Going to Jesus

2Kings

2Kings 1

¶1. Now, Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.

2. And Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and he was ill. And he sent messengers and said to them, “Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, as to whether I will recover from this sickness.”

3. But an angel of Jehovah said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise! Go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and say to them, ‘Is it because there is not a God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?

4.Therefore, thus says Jehovah: You shall not come down from the bed on which you have gone up, but you will surely die.’” So, Elijah went.

5. And the messengers returned to him, and he said to them, “What is this? You have come back!”

6. And they said to him, “A man came up to meet us, and he said to us, ‘Go! Return to the king who sent you, and you tell him, thus says Jehovah: Is it because there is not a God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore, you shall not come down from the bed on which you have gone up, but you will surely die.’”

7. Then he said to them, “What sort of man was he who came up to meet you and spoke these words to you?”

8. And they said to him, “The man was very hairy, with a leather belt girt about his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”

9. Then he sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty, and he went up to him. And behold, he was sitting on top of a hill. And he said to him, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down!’”

10. And Elijah answered and said to the captain of the fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

11. And again, he sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty, and he answered and said to him, “Man of God, thus says the king: ‘Come down immediately!’”

12. And Elijah answered and said to them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

13. And again, he sent a captain of a third fifty, with his fifty. And the captain of the third fifty went up, and he came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, and said to him, “O man of God, I beg you, let my life and the life of your servants, these fifty men, be precious in your eyes!

14.Behold, fire has come down from heaven and consumed the two captains of the first fifties with their fifties, but now, let my life be precious in your eyes!”

15. Then the angel of Jehovah said to Elijah, “Go down with him. Do not fear him.” So, he rose up and went down with him to the king.

16. And he said to him, “Thus says Jehovah: Forasmuch as you sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is not a God in Israel to inquire of His word?—therefore, you shall not come down from the bed on which you have gone up, but you will surely die.”

17. So, he died, according to the word of the Lord which Elijah spoke, and in his stead, in the second year of Jehoram ben-Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, Jehoram began to reign, since Ahaziah had no son.

18. And the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

2Kings 2

Back to Top

¶1. Now, it came to pass when Jehovah was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a storm-wind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

2. And Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, if you will, because Jehovah has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “I swear by the life of Jehovah, and by your life, I will not leave you!” And so, they went down to Bethel.

3. And the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel went out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that Jehovah is going to take your lord away from your head today?” And he said, “I know it, too. Hush.”

4. And Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here, if you will, for Jehovah has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “I swear by the life of Jehovah, and by your life, I will not leave you!” And so, they went to Jericho.

5. And the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that Jehovah is going to take your lord away from your head today?” And he said, “I know it, too. Hush.”

6. Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, if you will, because Jehovah has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “I swear by the life of Jehovah, and by your life, I will not leave you!” And so, the two of them went.

7. And fifty men from the sons of the prophets went, and they stood opposite, at a distance. And the two of them stood by the Jordan.

8. And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it up, and struck the waters, and they parted, this way and that. Then the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

9. And it came to pass when they had crossed over that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “If you will, let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.”

10. And he said, “You have asked a hard thing. If you see me taken away from you, so shall it be for you, but if not, it will not be.”

11. And it came to pass as they were walking along and talking that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire, and they separated the two of them, and Elijah went up in a whirlwind into the sky.

12. And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father! My father! The chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garments and tore them in half.

13. And he picked up Elijah’s mantle which had fallen from him, and he returned and stood upon the bank of the Jordan.

14. And he took Elijah’s mantle that had fallen from him and struck the waters, and he said, “Where is Jehovah, the God of Elijah, even He?” And he struck the waters, and they parted this way and that, and Elisha crossed over.

15. And when the sons of the prophets saw it who were within sight in Jericho, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests upon Elisha!” And they went to meet him and bowed before him on the ground.

16. And they said to him, “Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Let them go, we pray, and look for your master, lest the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up and thrown him on one of the mountains or into one of the valleys.” But he said, “Do not send them.”

17. But they pressed him until he was ashamed, and he said, “Send them!” And they sent fifty men, and they searched three days, but did not find him.

18. Then they returned to him while he was staying in Jericho, and he said to them, “Didn’t I say to you, ‘Do not go?’”

¶19. Now, the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold, we pray you! The city’s location is good, as our lord sees, but the water is bad and the land unfruitful.”

20. And he said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” And they brought it to him.

21. And he went out to the spring of water, and threw the salt in, and said, “Thus says the Lord: I have healed these waters. There shall no longer be death or barrenness from thence!”

22. And the waters were healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.

¶23. Then he went up from there to Bethel. And as he was going up along the road, young boys came out from the city, and they mocked him and said to him, “Go up, baldy! Go up, baldy!”

24. And he turned behind him and saw them, and he cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the woods and ripped to pieces forty-two of the boys.

25. And he went on from there to Mount Carmel, and from there, he returned to Samaria.

2Kings 3

Back to Top

¶1. Now, Jehoram ben-Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah. And he reigned twelve years.

2. And he did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord, only not like his father or like his mother, for he removed the pillar of Baal which his father had made.

3. Nevertheless, he clung to the sins of Jeroboam ben-Nebat who made Israel to sin; he would not depart from it.

¶4. Now, Mesha the king of Moab was a sheep-dealer, and he rendered to the king of Israel one hundred thousand he-lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand rams.

5. And it came to pass at the death of Ahab that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

6. And so, King Jehoram went forth on that day from Samaria, and he mustered all Israel.

7. When he went, he sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to Moab to the battle?” And he said, “I will go. I am as you are. My people are as your people. My horses are as your horses.”

8. And he said, “Which way shall we go up?” And he said, “By way of the wilderness of Edom.”

9. So, the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. And they took the circuitous route seven days, and there was no water for the army or the animals that were following them.

10. Then the king of Israel said, “Alas! For Jehovah has summoned these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab!”

11. But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not a prophet of Jehovah here, that we might inquire of Jehovah by him?” And one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, “Elisha ben-Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.”

12. Then Jehoshaphat said, “The word of Jehovah is with him.” So the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom went down to him.

13. And Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother!” But the king of Israel said to him, “No! For Jehovah has summoned these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab!”

14. And Elisha said, “As the Lord of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I have regard for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not acknowledge you or even look at you!

15.But now, bring me a minstrel.” And it came to pass as the minstrel played, the hand of the Lord came upon him.

16. And he said, “Thus says Jehovah: Make this valley full of trenches!

17.For thus says Jehovah: You will not see wind, and you will not see rain, but that valley shall be filled with water. And you will drink, you and your livestock and your beasts.

18.But this is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord; He will also give Moab into your hand.

19.And you shall strike every fortified city, and every choice city, and you shall fell every good tree, and stop up all springs of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.”

20. And it came to pass in the morning while they were making an offering, that, behold, water started coming from the way toward Edom, and the country was filled with water.

21. And all Moab heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, and they were summoned, from all who girded on a belt and upwards, and they stood along the border.

22. And when they rose up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water, and from a distance, Moab saw the water was red like blood.

23. And they said, “This is blood! The kings have surely fought among themselves and each had killed his fellow! So, now to the spoil, Moab!”

24. But when they came to the camp of Israel, Israel arose and struck Moab so that they fled before them. And they came into the land, slaughtering the Moabites.

25. And they overthrew the cities, and every man threw his stone onto every good piece of land and filled it, and stopped up every spring of water, and felled every good tree, until only in Kir-Hareseth were its stones left; however, slingers surrounded and attacked it.

26. And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was strong against him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to cut through to the king of Edom, but they could not.

27. Then he took his firstborn son, who would have reigned in his stead, and offered him on the wall as a burnt offering. And there was great wrath against Israel, and they withdrew from him and returned to the land.

2Kings 4

Back to Top

¶1. And a woman, one of the wives of the sons of the prophets, cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant, my husband, has died. Now, you know that your servant was a fearer of Jehovah, but the creditor has come to take my two children as his slaves!”

2. Then Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your handmaid has nothing at all in the house except a jar of oil.”

3. And he said, “Go, ask vessels for yourself from abroad, from all your neighbors, empty vessels. Don’t make it few!

4.And when you enter in, close the door on you and your sons, and then pour the oil into all those vessels and set aside that which is full.”

5. So, she went out from him, and she shut the door on her and her sons. They brought the vessels to her, and she poured.

6. And it came to pass when the vessels were full that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel!” But he said to her, “There isn’t another vessel!” And the oil stopped.

7. Then she came and told the man of God, and he said, “Go! Sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons will live off the rest.”

¶8. Now, the day came to pass that Elisha passed over to Shunem, and a great woman was there, and she urged him to eat food. So it was that whenever he was passing through, he would turn in there to eat food.

9. And she said to her husband, “Behold now, I know that this is a holy man of God who passes by us frequently.

10.I pray you, let us make a little upper room on the wall, and let’s put a bed, and a table, and a chair, and a lampstand there for him, and it shall be that when he comes to us, he may turn in there.”

11. Now, the day came to pass that he went there, and he turned aside to the upper room and lay down there.

12. And he said to Gehazi, his servant, “Call for this Shunammite.” And he called for her, and she stood before him.

13. And he said to him, “Now say to her, ‘Behold, you have been concerned for us with all this care. What is to be done for you? Should I speak on your behalf to the king or to the captain of the army?’” But she said, “I remain among my people.”

14. And he said, “So, what is to be done for her?” And Gehazi said, “Truly, she has no son, and her husband is old.”

15. Then he said, “Call for her”, so he called for her, and she stood at the door.

16. And he said, “About this season, according to the time of life, you will embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my Lord, O man of God. Do not lie to your handmaid.”

17. And the woman conceived and bore a son about that season, according to the time of life, as Elisha had told her.

18. And when the child had grown, the day came to pass that he went out to his father, to the reapers.

19. And he said to his father, “My head, my head!” And he said to the servant, “Carry him to his mother.”

20. And when he had carried him and brought him inside to his mother, he sat on her knees until midday, and he died.

21. Then she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and she shut him in and went out.

22. And she called to her husband and said, “If you will, send for me one of the servants and one of the she-asses that I may go quickly to the man of God and then return.

