of the LORD, not departing from the sins of his fathers, who led Israel into sin. ¹⁰For Shallum conspired against him and killed him before the people, so he could reign as king of Israel. ¹¹And the acts of Zachariah, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. ¹²This completed the Word of the LORD that was spoken to Jehu, that; His sons to the forth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel, verse 10:30.

¹³In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah, king of Judah, Shallum began to reign as king of Israel and he reigned for a full month in Samaria. ¹⁴For Menahem came up from Tirzah, the former capital of Israel, to Samaria and killed Shallum, to then reign as king over Israel. ¹⁵And the rest of the acts of Shallum and his conspiracy is written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. ¹⁶When Menahem became king, he struck everyone that was in the coastal districts of Tiphsah, because they did not openly accept him as king and he ripped open every pregnant women.

¹⁷And the thirty-ninth year of Azariah, king of Judah, Menahem began to reign as king of Israel and he reigned for ten years from Samaria. ¹⁸But he did evil in the sight of the LORD, for all of his days, he did not depart from the sins of the fathers that caused Israel to sin. ¹⁹Now Pul, the king of Assyria came against Israel and Menahem gave him one thousand talents of silver, to buy his alliance, (NOTE: one thousand talents of silver, is approximately thirty-seven tons of silver). ²⁰And Menahem exacted the money from the wealthy people of Israel, each man was taxed fifty shekels of silver, to appease the king of Assyria. ²¹The rest of the acts of Menahem and all that he did, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. ²²And Menahem died and his son Pekahiah reigned as king of Israel.

²³In the fiftieth year of Azariah, king of Judah, Pekahiah began to reign as king over Israel and he reigned for two years from Samaria. ²⁴But he did evil in the sight of the LORD: for all of his days, he did not depart from the sins of the fathers that caused Israel to sin. ²⁵But Pekah, one of his own captains conspired against him and together with fifty men of the tribe of Gad who were loyal to him and they killed the king in his palace in Samaria. ²⁶The rest of the acts of Pekahiah and all that he did, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

²⁷In the fifty-second year of Azariah, king of Judah, Pekah began to reign as king over Israel and he reigned twenty years from Samaria. ²⁸But he did evil in the sight of the LORD, he did not depart from the sins of the fathers that caused Israel to sin. ²⁹And when Pekah was king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser the king of Assyria invaded the land and took the cities and territories of Ijon, Abel-beth-maachah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, Galilee, all the land of Naphtali and carried away the people captive to Assyria. ³⁰Hoshea then conspired against Pekah the king of Israel, killed and reigned as king over Israel, in the twentieth year of Jotham the king of Judah. ³¹The rest of the acts of Pekah and all that he did, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

King Jotham reigns over Judah for 16 years, (750-731bc.), (NOTE: This is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 27:1-9).

³²In the second year of Pekah the king of Israel, Jotham began to reign as king of Judah. ³³He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok. ³⁴And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Azariah had done. ³⁵However the high places were not removed, for the people still brought sacrifices and burned incense at them. He did however, add on to and construct the higher gate of the house of the LORD. ³⁶And the rest of the acts of Jotham and all that he did, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah, 2^nd Chronicles 27:1-9. ³⁷During his reign the LORD began to send Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the king of Israel, against Judah. ³⁸Jotham died and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father and his son Ahaz reigned as king of Judah.

2^nd Kings: chapter 16

King Ahaz reigns over Judah for 16 years, (735-715bc.), (NOTE: This is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 28:1-27.

¹In the seventeenth year of Pekah the king of Israel, Ahaz the king of Judah began to reign. ²Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. However, he did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD his God, as did David his father. ³But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel. He even sacrificed his own son to the pagan god Molech, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel. ⁴He also sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, on the hills and under every green tree.

⁵Then Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the king of Israel, came to Jerusalem and besieged it, but could not overcome Ahaz. ⁶So Rezin king of Syria took back the city of Elath for Syria, they drove out the Jews from the city and now the Syrians dwell in the land to this day. ⁷Then Ahaz the king of Judah sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser the king of Assyria, saying; I am your servant alone with your son's servant. Come up to Jerusalem and deliver me out of the hand of the king of Syria and of the king of Israel, which have risen up against me. ⁸Ahaz then took the silver and gold that was in the house of the LORD and in the treasures of the king's house and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria. ⁹So the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and took it, taking the people captive and carried them away to the territory of Kir and killed Rezin the king of Syria.

