- In the second year of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, reigned Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah. He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like David his father; he did according to all things as Joash his father did. Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away, as yet the people did sacrifice and burned incense on the high places.
- And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand, that he slew his servants who had slain the king, his father. But the children of the murderers he slew not, according unto that which is written in the book of the law of Moses wherein the Lord commanded, saying, The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers, but every man shall be put to death for his own sin. He slew of Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand, and took Sela by war, and called the name of it Joktheel unto this day.
- Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face. And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give your daughter to my son to wife. And there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon and trod down the thistle. You have indeed smitten Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Glory of this and stay at home, for why should you meddle to your hurt, that you should fall, even you and Judah with you? But Amaziah would not hear. Therefore, Jehoash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Bethshemesh, which belongs to Judah. And Judah was put to the worse before Israel, and they fled every man to their tents. And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate — four hundred cubits. And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord and in the treasures of the king’s house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? And Jehoash slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead.
- And Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, fifteen years. And the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? Now they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish, but they sent after him to Lachish and slew him there. And they brought him on horses, and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David. And all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. He built Elath and restored it to Judah after the king slept with his fathers.
- In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Jehoash, king of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty-one years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord; he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. He restored the border of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel which he spoke by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai the prophet who was of Gath-Hepher. For the Lord saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter, for there was not any bond nor any free, nor any helper for Israel.
- And the Lord said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Jehoash. Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath which belonged to Judah, for Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zechariah his son reigned in his stead.
- In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah, king of Judah, to reign. Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done, save that the high places were not removed; the people sacrificed and burned incense still on the high places. And the Lord smote the king so that he was a leper unto the day of his death and dwelled in a separate house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the house, judging the people of the land. And the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? So Azariah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David; and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.
- In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as his fathers had done; he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead. And the rest of the acts of Zechariah, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. This was the word of the Lord which he spoke unto Jehu, saying, Your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth generation. And so it came to pass.
- Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned a full month in Samaria; for Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria, and smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and slew him, and reigned in his stead. And the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy which he made, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
- Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the borders thereof from Tirzah because they opened not to him. Therefore, he smote it, and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up. In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. He departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand. And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back and stayed not there in the land. And the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? And Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead.
- In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord; he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king’s house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites; and he killed him and reigned in his place. And the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
- In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord; he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abel-Bethmaacah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria. And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. And the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
- In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, Jotham the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, began to reign. Twenty-five years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord; he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done. Nevertheless, the high places were not removed; the people sacrificed and burned incense still in the high places. He built the higher gate of the house of the Lord. Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? In those days, the Lord began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah. And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.
- In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign. Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord his God, like David his father, but he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel. And he sacrificed and burned incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
- Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, came up to Jerusalem to war; and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him. At that time, Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria and drove the Jews from Elath, and the Syrians came to Elath and dwelled there unto this day. So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, saying, I am your servant and your son. Come up and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria and out of the hand of the king of Israel, who rise up against me. And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found 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. And the king of Assyria listened unto him, for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.
- And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus. And king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof. And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus, so Urijah the priest made it before king Ahaz came from Damascus. And when the king had come from Damascus, the king saw the altar. And the king approached to the altar and offered thereon. And he burned his burnt offering and his grain offering, and poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings upon the altar. And he brought also the brazen altar which was before the Lord from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the Lord, and put it on the north side of the altar.
- And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening grain offering, and the king’s burnt sacrifice, and his grain offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their grain offering, and their drink offerings, and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice. And the brazen altar shall be for me to inquire by. Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded. And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the basin from off them, and took down the sea from off the brazen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stones. And the cover for the Sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king’s entry outside, turned he from the house of the Lord for the king of Assyria. Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.
- In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him. Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria, and Hoshea became his servant and gave him presents. And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea, for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore, the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison. Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
- For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, and walked in the statutes of the heathen whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made. And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the Lord their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city. And they set themselves up images and groves in every high hill and under every green tree. And there they burned incense in all the high places as did the heathen whom the Lord carried away before them, and wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger; for they served idols whereof the Lord had said unto them, You shall not do this thing. Yet the Lord testified against Israel and against Judah, by all the prophets and by all the seers, saying, Turn from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.
- Notwithstanding, they would not hear, but hardened their necks like to the neck of their fathers that did not believe in the Lord their God. And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them. And they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them that they should not do like them. And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger. Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight; there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.
- Also, Judah kept not the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. And the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers until he had cast them out of his sight.
- For he rent Israel from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king, and Jeroboam drove Israel from following the Lord, and made them sin a great sin. For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria, unto this day.
- And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Avva, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they possessed Samaria, and dwelled in the cities thereof. And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there that they feared not the Lord, therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which slew some of them. Wherefore, they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which you have removed and placed in the cities of Samaria know not the manner of the God of the land; therefore, he has sent lions among them, and behold, they slay them because they know not the manner of the God of the land.
- Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry there one of the priests whom you brought from there, and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land. Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelled in Beth-el, and taught them how they should fear the Lord.
- Nevertheless, every nation made gods of their own and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelled. And the men of Babylon made Succoth-Benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima, and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. So they feared the Lord, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places. They feared the Lord, and served their own gods after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from there.
- Unto this day, they do after the former manners; they fear not the Lord, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the Lord commanded the children of Jacob (whom he named Israel), with whom the Lord had made a covenant and charged them, saying, you shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them. But the Lord, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, him shall you fear, and him shall you worship, and to him shall you do sacrifice. And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment which he wrote for you, you shall observe to do for ever; and you shall not fear other gods. And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, neither shall you fear other gods. But the Lord your God you shall fear, and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies. Nevertheless, they did not listen, but they did after their former manner. So these nations feared the Lord, and served their engraved images, both their children and their children’s children. As did their fathers, so do they unto this day.
Chapter 5