23. And he said, “Why would you go to him today? It’s not a new moon, and it’s not Sabbath.” And she said, “It will be well.”

24. Then she bridled the ass and said to her servant, “Drive on, and go! Do not slow the pace for me unless I tell you.”

25. So, she went and came to the man of God, to mount Carmel. And it came to pass that when the man of God saw her at a distance, he said to Gehazi, his servant, “Behold, that Shunammite woman!

26.If you will, go quickly now to meet her and say to her, ‘Are you well? Is your husband well? Is your child well?’” And she said, “Well.”

27. And she came to the man of God, to the mount, and she grabbed hold of his feet. And Gehazi came to thrust her away, but the man of God said, “Let her be, for her soul in her is bitter and Jehovah has hidden it from me and has not told me.”

28. And she said, “Did I ask for a son from my lord? Didn’t I say, ‘Don’t deceive me?’”

29. Then he said to Gehazi, “Gird up your loins, and take my staff in your hand, and go! If you meet a man, do not greet him, and if a man greets you, do not answer him. Then lay my staff on the face of the boy.”

30. But the mother of the boy said, “As Jehovah lives and as your soul lives, let God damn me if I leave you.” So, he rose up and followed her.

31. And Gehazi passed on before them, and he lay the staff on the face of the boy, but there was no voice, and there was no response. So, he came back to meet him and reported to him, saying, “The boy did not wake up.”

32. Then, Elisha entered the house, and behold, the boy was dead, laid upon his bed.

33. And he went in and shut the door on the two of them, and he prayed to Jehovah.

34. Then he got up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, and his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. Thus he lay on him, and the body of the child grew warm.

35. And he returned and walked in the house, first here and then there, and then he went up and bent down on him. Then the boy sneezed seven times, and the boy opened his eyes.

36. Then he called to Gehazi and said, “Call for this Shunammite”, and he called her, and she came to him, and he said, “Take up your son.”

37. And she came in and fell at his feet, and she bowed herself to the ground. Then she took up her son and went out.

¶38. And Elisha returned to Gilgal. Now, a famine was in the land, and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him. And he said to his servant, “Set on the big pot and boil pottage for the sons of the prophets.”

39. And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and he found a wild vine, and he gathered wild gourds from it, until his lap was full, and he came back and sliced them up into the pot of pottage, but they did not know.

40. And they poured out the pottage for the men to eat, and it came to pass as they were eating of the pottage that they cried out and said, “Death is in the pot, O man of God!” And they could not eat it.

41. But he said, “Then bring flour,” and he threw it into the pot. And he said, “Pour it out for the people.” And they ate, and there was nothing harmful in the pot.

¶42. And a man came from Baal-Shalishah, and he brought to the man of God bread of firstfruits, twenty barley loaves, and produce in his sack.^[1] And he said, “Give it to the people, that they may eat.”

43. But his servant said, “What? I am to give this to a hundred men?” But he said, “Give it to the people, that they may eat, for thus says Jehovah: They shall eat and leave some.”

44. And so, he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.

2Kings 5

Back to Top

¶1. Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man before his master. And he was held in honor, because by him, Jehovah had given deliverance to Syria. The man was great in might, but he was stricken with leprosy.

2. As for Syria, they went out in companies, and they brought back from the land of Israel a little girl, and she waited on Naaman’s wife.

3. And she said to her mistress, “Oh that my master could be before the prophet that is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his leprosy.”

4. Then he went and made it known to his master, saying, “Thus and thus said the girl who was from the land of Israel.”

5. And the king of Syria said, “Go! Go, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel!” So he went and took with him ten silver talents, and six thousand gold, and ten changes of clothes.

6. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel which said, “Now, when this letter comes to you, behold, I have sent to you Naaman my servant that you will cure him of his leprosy.”

7. And it came to pass that when the king of Israel had read the letter, he rent his clothes and said, “Am I God to kill or give life that this man has sent to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Truly, consider now and look for he is seeking a quarrel with me.

8. And it came to pass that when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel rent his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you rent your clothes? Let him come to me now, and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.”

9. So Naaman came with his horse and with his chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house.

10. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will return to you. So, be clean.”

11. But Naaman was furious, and he went away and said, “Behold, I thought he would come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of Jehovah his God, and shake his hand at the place, and cure the one afflicted with leprosy!

12.Aren’t Abanah and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Why don’t I wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in anger.

13. But his servants came near and spoke to him, and they said, “My father, if the prophet had told you a great thing, wouldn’t you have done it? How much more then since he told you, ‘Wash and be clean’?”

14. So he went down, and he dipped in the Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh became again like the flesh of a small child, and he was clean.

15. And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he entered and stood before him, and he said, “Behold now, I know that there is no God in any land except in Israel! So take now, I beg you, a blessing from your servant.

16. But he said, “As Jehovah lives, before whom I stand, may God damn me if I take anything.” And he pressed him to take, but he refused.

17. And Naaman said, “If not, let there be given to your servant, I pray you, two mules’ burden of earth, for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but only to Jehovah.

18.Yet, in this matter, Jehovah pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship, he supports himself on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon. Jehovah forgive your servant in this matter, I pray you, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon.”

19. And he said to him, “Go in peace.” And when he had gone from him a kibrah of land,

20.then Gehazi, the young man of Elisha the man of God, thought, “My master has spared Naaman, this Syrian, rather than taking from him what he brought. As Jehovah lives, may God damn me if I don’t run after him and take something from him.

21. So he chased after Naaman. And Naaman saw him running after him, so he got down from the chariot to greet him, and he said, “Is all well?”

22. And he said, “All is well. My master sent me, saying, ‘Behold, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets from mount Ephraim have come to me. I beg you, give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothes.’”

23. And Naaman said, “Consent and take two talents.” And he broke through with him, and he tied up two silver talents in two bags and two changes of clothes, and he gave it to two of his servants and they carried it before him.

24. But when he came to the hill, he took it from their hand and he observed the house, then he sent the men away and they left.

25. Then he entered and stood before his master, and Elisha said to him, “Where have you come from, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant has not gone anywhere.”

26. And he said to him, “Didn’t my heart go to you when the man got out of his chariot to greet you? Is it the time to get silver, or to get clothes, or olive-yards, or vineyards, or flocks, or cattle, or menservants, or maidservants?

27.So, the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and to your seed forever.” And he went out from his presence stricken with leprosy like snow.

2Kings 6

Back to Top

¶1. And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Behold, now, the place where we are living, there with you, is too tight for us.

2.Let us go now to the Jordan, and let each of us take from there one beam and make for ourselves a place to dwell there.” And he said, “Go.”

3. And one said, “Please consent and go with your servants.” And he said, “I will go.”

4. So he went with them, and they came to the Jordan, and they cut down the trees.

5. And it came to pass that one was felling a beam, and he fell into the water with the iron (see Dt 19:5), and he cried out and said, “Oh no, my master, for it was borrowed!”

6. And the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And he showed him the place. Then he cut off a branch and threw it there, and it made the iron float.

7. And he said, “Pick it up for yourself.” So he stretched out his hand and grabbed it.

8. Now, the king of Syria was at war with Israel, and he consulted with his servants, saying, “My camp will be in such and such a place.”

9. And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, “Beware of going by this certain place, for Syria is there. They are coming down.”

10. Then the king of Israel sent to the place that the man of God told him, and he warned him, and he was saved there, not once or twice.

11. And the heart of the king of Syria was enraged because of this thing, and he summoned his servants, and he said to them, “Won’t you make it known to me who among us is with the king of Israel?”

12. And one of his servants said, “Not so, my lord the king, but Elisha the prophet who is in Israel is making known to the king of Israel the things that you say in your bedroom.”

13. And he said, “All of you go, and see where he is. Then I will send and capture him.” And it was made known to him, saying, “Behold, in Dothan.”

14. Then he sent there horses and chariotry, and a great army, and they came at night, and they surrounded the city.

15. And when the minister of the man of God awoke and got up early, he went out, and behold, an army was surrounding the city, with horse and chariot. Then his young man said to him, “Oh no, my master! What should we do?”

16. And he said, “Don’t be afraid, for there are multitudes more who are with us than with them.”

17. And Elisha prayed and said, “O Jehovah, I ask you, open his eyes and let him see.” And Jehovah opened the young man’s eyes and he saw, and behold, the mountain was filled with horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha.

18. And when they had come down to him, Elisha prayed to Jehovah and said, “Smite now this people with blindness.” And He smote them with blindness according to Elisha’s word.

19. And Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man whom you are seeking.” Then he led them to Samaria.

20. And it came to pass when they had entered Samaria, that Elisha said, “O Jehovah, open the eyes of these men and let them see.” And Jehovah opened their eyes, and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

21. And when he saw them, the king of Israel said to Elisha, “Should I smite them? I’ll smite them, my father!”

22. But he said, “Do not smite them. Would you smite those whom you took captive with your sword and your bow? Set food and water before them, and let them eat and drink and go to their master.

23. So he prepared a great feast, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the companies of Syria did not go again into the land of Israel.

24. And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad, king of Syria, assembled his whole army, and he went up and laid siege against Samaria.

25. And there was a great famine in Samaria, and behold, they besieged it until a head of a donkey was worth eight pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove’s dung was worth 5 pieces of silver.

26. And as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, O my Lord the king!”

27. And he said, “Jehovah has not helped you, then out of what can I help you? From off the threshing floor? Or out of the wine vat?”

28. Then the king said to her, “What do you want?” And she said, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son so we can eat him today, and then we will eat my son tomorrow.’

29.So we cooked my son and we ate him. Then I said to her the next day, ‘Give up your son so we can eat him’, but she has hidden her son!”

30. And it came to pass that when the king heard the woman’s words, he tore his clothes as he was passing by on the wall, and the people looked, and behold, sackcloth was underneath against his skin.

31. And he said, “Thus God do to me and more also if the head of Elisha ben-Shaphat is left upon him today.”

32. Now, Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him, when the king sent a man from before him. And before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, “Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent to take off my head? Watch, and when the messenger comes in, shut the door and press him against the door. Won’t the sound of his master’s feet come after him?”

