
{1}1{/}

{I}1_{/}After the death 
of Ahab, Moab rebelled 
against Israel. 
{I}2_{/}In Samaria, King 
Ahaziah fell through the 
window from the second 
floor of his house and 
was badly injured. So he 
sent messengers to 
consult Baal-zebub, the 
god of Ekron, "Ask him 
whether I shall survive 
this accident." 
{I}3_{/}Then an angel of 
Yahweh said to Elijah of 
the town of Tishbe, 
"Arise, and go up to meet 
the messengers of the 
king of Samaria. You will 
say to them: Why have you 
come to consult Baal-
zebub, the god of Ekron? 
Is it because there is no 
God in Israel? 
{I}4_{/}Now Yahweh 
himself gives you this 
answer: You shall not 
rise again from the bed 
where you lay down, but 
shall die there." So 
Elijah went.
{I}5_{/}Then the 
messengers returned to 
Ahaziah who asked, "How 
is it that you have 
returned?" {I}6_{/}They 
answered, "A man met us 
on the way, and he said 
to us: 'Return to the 
king who sent you and say 
to him in the name of 
Yahweh: Why do you send 
men to consult Baal-
zebub, the god of Ekron? 
Is there no God in 
Israel? Because of this, 
you shall not rise again 
from the bed where you 
lay down, but shall die 
there."
{I}7_{/}The king asked 
them, "What was the 
appearance of the man who 
met you on the way and 
told you this?" 
{I}8_{/}They answered 
him, "The man wore a 
mantle of fur with a 
leather belt around his 
waist." The king then 
said, "He is Elijah from 
the town of Tishbe."
{I}9_{/}Ahaziah sent a 
captain of fifty men who 
went up with his fifty 
men to get him. Elijah 
was seated at the top of 
the mountain. The captain 
said to him, "Man of God, 
the king commands you to 
come down." 
{I}10_{/}Elijah answered 
the captain, "If I am a 
man of God, then may fire 
come down from heaven and 
devour you and your men." 
Fire came down from 
heaven and devoured him 
with his fifty men. 
{I}11_{/}The king again 
sent to him another 
captain of fifty who went 
up and said to him, "Man 
of God, the king says 
that you are to come down 
at once." {I}12_{/}Elijah 
answered, "If I am a man 
of God, then may fire 
come down from heaven and 
devour you and your men." 
Fire came down from 
heaven and devoured them 
all.
{I}13_{/}The king sent a 
third captain with his 
fifty men. This third one 
went up and as he came, 
he fell on his knees 
before Elijah and said to 
him, "Man of God, I beg 
you to pardon me as well 
as my fifty men; we are 
all your servants. 
{I}14_{/}I have heard 
that fire came down from 
heaven twice and devoured 
the two captains with 
their fifty men. So now, 
do spare my life."
{I}15_{/}Then the angel 
of Yahweh said to Elijah, 
"Go down with him and do 
not be afraid." 
{I}16_{/}So he stood up 
and went down with them 
to the king. And Elijah 
said to the king, "Listen 
to this word of Yahweh: 
Because you sent your 
messengers to consult 
Baal-zebub, the god of 
Ekron, you shall not rise 
again from the bed on 
which you lie but shall 
die there."
{I}17_{/}Ahaziah died 
according to what Yahweh 
had said through the 
mouth of Elijah, and 
since he had no sons, his 
brother Jehoram reigned 
in his place in the 
second year of Jehoram, 
son of Jehoshaphat, king 
of Judah. 
{I}18_{/}Everything 
referring to Ahaziah and 
his deeds is written in 
the Book of the 
Chronicles of the Kings 
of Israel.
ELIJAH IS TAKEN UP TO 
HEAVEN{/}

{1}2{/}

{I}1_{/}Yahweh took 
Elijah up to heaven in a 
whirlwind. It happened 
this way: Elijah and 
Elisha had left Gilgal, 
and Elijah said to 
Elisha, {I}2_{/}"I beg 
you to stay here, for 
Yahweh is sending me to 
Bethel." Elisha said, "I 
swear by Yahweh and by 
your life that I will 
never leave you." So they 
went down to Bethel 
together. {I}3_{/}The 
fellow prophets in Bethel 
went out to welcome 
Elisha and said to him, 
"Don't you know that 
today Yahweh will take 
your master away from 
you?" He answered them, 
"Yes, I also know it. So, 
be quiet."
{I}4_{/}Elijah said to 
Elisha, "Please stay 
here, for Yahweh is only 
sending me to Jericho." 
Elisha answered, "I swear 
by Yahweh and by your 
life that I will never 
leave you." {I}5_{/}So 
they went on to Jericho.
The fellow prophets in 
Jericho approached Elisha 
and said to him, "Do you 
not know that Yahweh is 
to take your master away 
today?" Elisha answered, 
"Yes, I know it. Be 
quiet."
{I}6_{/}Elijah said once 
more to Elisha, "Stay 
here, I beg you, for 
Yahweh is only sending me 
to the Jordan." But 
Elisha answered, "I swear 
by Yahweh and by your 
life that I will never 
leave you." And as they 
went on their way, 
{I}7_{/}fifty fellow 
prophets of Jericho 
followed them at a 
certain distance.
When Elijah and Elisha 
stood by the Jordan 
{I}8_{/}Elijah took his 
mantle, rolled it, and 
struck the water with it. 
The water parted to both 
sides and they crossed 
over on dry ground.
{I}9_{/}After they had 
crossed, Elijah said to 
Elisha, "What shall I do 
for you before I am taken 
away from you? Ask me." 
Elisha said, "Grant that 
I may have the best of 
your spirit." 
{I}10_{/}Elijah answered, 
"Your request is most 
difficult. Yet if you see 
me while I am being taken 
from you, then you shall 
have it. But if not, you 
shall not have it."
{I}11_{/}As they were 
talking on the way, a 
chariot of fire with 
horses of fire stood 
between them, and Elijah 
was taken up to heaven in 
a whirlwind. 
{I}12_{/}Elisha saw him 
and cried out, "Father, 
my father, chariots of 
Israel and its horsemen!"
When Elisha lost sight of 
him, he took hold of his 
own clothes and tore 
them. {I}13_{/}He then 
picked up the mantle 
which had fallen from 
Elijah and returned to 
the banks of the Jordan. 
{I}14_{/}There he struck 
the water with the 
mantle, but it did not 
part. So he asked, "Where 
is Yahweh, the God of 
Elijah?" And as he struck 
the water again it 
parted. Elisha crossed 
over.
{I}15_{/}The fellow 
prophets of Jericho saw 
him from the other side, 
and said, "The spirit of 
Elijah rests upon 
Elisha." And as they came 
to him, they bowed to the 
ground before him saying, 
{I}16_{/}"There are fifty 
valiant men here with us. 
Let them go in search of 
Elijah, for it may be 
that the spirit of Yahweh 
has left him in some 
mountain or valley." 
Elisha replied, "Do not 
send anyone." 
{I}17_{/}But they 
insisted so much that 
Elisha let them go, and 
they sent fifty men to 
search for Elijah. 
{I}18_{/}After three days 
they had not found him 
and they returned to 
Elisha, who had stayed in 
Jericho. He commented, 
"Did I not tell you not 
to go?"
{I}19_{/}The men of the 
city said to Elisha, "The 
location of this city is 
good, as my lord can see, 
but the water is bad, and 
so the land is 
unproductive." 
{I}20_{/}He said to them, 
"Bring me a new pot with 
salt in it." When they 
brought it to him, 
{I}21_{/}Elisha went to 
the fountain and threw 
salt in it saying, "This 
is what Yahweh says: I 
have healed this water, 
never more will it cause 
death or sickness." 
{I}22_{/}And the water 
has remained wholesome to 
this day, just as Elisha 
said.
{I}23_{/}From there, he 
went up to Bethel. He was 
on his way when some 
youths came out from the 
city and made fun of him 
saying, "Go up, baldhead! 
Go up, baldhead!" 
{I}24_{/}Elisha turned 
around, looked at them 
and cursed them in the 
name of Yahweh. At once, 
two she-bears came out of 
the forest and killed 
forty-two of them. 
{I}25_{/}From there 
Elisha set out for Mount 
Carmel, and from there he 
returned to Samaria.

{1}3{/}

{I}1_{/}Jehoram, son of 
Ahab, began to reign over 
Israel in Samaria in the 
eighteenth year of 
Jehoshaphat, king of 
Judah, and he reigned for 
twelve years. {I}2_{/}He 
did what was displeasing 
to Yahweh, but not as his 
father or mother had 
done, for he removed the 
statue of Baal which his 
father had made. 
{I}3_{/}Nonetheless he 
clung to the sin of 
Jeroboam, the son of 
Nebat, which had become 
the sin of Israel, and 
did not depart from it.
EXPEDITION OF ISRAEL AND 
JUDAH AGAINST MOAB{/}

{I}4_{/}Mesha, the king 
of Moab, had flocks of 
sheep. He paid the king 
of Israel a hundred 
thousand lambs and a 
hundred thousand rams 
with their wool annually. 
{I}5_{/}But when Ahab 
died, the king of Moab 
rebelled against the king 
of Israel.
{I}6_{/}At that time, 
King Jehoram set out from 
Samaria to mobilize the 
whole of Israel. 
{I}7_{/}He also sent word 
to Jehoshaphat, the king 
of Judah, "The king of 
Moab has rebelled against 
me; will you come with me 
to fight against Moab?" 
Jehoshaphat answered him, 
"I will go with you, for 
you and I are one; my men 
and my horses are at your 
disposal." 
{I}8_{/}Jehoram asked, 
"By which way shall we go 
up?" And he answered, "By 
the way of the desert of 
Edom."
{I}9_{/}The kings of 
Israel, of Judah and of 
Edom had been going 
around for seven days, 
and there was no water 
for the soldiers and for 
the animals that followed 
them. {I}10_{/}Then the 
king of Israel said, 
"Yahweh has called us 
three kings to give us 
into the hands of Moab." 
{I}11_{/}Then Jehoshaphat 
asked, "Is there no 
prophet of Yahweh here, 
through whom we may 
consult Yahweh?" One of 
the servants of the king 
of Israel said, "Elisha, 
son of Shaphat, is here. 
It was he who poured 
water on the hands of 
Elijah." {I}12_{/}And 
Jehoshaphat agreed, 
"Indeed, God's word comes 
to him." So the king of 
Israel, the king of Edom 
and Jehoshaphat went down 
to Elisha.
{I}13_{/}Elisha said to 
the king of Israel, "What 
have I to do with you? Go 
see the prophets of your 
father or those of your 
mother." But the king of 
Israel asked him, "Has 
Yahweh perhaps called us 
three together to deliver 
us into the hands of 
Moab?" {I}14_{/}Elisha 
replied, "Had not 
Jehoshaphat the king of 
Judah been before me, I 
swear by Yahweh God of 
Hosts whom I serve, that 
I would not attend to you 
nor look at you. 
{I}15_{/}Now, bring me 
someone who plays the 
harp." As the musician 
played, the hand of 
Yahweh came upon Elisha 
{I}16_{/}and he said, 
"This is the word of 
Yahweh: Dig trenches and 
more trenches in this 
valley, {I}17_{/}for 
Yahweh says: You shall 
not see wind or rain, but 
the valley shall be 
filled with water, and 
you, your troops and your 
livestock will drink. 
{I}18_{/}This is an easy 
thing for Yahweh, for he 
shall give Moab into your 
hands. {I}19_{/}You shall 
conquer all the fortified 
cities, cut down all 
fruit-bearing trees, 
close up all the springs 
of water, and scatter 
stones in all the plowed 
fields."
{I}20_{/}In the morning, 
at the time of the 
offering, water came from 
the direction of Edom, 
and the whole country was 
flooded.
{I}21_{/}The Moabites had 
learned that the kings 
had come to attack them, 
so they gathered together 
all the men able to bear 
arms and positioned them 
at the border. 
{I}22_{/}When they woke 
up in the morning, they 
saw the sun shining upon 
the water, and this 
appeared to them as if it 
were blood. {I}23_{/}So 
the Moabites said, "Look 
at the blood; the kings 
have surely turned 
against one another and 
killed each other. Let us 
now go and gather the 
booty!" {I}24_{/}But when 
they came to the camp the 
Israelites confronted, 
defeated and routed them. 
The Israelites pursued 
and entered Moab. 
{I}25_{/}They destroyed 
the cities of Moab, and 
each man threw stones on 
the fertile land, until 
it was covered. They 
closed up the springs of 
water and cut down fruit 
trees. Only Kir-hareseth 
was left with stones, but 
men armed with slings, 
surrounded the city and 
began harassing it.
{I}26_{/}When the king of 
Moab saw that his enemies 
were winning, he gathered 
seven hundred warriors to 
break through the 
blockade, opposite the 
king of Edom. But they 
did not succeed. 
{I}27_{/}So he took his 
firstborn son who was to 
succeed him as king, and 
sacrificed him in the 
fire upon the wall. The 
fury that came upon the 
Israelites was great, so 
they withdrew from there 
and returned to their own 
land.
THE WIDOW'S OIL{/}

