1 In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign.
2 Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem.
3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done;
4 Save that the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places.
5 And the LORD smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several 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 So Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.
8 In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months.
9 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
10 And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.
11 And the rest of the acts of Zachariah, 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 spake unto Jehu, saying, Thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth generation. And so it came to pass.
13 Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned a full month in Samaria.
14 For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria, and smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.
15 And the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy which he made, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
16 Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah: because they opened not to him, therefore he smote it; and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up.
17 In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria.
18 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
19 And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.
20 And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and stayed not there in the land.
21 And the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
22 And Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead.
23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years.
24 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
25 But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king's house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his room.
26 And the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
27 In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years.
28 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abelbethmaachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria.
30 And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.
31 And the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
32 In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign.
33 Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.
34 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.
35 Howbeit the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burned incense still in the high places. He built the higher gate of the house of the LORD.
36 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
37 In those days the LORD began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah.
38 And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.
The Book of 2 Kings is the eleventh book of the Old Testament in the KJV Holy Bible. It is a continuation of the events recorded in the Book of 1 Kings, detailing the reigns of the kings of Israel and Judah. Chapter 15 of 2 Kings continues to chronicle the events of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah, focusing on the reigns of Azariah (also known as Uzziah) and Jotham in Judah, and Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, and Pekah in Israel. This chapter also introduces the Assyrian king, Tiglath-Pileser, and his role in the downfall of the northern kingdom of Israel. The main themes of this chapter include the consequences of disobedience, the faithfulness of God, and the fulfillment of prophecy.
The chapter begins with the reign of Azariah in Judah, who became king at the age of sixteen and reigned for fifty-two years. Azariah was a righteous king who followed in the ways of his father, Amaziah, and did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. As a result, the Lord blessed him with prosperity and success in all his endeavors. However, Azariah's reign was not without its challenges. He was struck with leprosy for disobeying God's command and attempting to burn incense in the temple, a duty reserved only for the priests. He was then forced to live in isolation until his death, and his son Jotham became co-regent in his place.
Jotham, like his father, also did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He continued to follow the ways of the Lord, but the people of Judah still did not turn away from their idolatrous practices. Despite this, the Lord protected Jotham and blessed him with success in his reign.
In Israel, the throne changed hands several times during this period. Zechariah became king after his father, Jeroboam II, but his reign only lasted six months before he was assassinated by Shallum. Shallum then became king, but he was quickly overthrown by Menahem, who killed him and took the throne for himself. Menahem was a brutal and oppressive ruler, and his reign was marked by violence and bloodshed.
After Menahem's death, his son Pekahiah became king, but he was also assassinated after only two years by Pekah, one of his own military commanders. Pekah became king and reigned for twenty years, but he too was a wicked ruler who led Israel further away from God. During his reign, the Assyrian king, Tiglath-Pileser, invaded Israel and took many of its inhabitants captive.
The Assyrian invasion of Israel was a fulfillment of the prophecy given to Amos, a prophet during the reign of Jeroboam II. The Lord had warned Israel that their disobedience and idolatry would lead to their downfall, and now it was coming to pass. Tiglath-Pileser took many of the Israelites as captives and placed them in Assyria, replacing them with people from other nations. This event marked the beginning of the end for the northern kingdom of Israel.
During this time, Hoshea became king of Israel, but he was a puppet ruler under the Assyrians. He conspired against Tiglath-Pileser and formed an alliance with the king of Egypt, hoping to gain independence for Israel. However, his plans were foiled, and Tiglath-Pileser captured Hoshea and laid siege to Samaria, the capital of Israel, for three years. Eventually, Samaria fell, and the kingdom of Israel was no more.
Throughout this chapter, we see the consequences of disobedience to God's commands. The kings of Israel and Judah continually turned away from the Lord and followed after other gods, leading their people astray. As a result, they faced various challenges and ultimately the downfall of their kingdoms. The Lord had warned them through his prophets, but they refused to listen and suffered the consequences of their actions.
Even the righteous kings of Judah, Azariah and Jotham, were not exempt from the consequences of disobedience. Azariah's attempt to take on the role of a priest resulted in leprosy, and Jotham had to deal with the continued idolatry of his people. This serves as a reminder that even those who are faithful to God can still face challenges and consequences when they disobey his commands.
Despite the disobedience of the kings and the people of Israel and Judah, God remained faithful to his promises. He protected and blessed those who followed him, such as Azariah and Jotham, and he fulfilled the prophecies given to his prophets. He also showed mercy to the people of Judah, even though they were not fully faithful to him. He allowed them to continue as a kingdom for the sake of his promise to King David, but eventually, their disobedience caught up with them, and they too faced destruction.
The events in this chapter also demonstrate the fulfillment of prophecy given by the prophets of God. The downfall of Israel was prophesied by Amos, and the events leading up to it, such as the invasion of Tiglath-Pileser, were also foretold. This serves as a reminder that God's word is true, and his prophecies will come to pass, regardless of whether we choose to believe them or not.
This chapter serves as a reminder of the consequences of disobedience and the faithfulness of God. It shows the downfall of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah due to their disobedience and idolatry, but it also highlights the mercy and protection of God towards those who followed him. It also demonstrates the fulfillment of prophecy and the reliability of God's word. As we reflect on the events recorded in this chapter, we are reminded of the importance of obedience to God and the consequences of turning away from his commands. We are also encouraged to trust in God's faithfulness and the fulfillment of his promises, even in the midst of challenging circumstances.
In conclusion, chapter 15 of 2 Kings is a significant part of the historical account of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah. It continues to show the consequences of disobedience and the fulfillment of prophecy, while also highlighting the faithfulness of God towards his people. It serves as a reminder for us to remain obedient to God's commands and to trust in his faithfulness, even in the face of challenges and difficulties.
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