¹⁰Then king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser the king of Assyria. When in Damascus he saw an altar there, that he sent a pattern of it back to Urijah the priest, so he could build a replica of it. ¹¹And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus. ¹²And when the king returned from Damascus, he approached the newly built altar, he worshiped at it and offered up offerings on it. ¹³Offering a burnt offering and a drink offering and sprinkling the blood of his peace offerings, on the altar. ¹⁴He also brought the brazen altar out of the house of the LORD and put it on the north side of the altar. ¹⁵King Ahaz then commanded Urijah the priest, to use this altar for all of our offerings. The morning burnt offering, the evening meat offering and the king's sacrifice and the people's sacrifices. Then sprinkle on the altar all the blood of the burnt offering and the sacrifices. And I shall inquire of the LORD by the brazen altar. ¹⁶So Urijah the priest did according to all that king Ahaz commanded.

¹⁷From the holy things that Solomon dedicated to the LORD, king Ahaz then cut off the borders of the bases of the portable basins and removed the laver from off them. He removed the sea from the brass oxen that were supporting it, putting it on a pavement of stones. ¹⁸The veil that was custom made for the house, for the entry of the king he took down, so as not to offend the king of Assyria. ¹⁹And the rest of the acts of Ahaz that he did, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah, 2^nd Chronicles 28:1-27. ²⁰Ahaz died and was buried with his fathers in the city of David and his son Hezekiah reigned as king over Judah.

2^nd Kings: chapter 17

¹In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea began to reign as king of Israel, from Samaria and he reigned for nine years. ²But he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as bad as the kings of Israel that had gone before him. ³Shalmaneser the king of Assyria came up and was against him, but Hoshea became his servant and paid him taxes. ⁴And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea, for Hoshea had sent messengers to the king of Egypt for he had not paid his taxes to the king of Assyria, as he had done every year in the past. Therefore, the king of Assyria put Hoshea into prison. ⁵Then the king of Assyria surveyed the entire land of Israel, he went up to Samaria and besieged it for three years. ⁶In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria, he took the people of Israel captive and carried them away into Assyria. Placing them in the districts of Halah, Habor and in the cities of the Medes.

⁷This happened because the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God. That had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the oppression of Pharaoh the king of Egypt, even though they had feared other gods. ⁸For they walked in the same ways as the heathen did, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel. As did their kings of Israel, which they had asked for. ⁹The children of Israel did in secret those things that were not proper in the LORD's sight, building high places in all their cities, from one end of the country to the other. ¹⁰Setting up images and shrines every place possible. ¹¹Burning incense in all the high places, just as the heathen also did whom the LORD carried away before them. These are the wicked things that provoke the LORD to anger: ¹²They served idols, deliberately going against the Word of the LORD.

¹³Still the LORD spoke against Israel and Judah, through the prophets, saying; Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments and statutes. According to the law which I sent to you through My servants the prophets. ¹⁴Nevertheless they would not hear, but rather became as stubborn as their fathers were, that did not even believe in the LORD their God. ¹⁵They rejected His statutes and covenant that He made with their fathers. Also, rejecting His words as truth, that He spoke against them. For they followed after vanity and became vain themselves. Becoming like the heathen that were around them, that the LORD had said to them, that they should not become as they are. ¹⁶They left all the commandments of the LORD their God, making images of idols, they even made two calves and several shrines, to worship the host of heaven, serving false gods. ¹⁷They even sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire, using witchcraft, they sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger. ¹⁸Therefore the LORD in His anger removed Israel from His sight and the only ones left were the tribe of Judah.

¹⁹Neither did Judah kept the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they also adopted. ²⁰So the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel, giving them over to the hands of their oppressors, until they were all removed from His sight. ²¹For the LORD tore Israel from the house of David and Jeroboam became their first king. Jeroboam then drew Israel to himself and drove them further from following the LORD, leading them in a great sin. ²²And the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam. ²³Until the LORD removed Israel from His sight, as had been forewarned through His servants the prophets. This is why, Israel was carried away from their own land into captivity by the Assyrians, (in 722BC.).

²⁴Now the king of Assyria gathered together men from the cities of Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath and Sepharvaim and relocated them in the cities of Samaria. ²⁵And when the Assyrians had first moved there, because they had no fear of the LORD. He sent lions to attack and kill some of them. ²⁶The men then living there spoke to the king of Assyria and said; The Assyrian people who are living in the cities of Samaria, do not know the manner of the God of the land. For He has sent lions to attack and kill some of us, because we do not know the manner of the God of the land. ²⁷So the king of Assyria sent one of the Israelite priests to dwell there and teach them the manner of the God of the land. ²⁸And the priests dwelt in the city of Bethel and he taught them how they should fear the LORD. ²⁹Nevertheless every nation made gods of their own, putting them in the existing high places that the Samaritans had made. ³⁰The men in each city made and worshiped their own false god. The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal and the men of Hamath made Ashima, ³¹The Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak and the Sepharvites sacrificed their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. ³²So the Assyrians feared the LORD, appointing some of them as priests in charge of the sacrifices within the high places. ³³But they also served their own gods as was their custom.