{1}4{/}

{I}1_{/}The widow of one 
of the fellow prophets 
called Elisha saying, 
"You know that my husband 
feared God. But now his 
creditor has come to 
collect payment. And as 
we could not pay, he 
wanted to take my two 
sons as slaves." 
{I}2_{/}Elisha said, 
"What can I do for you? 
Tell me what you have in 
your house?" She 
answered, "I have but a 
little oil for cleaning." 
{I}3_{/}Elisha said to 
her, "Go and ask your 
neighbors for empty jars. 
{I}4_{/}Get as many as 
you can; then go into 
your house with your sons 
and close the door. Pour 
oil into the vessels. And 
when they are filled, set 
them aside."
{I}5_{/}The woman went 
and locked herself in her 
house with her sons. They 
handed her the vessels 
and she filled them all. 
{I}6_{/}She said to one 
of her sons, "Bring me 
another vessel," and he 
answered, "There are no 
more." Then the oil 
stopped flowing.
{I}7_{/}As she went back 
to tell this to the man 
of God, he said to her, 
"Go and sell the oil to 
pay for your debts; you 
and your sons can live on 
the money that is left."
THE RESURRECTION OF THE 
SHUNAMITE'S SON{/}

{I}8_{/}One day Elisha 
went to Shunem, and a 
rich woman invited him to 
eat. Afterwards, whenever 
he went to that town, he 
would go to her house to 
eat.
{I}9_{/}The woman said to 
her husband, "See, this 
man who constantly passes 
by our house is a holy 
man of God. {I}10_{/}If 
you want, we can make a 
small upper room for him, 
and place a bed, a table, 
a chair and a lamp in it. 
So when he comes, he may 
stay and rest."
{I}11_{/}One day when 
Elisha came, he went to 
the upper room and lay 
down. {I}12_{/}Then he 
said to Gehazi, his 
manservant, "Call this 
woman." She came when 
called and stood before 
Elisha.
{I}13_{/}Elisha said to 
her, "You have taken all 
this trouble for us. Tell 
me: what then can we do 
for you? Would you like 
me to say something to 
the king or the commander 
of the army for you?" But 
she answered, "I do not 
need anything in this 
land." {I}14_{/}So Elisha 
said to Gehazi, "What can 
we do for her?" The young 
man answered, "She has no 
children and her husband 
is now old."
{I}15_{/}And so Elisha 
said to him, "Call her." 
The young man called her 
and as the woman stood by 
the door, {I}16_{/}Elisha 
said, "By this time next 
year, you will hold a son 
in your arms." She 
answered, "No, my lord, O 
man of God, you are 
deceiving your 
maidservant."
{I}17_{/}But the woman 
gave birth to a son 
precisely at the time 
Elisha had told her.
{I}18_{/}The boy grew. 
One day, when he had gone 
out to his father among 
the harvesters, he had a 
severe headache. 
{I}19_{/}So the father 
ordered his servant, 
"Carry him to his 
mother." {I}20_{/}The 
servant brought him to 
his mother, and the boy 
sat on her lap till noon, 
when he died.
{I}21_{/}Then the mother 
went up and laid him on 
Elisha's bed and she 
left, closing the door. 
{I}22_{/}Then she called 
her husband, "Send me one 
of the servants with an 
ass. I am going to the 
man of God, and I will 
come back." {I}23_{/}He 
asked, "Why are you going 
to him? It is not the new 
moon yet nor the 
sabbath." But she said, 
"Do not worry."
{I}24_{/}She saddled the 
ass, and said to her 
servant, "Lead on, and 
don't stop until I tell 
you." {I}25_{/}So she set 
off and arrived at Mount 
Carmel where the man of 
God was.
Elisha saw her from afar, 
so he said to his 
servant, "Here comes our 
Shunamite. {I}26_{/}Run 
to meet her and ask: Are 
you well? How is your 
husband? And your son?" 
She answered, "Everything 
is all right." 
{I}27_{/}She went to the 
man of God, and embraced 
his feet. Then Gehazi 
came to draw her away, 
but the man of God said 
to him, "Leave her, for 
her soul is in bitter 
distress, and Yahweh has 
not made known to me nor 
has he revealed it to 
me." 
{I}28_{/}She said, "Did I 
ask, my lord, for a son? 
Why have you deceived 
me?" {I}29_{/}Elisha said 
to Gehazi, "Get ready, 
take my staff and go. If 
you meet anyone, do not 
stop to greet him; and if 
someone greets you, do 
not greet him in return. 
And as soon as you 
arrive, place my staff on 
the boy's face." 
{I}30_{/}But the boy's 
mother said, "I swear by 
Yahweh and by your life 
that I will not leave 
you." So Elisha arose and 
followed her.
{I}31_{/}Gehazi went on 
ahead and laid the staff 
on the boy's face, but 
the boy did not move or 
give any sign of life, so 
Gehazi returned to meet 
them and said, "The boy 
has not revived."
{I}32_{/}Elisha came into 
the house, and found the 
dead boy lying on his 
bed. {I}33_{/}He entered, 
closed the door behind 
him, and prayed to 
Yahweh. {I}34_{/}Then he 
lay upon the boy, put his 
mouth upon the boy's 
mouth, his eyes upon his 
eyes, his hands upon the 
boy's hands, and warmth 
returned to the boy's 
body. {I}35_{/}Elisha 
came down and began 
walking to and fro. Then 
he went upstairs to 
stretch himself upon the 
boy, and the boy sneezed 
seven times and opened 
his eyes.
{I}36_{/}Elisha then 
called Gehazi and said, 
"Call the woman." And 
when she came, Elisha 
told her, "Take your 
son." {I}37_{/}She bowed 
at his feet, then she 
took her son and went 
out.
{I}38_{/}Elisha returned 
to Gilgal. There was 
great scarcity of food in 
the region, and when the 
fellow prophets came to 
sit with Elisha, he said 
to his servant, "Take the 
big pot and prepare some 
broth for the fellow 
prophets." {I}39_{/}One 
of them went out into the 
field to gather herbs; he 
found a wild plant, from 
which he gathered 
poisonous fruits, enough 
to fill his cloak. When 
he came back, he cut them 
into pieces and put them 
in the pot where the 
broth was being prepared, 
for he did not know what 
they were. {I}40_{/}Then 
the broth was served to 
the men to eat. But as 
soon as they tasted the 
soup, they cried out, 
"Man of God, this is pure 
poison!" So they did not 
eat any more. 
{I}41_{/}Then Elisha 
said, "Bring me flour." 
And he put it into the 
pot. Then he said, "Serve 
these men and let them 
eat." And there was no 
longer anything harmful 
in the pot.
THE MULTIPLICATION OF 
LOAVES{/}

{I}42_{/}A man came from 
Baal-shalishad bringing 
bread and wheat to the 
man of God. These were 
from the first part of 
the harvest, twenty 
loaves of barley and 
wheat. Elisha told him, 
"Give the loaves to these 
men that they may eat."
{I}43_{/}His servant said 
to him, "How am I to 
divide these loaves among 
one hundred men?" Elisha 
insisted, "Give them to 
the men that they may 
eat, for Yahweh says: 
They shall eat and have 
some left over." 
{I}44_{/}So the man set 
it before them; and they 
ate and had some left, as 
Yahweh had said.
NAAMAN HEALED OF 
LEPROSY{/}

{1}5{/}

{I}1_{/}Naaman was the 
army commander of the 
king of Aram. This man 
was highly regarded and 
enjoyed the king's favor, 
for Yahweh had helped him 
lead the army of the 
Arameans to victory. But 
this valiant man was sick 
with leprosy.
{I}2_{/}One day some 
Aramean soldiers raided 
the land of Israel and 
took a young girl captive 
who became a servant to 
the wife of Naaman. She 
said to her mistress, 
{I}3_{/}"If my master 
would only present 
himself to the prophet in 
Samaria, he would surely 
cure him of his leprosy."
{I}4_{/}Naaman went to 
tell the king what the 
young Israelite 
maidservant had said. 
{I}5_{/}The king of Aram 
said to him, "Go to the 
prophet, and I shall also 
send a letter to the king 
of Israel."
So Naaman went and took 
with him ten gold bars, 
six thousand pieces of 
silver and ten festal 
garments. {I}6_{/}On his 
arrival, he delivered the 
letter to the king of 
Israel. It said, "I 
present my servant Naaman 
to you that you may heal 
him of his leprosy."
{I}7_{/}When the king had 
read the letter, he tore 
his clothes to show his 
indignation, "I am not 
God to give life or 
death. And the king of 
Aram sends me this man to 
be healed! You see he is 
just looking for an 
excuse for war."
{I}8_{/}Elisha, the man 
of God, came to know that 
the king of Israel had 
torn his clothes, so he 
sent this message to him: 
"Why have you torn your 
clothes? Let the man come 
to me, that he may know 
that there is a prophet 
in Israel."
{I}9_{/}So Naaman came 
with his horses and 
chariots, and stopped 
before the house of 
Elisha. {I}10_{/}Elisha 
then sent a messenger to 
tell him, "Go to the 
river Jordan and wash 
seven times, and your 
flesh shall be as it was 
before, and you shall be 
cleansed."
{I}11_{/}Naaman was 
angry, so he went away. 
He thought: "On my 
arrival, he should have 
personally come out, and 
then paused and called on 
the name of Yahweh, his 
God. And he should have 
touched with his hand the 
infected part, and I 
would have been healed. 
{I}12_{/}Are the rivers 
of Damascus, Abana and 
Pharpar not better than 
all the rivers of the 
land of Israel? Could I 
not wash there to be 
healed?" 
{I}13_{/}His servants 
approached him and said 
to him, "Father, if the 
prophet had ordered you 
to do something 
difficult, would you not 
have done it? But how 
much easier when he said: 
Take a bath and you will 
be cleansed."
{I}14_{/}So Naaman went 
down to the Jordan where 
he washed himself seven 
times as Elisha had 
ordered. His skin became 
soft like that of a child 
and he was cleansed.
{I}15_{/}Then Naaman 
returned to the man of 
God with all his men. He 
entered and said to him, 
"Now I know that there is 
no other God anywhere in 
the world but in Israel. 
I ask you to accept these 
gifts from your servant."
{I}16_{/}But Elisha 
answered, "I swear by 
Yahweh whom I serve, I 
will accept nothing." And 
however much Naaman 
insisted, Elisha would 
not accept his gifts.
{I}17_{/}So Naaman told 
him, "Since you refuse, 
let me get some sacks of 
soil from your land - the 
amount that two mules can 
carry. I shall use it to 
build an altar to Yahweh, 
for I shall not offer 
sacrifices to any other 
god but him. {I}18_{/}But 
may Yahweh pardon me: 
when my king goes to the 
temple of his god Rimmon, 
he leans on my arm, and I 
bow down with him. May 
Yahweh pardon me for 
this." {I}19_{/}Elisha 
answered, "Go in peace." 
And Naaman went.
Naaman was already at a 
certain distance, 
{I}20_{/}when Gehazi, 
Elisha's servant, 
thought: "Imagine that my 
lord refused to take the 
gifts that Aramean 
brought! As Yahweh lives, 
I will run after him and 
get some of them!"
{I}21_{/}Gehazi went 
after Naaman and Naaman 
saw Gehazi running after 
him, so he jumped out of 
his chariot to greet him. 
{I}22_{/}Gehazi said to 
him, "Pardon me, lord, my 
master sent me to say to 
you: Two young men from 
the community of the 
prophets have just come 
to me from the mountain 
of Ephraim, kindly give 
me a talent of silver and 
two new garments for 
them." Naaman replied, 
{I}23_{/}"Please accept 
two talents of silver."
He insisted that Gehazi 
accept them, so he put 
the two talents of silver 
with two new garments in 
two sacks, and handed 
them over to two of his 
servants who carried them 
before Gehazi. 
{I}24_{/}When they 
reached Ophel, Gehazi 
took them from their 
hands and put them away 
in his house. Then he 
sent the two servants of 
Naaman away, and they 
left.
{I}25_{/}When he appeared 
before his master, Elisha 
asked him, "Where have 
you been, Gehazi?" He 
answered, "Your servant 
has not been any place." 
{I}26_{/}Elisha replied, 
"Did not my spirit run 
after you when a man 
jumped out of his chariot 
to meet you? Well, you 
have received silver and 
can now buy olive groves, 
vineyards, sheep, oxen 
and servants. 
{I}27_{/}But you and all 
your decendants shall be 
infected with the leprosy 
of Naaman forever." And 
Gehazi left his presence 
with leprosy, as white as 
snow.
{1}6{/}

{I}1_{/}Now the fellow 
prophets said to Elisha, 
"See, the place where we 
are gathered has become 
too small for us. 
{I}2_{/}Let us go to the 
Jordan, and let each of 
us get a log to build a 
shed where we can 
gather." Elisha answered, 
"Go." {I}3_{/}Then one of 
them said to him, "Why do 
you not come along with 
us?" {I}4_{/}So Elisha 
went with them. And when 
they arrived at the 
Jordan, they began to cut 
down the trees. 
{I}5_{/}But as one of 
them was cutting a tree, 
his axehead fell into the 
river, and he exclaimed, 
"O my master, the iron 
piece that you have lent 
me!" The man of God asked 
him, {I}6_{/}"Where did 
it fall?" And he showed 
Elisha the place. Elisha 
cut off a stick, threw it 
in there, and the iron 
piece floated. 
{I}7_{/}Elisha said, "Get 
it." The man reached out 
his hand and took it. 
ELISHA CAPTURES AN ARMED 
BAND OF ARAMEANS{/}

