15:1 In the twenty-seventh year of King Jeroboam’s reign over Israel, Amaziah’s son Azariah became king over Judah. 15:2 He was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for 52 years in Jerusalem. His mother name was Jecholiah, who was from Jerusalem. 15:3 He did what the LORD approved, just as his father Amaziah had done.¹ 15:4 But the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places. 15:5 The LORD afflicted the king with an illness; he suffered from a skin disease² until the day he died. He lived in separate quarters,³ while his son Jotham was in charge of the palace and ruled over the people of the land.

15:6 The rest of the events of Azariah’s reign, including all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah.⁴ 15:7 Azariah passed away⁵ and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David. His son Jotham replaced him as king.

15:8 In the thirty-eighth year of King Azariah’s reign over Judah, Jeroboam’s son Zechariah became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria for six months. 15:9 He did evil before⁶ the LORD, as his ancestors had done. He did not repudiate⁷ the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin. 15:10 Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against him; he assassinated him in Ibleam⁸ and took his place as king. 15:11 The rest of the events of Zechariah’s reign are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.⁹ 15:12 His assassination brought to fulfillment the LORD’s word to Jehu,¹⁰ “Four generations of your descendents will rule over Israel.”¹¹ That’s exactly what happened.¹²

15:13 Shallum son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of King Uzziah’s¹³ reign over Judah. He reigned for one month in Samaria. 15:14 Menahem son of Gadi went up from Tirzah to Samaria and attacked Shallum son of Jabesh.¹⁴ He killed him and took his place as king. 15:15 The rest of the events of Shallum’s reign, including the conspiracy he organized, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.¹⁵ 15:16 At that time Menahem came from Tirzah and attacked Tiphsah. He struck down all who lived in the city and the surrounding territory, because they would not surrender.¹⁶ He even ripped open the pregnant women.

15:17 In the thirty-ninth year of King Azariah’s reign over Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king over Israel. He reigned for twelve years in Samaria. 15:18 He did evil before¹⁷ the LORD; he did not repudiate¹⁸ the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin.¹⁹

During his reign, 15:19 Pul²⁰ the king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem paid him 1000 units²¹ of silver to gain his support²² and to solidify his control of the kingdom.²³ 15:20 Menahem got this silver by taxing all the wealthy men in Israel; he took 50 shekels of silver from each one of them and paid it to the king of Assyria.²⁴ Then the king of Assyria left; he did not stay there in the land.

15:21 The rest of the events of Menahem’s reign, including all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.²⁵ 15:22 Menahem passed away²⁶ and his son Pekahiah replaced him as king.

15:23 In the fiftieth year of King Azariah’s reign over Judah, Menahem’s son Pekahiah became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria for two years. 15:24 He did evil before²⁷ the LORD; he did not repudiate²⁸ the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin. 15:25 His officer Pekah son of Remaliah conspired against him. He and 50 Gileadites assassinated Pekahiah, as well as Argob and Arieh, in Samaria in the fortress of the royal palace.²⁹ Pekah then took his place as king.

15:26 The rest of the events of Pekahiah’s reign, including all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.³⁰

15:27 In the fifty-second year of King Azariah’s reign over Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria for 20 years. 15:28 He did evil before³¹ the LORD; he did repudiate³² the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin. 15:29 During Pekah’s reign over Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, including all the territory of Naphtali. He deported the people³³ to Assyria. 15:30 Hoshea son of Elah conspired against Pekah son of Remaliah. He assassinated him³⁴ and took his place as king, in the twentieth year of the reign of Jotham son of Uzziah.

15:31 The rest of the events of Pekah’s reign, including all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.³⁵

15:32 In the second year of the reign of Israel’s King Pekah son of Remaliah, Uzziah’s son Jotham became king over Judah. 15:33 He was 25 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for 16 years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. 15:34 He did what the LORD approved, just as his father Uzziah had done.³⁶ 15:35 But the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places. He built the Upper Gate to the LORD’s temple.

15:36 The rest of the events of Jotham’s reign, including his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah.³⁷ 15:37 In those days the LORD prompted Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah to attack Judah.³⁸ 15:38 Jotham passed away³⁹ and was buried with his ancestors in the city of his ancestor David. His son Ahaz replaced him as king.