33. While he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him and said, “Behold, this evil is from Jehovah. Why should I wait for Jehovah any longer?”

2Kings 7

Back to Top

¶1. Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord: Thus says the Lord, ‘At this time tomorrow, a measure of fine flour shall be a shekel, and two measures of barley shall be a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.’”

2. Then an officer on whose hand the king was leaning answered the man of God, and he said, “Behold, the Lord is making windows in heaven. Will this thing be?” And he said, “Behold, you shall see it with your eyes, but you will not eat of it.”

3. Now there were four leprous men at the entrance gate, and they said, one to another, “Why are we sitting here until we die?

4.If we say, ‘We will go into the city,’ then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. But if we sit here, we will also die. So, let us go now, and fall to the Syrian camp. If they let us live, we shall live, but if they kill us, we shall but die.”

5. So, they rose up in the twilight to go to the Syrian camp, but when they came to the edge of the Syrian camp, then behold, there was no one there.

6. For the Lord had caused the Syrian camp to hear the sound of chariotry, the sound of horse, and the sound of a great army. And they said, each man to his brother, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired the kings of the Hittites against us, and the kings of the Egyptians have come out against us.”

7. Then they arose, and they fled in the twilight and left their tents, and their horses, and their donkeys, and the camp just as it was, and they fled for their lives.

8. And when these lepers came to the edge of the camp and entered one tent, then they ate and drank. And they carried off from there silver, and gold, and garments, and they went and hid it. And they returned and entered another tent, and carried off from there, and went and hid it.

9. Then they said, one to another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, but we are staying silent. And if we wait until the morning light, then punishment will find us. So come now, and let us go and tell the king’s household.”

10. And they came and called to the gatekeeper of the city, and they told them, saying, “We came to the Syrian camp, and behold, there was no one there, nor the voice of men, but horses tied up, and donkeys tied up, and tents left as they were.”

11. And the gatekeepers called out, and they reported it to the king within.

12. And the king arose by night, and he said to his servants, “I will tell you now what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry, and they have gone out from the camp to hide in the field, thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, then we will capture them alive, and enter the city.’”

13. But one of his servants answered and said, “Let, I pray you, five of the horses that remain, which are left in it, behold, they are like all the multitude of Israel who are left in it, even behold, they are like all the multitude of Israel who are gone, and let us send them and see.”

14. And they took two chariot horses, and the king sent them after the Syrian camp, saying, “Go and see.”

15. And they went after them as far as the Jordan, and behold, all the way was full of garments and vessels which the Syrians had thrown away in their haste. And the messengers returned and reported to the king.

16. Then the people went out, and they spoiled the Syrian camp. And it came to pass that a measure of fine flour was a shekel, and two measures of barley was a shekel, according to the word of the Lord.

17. And the king appointed the officer on whose hand he had leant over the gate, and the people trampled him in the gate, and he died just as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him.

18. So, it came to pass as the man of God had said to the king, saying, “It shall be two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel at this time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria.”

19. And the officer answered the man of God and said, “Behold, the Lord is making windows in heaven. Will this thing be?” And he had said, “Behold, your eyes shall see it, but you will not eat of it.”

20. And so it happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gate, and he died.

2Kings 8

Back to Top

¶1. And Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, “Arise, and go, you and your household, and sojourn wherever you may sojourn, for Jehovah has called for a famine, and moreover, it will come to the land for seven years.

2. And the woman arose, and did according to the word of the man of God. And she went, with her household, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years.

3. And it came to pass at the end of the seven years that the woman returned from the land of the Philistines. Then she went forth to cry out to the king for her house and her land.

4. And the king spoke to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Tell me, I pray, all the great things that Elisha has done.”

5. And it came to pass as he was telling the king that he had restored the dead to life, that behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life cried out to the king concerning her house and her field. And Gehazi said, “My lord the king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.”

6. And the king asked the woman, and she told him. And the king appointed to her a certain officer, saying, “restore all that was hers, and all the produce of the field from the day she left the land until now.”

¶7. Then Elisha went to Damascus, and Ben-Hadad king of Syria was sick. And it was told him, saying, “The man of God has come here.”

8. And the king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand, and go to meet the man of God, and inquire of Jehovah by him, saying, “Shall I recover from this sickness?”

9. And Hazael went to meet him, and he took a gift in his hand, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels loaded, and he came and stood before him. And he said, “Your son, Ben-Hadad king of Syria, sent me to you, saying, ‘Shall I recover from this sickness?”

10. And Elisha said to him, “Go, say to him, ‘You shall certainly recover’, yet Jehovah has shown me that he will certainly die.”

11. And he fixed his gaze and stared until he was ashamed. Then the man of God wept.

12. And Hazael said, “Why is my lord weeping?” And he said, “Because I know the evil you will do to the children of Israel. Their strongholds will you set on fire, and their young men will you kill with the sword, and their children will you dash, and you will rip open their pregnant women.”

13. And Hazael said, “But what, is your servant a dog that he would do this great thing.” And Elisha said, “Jehovah has shown me that you will be king over Syria.”

14. So, he departed from Elisha, and came to his lord. And he said, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he said to me, “You shall certainly recover.”

15. And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a heavy cloth, and he dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, and he died. And Hazael reigned in his stead.

¶16. And in the fifth year of Joram ben-Ahaz king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat having been king of Judah, Jehoram ben-Jehoshaphat king of Judah, began to reign.

17. He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

18. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel just as the house of Ahab did because Ahab’s daughter was his wife. And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah.

19. But Jehovah would not destroy Judah for the sake of David his servant, as He had said that He would give a light to him and his sons forever.

20. In his days, Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and they set up a king of their own.

21. Then Joram passed over to Zair, and all the chariotry with him, and he rose by night and struck Edom who were round about him, and the captains of the chariotry, and the people fled to their tents.

22. Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time.

23. And the rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

24. And Joram slept with his fathers, and he was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.

¶25. In the twelfth year of Joram ben-Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah ben-Jehoram king of Judah, began to reign.

26. Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel.

27. And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and he did what was evil in the sight of Jehovah, as did the house of Ahab because he was son-in-law to the house of Ahab.

28. And he went with Joram ben-Ahab to war with Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-Gilead, and the Syrians struck Joram.

29. And king Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel to recover from his wounds that the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah ben-Jehoram king of Judah, went down to see Joram ben-Ahab in Jezreel because he was sick.

2Kings 9

Back to Top

¶1. And Elijah the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets, And he said to him, “Gird up your loins, and take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth-Gilead.

2.And when you arrive there, look for Jehu ben-Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Then, go in, and make him rise up from the midst of his brothers, and take him into an inner bedroom.

3.And take the flask of oil, and put it on his head, and say, ‘Thus says Jehovah: I anoint you as king over Israel.’ Then open the door, and flee, and do not linger.”

4. So the young man, the young prophet, went to Ramoth-Gilead.

5. And when he came, behold, the captains of the army were sitting, and he said, “I have a word for you, O captain.” And Jehu said, “To whom of all of us?” And he said, “To you, O captain.”

6. And he arose, and went into the house, and he poured the oil on his head, and said to him, “Thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel: I anoint you as king over the people of the Lord, over Israel.

7.And you shall strike down the house of Ahab your lord, that I will be avenged of the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of Jehovah, at the hand of Jezebel.

8.And the whole house of Ahab will perish, and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisses against the wall, and him that is shut up, and him that is left behind in Israel.

9.And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam ben-Nebat, and like the house of Baasha ben-Ahijah.

10.And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and no one will bury her.” Then he opened the door, and fled.

11. And Jehu came out to the servants of his lord, and one said to him, “Is all well? Why did this mad man come to you?” And he said to them, “You know the man, and his communication.”

12. And they said, “That is false. Pray tell us.” And he said such and such to me, saying, “Thus says Jehovah: I anoint you as king over Israel.”

13. Then they hurried, and they took each man his garment, and put it under him on the bare steps, and they blew on the shofar, and said, “Jehu is king!”

14. So Jehu ben-Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. Now Joram had been keeping watch in Ramoth-Gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Syria,

15.but king Jehoram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds that the Syrians had given him when he fought Hazael king of Syria. So Jehu said, “If it be your desire, let no fugitive come out of the city to go to tell it in Jezreel.”

16. And Jehu rode in a chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to see Joram.

17. And there stood a watchman on the tower in Jezreel, and he saw Jehu’s company as he came. And he said, “I see a company.” And Jehoram said, “Take a horseman, and send him to meet them, and he is to say, “Is it peace?”

18. So one rode on horseback to meet him, and he said, “Thus says the king: Is it peace?” And Jehu said, “What has peace to do with you? Get round behind me.” And the watchman reported it, saying, “The messenger went to them, but he is not returning.”

19. Then he sent out a second riding on horseback. And he came to them, and he said, “Thus says the king: Is it peace?” And Jehu said, “What has peace to do with you? Get round behind me.”

20. And the watchman reported it, saying, “He came to them, but he is not returning. And the driving is like the driving of Jehu ben-Nimshi, for he drives furiously.”

21. And Joram said, “Make ready”, and his chariot was made ready. Then Jehoram king of Israel went out, with Ahaziah king of Judah, each riding in his chariot. And they went out to meet Jehu. And they met him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite.

22. And it came to pass, when Jehoram saw Jehu, that he said, “Is it peace, Jehu?” And he said, “What peace, as long as the whoredoms of your mother Jezebel, and her sorceries are so many?”

23. Then Jehoram turned the reins in his hands, and he fled. And he said to Ahaziah, “Treachery, O Ahaziah!”

24. And Jehu drew his bow with his full strength, and he shot Jehoram between the shoulders, and the arrow came out through his heart, and he slumped down in his chariot.

25. Then he said to Bidkar his captain, “Pick him up! Throw him on the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite, for remember, when you and I were riding together behind Ahab his father, that Jehovah put this burden on him,

26.‘I will damn myself, if the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons which I saw yesterday, says the Lord, I do not requite of you in this portion says the Lord.’ Therefore, take and throw him now into the portion according to the word of the Jehovah.