{I}8_{/}At that time when 
the king of Aram was 
raiding Israel, he 
consulted with his 
officials, and told them, 
"Let us attack that 
people." {I}9_{/}But the 
man of God sent a message 
to the king of Israel, 
"Guard this place for the 
Arameans shall go there." 
{I}10_{/}So the king of 
Israel sent men to the 
place indicated by the 
man of God, and they kept 
watch there. And this 
happened several times. 
{I}11_{/}The king of Aram 
was worried because of 
these things, so he 
called his officials and 
told them, "Go and find 
out who is revealing our 
plans to the king of 
Israel." {I}12_{/}One of 
his officials said, "None 
of us has betrayed you, 
my king, but Elisha, the 
prophet who is in Israel, 
makes known to his king 
even the words you say in 
your bedroom."
{I}13_{/}The king 
answered them, "Go then 
and find out where he 
lives, that I may send 
people to arrest him." 
When they told him that 
Elisha was in Dothan, 
{I}14_{/}he sent 
chariots, horses and 
strong troops who arrived 
there by night and 
surrounded the city. 
{I}15_{/}On the following 
day, when the servant of 
the man of God rose early 
in the morning, he went 
out and saw the Arameans 
surrounding the city with 
their chariots and 
horses. He said to 
Elisha, "O my master, 
what shall we do?" 
{I}16_{/}He answered, "Do 
not fear, for those who 
are with us are more than 
those who are with them." 
{I}17_{/}Elisha prayed 
and said, "Yahweh, open 
his eyes that he may 
see." Yahweh opened the 
eyes of the servant, and 
he saw the hill full of 
horses and chariots of 
fire around Elisha.
{I}18_{/}As the Arameans 
came down to him, Elisha 
again prayed to Yahweh, 
"Blind them." So Yahweh 
made them unable to see 
as Elisha had asked. 
{I}19_{/}Elisha told 
them, "This is not the 
way nor is this the city. 
Follow me and I shall 
bring you to the man whom 
you seek." And he led 
them to Samaria. 
{I}20_{/}When they had 
entered Samaria, Elisha 
said, "Yahweh open their 
eyes that they may see," 
and they saw they were in 
Samaria.
{I}21_{/}When the king of 
Israel saw them, he said 
to Elisha, "My father, 
should I kill them?" 
{I}22_{/}He answered, "If 
you do not kill those 
whom you have captured 
with your sword and your 
bow, how can you kill 
these men? Give them 
bread and water so they 
may eat and drink, and 
let them return to their 
master."
{I}23_{/}So the king 
served them a grand 
banquet, and they ate and 
drank. Then he sent them 
away to their master. 
From that day on, the 
troops of Aram did not 
return any more to invade 
the territories of 
Israel.
FAMINE AND THE LIBERATION 
OF SAMARIA{/}

{I}24_{/}Afterwards Ben-
hadad, the king of Aram, 
gathered together all his 
troops and went to lay 
siege to Samaria. 
{I}25_{/}There was great 
famine in Samaria; so 
great was the misery that 
the head of an ass was 
sold for eighty pieces of 
silver, and a half-liter 
of chickpeas for five 
pieces of silver.
{I}26_{/}The king of 
Israel was walking by 
upon the wall when a 
woman cried out to him, 
"Save me, my lord King!" 
{I}27_{/}The king 
answered, "In what way 
can I help you? If Yahweh 
does not give you bread, 
where shall I get it? 
{I}28_{/}What is the 
matter?" She answered, 
"That woman told me: give 
up your son that we may 
eat him today, and then 
we will eat my son 
tomorrow. {I}29_{/}So we 
cooked my son and ate 
him. But on the next day, 
when I said to her: Take 
your son that we may eat 
him, she had hidden him."
{I}30_{/}When the king 
heard the words of the 
woman, he tore his 
clothes. He was upon the 
wall, and the people saw 
that he was wearing 
sackcloth under his 
tunic. {I}31_{/}The king 
swore: "May the Lord 
punish me, if the head of 
Elisha, the son of 
Shaphat, remains on his 
shoulders today." And the 
king sent a guard to 
Elisha's house. 
{I}32_{/}Elisha was 
seated in his house and 
the elders were sitting 
with him. Before the 
messenger's arrival, 
Elisha said to them, "Do 
you not know that this 
murderer has ordered 
someone to cut my head 
off? Well then, when the 
messenger comes, shut the 
door and do not let him 
in. Behind him, I hear 
the sound of his master's 
footsteps." {I}33_{/}He 
was still talking to 
them, when the king 
arrived. The king said, 
"If all this evil comes 
from Yahweh, why should I 
still trust him?"
{1}7{/}

{I}1_{/}But Elisha 
answered, "Listen to the 
word of Yahweh: Tomorrow 
at this same time, at the 
gate of Samaria, a 
measure of flour shall be 
sold for a piece of 
silver, and two measures 
of barley for a piece of 
silver, too." {I}2_{/}The 
shield bearer on whose 
arm the king leaned said 
to the man of God, "Even 
if Yahweh opens the 
windows of heaven for it 
to rain wheat, how could 
this thing be?" Elisha 
answered, "You shall see 
it with your own eyes, 
but you shall not eat of 
it."

{I}3_{/}Four men were at 
the city gates, outside, 
at the other side of the 
wall. They were lepers. 
And on that day, they 
said to one another, 
"Shall we sit here until 
we die? {I}4_{/}If we 
decide to enter the city, 
there we shall die of 
hunger. But if we stay 
here, we die as well. So 
let us go over to the 
camp of the Arameans. If 
they spare our lives, 
then we live; and if they 
kill us, then let us 
die!"
{I}5_{/}They arose as it 
was getting dark to go to 
the camp of the Arameans. 
But when they reached the 
camp, they found no one 
there. {I}6_{/}The Lord 
had let the Arameans hear 
the noise of chariots and 
horses, the sound of a 
great army. And they had 
thought: "The king of 
Israel has sent money to 
the kings of the Hittites 
and Moshrites to come and 
attack us."
{I}7_{/}So they fled as 
it was getting dark to 
save themselves, 
abandoning their tents, 
their horses, and their 
asses, leaving the camp 
just as it was. 
{I}8_{/}When these lepers 
reached the camp 
boundary, they went into 
a tent. They ate and 
drank; they took the 
silver, gold and clothes, 
and hid them there in the 
ground. They entered 
another tent and took 
whatever they found, and 
hid them in the same way.
{I}9_{/}Then they 
thought: "What we are 
doing is not good. Today 
is a day of good tidings, 
and if we keep silent 
until tomorrow, we shall 
be guilty. So let us go 
and tell this to the 
king's men." 
{I}10_{/}Returning to the 
city, they called out to 
the city guards, saying, 
"We went to the camp of 
the Arameans but no one 
was there, not a trace of 
anyone, only horses and 
asses tied, and the tents 
just as they were left." 
{I}11_{/}The guards cried 
out the news and it was 
told within the king's 
household.
{I}12_{/}The king arose 
in the night and said to 
his officials, "The 
Arameans know that we are 
hungry. They have left 
their camp and have 
hidden in the field, 
waiting for us to come 
out of the city that they 
may take us alive and 
then get into the city." 
{I}13_{/}One of the 
officials answered, "Let 
some men take five of the 
remaining horses for, at 
any rate, these are also 
bound to die of hunger, 
as are all the people of 
this city. Dispatch them 
and see." {I}14_{/}So 
they took two chariots 
and their horses, and the 
king sent the horsemen 
after the Arameans. 
{I}15_{/}They went as far 
as the Jordan, and all 
the way was littered with 
clothes and equipment 
which the Arameans had 
thrown away in their 
flight.
The messengers returned 
and told this to the 
king. {I}16_{/}Then the 
people went out and 
plundered the camp of the 
Arameans. A measure of 
flour was sold for a 
piece of silver and a 
double measure of barley 
was also sold for a 
piece, as Elisha had 
said. {I}17_{/}The king 
had appointed his shield 
bearer to keep watch at 
the city gates. But he 
was crushed right there 
by the crowd, so that he 
died, {I}18_{/}just as 
Elisha had told him when 
the king had come down to 
see him.
For when Elisha had said 
to the king, "Tomorrow at 
this hour, at the gate of 
Samaria, two measures of 
barley as well as a 
measure of flour shall be 
sold for a shekel," 
{I}19_{/}the shield 
bearer had said to the 
man of God, "Even if 
Yahweh opens the windows 
of heaven for it to rain 
down wheat, what you say 
will not happen." Then 
Elisha had told him, "You 
shall see it with your 
own eyes, but you shall 
not eat of it." 
{I}20_{/}So it happened. 
The people ran over him 
and crushed him at the 
city gates, and there he 
died.
{1}8{/}

{I}1_{/}Now Elisha had 
said to the woman whose 
son he had brought back 
to life, "Arise, and go 
with your family to live 
in another place, 
wherever it seems best 
for you, because Yahweh 
has called for a famine 
and it will come upon the 
land for seven years." 
{I}2_{/}The woman did 
what the man of God told 
her to do - she went with 
her family to the land of 
the Philistines and 
stayed there for seven 
years.
{I}3_{/}At the end of the 
seven years, the woman 
came back to her land and 
went to ask the king for 
her house and field. 
{I}4_{/}The king was 
talking with Gehazi, the 
servant of the man of 
God, saying, "Tell me all 
the marvelous things 
Elisha has done." 
{I}5_{/}As Gehazi was 
narrating how Elisha had 
restored the dead to 
life, the woman showed 
up, she whose very son 
Elisha had raised from 
the dead. She was 
claiming back from the 
king her house and field. 
Gehazi said, "This, my 
lord, is the woman, and 
this is her son whom 
Elisha raised from the 
dead."
{I}6_{/}The king asked 
her about what had 
happened, and she 
recounted it to him. Then 
the king immediately sent 
a palace official with 
her, and said to him, 
"See to it that all her 
properties are returned 
to her with all the 
produce of her field from 
the day she left her land 
until now."
ELISHA AND HAZAEL OF 
DAMASCUS{/}

{I}7_{/}Elisha went to 
Damascus. Ben-hadad, the 
king of Aram, was sick. 
When he was told that the 
man of God had come, 
{I}8_{/}he said to 
Hazael, "Go to the man of 
God and consult Yahweh 
through him, that I may 
know if I shall recover 
from this sickness. But 
take with you a good 
gift."
{I}9_{/}So Hazael went to 
see Elisha, taking with 
him all the best he could 
find in Damascus, forty 
camel loads of gifts. 
When he came before 
Elisha, he said to him, 
"Your son, Ben-hadad, the 
king of Aram, has sent me 
to ask you: Shall I 
recover from this 
sickness?" 
{I}10_{/}Elisha answered, 
"Go and tell him that he 
shall recover. But Yahweh 
has shown me that he 
shall certainly die."
{I}11_{/}Then the face of 
the man of God became 
rigid, his gaze fixed and 
he began to weep. 
{I}12_{/}Hazael asked 
him, "Why do you weep, my 
lord?" He answered, 
"Because I have just seen 
the evil you will do to 
the children of Israel: 
you shall set on fire 
their fortresses, kill 
their young men by the 
sword, crush their 
children, and rip open 
the womb of pregnant 
women." {I}13_{/}Hazael 
told him, "Who am I, your 
servant, that I should 
carry out such exploits?" 
Elisha answered, "I have 
just had a vision: Yahweh 
has made you king of 
Aram."
{I}14_{/}Hazael left 
Elisha and returned to 
his master who asked him, 
"What has Elisha said to 
you?" He answered, "He 
has told me that you 
shall surely live." 
{I}15_{/}But on the 
following day, Hazael 
took a mantle, dipped it 
in water, and pressed it 
down on the king's face 
until he died. And so, 
Hazael succeeded him as 
king of Aram.
{I}16_{/}In the fifth 
year of Joram, son of 
Ahab and king of Israel, 
Jehoram, son of 
Jehoshaphat, king of 
Judah began to reign. 
{I}17_{/}He was thirty-
two years old when he 
began his reign, and he 
reigned for eight years 
in Jerusalem. {I}18_{/}He 
followed the footsteps of 
the kings of Israel and 
acted in everything like 
the family of Ahab. 
Because he had married 
the daughter of Ahab, he 
acted very badly with 
Yahweh. {I}19_{/}However, 
Yahweh would not destroy 
Judah for the sake of his 
servant David, according 
to the promise he had 
made to keep his lamp 
burning forever, which 
referred to David's 
descendants.
{I}20_{/}In his days, the 
Edomites rebelled against 
the rule of Judah, and 
proclaimed a king of 
their own. {I}21_{/}Then 
Joram went to attack the 
city of Zair with all his 
chariots of war. Rising 
by night he managed to 
escape from the Edomites, 
who had surrounded him 
and his chariot 
commanders, but the 
troops had fled. 
{I}22_{/}Thus Edom has 
rebelled against Judah to 
this day. At that time, 
the city of Libnah also 
rebelled.
{I}23_{/}The rest of the 
deeds of Joram and his 
bravery are written in 
the Book of the 
Chronicles of the Kings 
of Judah. {I}24_{/}When 
Joram died, they buried 
him with his fathers in 
the city of David, and 
his son Ahaziah succeeded 
him.
AHAZIAH, KING OF JUDAH{/}

{I}25_{/}Ahaziah, son of 
Joram, king of Judah, 
began to reign in the 
twelfth year of Joram, 
son of Ahab, king of 
Israel. {I}26_{/}Ahaziah 
was twenty-two years old 
when he began his reign, 
and he reigned for a year 
in Jerusalem. His mother 
was Athaliah, daughter of 
Omri, king of Israel. 
{I}27_{/}He followed in 
the footsteps of Ahab and 
acted badly towards 
Yahweh like those in the 
family of Ahab had done, 
since he was related to 
Ahab's family. 
{I}28_{/}He went with 
Joram, the son of Ahab, 
to make war against 
Hazael, the king of Aram, 
at Ramoth of Gilead. 
{I}29{/}But the Arameans 
wounded Joram who 
returned from Ramoth to 
Jezreel to recover from 
his wounds. After a 
while, Ahaziah, the king 
of Judah, went to Jezreel 
to visit him as he was 
recuperating.
JEHU IS ANOINTED KING OF 
ISRAEL{/}