³⁴And to this day the Assyrians keep their former customs, they do not regard the LORD, in keeping His law and commandments which He gave to the children of Israel. ³⁵For He made a covenant with the children of Israel, charging them not to fear other gods, nor worship them, or sacrifice to them. ³⁶Bringing the Israelites up out of the land of Egypt with great power and an out-stretched arm. This is the LORD that you shall fear, worship and give sacrifice to. ³⁷His statutes, ordinances, the law and the commandment, shall be observed and you shall not fear other gods. ³⁸The covenant that He made with you, you shall not forget, neither shall you fear other gods. ³⁹But you shall fear the LORD your God and He will deliver you out of the hands of all your enemies. ⁴⁰But the Assyrians did not listen and they continued the practices of their former manner. ⁴¹So the Assyrian's in the land appeased the LORD, continuing to serve their false gods. As all the generations did, also as their fathers did.

2^nd Kings: chapter 18

King Hezekiah reigns over Judah for 29 years, (715-686bc.), (NOTE: This is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 29:1-32:33).

¹In the third year of Hoshea the king of Israel, Hezekiah began to reign as king of Judah. ²Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem and his mother's name was Abi. ³He did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did. ⁴He removed the high places, breaking down the images and shrines. Even braking the brazen serpent to pieces that Moses had made and now the children of Israel were burning incense to, having named it Nehushtan.

NOTE: (Moses made the bronze serpent in the wilderness, Numbers 21:4, but now they were worshiping it as an idol).

⁵Hezekiah trusted in the LORD God of Israel. So much so that there were none like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after him. ⁶For he held fast to the LORD, keeping His commandments. ⁷And the LORD was with him and Hezekiah prospered wherever he went. Also, Hezekiah put an end to serving the king of Assyria. ⁸He struck the Philistines, pushing them back to their city of Gaza, increasing the borders of Israel, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city.

⁹Now in the forth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea the king of Israel. Shalmaneser the king of Assyria came up and besieged Samaria, the capital of Israel. ¹⁰At the end of three years, in the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Israel, the Assyrians took Samaria. ¹¹And the king of Assyria took the people of Israel captive, Placing them in the districts of Halah, Habor and in the cities of the Medes. ¹²Because the Israelites did not obey the voice of the LORD their God, but rather transgressed His covenant that Moses delivered to them. Furthermore, they would not listen to the Words of the LORD, nor did they obey them.

The king of Assyria comes against the land of Judah, (NOTE: This is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 32:9-23 and Isaiah chapters 36-38).

¹³In the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, (701bc), Sennacherib the king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. ¹⁴So Hezekiah the king of Judah sent a message to the king of Assyria, saying; Have I offended you? Withdraw from me and whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you. And the king of Assyria required of Hezekiah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. ¹⁵Hezekiah gave him all the silver from the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house. ¹⁶Hezekiah striped the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD and from the pillars which he had overlaid himself, to give to the king of Assyria.

¹⁷Then the king of Assyria sent three of his generals, Tartan, Rabsaris and Rab-shakeh to king Hezekiah along with a great troop of men to come against Jerusalem. And when they had come up, they stopped on the highway, just before entering the fortified city. ¹⁸And when they had called to the king, Eliakim, who was over the palace came out, along with Shebna the scribe and Joah the recorder. ¹⁹And Rab-shakeh said to the king's men; Speak to your king Hezekiah and tell him what the great king of Assyria has said; What confidence is this that you trust in? ²⁰You have rebelled against me with but empty words, I have the counsel and strength for war. Now, think again, who do you put your trust in. ²¹If you are trusting on Egypt, leaning on that bruised reed, it will do you no good. ²²If you tell me that, you trust in the LORD our God. Is that not He, whose high places and altars Hezekiah tore down, telling the people of Judah and Jerusalem that they must worship before the altar in Jerusalem? ²³Therefore, pay tribute to my lord the king of Assyria and I will deliver to you two thousand horses, if you are able to put riders on them. ²⁴How could you turn back even the least of my master's servants, when you put your trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen? ²⁵Do you think I have come against you without the LORD? The LORD has said to me, Go up against this land and destroy it.

²⁶Then all three of the king of Judah's men, said; I pray that you speak to your servants in the Syrian language, for we do understand it. Because the people on the city wall can hear, when you speak in the Jewish language. ²⁷But the Assyrian spokesman said; My king has not sent me to your king with a private message, but a public message. These people on the city wall need to know their future, if it will be eating of their own dung and drinking their own piss as your's will also be!