27. And when Ahaziah king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of Beth-Hagan. And Jehu pursued after him, and he said, “Strike him down also in the chariot.” And they did it at the Ascent of Gur which is at Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo, and he died there.

28. And his servants took him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and they buried him in his tomb with his fathers in the city of David.

¶29. And in the eleventh year of Joram ben-Ahab, Ahaziah began to reign over Judah.

¶30. And Jehu came to Jezreel, and Jezabel heard, and she painted her eyes with antimony, and she adorned her head, and she looked down through the window.

31. And as Jehu entered through the gate, she said, “Does Zimri have peace, who slay his lord?”

32. And he lifted up his face to the window, and he said, “Who is with me? Who?” And two or three eunuchs looked down at him.

33. And he said, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down. And some of her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses. And he trampled her.

34. And he came in, and ate and drank. Then he said, “See now to this cursed woman, and bury her, for she is a king’s daughter.”

35. So they went to bury her, but found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of the hands.

36. So they returned and told him. And he said, “This was the word of the Lord which He spoke by the hand of his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘In the portion of Jezreel shall the dogs eat the flesh of Jezabel,

37.and Jezebel’s corpse shall be as dung on the surface of the field in the portion of Jezreel, so that they shall not say, “This is Jezebel.”’”

2Kings 10

Back to Top

¶1. Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and he sent to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, the elders, and the guardians of Ahab’s sons, saying,

2.“So now, as this letter comes to you and your lord’s sons with you, and chariotry and horses are with you, and a fortified city, and armor,

3.then look for the best and most upright of the sons of your lord, and set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your lord’s house.”

4. But they feared greatly, and they said, “Behold, two kings did not stand before him. How then shall we stand?”

5. So those who were over the house, and those over the city, and the elders, and the guardians sent to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants, and all that you say to us we will do. We will not make anyone king. Do what is good in your sight.”

6. Then he wrote a second letter to them, saying, “If you are mine, and you will take heed of my voice, take the heads of the men of your master’s sons, and come to me to Jezreel at this time tomorrow. Now the sons of the king, seventy men, were with the great men of the city who raised them.

7. And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king’s sons, and killed the seventy men. Then they put their heads in baskets and sent them to him in Jezreel.

8. And the messenger came and reported to him, saying, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.” And he said, “Lay them in two heaps at the entrance gate until morning.”

9. Then it came to pass in the morning, that he went out and stood, and he said to all the people, “You are righteous. Behold, I conspired against my lord, and killed him, but who struck down all these?

10.Know then that nothing of the word of the Lord which the Lord spoke concerning the house of Ahab will fall to the ground. For the Lord has done what He spoke by the hand of his servant Elijah.”

11. So, Jehu struck down all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his acquaintances, and his priests, until no remnant of his survived.

12. And he arose and went, and he came to Samaria. He was at Beth-Eked of the Shepherds on the way,

13.and Jehu came across the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah, and he said, “Who are you?” And they said, “We are the brothers of Ahaziah. And we are going down to greet the king’s sons, and the sons of the queen.”

14. And he said, “Take them alive.” And they took them alive, and killed them at the pit of Beth-Eked, forty-two men. And not one man of them remained.

15. And he went from there, and he found Jehonadab ben-Rechab coming to meet him. And he blessed him, and said to him, “Is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart?” And Jehonadab said, “It is.” “That being so, give me your hand.” And he gave him his hand, and he took him up to himself into the chariot.

16. And he said, “Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord.” So, they rode with him in his chariot.

17. And he came to Samaria, and he struck down all who remained of Ahab in Samaria until he exterminated him in accordance with the word of the Lord which He spoke to Elijah.

¶18. Then Jehu gathered all the people, and he said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little. Jehu will serve him much.”

19. So, summon to me now all the prophets of Baal, all who serve him, and all his priests. Let none be missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Any who are missing will not live.” But Jehu did this craftily so that he could destroy the servants of Baal.

20. And Jehu said, “Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal.” And they proclaimed it.

21. And Jehu sent throughout all Israel, and all the servants of Baal came. And there was not a man remaining who did not come. And they came to the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other.

22. And he said to him who was over the vestry, “Bring out the garments for all the servants of Baal.” So, he brought the garments out to them.

23. Then Jehu and Jehonadab ben-Rechab entered the house of Baal, and he said to the servants of Baal, “Search, and see, that there are no servants of Jehovah here with you, but servants of Baal only.”

24. Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had placed eighty men of his outside, and he said, “The man who lets any of the men whom I brought into your hands escape, it will be his life instead of the life of him.”

25. And it came to pass that when he had completed offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, “Go in. Strike them down. Let none come out.” And they struck them down with the edge of the sword. And the guard and the captains cast them out. Then they went into the city of the house of Baal.

26. And they brought the images out of the house of Baal and burned it.

27. And they pulled down the image of Baal, and broke down the house of Baal, and made it a latrine to this day.

28. So Jehu wiped Baal out of Israel.

29. Nevertheless Jehu did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam ben-Nebat who made Israel to sin, from following after the golden calves which were in Bethel and in Dan.

30. And Jehovah said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in doing what is right in my sight, for according to all that was in my heart have you done to the house of Ahab, sons of your fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.”

31. But Jehu took no heed to walk in the laws of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all of his heart. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam who made Israel to sin.

32. In those days, the Lord began to cut off Israel, and Hazael struck them throughout the territory of Israel.

33. From the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the Arnon River, even Gilead and Bashan.

34. And the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

35. And Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.

36. And the days that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria were twenty-eight years.

2Kings 11

Back to Top

¶1. And when Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, then she arose and destroyed all the royal seed.

2. But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, the sister of Ahaziah, took Joash ben-Ahaziah, and stole him away from the midst of the king’s sons who were slain, him and his nurse, to the private bedroom. And they hid him from Athaliah so that he was not killed.

3. And he was hidden with her in the house of the Lord six years, and Athaliah reigned over the land.

¶4. Then, in the seventh year, Jehoiada sent and brought the captains of hundreds, and the Cherethites, and the guard, and he brought them to himself in the house of the Lord, and he made a covenant, and took an oath from them in the house of the Lord, and showed them the king’s son.

5. And he commanded them, saying, “This is the thing that you shall do. A third part of you who enter on the Sabbath shall also be the keepers of the watch of the king’s house.

6.And a third part shall be at the Sur gate, and a third part shall be at the gate behind the guard. And you shall keep watch to protect the house.

7.And two parts of you, all that go out on the Sabbath, they shall also keep watch on the house of the Lord for the king.

8.And you shall completely surround the king, each man with his weapons in his hand, and whoever comes against the ranks shall be killed. And you shall be with the king when he goes out and when he comes in.”

9. And the captains of the hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and they each brought his men who were to come in on the Sabbath with those who were to go out on the Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest.

10. And the priest gave the spears and the shields that had been king David’s which were in the house of the Lord to the captains of the hundreds.

11. And the guard stood, each man with his weapons in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, by the altar and the house, surrounding the king.

12. Then he brought forth the king’s son, and he put the crown on him, and gave him the testimony. And they made him king and anointed him, and clapped their hands and said, “May the king live.”

13. And Athaliah heard the sound of the guard and the people, and she came to the people, to the house of the Lord.

14. And she looked, and behold, the king was standing at the pillar according to the custom, and the captains and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing on the trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes, and she said, “Treason! Treason!”

15. Then Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of hundreds who had been appointed over the army, and he said to them, “Take her out between the ranks, and whoever follows after her shall be killed with the sword.” For the priest said, “Do not kill her in the house of the Lord.”

16. So they laid hands on her, and she went by the way of the horses’ entrance to the king’s house, and there she was killed.

17. And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king, and the people, that they should be the Lord’s people (and between the king and the people also).

18. And all the people of the land went to the house of Baal, and they tore it down. And they smashed its altars and its images thoroughly, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the Lord.

19. And he took the captains of hundreds, and the Cherethites, and the guard, and all the people of the land, and he brought the king down from the house of the Lord. And they came by way of the gate of the guard of the king’s house, and sat the king on the throne of the kingdom.

20. And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city had rest for they had killed Athaliah with the sword by the king’s house.

21. Jehoash was seven years old when he began to reign.

2Kings 12

Back to Top

¶1. In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash began to reign. He reigned forty years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba.

2. And Jehoash did what was right in the sight of Jehovah all his days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him.

3. Only, the high places were not removed. The people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

4. And Jehoash said to the priests, “All the money of the holy things which is brought into the house of the Lord, the money from each man who passes, the money of the valuation of every soul, and all the money that enters the heart of a man to bring to the house of the Lord,

5. left the priests take it for themselves, each man from his acquaintance, and let them repair the breaches of the house, every breach that is found in it.

6. But it came to pass that in the twenty-third year of king Jehoash the priest had not repaired the breaches of the house.

7. Then king Jehoash summoned Jehoiada the priest, and the other priests, and he said to them, “Why have you not repaired the breaches of the house?! Now then, you shall take no money from your acquaintances except to give it for the breaches of the house.”

8. And the priests agreed to take no more money from the people, and not to repair the breaches of the house.

9. Then Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in its lid, and he put it beside the altar, at the right side as one entered the house of the Lord. And the priests who were the doorkeepers put in it all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord.

10. And it came to pass that when they saw that there was much money in the chest that the king’s scribe and the high priest came up, and they put it in bags, and they counted the money that was found in the house of the Lord.

11. And they gave the money that had been weighed into the hand of those who had oversight of the work for the house of the Lord. And they brought it to the carpenters, and to the builders who worked on the house of the Lord.

12. and to the masons, and to the stonecutters, and to buy timber and hewn stones to repair the breaches of the house of the Lord, and for any outlay for the house to be repaired.

13. Only there were not made for the house of the Lord silver cups, snuffers, basins, trumpets, any gold accoutrements, or silver accoutrements with the money that was brought into the house of the Lord,

14. but they gave it to those doing the work, and they repaired the house of the Lord with it.

15. And they made no reckoning of the men into whose hand they gave the money to be delivered to those who did the work, for they dealt faithfully.

16. The money of the guilt offering, and the money of the sin offerings was not brought into the house of the Lord; it was the priests’.