{1}9{/}

{I}1_{/}The prophet 
Elisha called one of the 
fellow prophets, and said 
to him, "Prepare to go to 
the city of Ramoth in 
Gilead taking this bottle 
of oil. {I}2_{/}Look 
there for Jehu, the son 
of Jehoshaphat, son of 
Nimshi. Make him leave 
his companions, and lead 
him to a place apart from 
them. {I}3_{/}There you 
shall take the bottle and 
pour the oil on his head, 
saying: Yahweh has 
anointed you king of 
Israel. Then open the 
door and flee without 
delay." {I}4_{/}So the 
young man went to Ramoth.
{I}5_{/}When he arrived, 
the commanders of the 
army were seated 
together, and he said, "I 
have to talk with you, 
commander." Jehu asked, 
"To which of us?" He 
answered, "To you, 
commander." {I}6_{/}So 
Jehu arose and went into 
the house.
Then the young man poured 
the oil on Jehu's head, 
and said to him, "Yahweh, 
the God of Israel, has 
consecrated you king of 
the people of Israel. 
Thus says Yahweh: 
{I}7_{/}You shall 
overthrow the kings of 
the family of Ahab, that 
I may avenge the blood of 
my servants, the 
prophets, whom Jezebel 
has murdered. {I}8_{/}I 
shall destroy the family 
of Ahab and all their men 
shall perish. {I}9_{/}The 
family of Ahab shall be 
like the family of 
Jeroboam and the family 
of Baasha. {I}10_{/}And 
regarding Jezebel, no one 
shall bury her, for the 
dogs shall devour her in 
the field of Jezreel." 
Then the young man opened 
the door and fled.
{I}11_{/}Jehu came out to 
join the officers of the 
king. They said to him, 
"What happened? Why did 
that fool call you?" Jehu 
answered, "You know that 
fellow and you also know 
why he came." 
{I}12_{/}They said, "We 
do not know anything. 
Tell us what he said to 
you." He answered, "These 
are his exact words: 
Yahweh has consecrated 
you king of Israel."
{I}13_{/}Then all the 
commanders, the 
companions of Jehu, took 
their cloaks and put them 
on a wooden platform in 
the shape of a throne. 
And with blast of 
trumpets, they 
proclaimed, "Jehu is 
king!"
{I}14_{/}Thus Jehu, son 
of Jehoshaphat, son of 
Nimshi, conspired against 
Joram. At that time, 
Joram was with the 
Israelites defending the 
city of Ramoth in Gilead 
against Hazael, king of 
Aram, {I}15_{/}but Joram 
had retreated to Jezreel 
to recover from the 
wounds he had received in 
battle.
Jehu said, "If it seems 
good to you, let no one 
leave the city, lest they 
go and tell the news to 
the king in Jezreel." 
{I}16_{/}Jehu then 
mounted his chariot and 
went to Jezreel, where 
Joram lay sick, and 
Ahaziah, king of Judah, 
had gone to visit him.
{I}17_{/}The watchman at 
the tower in Jezreel saw 
the retinue of Jehu 
coming and said, "I see a 
company." Joram said, 
"Take your horse and run 
to meet them, and ask 
them if they have any 
news."
{I}18_{/}So the man went 
out to meet them and 
said, "The king sent me 
to ask if you have any 
news." Jehu answered, "Do 
not worry about the news. 
Turn around and follow 
me." And the watchman 
immediately reported, 
"The messenger reached 
them, but he has not 
returned."
{I}19_{/}They sent 
another messenger who 
came to them and said, 
"The king wants to know 
if you bring any news." 
And Jehu again answered, 
"Do not worry about the 
news, turn around and 
ride behind me." 
{I}20_{/}Again the 
watchman reported, "He 
has reached them, but has 
not returned. The way of 
driving of him who comes 
resembles that of Jehu, 
son of Nimshi, for he 
drives like a madman."
{I}21_{/}Joram then said, 
"Harness the horses of my 
chariot." And Joram, the 
king of Israel, went out 
with Ahaziah, the king of 
Judah, each in his 
chariot, to meet Jehu. 
They met him in the field 
of Naboth of Jezreel.
JEHU MURDERS JORAM{/}

{I}22_{/}When Joram saw 
Jehu, he asked, "Do you 
bring peace, Jehu?" Jehu 
answered, "Why do you ask 
for peace when the 
prostitution of your 
mother, Jezebel, and her 
many sorceries still 
continue?" {I}23_{/}So 
Joram turned his chariot 
around and fled, saying 
to Ahaziah, "Treachery, 
Ahaziah!"
{I}24_{/}Jehu then drew 
his bow with all his 
strength and shot Joram 
in the back, so that the 
arrow pierced his heart. 
And Joram fell dead in 
his chariot.
{I}25_{/}Jehu said to his 
shield bearer Bidkar, 
"Take the body and throw 
it in the field of Naboth 
of Jezreel; for remember, 
when we served together 
in the cavalry of his 
father, Ahab, Yahweh 
pronounced this sentence 
against him: {I}26_{/}I 
swear that in this field, 
I shall take vengeance on 
you, for the blood of 
Naboth and for the blood 
of his sons which I saw 
you shed yesterday. So 
take his body and throw 
it into the field 
according to the word of 
Yahweh."
{I}27_{/}As for Ahaziah, 
the king of Judah, he 
fled in the direction of 
Beth-haggan. Jehu pursued 
him, crying out, "Kill 
him, too!" And they shot 
him in his chariot at the 
slope of Gur near Ibleam. 
He reached Megiddo, took 
refuge there and died. 
{I}28_{/}His servants 
carried his body in a 
chariot to Jerusalem, and 
buried him with his 
fathers in the city of 
David. {I}29_{/}Ahaziah 
had begun his reign in 
Judah in the eleventh 
year of Joram, son of 
Ahab.
JEZEBEL IS KILLED{/}

{I}30_{/}Jehu entered the 
city of Jezreel. When 
Jezebel learned this, she 
painted her eyes, adorned 
her neck, and looked out 
of the window. 
{I}31_{/}As Jehu entered 
the gates, she said to 
him, "Do you bring peace? 
Will you not have Zimri's 
fate after murdering your 
master?"
{I}32_{/}Jehu looked up 
to the window and cried 
out, "Who is on my side?" 
Two or three eunuchs 
looked down at him. 
{I}33_{/}He ordered them, 
"Throw her down." They 
threw her down through 
the window, and her blood 
splashed on the walls and 
on the horses, and Jehu 
in his chariot ran over 
her.
{I}34_{/}Jehu entered 
Jezreel. After he had 
eaten and drunk, he gave 
these orders, "Take care 
of that cursed woman and 
bury her, for she was a 
king's daughter." 
{I}35_{/}They went to 
bury her, but they found 
no more than her hands 
and feet with the skull. 
{I}36_{/}When they told 
Jehu about it, he said, 
"This is what Elijah of 
Tishbe said in the name 
of Yahweh: In the field 
of Jezreel, the dogs 
shall eat Jezebel. 
{I}37_{/}Her body shall 
be as dung on the land, 
so that no one can say: 
This was Jezebel."
AHAB'S FAMILY IS WIPED 
OUT{/}

{1}10{/}

{I}1_{/}The seventy sons 
of Ahab lived in Samaria. 
So Jehu wrote letters and 
sent them to Samaria, to 
the leaders of the city, 
to the judges and to 
those who took care of 
the sons of Ahab, saying, 
{I}2_{/}"As soon as this 
letter comes to you who 
have the king's sons, 
chariots of war and 
horses, fortified cities 
and weapons, 
{I}3_{/}select the best 
and most fit of your 
master's sons and make 
him sit on his father's 
throne; then prepare to 
defend the family of your 
lord."
{I}4_{/}They were in 
great fear, and they 
said, "If the two kings 
were not able to stand up 
to him, how then can we 
resist him?" {I}5_{/}The 
palace chamberlain, the 
military commissioner of 
the city, the judges and 
the tutors sent this 
response to Jehu: "We are 
your servants, and we 
will do whatever you say. 
We will not proclaim 
anyone king; do whatever 
seems best to you."
{I}6_{/}Then he sent them 
a second letter which 
said, "If you are on my 
side and among those who 
obey me, take the heads 
of the sons of the king, 
your lord, and come to 
talk to me tomorrow at 
this time in Jezreel."
The king's sons were 
seventy and they were 
growing up in the houses 
of prominent families of 
the city.
{I}7_{/}As soon as this 
letter reached them, they 
seized the sons of the 
king, beheaded seventy of 
them and placed their 
heads in large baskets 
which they sent to 
Jezreel. {I}8_{/}The 
messenger came to where 
Jehu was and said to him, 
"Here they send you the 
heads of the king's 
sons." He answered, "Lay 
them in two heaps at the 
entrance of the gate of 
Jezreel until tomorrow."
{I}9_{/}In the morning, 
Jehu went out and said to 
all the people, "Be fair, 
tell me: if I have 
conspired against my king 
and have killed him, who 
then has beheaded all 
these? {I}10_{/}Know then 
that none of the words 
Yahweh has spoken against 
the family of Ahab shall 
be without effect. 
Everything he said 
through the mouth of his 
servant Elijah has been 
fulfilled."
{I}11_{/}Jehu then killed 
all who remained loyal to 
Ahab in Jezreel - all his 
ministers, relatives, 
priests - without sparing 
anyone. {I}12_{/}Then he 
left for Samaria, and in 
Beth-eked of the 
Shepherds, {I}13_{/}he 
met the brothers of 
Ahaziah, king of Judah. 
He asked them, "Who are 
you?" They answered, "We 
are the brothers of 
Ahaziah, and we go to 
greet the sons of the 
king and the sons of the 
queen." {I}14_{/}Jehu 
said, "Take them alive." 
They took them alive and 
beheaded them all by the 
well of Beth-eked. They 
were forty-two men, and 
none was left alive.
{I}15_{/}Setting out from 
there, he met Jehonadab, 
son of Rechab, who came 
out to meet him. Jehu 
greeted him and said, 
"Would you be faithful to 
me as I am to you?" 
Jehonadab answered, 
"Yes." So Jehu said to 
him, "Give me your hand." 
He gave him his hand, and 
Jehu took him up with him 
into his chariot, and 
said, {I}16_{/}"Come with 
me and see my zeal for 
Yahweh." And he had him 
ride in his chariot.
{I}17_{/}When Jehu came 
to Samaria, he killed all 
the survivors loyal to 
Ahab in that city, and he 
did not spare anyone. So 
the word Yahweh had said 
through the mouth of 
Elijah was fulfilled.
{I}18_{/}Jehu gathered 
together all the 
inhabitants and said, 
"Ahab served Baal, but I 
will serve him still 
better." {I}19_{/}And he 
added, "Summon all the 
prophets of Baal, all his 
faithful followers and 
priests. {I}20_{/}Let no 
one be missing at the 
solemn sacrifice I will 
offer to Baal. Whoever is 
absent shall die." Jehu 
did this with cunning, 
for he was determined to 
kill all who were 
faithful to Baal. They 
themselves proclaimed the 
sacred solemnity that 
Jehu had commanded. And 
Jehu, for his part, 
{I}21_{/}sent messengers 
throughout Israel for all 
the faithful of Baal to 
come without any 
exception.
When they entered the 
temple of Baal, they were 
so many that they hardly 
touched the ground. 
{I}22_{/}Then Jehu 
ordered those in charge 
of the vestments to bring 
out the sacred vestments 
reserved for the faithful 
of Baal and to distribute 
these to them. 
{I}23_{/}Jehu who was 
accompanied by Jehonadab, 
the son of Rechab, said 
insistently to the 
faithful of Baal, "Make 
sure that none of the 
faithful of Yahweh has 
entered with you, that 
there is no one here 
except all the true 
servants of Baal."
{I}24_{/}Then they 
entered to prepare the 
sacrifice. But Jehu had 
stationed eighty men 
outside, and said to 
them, "Whoever of you 
lets anyone escape of 
those who must die shall 
pay with his own life." 
{I}25_{/}And when the 
sacrifice was finished, 
Jehu gave this order to 
the soldiers and 
officers, "Go in and kill 
all of them, let none of 
them escape." So, they 
went in and put everyone 
to the sword, going as 
far as the sanctuary of 
the House of Baal. 
{I}26_{/}They pulled out 
the sacred pillar of the 
House of Baal and burned 
it. {I}27_{/}They 
destroyed the altar and 
pulled down the temple, 
which remains a garbage 
dump to this very day.
{I}28_{/}This was how 
Jehu wiped out the name 
of Baal from Israel. 
{I}29_{/}But Jehu did not 
turn aside from the sins 
which Jeroboam, the son 
of Nesbat, had caused 
Israel to commit, for 
they kept the golden 
calves of Bethel and Dan. 
{I}30_{/}In spite of 
this, Yahweh said to 
Jehu, "Since you have 
acted well, doing what 
seems just to me, and 
have dealt with the 
family of Ahab according 
to my will, your sons 
until the fourth 
generation shall sit on 
the throne of Israel." 
{I}31_{/}But Jehu did not 
completely walk according 
to the Law of Yahweh, 
since he did not give up 
the sins into which 
Jeroboam had led Israel.
{I}32_{/}In those days, 
Yahweh began to reduce 
the land of Israel, and 
Hazael conquered the 
Israelites taking their 
territory {I}33_{/}from 
the Jordan to the East, 
all the land of Gilead, 
of the tribes of Gad, 
Reuben, Manasseh, from 
Aroer by the brook of 
Arnon, all the land of 
Gilead and Bashan.
{I}34_{/}Now the rest of 
the story of Jehu, all 
that he did and his 
bravery are written in 
the Book of the 
Chronicles of the Kings 
of Israel. {I}35_{/}When 
Jehu died, they buried 
him in Samaria, and his 
son Jehoahaz reigned in 
his place. {I}36_{/}Jehu 
reigned over Israel in 
Samaria for twenty-eight 
years.
ATHALIAH IN JUDAH{/}