²⁸Then the Assyrian spokesman stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jewish language; Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria: ²⁹Do not let king Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of the king of Assyrians hand. ³⁰Nor let Hezekiah tell you to trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria. ³¹Do not listen to king Hezekiah! For the king of Assyria wishes that you will make your peace with me and come out to me. Then every man will eat of his own labors and drink from his own cistern. ³²For I will take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, bread and vineyards, oil and honey and there you shall live and not die. Do not listen to your king, for he will try to persuade you, that the LORD will deliver you. ³³Have any of the gods of the nations delivered anyone from the king of Assyria? ³⁴Is there anything stopping me, have any of the gods held Samaria from my hand? ³⁵The gods of the nations have not held anything back, why then should you expect the LORD your God to deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?

³⁶But the people of Jerusalem held their peace, answering back nothing. ³⁷The three men then reported back to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn and told him what the Assyrians had said.

2^nd Kings: chapter 19

¹When king Hezekiah heard of this, he also tore his clothes in despair, covered himself in sackcloth and went into the house of the LORD. ²He then sent some of these same officials and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet. ³And instructed them to tell Isaiah this; This is a day of trouble, distress and insults, for the children of Israel have come to a turning point, only now to be out numbered by the enemy. ⁴It may be that the LORD your God has heard the words the Assyrian's have spoken and has seen the reproach they have for the living God, perhaps then He will reprove the Assyrians. Therefore, we ask you to lift up prayers for the remnant of the Israelites that are left. ⁵And the servants of king Hezekiah left to go to Isaiah.

⁶When they had spoken with Isaiah, he said to them; Tell Hezekiah this is what the LORD says; Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, how the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. ⁷I will give him a spirit of doubt, he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land. And in his own land, I will cause him to fall by the sword.

⁸So the Assyrians spokesman went to their own land and found that the king of Assyria was now fighting against the Canaanite city of Libnah, for he had heard that the king departed from the city of Lachish in Judah. ⁹At that time, the king of Assyria heard that Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, had come out to fight against the Assyrians. So he quickly sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying; ¹⁰Do not be deceived by the God in whom you trust, when He says to you, Jerusalem will not fall into the hands of the king of Assyria. ¹¹You have heard how the kings of Assyria have utterly destroyed the other lands, why should you be delivered? ¹²Did the gods of the other nations delivered the cities of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, or the people of Eden, which were in Thelasar, which my fathers have destroyed? ¹³Where are these captured kings, are they not all dead?

¹⁴When Hezekiah received the king's letter, he went into the house of the LORD and spread the letter before the LORD. ¹⁵There he prayed before the LORD, saying; O LORD God of Israel, which dwells between the cherubim, You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth, for You have made both heaven and earth. ¹⁶LORD, hear the words of Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, who is a reproach to the living God. ¹⁷LORD, it is true that the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands. ¹⁸Destroying the images of the false gods of those nations, for they were but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. ¹⁹And now, O LORD our God, I pray of You, that You save us from their hand, so that all of the kingdoms of the earth may know that You and You only are the LORD God.

²⁰Isaiah the prophet then sent a message to Hezekiah, saying; The LORD God of Israel has said; The prayer that you have prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard. ²¹And this is the Word that the LORD has spoken concerning him; The virgin the daughter of Zion despises him and laughs at his action and the daughter of Jerusalem is astonished. ²²He has exalted himself and lifted his voice on high, having blasphemed the Holy One of Israel. ²³Through his messengers he has reproached the Lord. Boasting that with the multitude of chariots he believes he is invincible, with nothing to stand in his way. ²⁵But, I the God of Israel say; Has he not heard that this is My plan, that the king of Assyria would be My tool to turn fortified cities into ruinous heaps. ²⁶That is why their people have little power, they have been dismayed and confounded and are as weak grass and blown away as chafe. ²⁷I know of all of their comings and goings and how they rage against Me. ²⁸Because they rage against Me, the noise they make has come to My attention. Therefore, I will put a hook in their nose, close their mouth and lead them back by the way they came. ²⁹And the sign of it shall be; That even though Assyria is destroying your crops, you shall not lack for food. You will eat this year of what grows on its own, as you will also do the second year, the third year you will plant and reap what you sow. ³⁰And the remnant of the house of Judah shall once again prosper and grow in the land. ³¹From Jerusalem shall be a remnant that escapes, the zeal of the LORD shall do this. ³²Therefore the king of Assyria shall not besiege Jerusalem. ³³He shall leave the city by the same way that he came into the city. ³⁴Yes, I will defend this city, for My sake and for the sake of My servant David.

³⁵And that very night, the angel of the LORD struck one hundred eighty-five thousand men in the camp of the Assyrians and when the others woke in the morning, they found all the dead bodies. ³⁶So Sennacherib the king of Assyria departed and went back to his own land of Nineveh. ³⁷And it happened that as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer, two of his sons killed him and fled into the land of Armenia. And his other son Esar-haddon reigned as king of Assyria.