¶17. And Hazael king of Syria came up and fought against Gath, and he took it. Then Hazael set his face to go up against Jerusalem.

18. And Jehoash king of Judah took all the dedicated things that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his dedicated things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the Lord and the king’s house, and he sent it to Hazael king of Syria, and he went away from Jerusalem.

19. And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

20. And his servants arose, and they made a conspiracy and struck down Joash in the house of Millo, which goes down to Silla.

21. For Jozachar ben-Shimeath, and Jehozabad ben-Shomer, his servants struck him, and he died. And they buried him with his fathers in the city of David. And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.

2Kings 13

Back to Top

¶1. In the twenty-third year of Joash ben-Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz ben-Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria seventeen years.

2. And he did what was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and he followed after the sin of Jeroboam ben-Nebat who made Israel to sin; he did not depart from it.

3. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Ben-Hadad ben-Hazael, all his days.

4. And Jehoahaz sought the face of the Lord, and the Lord hearkened to him, for He saw the oppression of Israel, that the king of Syria oppressed them.

5. And Jehovah gave Israel a savior, and they came out from under the hand of Syria, and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents as before.

6. Nevertheless, they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam who made Israel to sin. They walked in them, and the grove also remained in Samaria.

7. Yet He did not leave of the people for Jehoahaz but fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen, for the king of Syria had destroyed them, and made them like the dust of threshing.

8. And the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

9. And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Joash his son reigned in his stead.

¶10. In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash ben-Jehoahaz began to reign over Israel in Samaria sixteen years.

11. And he did what was evil in the sight of Jehovah. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam ben-Nebat who made Israel to sin; he walked in them.

12. And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, and his might with which he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

13. And Joash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne. And Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

¶14. Now Elisha was sick with his sickness of which he was to die. And Joash king of Israel came down to him, and he wept on his face, and he said, “My father, my father! The chariot of Israel, and its horsemen!”

15. And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So, he took a bow and arrows for himself.

16. And he said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” So, he put his hand on it. And Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.

17. And he said, “Open the window eastward”, and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot”, and he shot. And he said, “ The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria! For you shall strike Syria in Aphek until you make an end of them.”

18. Then he said, “Take the arrows”, and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground”, and he struck three times and stopped.

19. And the man of God was angry against him, and he said, “You should have struck five or six times. Then you would have struck Syria until they were consumed, but now, you shall strike Syria three times.”

20. And Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands from Moab came into the land at the beginning of each year.

21. And it came to pass, as they were burying a man that behold, they saw a band, and they threw the man into Elisha’s tomb. And it happened that the man touched Elisha’s bones, and he came to life and stood on his feet.

¶22. And Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.

23. But Jehovah was gracious to them, and He had compassion on them, and turned to them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He would not yet destroy them or cast them away from His presence.

24. And Hazael king of Syria dies, and Ben-Hadad his son reigned in his stead.

25. And Jehoash ben-Jehoahaz returned and took again from the hand of Ben-Hadad ben-Hazael the cities which he had taken from the hand of Jehoahaz his father in battle. Three times did Joash strike him, and restore the cities of Israel.

2Kings 14

Back to Top

¶1. In the second year of Joash ben-Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah king of Judah began to reign.

2. He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.

3. And he did what was right in the sight of Jehovah, but not like David his father. He did according to all that Joash his father had done.

4. Only he did not remove the high places. The people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

5. And it came to pass that when the kingdom was strengthened in his hand, that he struck down his servants who had killed his father the king.

6. But the children of those who struck him down he did not kill according to what is written in the book of the law of Moses that Jehovah commanded, saying, “The fathers shall not die on account of children, and children shall not die because of fathers, but each will die for his own sin.”

7. He killed ten thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt, and he seized Selah in battle, and called its name Joktheel until this day.

¶8. Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash ben-Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us look at each other.”

9. But Jehoash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Israel, saying, “The thistle that is in Lebanon sent to the cedar that is in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son for a wife.’ But a beast of the field that was in Lebanon passed over, and it trampled down the thistle.

10. You have certainly struck Edom, and your heart lifts you up to boast. So, stay in your house. For why should stir up trouble, and you fall, you and Judah with you?”

11. But Amaziah would not listen. And Jehoash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked at each other at Beth-Shemesh which belongs to Judah.

12. And Judah was struck down before Israel, and they fled, each man to his tent.

13. And Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah ben-Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, king of Judah at Beth-Shemesh. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and he broke down the walls of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, four hundred cubits.

14. 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 children as hostages, and returned to Samaria.

15. And the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and that he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

16. And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and he was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel, and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead.

¶17. And Amaziah ben-Joash king of Judah lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash ben-Jehoahaz king of Israel.

18. And the rest of the acts of Jehoash, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

19. And they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem. So, he fled to Lachish, but they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there.

20. And they carried him on horses, and they buried him in Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.

21. And all the people of Judah took Azariah who was sixteen years old, and made him king in his father Amaziah’s stead.

22. He built Elath and restored it to Judah, after the king slept with his fathers.

¶23.In the fifteenth year of Amaziah ben-Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam ben-Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria for forty-one years.

24. And he did what was evil in the sight of Jehovah. He did not turn from all the sins of Jeroboam ben-Nebat who made Israel to sin.

25. He restored the territory of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the Sea of the Plain, according to the word of Jehovah the God of Israel, which He spoke by the hand of his servant Jonah ben-Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-Hepher.

26. For Jehovah saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter, and no one restrained, and no one was left, and there was no helper for Israel.

27. And Jehovah would not speak to blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam ben-Joash.

28. And the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might with which he warred, and that 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?

29. And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, with the kings of Israel, and Zechariah his son reigned in his stead.

2Kings 15

Back to Top

¶1. In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah ben-Amaziah, king of Judah, began to reign,

2. He was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem.

3. And he did what was right in the sight of Jehovah according to all that Amaziah his father had done.

4. Only, he did not remove the high places. The people still sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places.

5. And Jehovah struck the king, and he became leprous until the day of his death. So he dwelt in a separated house. And Jotham, the king’s son, was over the house, judging the people of the land.

6. 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.

7. And 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.

¶8. In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah ben-Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria for six months.

9. And he did what was evil in the sight of Jehovah, just as his fathers had done. He did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam ben-Nebat who made Israel to sin.

10. And Shallum ben-Jabesh conspired against him, and he struck him in front of the people and killed him and reigned in his stead.

11. And the rest of the acts of Zechariah, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

12. This was the word of the Lord which he spoke to Jehu, saying, “Sons of your fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.” And so it was.

¶13. Shallum ben-Jabesh began to reign in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned one month in Samaria.

14. Then Menachem ben-Gadi went up from Tirzah and came to Samaria, and he struck down Shallum ben-Jabesh in Samaria and killed him. And he reigned in his stead.

15. And the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy that he made, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

16. And Menachem struck Tiphsah, and all who were in it, and its territory, from Tirzah because it did not open to him. So, he struck it, and he ripped open all its pregnant women.

¶17. In the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah began Menachem ben-Gadi to reign over Israel in Samaria for ten years.

18. And he did what was evil in the sight of Jehovah; he did not turn from the sin of Jeroboam ben-Nebat who made Israel to sin, all his days.

19. Pul king of Assyria came against the land, and Menachem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver so that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.

20. And Menachem exacted the silver from Israel, from all the mighty men of valor, to give to the king of Assyria, fifty shekels of silver from each man. And the king of Assyria returned and did not stay in the land.

21. And the rest of the acts of Menachem, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

22. And Menachem slept with his fathers, and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead.

¶23. In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, began Pekahiah ben-Menachem to reign over Israel in Samaria for two years.

24. And he did what was evil in the sight of Jehovah; he did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam ben-Nebat who made Israel to sin.

25. But Pekah ben-Remaliah, one of his captains, conspired against him with Argob, and Arieh, and fifty men of the sons of Gilead with him, and he struck him in Samaria, in the citadel of the king’s house. And he killed him and reigned in his stead.

26. And the rest of the acts Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

¶27. In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah began Pekah ben-Remaliah to reign over Israel in Samaria for twenty years.

28. And he did what was evil in the sight of Jehovah; he did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam ben-Nebat who made Israel to sin.

29. In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, and he took Ijon, and Abel-Beth-Maachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and he took them captive to Assyria.

30. Then Hoshea ben-Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah ben-Remaliah, and he struck him and killed him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham ben-Uzziah.

31. And the rest of the acts Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

¶32. In the second year of Pekah ben-Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham ben-Uzziah king of Judah began to reign.

33. He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.

34. And he did what was right in the sight of Jehovah. According to all that Uzziah his father had done, he did.

35. Nevertheless he did not remove the high places. The people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of the Lord.

36. And the rest of the acts of Jotham that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

37. In those days, the Lord began to send against Judah Rezin king of Syria, and Pekah ben-Remaliah.

38. And Jotham slept with his fathers, and he was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father. And Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.

2Kings 16

Back to Top

¶1. In that year, the seventeenth year of Pekah ben-Remaliah, Ahaz ben-Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign.

2. Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God, like David his father.

3. Instead, he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and even caused his children to pass through the fire, according to the abominable practices of the nations whom Jehovah dispossessed before the children of Israel.

4. And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places and on the hills, and beneath every green tree.

5. Then Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah ben-Remaliah, king of Israel, came up to Jerusalem for battle, and they besieged Ahaz, but they were not able to overcome him.

¶6. At that time, Rezin, king of Syria, regained Elath for Syria, and he drove out the Jews from Elath. And the Syrians came to Elath and dwell there to this day.

¶7. And Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son. Come up, and deliver me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, who have risen up against me.”

8. And Ahaz took silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord and in the king’s treasure-house, and he sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria.

9. And the king of Assyria listened to him, and the king of Assyria came up to Damascus, and he took it and carried its people into captivity, and he killed Rezin.

10. When King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pilesar, king of Assyria, he saw an altar that was in Damascus. And King Ahaz sent to Uriah the priest a pattern of the altar and its design, with all the workmanship of it.

11. And Uriah the priest built the altar. In accordance with all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus, Uriah the priest made it before King Ahaz came from Damascus.