{1}11{/}

{I}1_{/}When Athaliah, 
the mother of Ahaziah, 
saw that her son had 
died, she was determined 
to wipe out all the 
descendants of the king. 
{I}2_{/}But Jehosheba, 
the daughter of King 
Joram and sister of 
Ahaziah, took Joash, her 
nephew, and brought him 
away from among the 
king's sons who were 
about to be killed, and 
put him with his wet 
nurse in the bedroom. 
Thus she hid him from 
Athaliah, so that the boy 
was saved. {I}3_{/}And 
Joash remained hidden in 
the House of Yahweh for 
six years while Athaliah 
reigned over the land.
{I}4_{/}In the seventh 
year, Jehoiada the chief 
priest, summoned the 
officers of the royal 
guard and of the Carites 
to the House of Yahweh. 
After concluding a pact 
with them under oath, he 
showed them the king's 
son.
{I}5_{/}Then he gave them 
these orders, "One third 
of your men who come on 
duty on the sabbath shall 
guard the king's house, 
{I}6_{/}another third 
shall be at the 
foundation gate, and the 
last third at the back 
gates. Keep watch 
continuously. {I}7_{/}Now 
about those who come off 
duty on the sabbath, two 
divisions of them shall 
guard the House of Yahweh 
and surround King Joash. 
{I}8_{/}You shall be at 
his side, each with drawn 
weapons, and you will 
kill all who would cross 
your line. Take care of 
the king wherever he 
goes."
{I}9_{/}The commanders of 
the guards did what 
Jehoiada the priest had 
told them to do and they 
showed up with all their 
men, those who were to go 
off duty on the sabbath 
as well as those who were 
to come on duty on that 
day. {I}10_{/}Jehoiada 
entrusted to the officers 
the spears and shields of 
King David which were in 
the House of Yahweh. 
{I}11_{/}And then the 
guards stood from the 
southern corner of the 
house to the north, 
surrounding the altar and 
the House of Yahweh.
{I}12_{/}Then Jehoiada, 
the priest, brought out 
the king's son, crowned 
him and put the bracelets 
on him, then proclaimed 
and consecrated him king. 
All clapped their hands, 
shouting and crying out, 
"Long live the king!"
{I}13_{/}When Athaliah 
heard the noise of the 
people, she approached 
the crowd surrounding the 
House of Yahweh. 
{I}14_{/}The king was 
standing by the pillar, 
according to the custom, 
and the officers and the 
trumpeters were with him. 
The people were filled 
with joy and they were 
blowing trumpets. On 
seeing this, Athaliah 
tore her clothes and 
cried out, "Treason, 
treason!"
{I}15_{/}Jehoiada the 
priest commanded the 
officers, "Surround her 
and bring her out to the 
courtyard, and kill 
anyone who tries to 
defend her." He gave this 
order, because he 
thought, "She should not 
die in the House of 
Yahweh."
{I}16_{/}They brought her 
out, and when they 
reached the palace of the 
king by the horses' 
entrance, there they 
killed her.
{I}17_{/}Jehoiada made a 
covenant between Yahweh 
and the king and the 
people so they would be 
the people of Yahweh. 
{I}18_{/}All the citizens 
went to the temple of 
Baal and destroyed it. 
They broke the altars and 
the images into pieces, 
and killed Mattan, the 
priest of Baal, before 
his altar. 
Then Jehoiada, the 
priest, posted guards 
over the House of Yahweh. 
{I}19_{/}He led the 
officers, the guards of 
the king, the Carites 
guards and the citizens, 
and they accompanied the 
king to the palace, 
passing through the Gate 
of the Guards. King Joash 
sat on the royal throne. 
{I}20_{/}All the citizens 
were happy and the city 
was at peace. Now 
regarding Athaliah, she 
had died by the sword in 
the king's palace.
REIGN OF JOASH IN 
JUDAH{/}

{1}12{/}

{I}1_{/}Joash was seven 
years old when he began 
his reign. {I}2_{/}It was 
then the seventh year of 
Jehu, and he reigned for 
forty-two years in 
Jerusalem. His mother was 
Zibiah of Beer-sheba. 
{I}3_{/}Joash did what 
was right in the eyes of 
Yahweh as long as the 
priest Jehoiada guided 
him. {I}4_{/}But he did 
not demolish the 
sanctuaries on the 
hillsides where people 
continued offering 
sacrifices and burning 
incense.
{I}5_{/}Joash said to the 
priest, "All the money 
from the sacred 
contributions which the 
people bring to offer in 
the House of Yahweh, the 
money in cash, that which 
is offered as personal 
assessment, and that 
which is freely and 
voluntarily given in the 
House of Yahweh - 
{I}6_{/}all these you can 
receive. Let each one 
receive from the hand of 
those to whom he attends, 
but you are to repair the 
House of Yahweh, when 
anything needs to be 
repaired."
{I}7_{/}By the twenty-
third year of the reign 
of Joash, the priests had 
not yet carried out the 
repairs needed in the 
House of Yahweh. 
{I}8_{/}So the king 
summoned Jehoiada the 
priest and the other 
priests with him, and 
said to them, "Why have 
you not carried out the 
repairs of the House yet? 
From now on, you will no 
longer keep any money 
during your service, but 
shall set it aside for 
the repair of the House." 
{I}9_{/}The priests 
agreed that henceforth, 
they would not accept 
money from the people and 
would not be in charge of 
the repair of the House. 
{I}10_{/}So Jehoiada, the 
priest, had a box made 
with a hole in the cover. 
He placed this by the 
altar, to the right side 
of those entering the 
House of Yahweh, and the 
priests who were at the 
gates put in it all the 
money offered in the 
House of Yahweh.
{I}11_{/}Whenever they 
saw that the box was 
full, a secretary of the 
king would come, and 
together with the high 
priest, they would take 
and count the money. 
{I}12_{/}Then they would 
turn the amount over into 
the hands of those 
responsible for the work 
of the House, who would, 
in turn, pay with this 
money the carpenters and 
bricklayers doing the 
repairs. {I}13_{/}From 
this amount, they also 
bought the stones, wood 
and everything necessary 
for the repair of the 
House of Yahweh. 
{I}14_{/}But of this 
money given for the House 
of Yahweh, they did not 
make any silver cups, or 
cutting tools, or water 
jars, or trumpets, or any 
golden or silver objects, 
{I}15_{/}but all the 
money was used to pay 
those who were repairing 
the House of Yahweh. 
{I}16_{/}Accounts were 
not asked from those 
responsible for paying 
the laborers, since they 
acted with great honor. 
{I}17_{/}Only the money 
offered for the expiation 
of sins was for the 
priests.
{I}18_{/}At that time 
Hazael, king of Aram, 
went up to fight against 
Gath. He captured it and 
was heading for 
Jerusalem. {I}19_{/}So 
Joash, king of Judah, 
took all the precious 
things that his fathers, 
Jehoshaphat, Jehoram and 
Ahaziah, kings of Judah, 
had consecrated, with all 
that he himself had 
consecrated, and all the 
gold he could find in the 
treasury of the House of 
Yahweh and in those of 
the king's house. Then he 
sent them to Hazael, king 
of Aram, who left 
Jerusalem with them.
{I}20_{/}Now the rest 
regarding Joash and all 
that he did is written in 
the Book of the 
Chronicles of the Kings 
of Judah. 
{I}21_{/}Some of his 
officials plotted a 
conspiracy against him, 
and they killed him in 
Beth-Millo, as he was 
going to Silla. 
{I}22_{/}Jozacar, son of 
Shimeath, and Jehozabad, 
son of Shomer, struck him 
down, and he died. He was 
buried with his fathers 
in the city of David, and 
his son Amaziah reigned 
in his place.
JEHOAHAZ, KING OF 
ISRAEL{/}

{1}13{/}

{I}1_{/}In the twenty-
third year of Joash, son 
of Ahaziah, king of 
Judah, Jehoahaz, son of 
Jehu, began to rule over 
Israel from Samaria, its 
capital; he reigned for 
seventeen years. 
{I}2_{/}He acted badly 
towards Yahweh and 
persisted in the sins of 
Jeroboam, son of Nebat, 
which had become the sins 
of Israel, without 
turning away from them. 
{I}3_{/}So the anger of 
Yahweh burned against 
Israel, and he delivered 
them into the hands of 
Hazael, king of Aram, and 
into the hands of Ben-
hadad, son of Hazael, 
throughout that time.
{I}4_{/}But Jehoahaz 
prayed to Yahweh, and 
Yahweh listened to him 
for he had seen the 
oppression of Israel, how 
the king of Aram 
oppressed them. 
{I}5_{/}And Yahweh gave 
Israel a liberator who 
would free them from the 
oppression of Aram, so 
the Israelites could live 
peacefully in their homes 
as before. {I}6_{/}(But 
they did not turn away 
from the sins by which 
Jeroboam made Israel sin, 
for the sacred pillar 
still remained standing 
in Samaria.) {I}7_{/}No 
more than fifty horsemen, 
ten chariots of war and 
ten thousand soldiers 
were left of the army of 
Jehoahaz, for the king of 
Aram had wiped out all 
the rest like dust.
{I}8_{/}The rest about 
Jehoahaz, all that he did 
and his bravery are 
written in the Book of 
the Chronicles of the 
Kings of Israel. 
{I}9_{/}When Jehoahaz 
slept with his fathers, 
they buried him in 
Samaria and his son Joash 
reigned in his place.
JOASH, KING OF ISRAEL{/}

{I}10_{/}In the thirty-
seventh year of Joash, 
king of Judah, Joash, son 
of Jehoahaz, began to 
reign over Israel in 
Samaria, its capital; he 
reigned for sixteen 
years. {I}11_{/}He did 
what was evil in the eyes 
of Yahweh; he did not 
turn away from the sins 
which Jeroboam, son of 
Nebat, made Israel 
commit. {I}12_{/}The rest 
about Joash and all that 
he did, his bravery and 
how he fought against 
Amaziah, king of Judah 
are written in the Book 
of the Chronicles of the 
Kings of Israel. 
{I}13_{/}When Joash slept 
with his fathers, he was 
buried in Samaria, 
together with the kings 
of Israel, and Jeroboam 
sat upon his throne.
DEATH OF ELISHA{/}

{I}14_{/}When Elisha 
became very sick and was 
about to die, Joash, king 
of Israel, went down to 
him and went before him, 
saying, "My father! My 
father! Chariot and 
horses of Israel!" 
{I}15_{/}Elisha said to 
him, "Take a bow and 
arrows." So he took a bow 
and arrows. 
{I}16_{/}Elisha then said 
to the king, "Draw the 
bow," and the king drew 
the bow. Then Elisha put 
his hand on the king's 
hand {I}17_{/}and said, 
"Open the window towards 
the east." He opened it. 
Elisha then said, 
"Shoot!" And he shot. 
Elisha said, "Yahweh's 
arrow of victory, arrow 
of victory over Aram! You 
shall defeat Aram in 
Aphek until you utterly 
destroy them!" 
{I}18_{/}And he added, 
"Take the arrows." And he 
took them. Elisha said to 
the king, "Strike the 
ground with them." He 
struck three times and 
stopped. {I}19_{/}So the 
man of God became angry 
at him, and said, "You 
should have struck five 
or six times, then you 
would have struck down 
Aram completely. But now, 
you will strike down Aram 
only three times."
{I}20_{/}Elisha died and 
they buried him. A little 
later, a detachment of 
Moabites conducted a raid 
as they used to do at the 
beginning of every year. 
{I}21_{/}It happened that 
at that time some people 
were burying a dead man, 
when they saw the 
Moabites. So they quickly 
threw the body into the 
grave of Elisha, and then 
fled to safety. But as 
soon as the man's body 
touched the bones of 
Elisha, the man revived 
and stood on his feet.
{I}22_{/}Hazael, king of 
Aram, oppressed the 
Israelites throughout the 
reign of Jehoahaz. 
{I}23_{/}But Yahweh had 
pity and took compassion 
on them; he turned 
towards them because of 
his covenant with 
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, 
and would not utterly 
destroy them, or cast 
them far from his face. 
{I}24_{/}Hazael, the king 
of Aram, died; and his 
son Ben-hadad reigned in 
his place. {I}25_{/}Then 
Joash, son of Jehoahaz, 
again took from Ben-hadad 
the cities which Hazael 
had taken from Jehoahaz. 
Joash defeated him thrice 
and recovered the cities 
of Israel.
AMAZIAH, KING OF JUDAH{/}