2^nd Kings: chapter 20

¹In those days, king Hezekiah became sick unto death and Isaiah the prophet came to him, saying; Thus says the LORD; Put your house in order, for you shall surely die. ²When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying; ³And as Hezekiah wept, he prayed; LORD, remember, how I have walked before You in truth with a sincere heart, having done what was good in Your sight. ⁴And while Isaiah was yet still walking through the palace court, the Word of the LORD came to him, saying; ⁵Return back to Hezekiah, the captain of My people and tell him; I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. Thus I will heal you and on the third day you shall go up unto the house of the LORD. ⁶For I will add fifteen years to your days and will deliver you and the city out of the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for My sake and for the sake of My servant David.

⁷Isaiah then said; Take a cake of figs and lay it on the sore so that the king may recover. ⁸And Hezekiah said to Isaiah; What shall the sign be that the LORD will heal me and that I should go up to the house of the LORD the third day? ⁹And Isaiah said; The sign of the LORD shall be that the shadow from the sun shall either advance or go back ten degrees. ¹⁰And Hezekiah answered, It is an easy matter for the shadow to advance ten degrees, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees, (NOTE: a 10 degree shift results in a 40 minute time difference). ¹¹So Isaiah the prophet cried to the LORD and he brought the shadow ten degrees backwards.

¹²At that time Berodach-baladan, the king of Babylon, had heard that the king was sick and sent his condolences and a present to Hezekiah. ¹³And Hezekiah welcomed the royal messengers and showed them his entire house and all of his precious things. All his silver, gold, spices, ointments and all the armor that he had, there was nothing in his house or in his dominion, that he did not show them.

¹⁴Isaiah the prophet, then came to king Hezekiah and said to him; What have you told these men and from where have they come from? And Hezekiah replied; They have come from the far country of Babylon. ¹⁵Isaiah then said; What have you shown them in your house? And Hezekiah answered; They have seen all of my treasures that are within my house.

¹⁶Then Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, hear the Word of the LORD. ¹⁷The day is coming when all that is in your house, will be carried away into Babylon, nothing shall remain. ¹⁸And your sons, your descendants to the throne, they shall be taken captive and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. (NOTE: a eunuch is a castrated male). ¹⁹Hezekiah then said to Isaiah; The Word of the LORD that you have spoken is good. For this evil you have spoken of will be in the future, but peace and safety shall be in my days.

²⁰The rest of the acts of Hezekiah, his might and how he made a conduit to bring the water into the city, is written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah, 2^nd Chronicles chapters 29-33. ²¹And Hezekiah died and his son Manasseh reigned as king of Judah.

2^nd Kings: chapter 21

King Manasseh reigns over Judah for 55 years, (695-642bc.), (NOTE: This is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 33:1-20).

¹Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign as king of Judah, he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem and his mother's name was Hephzi-bah. ²But he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out of the nations before the children of Israel. ³For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed. He raised up altars and shrines for Baal, worshiping and serving every false god, as Ahab king of Israel had done. ⁴He built altars in Jerusalem in the house of the LORD, where the LORD had put His very name. ⁵For in both courts of the house of the LORD, he built altars to every false and pagan god. ⁶He sacrificed his own sons, practiced witchcraft and dealt with familiar spirits. He did much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger. ⁷Placing graven images in the house of the LORD, in Jerusalem. The house that the LORD forever put His name on and said; ⁸Never again will I cause My people of Israel to leave the land which I gave their fathers. If they observe and do as I have commanded them, according to the law that My servant Moses gave them. ⁹But My people did not follow My statues, for Manasseh seduced them to do evil deeds even beyond what the nations do, whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel.

¹⁰Therefore, the LORD spoke by his servants the prophets, saying; ¹¹Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these wicked abominations, beyond what the Amorites have done, leading Judah into sin with his idols. ¹²Therefore, I am bringing evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that shall be a wonder among the nations. ¹³I will draw the boundary lines for Jerusalem and Samaria, wiping them off the map, as a man wipes a dish clean, because of their abominations. ¹⁴I will forsake the remnant of My inheritance, delivering them into the hand of their enemies and they shall become a prey to all of their enemies. ¹⁵Because they have done evil in My sight, provoking Me to anger ever since the day their fathers came out of the land of Egypt. ¹⁶Moreover Manasseh filled Jerusalem with the shedding of much innocent blood. Besides his sin of leading Judah into doing what was evil in the sight of the LORD.

¹⁷The rest of the acts of Manasseh, all that he did and his sin that he committed, is written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah 2^nd Chronicles 33:1-20. ¹⁸And Manasseh died and was buried in the garden of his own house and his son Amon reigned as king of Judah.

