2 Kings 15:19-38

19King Pul of Assyria came to ⌞attack⌟ the country. So Menahem gave Pul 75,000 pounds of silver to gain his support and help strengthen his hold on the kingdom.

20Menahem raised the money from all the wealthy men in Israel. Each gave 20 ounces of silver for the king of Assyria. Then the king of Assyria left the country.

21Isn’t everything else about Menahem—everything he did—written in the official records of the kings of Israel?

22Menahem lay down in death with his ancestors, and his son Pekahiah succeeded him as king.

23In Azariah’s fiftieth year as king of Judah, Menahem’s son Pekahiah began to rule. Pekahiah was king of Israel in Samaria for two years.

24He did what the Lord considered evil. He didn’t turn away from the sins that Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) led Israel to commit.

25His officer Pekah, son of Remaliah, plotted against him. With 50 men from Gilead, Pekah attacked Pekahiah, Argob, and Arieh in the fortress of the royal palace in Samaria. Pekah killed him and succeeded him as king.

26Everything else about Pekahiah—everything he did—is written in the official records of the kings of Israel.

27In Azariah’s fifty-second year as king of Judah, Pekah, son of Remaliah, began to rule Israel in Samaria. He ruled for 20 years.

28He did what the Lord considered evil. He did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) led Israel to commit.

29In the days of King Pekah of Israel, King Tiglath Pileser of Assyria took Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, Galilee, and the entire territory of Naphtali. He also took the people away to Assyria as captives.

30Hoshea, son of Elah, plotted against Pekah, son of Remaliah. Hoshea attacked him and killed him. Hoshea began to rule as king in his place in the twentieth year that Azariah, son of Jotham, was king of Judah.

31Everything else about Pekah—everything he did—is written in the official records of the kings of Israel.

32In the second year that King Pekah, son of Remaliah, ruled Israel, Jotham, son of Azariah, began to rule as king of Judah.

33He was 25 years old when he began to rule. He ruled for 16 years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jerusha, daughter of Zadok.

34He did what the Lord considered right, as his father Azariah had done.

35But the illegal places of worship were not torn down. The people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense at these worship sites. Jotham built the Upper Gate of the Lord’s temple.

36Isn’t everything else about Jotham—everything he did—written in the official records of the kings of Judah?

37In those days the Lord began to use King Rezin of Aram and Pekah, son of Remaliah, to attack Judah.

38Jotham lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of his ancestor David. His son Ahaz succeeded him as king.