{1}14{/}

{I}1_{/}Amaziah, son of 
Joash, king of Judah, 
began to reign in the 
second year of Joash, 
king of Israel. 
{I}2_{/}He was twenty-
five years old when he 
began to reign, and he 
reigned for twenty-nine 
years in Jerusalem. His 
mother was Jehoaddin of 
Jerusalem. {I}3_{/}He did 
what was right in the 
eyes of Yahweh, yet not 
like his father David; 
rather he acted like his 
father Joash. {I}4_{/}The 
Sanctuaries on the 
Hillside still stood; 
there the people 
continued to offer 
sacrifices and to burn 
incense.
{I}5_{/}When the kingdom 
was firmly in his hands, 
Amaziah killed the 
officers who had murdered 
the king, his father, 
{I}6_{/}but did not kill 
the sons of the 
assassins, according to 
what is written in the 
Law of Moses where Yahweh 
gave this command: "You 
shall not put the fathers 
to death because of their 
sons, nor shall you put 
the sons to death because 
of their fathers, but 
everyone shall be 
punished on account of 
his own crimes."
{I}7_{/}Amaziah conquered 
ten thousand Edomites in 
the valley of Salt, and 
conquered the Rock by 
arms, calling it 
Joktheel, which is its 
name to this day.
{I}8_{/}Then Amaziah sent 
messengers to Joash, son 
of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, 
king of Israel, to say to 
him, "Come up and let us 
see which of the two of 
us is better." 
{I}9_{/}Joash, king of 
Israel, sent as an answer 
to Amaziah, king of 
Judah: "A thornbush of 
Lebanon sent this message 
to a cedar of Lebanon: 
Give me your daughter to 
be my son's wife. But the 
wild beasts of Lebanon 
passed by and trampled 
down the bush. 
{I}10_{/}You now feel 
very proud since you 
conquered the Edomites. 
Be content with your fame 
and be quiet in your own 
house lest disgrace 
befall you and the people 
of Judah."
{I}11_{/}But Amaziah did 
not listen; so Joash, 
king of Israel, came and 
confronted him in Beth-
shemesh of Judah. 
{I}12_{/}Judah was 
defeated by Israel, and 
everyone of them fled to 
his home. {I}13_{/}Joash, 
king of Israel, took 
Amaziah, son of Ahaziah, 
as prisoner in Beth-
shemesh, and brought him 
to Jerusalem.
He made an opening two 
hundred meters wide in 
the wall of Jerusalem, 
from the Ephraim Gate to 
the Corner Gate. 
{I}14_{/}He took all the 
gold and silver, all that 
he found in the House of 
Yahweh and in the 
treasuries of the king's 
house, and hostages as 
well, and then returned 
to Samaria.
{I}15_{/}Now the rest 
about Joash, about his 
bravery and how he fought 
against Amaziah, king of 
Judah, is written in the 
Book of the Chronicles of 
the Kings of Israel. 
{I}16_{/}When Joash 
rested with his fathers, 
they buried him in 
Samaria with his 
ancestors, and his son 
Jeroboam reigned in his 
place.
{I}17_{/}Now about 
Amaziah: he lived fifteen 
more years after the 
death of Joash, king of 
Israel. {I}18_{/}The rest 
of the history of Amaziah 
is written in the Book of 
the Chronicles of the 
Kings of Judah. 
{I}19_{/}There were 
people who conspired 
against him in Jerusalem. 
So Amaziah took refuge in 
Lachish, but they pursued 
him and killed him in 
that city. {I}20_{/}His 
body was brought from 
there in a chariot, and 
they buried him in 
Jerusalem with his 
fathers in the city of 
David. {I}21_{/}Then, all 
the people of Judah took 
Azariah, who was sixteen 
years old, and proclaimed 
him king in place of his 
father Amaziah. 
{I}22_{/}He rebuilt Elath 
and restored it to Judah, 
after the king, his 
father, died.
JEROBOAM II, KING OF 
ISRAEL{/}

{I}23_{/}Jeroboam, son of 
Joash, king of Israel, 
began to reign in Samaria 
in the fifteenth year of 
the reign of Amaziah, 
king of Judah. He reigned 
for forty-one years, 
{I}24_{/}and during his 
reign he acted badly 
towards Yahweh, for he 
did not turn away from 
the sins which Jeroboam, 
son of Nebat, made Israel 
commit. {I}25_{/}He 
restored the border of 
Israel from the entrance 
of Hamath up to the Dead 
Sea, according to the 
word which Yahweh, the 
God of Israel, had said 
through the mouth of his 
servant, the prophet 
Jonah, the son of Amittai 
from Gath-hepher. 
{I}26_{/}Yahweh had seen 
the extreme bitter misery 
of Israel; there was no 
one left, neither slave 
nor freeman, who would 
help Israel. {I}27_{/}But 
Yahweh did not decide to 
wipe out the name of 
Israel from under the 
heavens, so he saved them 
by the hand of Jeroboam, 
son of Joash.
{I}28_{/}Now the rest 
regarding Jeroboam, all 
that he did and his 
bravery, how he fought 
and restored Hamath and 
Damascus to Israel, is 
written in the Book of 
the Chronicles of the 
Kings of Israel. 
{I}29_{/}When Jeroboam 
died, he was buried with 
the kings of Israel, and 
his son Zechariah reigned 
in his place.
AZARIAH, KING OF JUDAH{/}

{1}15{/}

{I}1_{/}Azariah, son of 
Amaziah, king of Judah, 
began to reign in the 
twenty-seventh year of 
the reign of Jeroboam in 
Israel. {I}2_{/}He was 
sixteen years old when he 
began his reign; he 
reigned for fifty-two 
years in Jerusalem. His 
mother was Jecoliah of 
Jerusalem.
{I}3_{/}He did what 
pleased Yahweh, like his 
father Amaziah had done. 
{I}4_{/}But the 
Sanctuaries of the 
Hillsides were not 
demolished, and the 
people still offered 
sacrifices and burned 
incense on them.
{I}5_{/}Yahweh struck 
down the king. He became 
sick with leprosy, and he 
remained a leper to the 
day of his death. He 
lived in an isolated 
house, while Jotham, his 
son, was head of the 
king's household and 
administered justice in 
the kingdom.
{I}6_{/}Now the rest 
about Azariah and all 
that he did is written in 
the Book of the 
Chronicles of the Kings 
of Judah. {I}7_{/}When 
Azariah died, they buried 
him with his fathers in 
the city of David, and 
his son Jotham succeeded 
him.
THE LAST KINGS OF 
ISRAEL{/}

{I}8_{/}Zechariah, son of 
Jeroboam, began to reign 
over Israel in Samaria, 
its capital, in the 
thirty-eighth year of 
Azariah, king of Judah. 
For the six months that 
he stayed in power, 
{I}9_{/}he acted badly 
towards Yahweh, as his 
fathers had done, for he 
did not turn away from 
the sins which Jeroboam, 
son of Nebat, made Israel 
commit.
{I}10_{/}Shallum, son of 
Jabesh, conspired against 
him, and struck him down 
at Ibleam. He killed him 
and reigned in his place.
{I}11_{/}Now the rest 
regarding Zechariah is 
written in the Book of 
the Chronicles of the 
Kings of Israel. 
{I}12_{/}In this way the 
promise Yahweh had made 
to Jehu was fulfilled: 
"Your sons until the 
fourth generation shall 
sit upon the throne of 
Israel." And so it was.
{I}13_{/}Shallum, son of 
Jabesh, began to reign in 
the thirty-ninth year of 
Uzziah, king of Judah, 
and he reigned for a 
month in Samaria. 
{I}14_{/}Then Menahem, 
son of Gadi, rebelled 
against him in Tirzah. He 
came to Samaria and 
killed Shallum in that 
city. Having killed 
Shallum, Menahem reigned 
in his place.
{I}15_{/}Now the rest 
about Shallum and the 
conspiracy which he 
plotted is written in the 
Book of the Chronicles of 
the Kings of Israel.
{I}16_{/}Then Menahem 
seized Tappuah and killed 
its inhabitants, 
devastating its territory 
from Tirzah onwards, 
since they would not open 
the gates to him. And he 
ripped open all the 
pregnant women.
{I}17_{/}Menahem, son of 
Gadi, began to reign in 
the thirty-ninth year of 
Azariah, king of Judah. 
He reigned for ten years 
in Samaria, {I}18_{/}and 
he too acted badly 
towards Yahweh, for he 
did not turn away from 
the sins of Jeroboam, son 
of Nebat, which he made 
Israel commit. 
{I}19_{/}In his days, 
Pul, the king of Assyria, 
invaded the land of 
Israel. And Menahem had 
to give him a thousand 
talents of silver so that 
the king of Asshur would 
receive him as an ally 
and keep him in power. 
{I}20_{/}Menahem exacted 
the money from all the 
wealthy and prominent 
people of Israel to give 
to the king of Asshur: 
fifty pieces of silver 
from each one. With this, 
the king of Asshur turned 
back and did not stay 
there in the land.
{I}21_{/}Now the rest 
regarding Menahem and all 
that he did is written in 
the Book of the 
Chronicles of the Kings 
of Israel. {I}22_{/}When 
Menahem died, his son 
Pekahiah succeeded him.
{I}23_{/}Pekahiah, son of 
Menahem, began to reign 
over Israel in Samaria in 
the fiftieth year of 
Azariah, king of Judah. 
He reigned for two years, 
{I}24_{/}during which he 
acted badly towards 
Yahweh; he did not turn 
away from the sins which 
Jeroboam, son of Nebat, 
made Israel commit.
{I}25_{/}His general, 
Pekah, son of Remaliah, 
rebelled against him. He 
led some fifty men from 
the province of Gilead, 
and they came to kill him 
in Samaria in the tower 
of the palace. With the 
king dead, Pekah 
succeeded him.
{I}26_{/}The rest about 
Pekahiah and all that he 
did is written in the 
Book of the Chronicles of 
the Kings of Israel.
{I}27_{/}In the fifty-
second year of Azariah, 
king of Judah, Pekah, son 
of Remaliah, began to 
reign over Israel in 
Samaria, its capital. He 
reigned for twenty years, 
and he acted badly 
towards Yahweh, 
{I}28_{/}for he did not 
turn away from the sins 
which Jeroboam made 
Israel commit.
{I}29_{/}In the time of 
Pekah, king of Israel, 
Tiglath-pileser, king of 
Assyria, came and seized 
Iyon, Abel-beth-maacah, 
Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, 
the territory of Gilead 
and Galilee, and the 
whole land of Naphtali, 
and deported their 
inhabitants to Asshur. 
{I}30_{/}Then Hoshea, son 
of Elah, conspired 
against Pekah, son of 
Remaliah, killed him and 
reigned in his place. 
{I}31_{/}The rest about 
Pekah and all that he did 
is written in the Book of 
the Chronicles of the 
Kings of Israel.
JOTHAM, KING OF JUDAH{/}

{I}32_{/}Jotham, son of 
Uzziah, king of Judah, 
began to reign in the 
second year of Pekah, son 
of Remaliah, king of 
Israel. {I}33_{/}Jotham 
was twenty-five years old 
when he began to reign, 
and he reigned for 
sixteen years in 
Jerusalem. His mother was 
Jerusha, daughter of 
Zadok. 
{I}34_{/}He did what 
pleased Yahweh, as his 
father had done, 
{I}35_{/}but he did not 
abolish the Sanctuaries 
on the high places where 
the people continued to 
offer sacrifices and burn 
incense.
He built the Upper Gate 
of the House of Yahweh. 
{I}36_{/}The rest about 
Jotham and all that he 
did is written in the 
Book of the Chronicles of 
the Kings of Judah. 
{I}37_{/}In those days, 
Yahweh began to send 
Rezin, king of Aram, and 
Pekah, son of Remaliah, 
against Judah. 
{I}38_{/}When Jotham 
died, they buried him 
with his fathers in the 
city of his ancestor 
David, and his son Ahaz 
succeeded him.
AHAZ, KING OF JUDAH{/}

{1}16{/}

{I}1_{/}In the 
seventeenth year of the 
reign of Pekah, son of 
Remaliah, Ahaz the son of 
Jotham, king of Judah, 
began to reign. 
{I}2_{/}Ahaz was then 
twenty years old and he 
reigned for sixteen years 
in Jerusalem. He did not 
do what pleased Yahweh, 
his God, as his father 
David had done. 
{I}3_{/}He walked in the 
way of the kings of 
Israel, and even 
sacrificed his son in the 
fire, according to the 
hateful practices of 
those nations which 
Yahweh had expelled from 
the land, so the children 
of Israel could occupy 
their place. {I}4_{/}He 
offered sacrifices in the 
sanctuaries on the hills, 
on the slopes and under 
every green tree. 
{I}5_{/}Then Rezin, king 
of Aram, and Pekah, son 
of Remaliah, king of 
Israel, came up to fight 
Jerusalem. They 
surrounded it, but could 
not conquer it. 
{I}6_{/}At that time 
Rezin, king of Aram, 
recovered Elath for the 
Edomites, expelling the 
Jews from there. The 
Edomites then entered 
Elath and lived there 
until now.
{I}7_{/}Ahaz sent 
messengers to Tiglath-
pileser, king of Asshur, 
to tell him, "I am your 
servant and your son. 
Come then and rescue me 
from the hands of the 
king of Aram and of the 
king of Israel, who wage 
war against me." 
{I}8_{/}Ahaz took the 
silver and gold that was 
in the House of Yahweh 
and the treasures from 
the house of the king, 
and sent them as a gift 
to the king of Asshur. 
{I}9_{/}The king of 
Asshur paid heed to him 
and went to attack 
Damascus; he seized that 
city and exiled its 
inhabitants to Kir, then 
he killed Rezin.
{I}10_{/}So King Ahaz 
went to Damascus to meet 
with Tiglath-pileser, 
king of Asshur. And when 
he saw the altar in 
Damascus, he sent to 
Uriah the priest, the 
measurement of that altar 
together with the design 
which he copied exactly 
in all its details.
{I}11_{/}The priest Uriah 
built the altar according 
to the design the king 
had sent him from 
Damascus. He finished it 
before King Ahaz arrived 
from Damascus. 
{I}12_{/}When the king 
returned from Damascus, 
he saw the altar, 
approached it and went up 
to it. {I}13_{/}He burned 
on that altar his 
holocausts and 
sacrifices. There he made 
his libation and shed the 
blood of his peace 
offerings. {I}14_{/}He 
removed the altar of 
bronze that was before 
Yahweh, from the front of 
the House, from between 
the new altar and the 
House of Yahweh, and he 
placed it on the north 
side of his new altar.
King Ahaz ordered the 
priest Uriah, 
{I}15_{/}"Upon this great 
altar you shall burn the 
morning holocaust and the 
evening sacrifice, the 
king's holocaust and his 
sacrifice, the holocausts 
of the people of the 
land, their sacrifices 
and libations. You shall 
shed upon it all the 
blood of the holocausts 
and sacrifices. As for 
the bronze altar, I will 
deal with it." 
{I}16_{/}The priest Uriah 
did as the king had 
commanded him.
{I}17_{/}The king 
dismantled the paneling 
of the stands, removed 
the washbasins from on 
top of them, took down 
the big bronze basin from 
the top of the oxen that 
supported it, and placed 
it upon the stone 
pavement. Now, about the 
throne which had been 
built within the House of 
Yahweh and the outer 
entrance for the king, 
{I}18_{/}he removed them 
from the House of Yahweh 
because of the king of 
Asshur.
{I}19_{/}The rest 
regarding Ahaz and all 
that he did is written in 
the Book of the 
Chronicles of the Kings 
of Judah. {I}20_{/}When 
Ahaz died, they buried 
him with his fathers in 
the city of David, and 
his son Hezekiah 
succeeded him.
END OF THE KINGDOM OF 
ISRAEL IN THE NORTH{/}