King Amon reigns over Judah for 2 years, (642-640bc.), (NOTE: This is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 33:21-25.

¹⁹Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign and he reigned two years in Jerusalem and his mother's name was Meshullemeth. ²⁰But he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done. ²¹He walked in all the ways that his father walked in, worshiping and serving the idols that his father served. ²²Walking not in the way of the LORD, forsaking the LORD God of his fathers.

²³But Amon's own servants conspired against him, killing the king in his house. ²⁴Then the people of the land took and killed all the servants that had conspired against king Amon and made his son Josiah king of Judah.

²⁵The rest of the acts of Amon and the acts that he did, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah, 2^nd Chronicles 33:21-25. ²⁶Amon died and was buried in his sepulchre with his father and Josiah his son reigned as king of Judah.

2^nd Kings: chapter 22

King Josiah reigns over Judah for 31 years, (640-609bc.), (NOTE: This is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 34-35).

¹Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign and he reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem and his mother's name was Jedidah. ²He did what was right in the sight of the LORD, walking in all the way of David his father, not turning to the right or the left.

³And in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, the king sent his servant Shaphan a recorder, to the house of the LORD. Instructing him to; ⁴Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, to create a record of the silver that is brought into the house of the LORD. ⁵Then to have it delivered to the craftsman, in charge of overseeing the repair work of the house of the LORD. ⁶To the carpenters, builders, masons and those who buy timber and hewn stone for the repair of the house. ⁷And they did not need to keep accounts with the craftsmen they gave the money to, for they were all faithful men.

⁸Now, in the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the high priest found the book of the law and gave it to Shaphan to read it. ⁹Shaphan the scribe then went back and reported to the king, saying; We have delivered the money from the house of the LORD to the craftsmen in charge of the repair. ¹⁰Then Shaphan showed the king the book of the law, that Hilkiah had delivered to him and read it before the king.

¹¹When the king had heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes. ¹²So the king commanded that Hilkiah the priest and four other of his servants, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan and Asahiah. ¹³To go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the people of Judah, concerning what is written in this book. For great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers did not do according to the words written in this book.

¹⁴So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan and Asahiah, went to Huldah the prophetess whom dwelt in Jerusalem and they inquired of her. ¹⁵And she said to them; Thus says the LORD God of Israel; Tell the man that sent you to me. ¹⁶That I will bring evil upon this place and the people of the land, of every word in the book that the king of Judah has read: ¹⁷Because they have forsaken Me, burning incense to other gods, deliberately provoking Me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore, My wrath burns against this place and it shall not be quenched. ¹⁸But to the king of Judah which sent you to inquire of the LORD, regarding the words that he has heard. ¹⁹Because his heart was tender and he has humbled himself before the LORD. When he hears what I spoke against this place and its people. He tore his clothes in grief and wept before Me, therefore, be assured that I have also heard his prayers. ²⁰Therefore, I will gather him to the grave in peace and he will not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. Then they returned to the king and brought him word.

2^nd Kings: chapter 23

¹When the king heard this, he gathered together all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. ²Then the king went up into the house of the LORD, along with all the men of Judah, the priest, prophets and all the people of Jerusalem both small and great. And king Josiah read to the people the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD. ³And the king stood by a pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, keeping His commandments, testimonies and statutes with all his heart and soul, to keep and do all the words of this covenant that are written in this book. And all the people stood to witness and join into the covenant.

⁴Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the priests of the second rank and the keepers of the door. To bring out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, for the shrines and for all the other false gods. Then the king had them burnt outside of Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron and their ashes were carried to Bethel, the city were king Jeroboam had first established worship of idols. ⁵He removed the idolatrous priests from their service, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah and Jerusalem. ⁶He removed the idolatrous shrines that were within the house of the LORD, these were also taken outside of Jerusalem, to the brook Kidron and burnt. Then crushed to powder and cast the powder on the graves of the common people, who had taken part in idol worship. ⁷He tore down the houses of the sodomites, that was by the house of the LORD, where the women made hangings for the shrines. ⁸Josiah brought all the idolatrous priests out of the cities of Judah and destroyed the high places where the priests had burned incense, all throughout the land. ⁹And the idolatrous priests of the high places were not allowed to sacrifice at the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but were lowered to a status of eating unleavened bread with their brethren.