12. And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar, and the king drew near the altar and went up on it.

13. And he offered his own burnt offering and his own meal offering, and he poured out his own libation. Then the blood of the peace offerings which were his, he tossed against the altar.

14. And he removed the bronze altar that was before the Lord from in front of the temple, from between the new altar and the house of the Lord, and put it on the north side of the new altar.

15. Then King Ahaz commanded Uriah the priest, saying, “Offer upon the great altar the morning burnt offering, and the evening meal offering, and the king’s burnt offering, and his meal offering, and the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meal offering and their drink offerings. And upon it toss all the blood of burnt offering and all the blood of sacrifice. But the bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by.

16. And Uriah the priest did according to all that King Ahaz commanded.

17. And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and he removed the laver from them. And he took down the sea off the bronze oxen that were under it, and put it on a pavement of stones.

18. And the covered way for the Sabbath which they had built in the house and the king’s outer entrance, he removed from the house of the Lord because of the king of Assyria.

19. Now the rest of the deeds of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah.

20. And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David. And Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.

2Kings 17

Back to Top

¶1. In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea ben-Elah began to reign in Samaria over Israel for nine years.

2. And he did what was evil in the eyes of Jehovah, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him.

3. Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, came up against him, and Hoshea became his subject, and paid him tribute.

4. Then the king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshea, who had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and had offered no tribute to the king of Assyria as he had year by year. And the king of Assyria shut him up and imprisoned him in the prison house.

5. Then the King of Assyria went up into all the land, and he went up to Samaria and besieged it for three years.

6. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the King of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away into exile in Assyria, and he resettled them in Halah, and by Habor, a river of Gozan, and in cities of the Medes.

¶7. Now, this took place because the children of Israel sinned against Jehovah their God, who brought them up out of Egypt, from the hand of Pharaoh, King of Egypt, but they feared other gods,

8.and lived according to the statutes of the Gentiles whom Jehovah dispossessed before the children of Israel, and the statutes of the kings of Israel which they made.

9. And the children of Israel secretly did things that were not right against Jehovah their God, and they built high places for themselves in all their cities, from the watchtowers to the fortified cities.

10. And they set up for themselves pillars and sacred groves on every high hill, and beneath every green tree.

11. And there they burned incense in all the high places, like the nations which Jehovah removed before them. And they did wicked things so as to provoke the Lord to anger,

12. for they served idols, of which Jehovah had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.”

13.Yet, the Lord had testified through every prophet and every seer in Israel and in Judah, saying, “Turn from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to the whole law that I commanded your fathers and that I sent to you by the hand of my servants the prophets!”

14.But they would not listen, and they stiffened their necks like the necks of their fathers who did not trust in Jehovah their God.

15.They rejected His statutes, and His covenant that He made with their fathers, and His testimonies that He testified against them, and they went after vanity and became vain themselves, and followed after the nations that were around them, concerning whom the Lord had commanded not to do like them.

16.They forsook all the commandments of Jehovah their God, and they made for themselves two molten calves and erected an Asherah^[2] and worshipped all the host of heaven and served Baal.

17.And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire. And they practiced divination, and observed signs, and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, provoking Him to anger.

18.Therefore, Jehovah was very angry with Israel and removed them from His sight, and none were left, but the tribe of Judah only.

19. Judah also, did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the statutes that Israel had made.

20. And Jehovah rejected all the seed of Israel, and He afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of plunderers, until He cast them away from His presence.

21. For when He tore Israel from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam ben-Nebat king, then Jeroboam drove Israel from following Jehovah, and he caused them to sin a great sin.

22. And the children of Israel walked in all the sins that Jeroboam committed; they did not depart from them.

23. Until Jehovah removed Israel from His sight, just as He had said by the hand of all his servants the prophets. So, Israel was taken captive from its land to Assyria to this day.

24. And the King of Assyria brought people from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath and Sepharvaim, and he resettled them in the cities of Samaria in the place of the children of Israel, and they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities.

25. And it came to pass when they first settled there, that they did not fear Jehovah. Therefore, Jehovah sent lions among them that were killing some of them.

26. Then some spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations that you removed and resettled in the cities of Samaria do not know the way of the god of the land. So, he has sent lions among them, and behold, they are killing them because they are not observing the way of the god of the land.”

27. Then the king of Assyria gave a commandment, saying, “Take back one of the priests that you carried away from there, and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the way of the god of the land.”

28. So, one of the priests whom they had led into exile from Samaria came and lived in Bethel, and he taught them how they should fear Jehovah.

29. But every nation continued making its own gods, and they set them in the houses of the high places that the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities where they dwelled.

30. The men of Babylon made Succoth-Benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,

31.and the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelek and Anammelek, the gods of the Sepharvites,

32.they also feared Jehovah, and made for themselves from the lowest of them priests of the high places, and they ministered for them in the houses of the high places.

33. They feared Jehovah and served their own gods according to the way of the nations from which they had removed them.

34. Unto this day, they do according to the former ways. They do not fear Jehovah, and they do not do according to their statutes or according to their custom, or according to the law, or according to the commandment that Jehovah commanded the children of Jacob, whom He named Israel.

35. For Jehovah had made a covenant with them, and commanded them, saying, “You shall not fear other gods, neither shall you bow down to them, nor shall you serve them, nor shall you sacrifice to them.

36.But Jehovah who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, Him shall you fear, and to Him shall you bow down, and to Him shall you sacrifice.

37.And the statutes, and the judgments, and the law, and the commandment that He wrote for you, you shall take care to do always. You shall not fear other gods.

38.And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods.

39.But the Lord your God shall you fear. And He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”

40. Yet, they did not take heed, but they did according to their former customs.

41. So it came to pass that these nations feared the Lord and served their idols. Their children also and their children did as their fathers. They are doing so until this day.

2Kings 18

Back to Top

¶1. And it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea ben-Elah, king of Israel, that Hezekiah ben-Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign.

2. He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Abi, daughter of Zechariah.

3. And he did what was right in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that David his father had done.

4. He removed the high places, and broke the pillars to pieces, and cut down the Asherah, and he crushed to powder the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for unto those days, the children of Israel had been burning incense to it, and he called it Nehushtan.^[3]

5. He trusted in Jehovah, God of Israel, and after him, there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him,

6.for he clung to Jehovah. He did not turn aside from following Him, but kept the commandments which Jehovah commanded Moses,

7.and Jehovah was with him. Wherever he went, He made him to prosper. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him.

8. He smote the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city.

¶9. And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea ben-Elah, king of Israel, that Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, came up against Samaria and besieged it.

10. And at the end of three years, they took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea, king of Israel, Samaria was taken.

11. So, the king of Assyria carried away Israel to Assyria and brought them to Halah, and to Habor, the river of Gozan, and cities of the Medes,

12.for they did not obey the voice of Jehovah their God, but transgressed His covenant, all that Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded. They would neither listen nor do them.

¶13. And in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and seized them.

14. And Hezekiah, king of Judah, sent word to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have sinned. Withdraw from me; whatever you put upon me I will bear.” Then the king of Assyria imposed upon Hezekiah, king of Judah, three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.

15. Therefore, Hezekiah gave over all the silver found in the house of Jehovah and in the treasures of the king’s house.

16. At that time, Hezekiah cut off the doors of the temple of the Lord and the doorposts which Hezekiah, king of Judah, had overlaid, and he gave them over to the king of Assyria.

17. And the king of Assyria sent Tartan, and Rab-Saris, and Rab-Shakeh from Lachish with a massive army to king Hezekiah at Jerusalem, that they should go up and come to Jerusalem. And they went up and came, and they stood by the conduit of the upper pool which is on Washer’s Field Road.

18. And they called out to the king. And Eliakim ben-Hilkiah, who was over the house, came out to them, with Shebna the scribe, and Joah ben-Asaph, the recorder.

19. Then Rab-Shakeh said to them, “Speak to Hezekiah, if you will! Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, ‘What is this hope in which you trust?’

20.You say, ‘It is only empty speech! I have counsel and might for battle!’ On whom do you trust now, that you have rebelled against me?

21.Now behold! You rely upon the staff of this broken reed, upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to all who are trusting in him.

22.But when you say to me, ‘We trust in Jehovah our God!’ Is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah took away, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘Before this altar shall you worship in Jerusalem’?

23.So now, if you will, make a pledge with my lord, the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to put riders on them.

24. So, how can you repulse the face of one captain of the least of my lord’s servants, and put your trust in Egypt for chariotry and horsemen?

25.Have I now come up without Jehovah against this place to destroy it? Jehovah said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it!’”

26. Then Eliakim ben-Hilkiah and Shebna, and Joah said to Rab-Shakeh, “Speak to your servants, I pray, in Aramaic because we understand it, and do not speak with us in Judean within the hearing of the people that are on the wall.”

27. But Rab-Shakeh said to them, “Has my lord sent me to your lord and to you to speak these words? Is it not to the men sitting on the wall to eat their own dung and drink their own urine, with you?”

28. Then Rab-Shakeh stood, and cried out with a loud voice in Judean, and spoke and said, “Hear the word of the great king, king of Assyria!

29.Thus says the king, ‘Do not let Hezekiah you because he is not able to deliver you out of his hand.

30.And do not let Hezekiah make you trust in Jehovah, saying, “Jehovah will certainly deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.”

31.Do not give heed to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria, “Make a treaty of peace with me, and come out to me. Then every man will eat from his vine, and each from his fig tree, and each will drink water from his well

32.until I come and take you away to a land like your own land. A land of grain and new wine, a land of food and vineyards, a land of olive oil and honey, so you may live and not die.” Therefore, do not give heed to Hezekiah when he tries to persuade you, saying, “Jehovah will deliver us.”

33.Have any of the gods of the nations ever delivered their land from the hand of the king of Assyria?

34.Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?

35.Which among all the gods of the lands have delivered their land out of my hand, that Jehovah will deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’”

36. But the people kept silent and did not answer him a word because the king’s order said, “Do not answer him!”

37. Then Eliakim ben-Hilkiah, who was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah ben-Asaph the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their garments torn and reported to him the words of Rab-Shakeh.