{1}17{/}

{I}1_{/}Hoshea, son of 
Elah, began to reign in 
Israel in the twelfth 
year of Ahaz, king of 
Judah. He reigned for 
nine years in the city of 
Samaria, {I}2_{/}and he 
acted badly towards 
Yahweh though not as bad 
as the previous kings of 
Israel.
{I}3_{/}Shalmaneser, king 
of Asshur, came with his 
army to attack Hoshea, 
who surrendered to him 
and began paying taxes to 
him. {I}4_{/}But the king 
of Asshur discovered that 
Hoshea was plotting 
against him, for Hoshea 
had sent messengers to 
So, king of Egypt, and 
did not pay him the taxes 
as he had done every 
year. Shalmaneser 
arrested him, and then 
put him in prison.
{I}5_{/}The army of the 
king of Asshur subjected 
the whole of Israel, and 
they came to Samaria and 
laid siege to it for 
three years. {I}6_{/}In 
the ninth year of Hoshea, 
the king of Assyria 
captured Samaria, exiled 
the Israelites to Asshur 
and made them settle in 
Halah, at the banks of 
Habor, the river of 
Gozan, as well as in the 
cities of the Medes.
CAUSES OF THE FALL OF 
ISRAEL{/}

{I}7_{/}This happened 
because the children of 
Israel had sinned against 
Yahweh, their God, who 
had brought them out of 
the land of Egypt, where 
they were subject to 
Pharaoh, but they had 
turned back to other 
gods. {I}8_{/}They 
followed the customs of 
the nations which Yahweh 
had driven out before 
them.
{I}9_{/}The children of 
Israel introduced many 
innovations that offended 
Yahweh, their God. They 
built sanctuaries in all 
the cities, from the 
watchtowers to the 
fortified cities. 
{I}10_{/}They placed 
images and sacred pillars 
on all the hills and 
under every green tree. 
{I}11_{/}There they 
burned incense in their 
sanctuaries on the hills, 
like the nations Yahweh 
had dispossessed for 
them.
They did wicked things, 
provoking Yahweh to 
anger. {I}12_{/}They 
served their filthy idols 
in spite of what Yahweh 
had told them: "You must 
not do such a thing." 
{I}13_{/}Yahweh warned 
Israel and Judah through 
the mouth of every 
prophet and seer, saying: 
"Turn from your evil ways 
and keep my commandments 
and precepts according to 
the laws which I 
commanded your fathers 
and which I have sent to 
you by my servants, the 
prophets."
{I}14_{/}But they did not 
listen and refused as did 
their fathers who did not 
believe in Yahweh, their 
God. {I}15_{/}They 
despised his statutes and 
the covenant he had made 
with their fathers, and 
the warnings he had given 
them. They went after 
worthless idols and they 
themselves became 
worthless, following the 
nations which surrounded 
them, in spite of what 
Yahweh had said, "Do not 
do as they do."
{I}16_{/}They abandoned 
all the commandments of 
Yahweh and fashioned two 
calves of bronze. They 
made sacred pillars and 
knelt before all the 
stars of heaven, and 
worshiped Baal.
{I}17_{/}They sacrificed 
their sons and daughters 
in the fire, practiced 
divination and magic, and 
sold themselves to 
evildoing in the sight of 
Yahweh enkindling his 
anger.
{I}18_{/}So Yahweh became 
indignant with Israel and 
cast them far away from 
his presence, leaving 
only the tribe of Judah.
{I}19_{/}But neither did 
Judah keep the 
commandments of Yahweh, 
their God; on the 
contrary, they followed 
the customs practiced in 
Israel. {I}20_{/}Because 
of this, Yahweh rejected 
the whole race of Israel. 
He humbled them and 
delivered them into the 
hands of plunderers, 
until the day came when 
he drove them far away 
from his presence. 
{I}21_{/}When he divided 
the kingdom of David, 
Israel chose Jeroboam, 
son of Nebat, as king: he 
made them commit a great 
sin by separating 
themselves from Yahweh. 
{I}22_{/}The Israelites 
followed Jeroboam in his 
sins, and did not turn 
away from them 
{I}23_{/}until Yahweh had 
removed Israel from his 
presence, according to 
the warning given them 
through his servants, the 
prophets. So Israel was 
exiled from its land to 
the country of Asshur 
until this day.
THE ORIGIN OF THE 
SAMARITANS{/}

{I}24_{/}The king of 
Asshur brought people 
from Babylon, Cuthah, 
Avva, Hamath and 
Sepharvaim, and he 
settled them in the 
cities of Samaria in 
place of the Israelites. 
These people occupied the 
country of Samaria and 
resided in its cities.
{I}25_{/}When they first 
settled there they did 
not worship Yahweh, so 
Yahweh sent lions which 
killed many of them. 
{I}26_{/}Then it was 
reported to the king of 
Asshur, "The people you 
deported and sent to 
Samaria to settle in its 
cities do not know how 
Yahweh, the God of the 
land, should be honored, 
so he has sent lions 
which are killing them."
{I}27_{/}So the king of 
Asshur commanded, "Let 
one of the priests we 
have banished from 
Samaria return there. Let 
him go and live with 
those people and teach 
them how to honor the God 
of that land." 
{I}28_{/}So, one of the 
priests who had been 
banished from Samaria 
came back, and staying in 
Bethel, taught these 
people how they should 
honor Yahweh.
{I}29_{/}Yet each of 
these nations made its 
own gods, and placed them 
in the sanctuaries on the 
hills which the 
Samaritans had built. 
Each of these nations put 
their god in the city 
where they settled: 
{I}30_{/}the Babylonians 
set up the idol Succoth, 
the inhabitants of Cuth 
made Negal, the 
inhabitants of Hamath 
made Ashima, 
{I}31_{/}those of Avva 
made Nibjaz and Tartak. 
Those of Sepharvaim 
burned their children in 
the fire in honor of 
Adrammelech and 
Anammelech, their gods. 
{I}32_{/}They worshiped 
Yahweh, but they 
appointed for themselves 
priests from among their 
people, who served Yahweh 
in the Houses on the 
hills. {I}33_{/}They 
honored Yahweh but at the 
same time, served their 
own gods, according to 
the customs of the 
nations where they had 
been banished.
{I}34_{/}Until this very 
day, they still observe 
the old customs. They do 
not honor Yahweh since 
they do not follow the 
precepts and customs, the 
Law or the commandments 
which Yahweh had given to 
the children of Jacob to 
whom he had given the 
name Israel. 
{I}35_{/}Yahweh had made 
a covenant with them, 
commanding them, "Do not 
honor other gods or bow 
down before them, or 
serve them or offer them 
sacrifices. {I}36_{/}You 
shall honor Yahweh alone, 
who brought you out of 
the land of Egypt with 
the strength of his arm; 
before him you shall bow 
and to him alone shall 
you offer sacrifices. 
{I}37_{/}Keep the 
precepts, the ordinances, 
the Law and the 
commandments he wrote for 
you. Fulfill them all 
your days and do not 
adore strange gods. 
{I}38_{/}Do not forsake 
the covenant he made with 
you and do not adore 
strange gods, 
{I}39_{/}but adore only 
Yahweh, your God, and he 
shall free you from the 
hand of all your 
enemies." {I}40_{/}But 
they did not pay 
attention; instead they 
followed their ancient 
customs.
{I}41_{/}So these people 
honored Yahweh, but at 
the same time also served 
their idols; and after 
them, their children and 
their children's children 
continued doing what 
their fathers had done.
HEZEKIAH, KING OF 
JUDAH{/}

{1}18{/}

{I}1_{/}Hezekiah, son of 
Ahaz, began to reign in 
Judah in the third year 
of Hoshea, son of Elah, 
king of Israel. 
{I}2_{/}He was twenty-
five years old then, and 
his reign in Jerusalem 
lasted for twenty-nine 
years. His mother was 
Abijah, daughter of 
Zechariah. {I}3_{/}He did 
what was right in the 
eyes of Yahweh, like 
David, his ancestor.
{I}4_{/}He did away with 
the sanctuaries on the 
hills, demolished the 
standing stones and cut 
down the sacred pillars.
He also destroyed the 
bronze serpent that Moses 
had fashioned in the 
desert for, until that 
time, the Israelites were 
offering sacrifices to it 
and called it Nehushtan.
{I}5_{/}He trusted in 
Yahweh more than any of 
the kings of Judah who 
preceded or succeeded him 
and he never departed 
from Yahweh. {I}6_{/}He 
kept the commandments 
Yahweh had given through 
Moses. {I}7_{/}For that 
reason, Yahweh was with 
him; he succeeded in all 
his undertakings. He 
rebelled against the king 
of Assyria and was no 
longer subject to him. 
{I}8_{/}He imposed his 
authority on the 
Philistines as far as 
Gaza, and seized their 
land from the watchtowers 
to the fortified cities.
{I}9_{/}In the fourth 
year of Hezekiah's reign, 
which was the seventh 
year of Hoshea, son of 
Elah, king of Israel, 
Shalmaneser, king of 
Assyria, came against 
Samaria and besieged it. 
{I}10_{/}At the end of 
three years, he conquered 
it. In the sixth year of 
Hezekiah, which was the 
ninth year of Hoshea, 
king of Israel, Samaria 
was conquered. 
{I}11_{/}The king of 
Assyria deported the 
Israelites to Assyria and 
settled them in Halah, on 
the Habor, the river of 
Gozan, and in the cities 
of the Medes.
{I}12_{/}This happened to 
them because they did not 
listen to the voice of 
Yahweh, their God, and 
had broken his covenant; 
they did not listen to 
nor put into practice 
what Moses, the servant 
of Yahweh, had commanded 
them.
SENNACHERIB'S INVASION{/}