¹⁰Josiah also cleaned up the valley of Hinnom, where they had sacrificed their children to the false god of Molech. ¹¹He removed the figures of the horses that the kings of Judah had devoted to the sun, from the entrance of the house of the LORD and burned the chariots of the sun. ¹²The altars that were on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz, that the kings of Judah had made and the altars that Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD. The king tore down, casting the dust of them into the brook Kidron. ¹³The high places that were within the city of Jerusalem, that Solomon had built. The shrine he had built to the goddess Ashtoreth and the other idolatrous shrines he had built, the king tore down and defile them. ¹⁴He broke all the images in pieces, destroying every idolatrous shrine, filling that sight with bones of men, to defile that place forever.

¹⁵The altar that was at Bethel, that Jeroboam had made and led Israel into sin. He tore down the altar and the high place, burning them and crushing them into power. ¹⁶And seeing the tombs of idolatrous priests, Josiah had their bones removed from the tomb and burnt on the altar, thus polluting the altar. This fulfilled the Word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, 1^st Kings 13:1-3 ¹⁷Josiah then saw a monument and asked whose it was? And was told that it was the tomb of the man of God from Judah. Who proclaimed these things that you are now fulfilling against this altar of Bethel. ¹⁸And he said; Let his bones rest there, no man shall move them. So they left his bones alone, along with the bones of the prophet that came from Samaria. ¹⁹All the shrines and high places in Samaria, that the kings of Israel had made to provoke the LORD to anger, Josiah destroyed and did to them according to what he had done in the city of Bethel. ²⁰He killed all the priests of the high places that were stationed at the altars, burning men's bones upon them. And he then returned to Jerusalem.

²¹The king then commanded all the people to keep the Passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant. ²²There had not been a Passover held to such an extreme, from the days of the judges through all the days of the kings of Israel or of Judah, (NOTE: This is about 400 year back to the days of the judges). ²³This Passover was held in Jerusalem in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, ²⁴Also Josiah deported the mediums, soothsayers, those who made idols and all other abominations which were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. So as to perform the words of the law which were written in the Book.

²⁵Now there was not a king as Josiah before or after him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, soul and all his might, in accordance with the law of Moses. ²⁶However the LORD did not relent from His great wrath and His anger remained against Judah, because of all the provocations of Manasseh, the past king of Judah. ²⁷And the LORD said; I will also remove Judah from out of My sight, as I have removed Israel, casting off the city Jerusalem which I have chosen and the house that I said, My name shall remain there.

²⁸The rest of the acts of Josiah and all that he did, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah, 2^nd Chronicles 34-35. ²⁹In the days of King Josiah, Pharaoh-nechoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria. And king Josiah went against him, but was killed at the city of Megiddo. ³⁰And his servants brought his body back to Jerusalem and buried him in his own tomb. And the people of the land anointed his son Jehoahaz to be king of Judah.

King Jehoahaz reigns over Judah for 3 months, (609bc.), (NOTE: This is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 36:1-4).

³¹Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign and he reigned for three months in Jerusalem and his mother's name was Hamutal. ³²But he did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to what his past fathers had done. ³³And Pharaoh-nechoh put Jehoahaz into prison, so he could not reign in Jerusalem. And imposed on Jerusalem a tax of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. ³⁴Pharaoh-nechoh then made Josiah's son Eliakim king over Judah and changed Eliakim's name to be Jehoiakim. Then taking Jehoahaz to Egypt, where he later died.

NOTE: (The reign of Jehoahaz, king of Judah is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 36:1-4).

King Jehoiakim reigns over Judah for 11 years, (609-597bc.), (NOTE: This is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 36:5-8).

³⁵Now Jehoiakim paid the tax that Pharaoh requested, but he raised the money by taxing the people of the land. ³⁶Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign and he reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem and his mother's name was Zebudah. ³⁷But he did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.

2^nd Kings: chapter 24

¹During the reign of Jehoiakim, Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came up and Jehoiakim willingly became his servant for three years, but afterwards he rebelled. ²And the LORD then sent a series of raiding parties against Jehoiakim, the Chaldees, the Syrians, the Moabites and the people of Ammon, were all sent against Judah to destroy it, according to the Word of the LORD, which He spoke through His servants the prophets. ³All this came upon Judah by the commandment of the LORD, to remove them out of His sight, for the sins of Manasseh, the past king of Judah. ⁴For Manasseh filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, which the LORD would not pardon, verse 21:16.

⁵The rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and all that he did, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah, 2^nd Chronicles 36:5-8. ⁶And Jehoiakim died and his son Jehoiachin reigned as king over Judah.

⁷Now the king of Egypt did not come up again any more, for the king of Babylon had taken all that belong to the king from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates river.

King Jehoiachin reigns over Judah for 3 months and 10 days, (597bc.), (NOTE: This is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 36:9-10).

⁸Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, he reigned in Jerusalem for three months and his mother's name was Nehushta. ⁹But he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done.