2Kings 19

Back to Top

¶1. And it came to pass when King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his garments and covered himself with sackcloth, and he went into the house of the Lord.

2. Then he sent Eliakim, who was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, who also covered themselves with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, son of Amoz,

3.that they might say to him, “Thus says Hezekiah: This day is a day of distress, and reproof, and blasphemy; children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver.

4.Perhaps Jehovah your God will hear all the words of Rab-Shakeh, whom his lord, the king of Assyria, sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words that Jehovah your God has heard. Therefore, lift up a prayer for the remnant that is left.”

5. And so, the servants of King Hezekiah went to Isaiah.

6. Then Isaiah said to them, “Thus say to your master, thus says Jehovah: ‘Do not be afraid of the words that you heard, with which those boys from the king of Assyria blasphemed me.

7.Behold! I am sending a spirit against him, and he will hear a report and will return to his land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.’”

8. Then Rab-Shakeh returned, and he found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that he had pulled out from Lachish.

9. And when he heard a report concerning Tirhakah, king of Cush, saying, “Behold, he has come forth to do battle with you,” then he again sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,

10.“Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah, king of Judah: Do not let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you, saying, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’

11.Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands by completely destroying them; yet, you will be delivered?

12.Did the gods of the nations whom my fathers destroyed deliver them: Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar?

13.Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah?”

14. And Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the Lord. And Hezekiah spread it out before Jehovah.

15. And Hezekiah prayed before Jehovah and said, “O Lord, God of Israel, who dwells between the cherubim. You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth.

16.O Jehovah, incline your ear, and hear! O Jehovah, open your eyes, and see! Oh, hear the words of Sennacherib which he sent to defy the living God!

17.O Jehovah, the kings of Assyria have indeed made desolate the nations and their land,

18.and they have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of man’s hands, wood and stone, therefore, they could destroy them.

19.But, O Jehovah our God, deliver us now, I pray, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, O Jehovah, are God.”

20. Then Isaiah ben-Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says Jehovah, God of Israel: That which you have prayed to me against Sennacherib, king of Assyria, I have heard.

21.This is the word that Jehovah has spoken concerning him, ‘The virgin daughter of Zion despises you and mocks you. The daughter of Jerusalem wags her head at you.

22.Whom have you reproached and blasphemed? And against whom have you raised your voice? Yea, you have lifted your eyes haughtily against the Holy One of Israel!

23.By the hand of your messengers, you have reproached the Lord, and you have said, “By chariotry, my chariotry, I have ascended to the height of the mountains, the slopes of Lebanon, and its tall cedars have I cut down, its choicest cypresses. Yea, I entered into its remotest lodging place, its garden-like forest.

24.I dug wells and drank foreign waters, and I have dried up with the sole of my feet all the streams of Egypt.”

25.Did you not hear that long ago I determined it? From days of old, I planned it. Now, have I brought it to pass that you should make fortified cities desolate, heaps of ruins.

26.Moreover, their inhabitants are feeble-handed. They were dismayed and disconcerted. They were as herbage of the field and as green grass, as grass on the rooftops, and blasted grain before it matures.

27.But I know your sitting down, and your going out, and your coming in, and your rage at me.

28.Because your rage at me and your arrogance have come up into my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will turn you back by the way by which you came.’

29.And this will be the sign to you: this year, you will eat what grows of itself, and in the second year, what springs up from that, and in the third year, you will sow and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat their fruit.

30.And the remnant of the house of Judah that escape will again take root downward and produce fruit upward.

31.For out of Jerusalem will come forth a remnant, even those who have escaped from Mount Zion. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will do this.

32. Therefore, Jehovah has said thus to the king of Assyria: He will not enter into this city, nor will he shoot an arrow there, nor will he come before it with a shield, nor will he cast a mound against it.

33.He will return by the way he came, and he will not enter into this city, says the Lord!

34.For I will defend this city to save it for my sake, and for the sake of my servant David.”

¶35. And it came to pass that an angel from the Lord went out that night and struck down one hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. And they arose early in the morning, and behold, all of them were dead corpses.

36. So, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, departed, and went, and returned, and dwelt in Nineveh.

37. And it came to pass, as he was bowing down in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adramelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Ararat. Then Esar-haddon, his son, became king in his stead.

2Kings 20

Back to Top

¶1. In those days, Hezekiah became sick unto death, and Isaiah ben-Amoz the prophet came to him and said to him, “Thus says Jehovah: Put your house in order for you will die and not live.”

2. Then he turned his face to the wall and prayed to Jehovah, saying,

3. “I pray you, O Jehovah, remember, I pray you, how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and I have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4. And it came to pass that Isaiah had not gone out into the midst of the city when the word of the Lord came to him, saying,

5. “Turn back, and say to Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘Thus says Jehovah, the God of David, your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. On the third day, you will go up to the house of the Lord.

6.Moreover, I have added to your days fifteen years, and from the hand of the king of Assyria will I deliver you and this city. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of David, my servant.’”

7. Then Isaiah said, “Let them take a cake of figs.” So, they took and placed it on the boil, and he lived.

8. And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What is the sign that Jehovah will heal me and that I will go up to the house of the Lord on the third day?”

9. And Isaiah said, “This will be the sign for you from Jehovah, that Jehovah will do the thing that He has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?”

10. And Hezekiah said, “It’s an easy thing for the shadow to lengthen ten degrees, not for the shadow to go back ten degrees.”

11. Then Isaiah the prophet called to Jehovah, and He caused the shadow to go backwards ten degrees, according to the degrees which had gone down on the steps of Ahaz.

¶12. At that time, Berodach-baladan ben-Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick.

13. And Hezekiah listened to them. Then he showed them all his treasure-house, the silver and the gold, and the spices, and the fragrant oil; and the house of his weapons, and all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them.

14. Then Isaiah the prophet came to king Hezekiah and said to him, “What did these men say? And from where did they come to you?” And Hezekiah said, “They came from a distant land, from Babylon.”

15. And he said, “What have they seen in your house?” Then Hezekiah said, “They have seen everything that is in my house. There was nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them.”

16. And Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord:

17.Behold! The days are coming that everything that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up to this day will be carried away to Babylon. Nothing will remain, says Jehovah.

18.And some of your sons that have come forth from you, whom you fathered, will be taken away, and they will be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

19. Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good.” Moreover, he said, “Will there not be peace and truth in my days?”

20. Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made the pool and the water-course, and brought water into the city, are they not recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

21. And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.

2Kings 21

Back to Top

¶1. And Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hephzibah.

2. And he did what was evil in the eyes of Jehovah, after the abominations of the nations that Jehovah had dispossessed before the children of Israel.

3. And he rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had torn down, and he erected altars for the Baals, and he made an Asherah pole, as did Ahaz, King of Israel, and he worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.

4. And he built altars in the house of Jehovah, where Jehovah had said, “In Jerusalem will I put my name.”

5. And he built altars to all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of Jehovah.

6. And he sacrificed his sons in the fire,^[4] with soothsaying and divination, and he dealt often with a necromancer and one with a familiar spirit, and did what is evil in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke Him to anger.

7. And he set up the graven image of Asherah which he had made in the temple, concerning which Jehovah said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever.

8.and Israel’s foot will not again wander from the land that I gave to their fathers. If only they will be careful to do all that I have commanded them, even to all the law that Moses my servant commanded them.”

9. But they would not hear. And Manasseh caused them to err, to do more of what was evil than the nations whom Jehovah destroyed before the children of evil.

10. And Jehovah spoke by the hand of his servants the prophets, saying,

11.“Because Manasseh, king of Judah, has committed these abominations, doing more wickedly than all that the Amorites, who were before him, did, and has also caused Judah to sin with his idols:

12.Therefore, thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am bringing an evil upon Jerusalem and Judah that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle.

13.I will also stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria and the level of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem, just as one wipes a dish, wiping it, and turning it on its face.

14.And I will forsake the remnant of my inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies, and they shall be as plunder and spoil for all their enemies.

15.Because they have done evil in my sight and have been provoking me to anger since the day that their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day.

16.Yea, moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood until Jerusalem was filled with it from end to end, besides his sin by which he made Judah to sin, in doing evil in the sight of Jehovah.”

17. And the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and all that he did, and his sin that he sinned, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

18. And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the garden of his house, in the garden of Uzza, and Amon his son reigned in his stead.

¶19. Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah.

20. And he did what was evil in the eyes of Jehovah, just as Manasseh his father had done.

21. He also walked in every way that his father had walked, and served the idols which his father had served, and bowed down to them.

22. And he forsook Jehovah, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the Lord.

23. And Amon’s servants conspired against him, and they killed the king in his house.

24. Then the people of the land struck down all who had conspired against king Amon, and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.

25. And the rest of the acts of Amon that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

26. And one buried him in his tomb in the garden of Uzza, and Josiah his son reigned in his place.

2Kings 22

Back to Top

¶1. Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath.

2. And he did what was right in the eyes of Jehovah, and he walked in all the way of David his father, and did not turn to the right or the left.

¶3. And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah that the king sent Shaphan ben-Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the Lord, saying,

4.“Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of the Lord, which the keepers of the threshold have gathered from the people.

5.And have them deliver it into the hand of those who do the work, who have oversight in the house of the Lord. And let them deliver it to those who do work in the house of the Lord, to repair the breach in the house,

6.to carpenters, and builders, and masons, and to buy timber, and hewn stones, to repair the house.

7.But no reckoning shall be made with them for the silver which was delivered into their hand, for they deal faithfully.”

8. And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

9. Then Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and he brought back word to the king, and said, “Your servants emptied out the silver that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hand of those doing the work, who have oversight of the house of the Lord.”

10. Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest gave me a book.” And Shaphan read in it before the king.

11. And it came to pass when the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes.

12. And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam ben-Shaphan, and Achbor ben-Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Isaiah the king’s servant, saying,

13.“Go! Inquire of Jehovah for me, and for the people in Jerusalem, and for all Judah concerning the words of this book that was found! For great is the wrath of Jehovah that is kindled against us because our fathers did not take heed of the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us!”