¹⁰At that time the armies of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came against the city of Judah and besieged it. ¹¹And king Nebuchadnezzar, at that time personally came to the city. ¹²In the eighth year of the reign of the king of Babylon, Jehoiachin the king of Judah, along with his mother, his servants and his nobles surrendered to the king of Babylon. ¹³all the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king's house were carried away and all the vessels of gold that Solomon the king of Israel had made for the temple of the LORD was cut in pieces, as the LORD had said, verse 20:17. ¹⁴And the king of Babylon carried away all of Jerusalem. The nobles, the mighty men of valor and all the skilled men. He took around ten thousand captive and only the poorest of the poor remained in the land. ¹⁵For the king of Judah and his mother, all of his wives, his nobles and every person of might, within the land was carried away to Babylon. ¹⁶Approximately seven thousand men of might and one thousand tradesmen, all who were capable of battle were taken captive to Babylon.

NOTE: (The reign of Jehoiachin, king of Judah is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 36:9-10).

King Zedekiah reigns over Judah for 11 years, (597-586bc.), (NOTE: This is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 36:11-21.

¹⁷And the king of Babylon placed his father's brother Mattaniah, as king of Judah, changing his name to Zedekiah. (NOTE: Changing his name was seen as the king of Babylon having total control over him). ¹⁸Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign and he reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem and his mother's name was Hamutal. ¹⁹But he did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that the past king of Judah Jehoiakim had done. ²⁰All of this unrest was because the anger of the LORD was against Jerusalem and Judah, until they were removed from the LORD's presence, for all the while Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

2^nd Kings: chapter 25

Jerusalem is taken captive by the Babylon nation, in year 586bc.

¹In the ninth year, the tenth month and tenth day, of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, with his entire army and surround Jerusalem. ²And the city was besieged the eleventh year of king Zedekiah, (586bc.). ³And on the ninth day of the forth month, a famine prevailed in the city.

⁴The city was then broken into and all the men of war fled by the cover of night by a little known road, however, the king fled by way of the road leading to the plain. ⁵And the army of the Chaldees overtook the king in the plains of Jericho, for the kings army had scattered from him. ⁶Then they brought the king to an outpost in Riblah where the king of Babylon and placed sentence on him. ⁷They then killed Zedekiah's sons before his eyes and put out Zedekiah's eyes, binding him with chains of brass and carried him off to Babylon.

NOTE: (The reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah is also recorded in 2^nd Chronicles 36:11-21).

⁸Now in the nineteenth year, the fifth month and the seventh day of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon reign. Nebuchadnezzar's, captain of the guard, left Riblah to report on the devastation that had been done to Jerusalem. ⁹That they had burnt the house of the LORD, the king's house and every house in Jerusalem. ¹⁰The army of the Chaldees had completely broken the walls of Jerusalem. ¹¹The people who were left in the city and they who were fugitives in the city, Nebuchadnezzar's captain of the guard took captive and carried away. ¹²But he did leave the poorest of the poor in the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen. ¹³The pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, the bases and the brazen sea that was in the house of the LORD, the Chaldees cut in pieces and carried the brass off to Babylon. ^14-15all the utensils of gold and silver used in sacrificing to the LORD, the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the spoons, every vessel of brass, the fire-pans and the bowls, the captain of the guard took away. ¹⁶The amount of bases that Solomon had used in the house of the LORD, was so abundant they could not weigh it all. ¹⁷The height of one pillar alone was 27 feet, the capital on the top was 4.5 feet tall of brass and all the hand work on the pillar was brass. And the other pillar was made, likewise.

¹⁸The captain of the guard then took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest and the three keepers of the door. ¹⁹Brought the men outside of the city and turned them over to the captain of the men of war, along with sixty other chief men of the city. ²⁰And the Babylonian captain of the guard brought these men to the king of Babylon to be judged. ²¹And the king of Babylon killed them, in the foreign land of Syria. Exiling Judah from their land.

²²As for the people that king Nebuchadnezzar left in the land, he placed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, (from a high Judean family) over the people as governor. ²³When the remaining people in the land heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor. The four elected captain's Ishmael, Johanan, Seraiah, Jaazaniah and their men all came to Gedaliah, ²⁴And Gedaliah said to the men; Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldees. If we dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, all shall be well with us.

²⁵But, in the seventh month, Ishmael, who was of a royal family line, came to the governor, along with ten other men and killed Gedaliah and all the men with him whether Jews or Chaldees. ²⁶When this happened, all the people, both small and great, fled to Egypt for fear of the Chaldees.

²⁷In the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month. Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. ²⁸He spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the throne of the other kings that were with him in Babylon. ²⁹Removing his prison garments and Jehoiachin ate bread regularly at the king's table for the rest of his days. ³⁰The king of Babylon even gave him a daily allowance, continually for the rest of his life.