14. Then Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum ben-Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe, for she lived in Jerusalem, in the Second Quarter. And they spoke to her.

15. And she said to them, “Thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel: Tell the man who sent you to me,

16.Thus says Jehovah: Behold, I am bringing evil against this place and upon its inhabitants, all the words of the book which the king of Judah read.

17.because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands. Therefore, my wrath is kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched!

18.But concerning the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of Jehovah, thus shall you say to him: Thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel regarding the words that you heard:

19.Inasmuch as your heart was tender and you have humbled yourself before Jehovah when you heard what I spoke concerning this place and its inhabitants, that they should become a horror and a curse, and you tore your garments and wept before me, I have also heard you, says the Lord.

20.Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes will not see all the evil that I will bring upon this place and its inhabitants.” And they brought back word to the king.

2Kings 23

Back to Top

¶1. Then the king sent out, and they gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

2. And the king went up to the house of Jehovah, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests and the prophets – and all the people from the small to the great – and he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of Jehovah.

3. And the king stood at the pillar, and he made a covenant before Jehovah, to walk after Jehovah and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his soul to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant.

4. Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the doorkeepers to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels that had been made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all host of heaven. And he burned them outside of Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and took their ashes to Bethel.

5. And he removed the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had appointed to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah and in the places round about Jerusalem, as well as those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the constellations, and to all the host of the heavens.

6. And he brought out the grove from the house of the Lord, outside of Jerusalem, to the Kidron brook, and he burned it up at the Kidron brook, and he ground it to dust, and threw the dust on the graves of the children of the people.

7. And he pulled down the houses of the temple prostitutes that were by the house of the Lord where the women wove hangings for the grove.

8. And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and he defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba, and he pulled down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua, the governor of the city, which were at one’s left at the city gate.

9. However, the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of Jehovah in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brothers.

10. And he defiled Tophet, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, so that no man could make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to Molech.

11. And he removed the horses which kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun at the entrance of the house of the Lord, at the chamber of Nathan-melech the eunuch that was in the courts, and he burned up the chariots of the sun with fire.

12. And the altars that were on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which kings of Judah had made, and the altars that Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the Lord the king pulled down and removed from there, and he cast their dust into the Kidron brook.

13. And the high places which were before Jerusalem that were at the right of the mount of destruction, which Solomon, king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, the king defiled.

14. And he smashed the pillars, and he cut down the groves, and he filled their places with the bones of men.

15. And also the altar which was at Bethel, the high place which Jeroboam ben-Nabat who caused Israel to sin had made, both the altar and the high place, he pulled down, and he burned the high place and ground it to dust, and burned the grove.

16. Then Josiah turned, and he saw the tombs that were there on the mount, and he sent and took the bones from the tombs, and he burned them on the altar and defiled it, according to the word of the Lord which the man of God proclaimed, when he proclaimed these things.

17. And he said, “What is this monument that I see?” And the men of the city said to him, “It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which you have done against the altar of Bethel.”

18. And he said, “Let him rest; let no man disturb his bones.” So, they left his bones, with the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria.

19. And Josiah also took away all the churches of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the Lord, and he did to them according to all the things that he had done in Bethel.

20. And he slaughtered all the priests of the high places who were there on the altars and burned men’s bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

¶21. And the king commanded all the people, saying, “Keep the Passover of the Lord your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.”

22. Indeed, no such Passover as this one had been kept from the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah,

23.but in the eighteenth year of king Josiah this Passover to the Lord was kept in Jerusalem.

¶24. Also, the mediums, and the soothsayers, and the teraphim, and the idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, Josiah removed that he might enforce the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of Jehovah.

25. And there was no king like him before him who turned to Jehovah with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might according to all the law of Moses; neither after him did any arise like him.

26. Nevertheless, Jehovah did not turn from His great burning anger with which His anger had been kindled against Judah because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him.

27. And the Lord said, “I will also remove Judah from my sight just as I removed Israel, and I will reject this city which I chose, Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, “My name will be there.”

28. And the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

29. In his days, Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt, went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates, and king Josiah went to confront him, and he killed him at Megiddo when he saw him.

30. And his servants carried him dead in a chariot from Megiddo and brought him to Jerusalem. And they buried him in his tomb. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz ben-Josiah, and they anointed him, and made him king in his father’s stead.

¶31. Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

32. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord according to all that his fathers had done.

33. And Pharaoh Necho imprisoned him at Riblah in the land of Hamath, so that he could not reign in Jerusalem. And he put a tribute on the land of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

34. And Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim ben-Josiah king in his father’s stead, and he changed his name to Jehoiakim. Then he took Jehoahaz and brought him to Egypt, and he died there.

35. And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money according to Pharaoh’s command. He exacted the silver and the gold from the people of the land, each man according to his assessment, to give it to Pahraoh Necho.

36. Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Zebidah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.

37. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord according to all that his fathers had done.

2Kings 24

Back to Top

¶1. In his days, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him.

2. And Jehovah sent against him bands of Chaldeans, and bands of Syrians, and bands from Moab, and bands of the children of Ammon. And He sent them into Judah to destroy it according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken by the hand of His servants the prophets.

3. Surely this come upon Judah because of the word of the Lord, to remove them from His presence for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did.

4. And also for the blood of the innocent which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with the blood of the innocent, and Jehovah would not forgive it.

5. And the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

6. And Jehoiakim slept with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.

7. And the king of Egypt came no more out of his land, for the king of Babylon had taken everything from the brook of Egypt to the river Euphrates that belonged to the king of Egypt.

¶8. Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.

9. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord according to all that his father had done.

10. At that time, the servants of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came up against Jerusalem, and the city entered a siege.

11. Even Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, with his servants, came to the city, and his servants besieged it.

12. And Jehoiachin, king of Judah, went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officials. And the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.

13. And he brought out from there all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king’s house, and he cut into pieces all the gold vessels which Solomon, king of Israel, had made for the temple of the Lord, just as the Lord had said.

14. And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valor, ten thousand captive, and all the craftsmen and smiths. No one remained except the poorest of the people of the land.

15. And he carried Jehoiachin away to Babylon, with the king’s mother, and the king’s wives, and his officials, and the people of the land, leading them from Jerusalem into captivity in Babylon,

16.and all the men of valor, seven thousand, and the craftsmen and smiths, one thousand, all who were strong for battle. And the king of Babylon brought them captive to Babylon.

17. And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, his uncle, king in his stead, and he changed his name to Zedekiah.

¶18. Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

19. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord according to all that Jekoiakim had done,

20.for on account of the anger of the Lord was it so in Jerusalem and in Judah until He cast them out from His presence. So, Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.^[5]

2Kings 25

Back to Top

¶1. And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem and encamped against it. Then they built a siege wall against it all around,

2.and the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

3. On the ninth day of the fourth month, when the famine had become so severe in the city that the people of the land had no food,

4.then the city was breached, and all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls that are by the king’s garden. But the Chaldeans were against the city round about, and so, the king took the road toward the Arabah.

5. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him.

6. And they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and they pronounced sentence on him.

7. And they slaughtered Zedekiah’s children before his eyes, and then they put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon.

8. And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month (that year was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon), Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem.

9. And he burned down the house of the Lord. He also burned up with fire the house of the king, and all the houses of Jerusalem, including every great house.

10. And all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down the walls of Jerusalem all around.

11. Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took into exile the remnant of the people who were left in the city, and those who had fallen away, who had gone over to the king of Babylon, and the remaining master-workman.

12. But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and farmers.

13. And the Chaldeans broke into pieces the bronze pillars of the house of the Lord, and the bases, and the bronze sea which were at the house of the Lord, and they carried away their bronze to Babylon.

14. And they took pans, and shovels, and snuffers, and spoons, yea, all the bronze accoutrements with which they ministered.

15. And the captain of the guard took the snuffdishes and the basins that were pure gold and fine silver,

16.the two pillars, the one sea, and the bases which Solomon made for the house of the Lord. There was no weighing of the bronze of all these things.

17. The height of each pillar was eighteen cubits, with a bronze chapiter on top of it, and the height of the chapiter was three cubits, with a network and pomegranates on the chapiter all around, all of bronze. The second pillar was like this, with the network.

18. And the captain of the guard took away Seraiah the head priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and three keepers of the threshold.

19. And from the city, he took away one eunuch who was an overseer of men of war, and five men of those who had beheld the king’s face, who were found in the city, and the scribe of the captain of the army, who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the city.

20. And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to Riblah, to the king of Babylon.

21. And the king of Babylon struck them down, and he put them to death at Riblah in the territory of Hamath. And so, Judah went into exile from his own land.

22. And for the people who were left in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon allowed to remain, he appointed over them Gedaliah ben-Ahikam, the son of Shaphan.

¶23. Now, when all the leaders of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedeliah, they came to Gedeliah at Mizpeh, even Ishmael ben-Nethaniah, Johanan ben-Kareah, Seraiah ben-Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah a son of the Maacathite, they and their men.

24. And Gedaliah took an oath before them and their men, and he said to them, “Do not be afraid because of the servants of the Chaldeans. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well for you.”

¶25. But it came to pass in the seventh month that Ishmael ben-Nethaniah the son of Elishamah, of the royal family, came, and ten men with him, and they struck Gedaliah and killed him and the Jews and Chaldreans there with him at Mizpah.

26. Then all the people rose up, from the small to the great, and the leaders of the armies, and they went to Egypt because they feared the Chaldeans.

¶27. And it came to pass in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin the king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, that Evil-merodach the king of Babylon, the year he began to reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin the king of Judah from the prison house.

28. And he spoke kindly to him, and put his throne above the throne of kings who were with him in Babylon,

29.and changed his prison garments. And so, he continually ate bread in his presence all the days of his life.

30. And a daily allowance of food was given to him from the king all the days of his life.

---

Footnotes

^[1] Hebrew uncertain.

^[2] A sacred tree or pole in honor of Asherah, a Canaanite goddess.

^[3] Hebrew, “Bronze (-god)”.

^[4] LIt., “devoted his sons in the fire”,

^[5] Vv. 24:18–25:21, see also Jeremiah 52:1–27.