{I}13_{/}In the 
fourteenth year of 
Hezekiah's reign, 
Sennacherib, king of 
Assyria, came up and 
invaded Judah; he laid 
siege to all the 
fortified cities and 
seized all of them. 
{I}14_{/}Hezekiah, king 
of Judah, sent a message 
to Sennacherib who was in 
Lachish, "I have acted 
badly, stop your attack 
and I will do whatever 
you demand of me." The 
king of Assyria demanded 
that Hezekiah give a 
contribution of three 
hundred talents of silver 
and thirty of gold.
{I}15_{/}Hezekiah then 
handed over to him all 
the money that was found 
in the House of Yahweh 
and in the treasuries of 
the royal palace. 
{I}16_{/}It was at that 
time that Hezekiah 
ordered that the gold 
sheets, with which he 
himself had adorned the 
doorposts, be stripped 
from the gates of the 
House of Yahweh, and 
given to the king of 
Assyria.
{I}17_{/}From Lachish the 
king of Assyria sent his 
field commander with a 
large army to King 
Hezekiah in Jerusalem. 
They halted at the 
channel of the Upper Pool 
on the highway to the 
Fuller's Field. The field 
commander called for the 
king; and 
{I}18_{/}Eliakim son of 
Hilkiah, the palace 
administrator, went out 
to him together with 
Shebnah the secretary and 
Joah son of Asaph, the 
recorder.
{I}19_{/}The field 
commander said to them, 
"Give Hezekiah this 
message from the great 
king of Assyria: How can 
you be so confident? 
{I}20_{/}You thought that 
words are as good as 
wisdom and replace 
strength in time of war? 
On whom are you relying 
that you rebel against 
me? {I}21{/}You rely on 
Egypt, a broken staff 
which pierces the palm of 
him who leans on it. Such 
is Pharaoh, king of 
Egypt, for all who rely 
on him. {I}22_{/}Yes, you 
may say to me: 'We rely 
on Yahweh our God.' But 
isn't he the one whose 
altars and high places 
Hezekiah removed when he 
commanded Judah and 
Jerusalem: You shall 
worship before this 
altar?
{I}23_{/}Come now, make a 
bargain with my master, 
the king. I will give you 
two thousand horses if 
you are able to supply 
riders. {I}24_{/}How 
could you ever repulse 
one of the least of my 
master's generals? And 
you rely on Egypt for 
chariots and horsemen! 
{I}25_{/}Do you think 
that I have come to 
attack and destroy this 
land without consulting 
Yahweh? He himself said 
to me: Go up to this land 
and conquer it!" 
{I}26_{/}Then Eliakim and 
Shebna and Joah said to 
the field commander, 
"Speak to your servants 
in Aramaic; we understand 
it. Do not speak to us in 
Hebrew in the hearing of 
these people on the 
walls."
{I}27_{/}But the field 
commander said, "Do you 
think that my master sent 
me to speak these words 
only to your master and 
to you? Is it not also to 
the men on the walls who, 
with you, will have to 
eat their own dung and 
drink their own urine?"
{I}28_{/}Then the field 
commander stood and cried 
out with a loud voice in 
Hebrew, "Hear the words 
of the great king of 
Assyria: {I}29_{/}Do not 
let Hezekiah deceive you! 
No, he will not be able 
to help you! {I}30_{/}Do 
not listen to him when he 
tells you to trust in 
Yahweh, saying, 'Yahweh 
will save us; this city 
will not be given over to 
the king of Assyria.' Do 
not listen to Hezekiah 
but {I}31_{/}to what the 
king of Assyria says, 
'Make your peace with me 
and surrender. Then I 
will let each of you eat 
of your vine and of your 
fig tree and drink the 
water of your cistern 
until I come again. 
{I}32_{/}Then I will take 
you to a land like your 
own land, a land of grain 
and new wine, of bread 
and vineyards, of oil and 
honey, that you may live 
and not die. 
Hezekiah is misleading 
you when he says that 
Yahweh will save you. 
{I}33_{/}Have the gods of 
the nations rescued their 
land from the hands of 
the king of Assyria? 
{I}34_{/}Where are the 
gods of Hamath and Arpad? 
Where are the gods of 
Sepharvaim, Hena and 
Ivvah? And have the gods 
delivered Samaria from my 
hand? {I}35_{/}Who among 
all the gods of these 
nations has been able to 
save his country from me? 
Do you think that Yahweh 
will deliver Jerusalem 
from my hand?"
{I}36_{/}The people were 
like deaf men and 
remained silent, since 
the king had commanded 
them not to answer him.
{I}37_{/}Then Eliakim 
with Shebna and Joah came 
to Hezekiah with their 
clothes torn and told him 
what the field commander 
had said.
{1}19{/}

{I}1_{/}When King 
Hezekiah heard this he 
tore his clothes, covered 
himself with sackcloth 
and went to the house of 
Yahweh. {I}2_{/}He sent 
Eliakim, the overseer of 
the palace, Shebna, the 
secretary, and the elders 
among the priests, all 
wearing sackcloth, to the 
prophet Isaiah son of 
Amoz.
{I}3_{/}And they said to 
Isaiah, "This is what 
Hezekiah says: 'Today is 
a day of distress, rebuke 
and disgrace, as when 
children are at the point 
of birth and there is no 
strength to deliver them. 
{I}4_{/}Would that your 
God might hear the words 
of the field commander, 
whom his master the king 
of Assyria has sent. May 
Yahweh your God rebuke 
him for the words he 
said, insulting the 
living God. Therefore 
offer a prayer for the 
few of us that are left."
{I}5_{/}When King 
Hezekiah's officials came 
to Isaiah, {I}6_{/}he 
said to them: "Tell your 
master this word of 
Yahweh: Do not fear 
because of the words you 
have heard, with which 
the servants of the king 
of Assyria have insulted 
me. {I}7_{/}Listen! I 
will let him be 
frightened. Then he will 
return to his country, 
and there I will have him 
slain by the sword."
{I}8_{/}The field 
commander returned and 
found the king of Assyria 
fighting against Libnah, 
for he had heard that the 
king had left Lachish. 
{I}9_{/}This was because 
King Sennacherib had 
heard that Tirhakah, the 
Cushite king of Egypt, 
was going out to fight 
him. 
SENNACHERIB'S LETTER TO 
HEZEKIAH{/}

Again Sennacherib sent 
messengers to Hezekiah 
with these words, 
{I}10_{/}"Say to 
Hezekiah, king of Judah 
that his God in whom he 
trusts may be deceiving 
him in saying that 
Jerusalem will not be 
given into the hands of 
the king of Assyria. 
{I}11_{/}Surely you have 
heard what the kings of 
Assyria have done to all 
the lands they have 
destroyed! And will you 
be spared? {I}12_{/}Have 
their gods saved the 
nations that my fathers 
destroyed? Gozan and 
Haran, Rezeph and the 
sons of Eden who were in 
Telassar? {I}13_{/}Where 
is the king of Hamath, 
the king of Arpad, the 
kings of the city of 
Sepharvaim, of Hena and 
Ivvah?"
{I}14_{/}Hezekiah took 
the letter from the 
messengers, and when he 
had read it he went to 
the house of Yahweh where 
he unrolled the letter 
{I}15_{/}and prayed 
saying, "O Yahweh, God of 
hosts and God of Israel, 
enthroned above the 
cherubim! You alone are 
God over all the kingdoms 
of the earth; you have 
made the heavens and the 
earth. {I}16_{/}Give ear, 
Yahweh, and hear! Open 
your eyes and see! Listen 
to all the words of 
Sennacherib who has sent 
men to insult the living 
God! {I}17_{/}It is true, 
Yahweh, that the kings of 
Assyria have laid waste 
all the countries of the 
earth. {I}18_{/}They have 
thrown their gods into 
the fire and destroyed 
them, for they were not 
true gods but gods made 
of wood and stone by 
human hands. 
{I}19_{/}Now, O Yahweh 
our God, save us from his 
hand and let all the 
kingdoms of the earth 
know that you alone, 
Yahweh, are God."
ISAIAH INTERVENES{/}

{I}20_{/}Then Isaiah, son 
of Amoz, sent word to 
Hezekiah: "You have 
called upon Yahweh and he 
has heard your prayer 
regarding Sennacherib, 
king of Assyria. 
{I}21_{/}This is what 
Yahweh has spoken against 
him:
The Virgin Daughter of 
Zion
despises and scorns you;
the Daughter of Jerusalem
shakes her head behind 
you.
{I}22_{/}Whom have you 
insulted and blasphemed?
Against whom have you 
raised your voice
and lifted up your eyes 
in arrogance?
Against the Holy One of 
Israel!
{I}23_{/}Through your 
servants
you have insulted Yahweh.
For you have said:
With the enormous number 
of my chariots,
I have ascended the 
heights of the mountains,
the topmost recesses of 
Lebanon.
I have cut down its 
tallest cedars
and its choicest fir 
trees.
I have climbed its 
remotest heights to the 
densest of its forests.
{I}24_{/}I have dug wells 
and drunk waters;
I have dried up with the 
soles of my feet all the 
streams of Egypt.
{I}25_{/}Have you not 
heard
how I decreed it long 
ago,
how I planned from days 
of old
what now I have brought 
to pass?
Your ordained role was
to lay waste fortified 
cities,
to turn them into ruinous 
heaps.
{I}26_{/}Shorn of power, 
their inhabitants
have been dismayed and 
confounded;
they have been as the 
grass
and green plants in the 
field, as the grass on 
the housetops,
scorched before it has 
grown.
{I}27_{/}I know whenever 
you rise or sit, whenever 
you go out or come in; 
and I know your rage 
against me.
{I}28_{/}Because of your 
rage against me
and your arrogance that I 
have heard of,
I will put my hook in 
your nose
and my bridle in your 
mouth,
and I will turn you back
on the way by which you 
came.
{I}29_{/}This will be a 
sign for you, O Hezekiah: 
This year you will eat 
the after-growth grain, 
and next year what grows 
from that, but in the 
third year, sow and reap, 
plant vines and eat the 
fruit.
{I}30_{/}A remnant of the 
house of Judah shall take 
root below and produce 
fruit above. {I}31_{/}For 
a remnant will come from 
Jerusalem and survivors 
from Mount Zion. The zeal 
of Yahweh of hosts will 
accomplish this. 
{I}32_{/}That is why 
Yahweh has said this 
concerning the king of 
Assyria: He shall not 
enter this city nor shoot 
his arrows. He shall not 
raise a shield to oppose 
it nor build a siege ramp 
against it. {I}33_{/}He 
shall leave by the way he 
came and he shall not 
enter the city, word of 
Yahweh. {I}34_{/}I will 
protect this city and so 
save it for my own sake 
and for the sake of 
David, my servant. 
{I}35_{/}It happened that 
the angel of Yahweh went 
out that night and struck 
one hundred and eighty-
five thousand men in the 
Assyrian camp. When the 
people rose early next 
morning there were all 
the corpses.
{I}36_{/}So Sennacherib, 
king of Assyria, 
departed, returned home 
and lived in Nineveh. 
{I}37_{/}While he was 
worshiping in the temple 
of his god, Nisroch, his 
sons Adrammelech and 
Sharezer slew him with 
the sword and then 
escaped to the land of 
Ararat. And Esarhaddon, 
his son, succeeded him as 
king.
HEZEKIAH'S ILLNESS{/}

{1}20{/}

{I}1_{/}In those days 
Hezekiah fell mortally 
ill and the prophet 
Isaiah, son of Amoz, went 
to him with a message 
from Yahweh, "Put your 
house in order for you 
shall die; you shall not 
live."
{I}2_{/}Hezekiah turned 
his face to the wall and 
prayed to Yahweh, 
{I}3_{/}"Ah, Yahweh! 
Remember how I have 
walked before you in 
truth and wholeheartedly, 
and have done what is 
good in your sight." And 
Hezekiah wept bitterly.
{I}4_{/}Isaiah had still 
not reached the central 
courtyard when the word 
of Yahweh came to him, 
{I}5_{/}"Go back and tell 
Hezekiah, the ruler of my 
people, what Yahweh, the 
God of his father David, 
says: "I have heard your 
prayer and I have seen 
your tears. And now I 
will cure you. On the 
third day you will go up 
to the house of Yahweh. 
{I}6_{/}See! I am adding 
fifteen years to your 
life and I will save you 
and this city from the 
power of the king of 
Assyria. I will defend it 
for my sake and for the 
sake of David my 
servant."
{I}8_{/}Hezekiah said to 
Isaiah, "What shall be 
the sign that Yahweh will 
heal me and that I shall 
go up to the House of 
Yahweh within three 
days?" {I}9_{/}Isaiah 
answered, "This shall be 
the sign for you in 
Yahweh's name, that 
Yahweh shall do what he 
has said: Do you wish the 
shadow of the second 
story to go forward ten 
steps or to go back?" 
{I}10_{/}Hezekiah said, 
"It is easy for the 
shadow to lengthen ten 
steps, but it shall be 
wonderful if the shadow 
goes back ten steps." 
{I}11_{/}The prophet 
Isaiah called on Yahweh, 
and Yahweh made the 
shadow go back ten steps, 
line by line, on the ten 
steps it had covered on 
the stairway.
{I}7_{/}Isaiah then said, 
"Bring a fig cake to rub 
on the ulcer and let 
Hezekiah be cured!"
{I}12_{/}At that time 
Merodach-baladan, son of 
Baladan, king of Babylon, 
sent letters and a gift 
to Hezekiah after hearing 
that he was recovering 
from an illness. 
{I}13_{/}Hezekiah 
rejoiced, so he showed 
the envoys his treasure 
house - the silver, the 
gold, the spices, the 
fragrant oils, his 
weapons and all that was 
in the treasury. There 
was nothing in this 
palace, or in all he 
possessed that Hezekiah 
did not show.
{I}14_{/}Then the prophet 
Isaiah went to the king 
and said, "What did these 
men say? Where did they 
come from?" The king 
answered, "They have come 
from a far country, from 
Babylon." {I}15_{/}Isaiah 
said, "And what have they 
seen in your house?" The 
king answered, "They have 
seen all that is in my 
house; there is nothing 
in my treasuries that I 
did not show them."
{I}16_{/}So Isaiah said 
to the king, "Listen to 
this word of Yahweh: 
{I}17_{/}The days are 
coming when all that is 
in your house and all 
that your fathers have 
stored up to this day 
shall be taken to 
Babylon; nothing shall be 
left, says Yahweh. 
{I}18_{/}Some of your own 
sons who are born of your 
blood shall be taken 
away, and they shall be 
eunuchs in the palace of 
the king of Babylon." 
{I}19_{/}Hezekiah 
answered Isaiah, "What 
you say is a good word 
from Yahweh"; for he 
thought, "What does it 
matter just so I have 
peace and security in my 
own lifetime?"
{I}20_{/}Now the rest 
regarding Hezekiah and 
all about his bravery, 
how he built the great 
reservoir and how it 
supplied water to the 
city is written in the 
Book of the Chronicles of 
the Kings of Judah. 
{I}21_{/}When Hezekiah 
slept with his fathers, 
his son Manasseh reigned 
in his place.
MANASSEH, KING OF 
JUDAH{/}

{1}21{/}

{I}1_{/}Manasseh was 
twelve years old when he 
began his reign, and he 
reigned for fifty-five 
years in Jerusalem. His 
mother's name was 
Hephzibah.
{I}2_{/}He treated Yahweh 
very badly, imitating the 
wretched practices of the 
people Yahweh had driven 
out from the land in 
order to give it to the 
Israelites. {I}3_{/}He 
rebuilt the sanctuaries 
on the hills, which had 
been destroyed by 
Hezekiah his father. He 
built altars to the god 
Baal and made a sacred 
pillar similar to the one 
Ahab, king of Israel, had 
made. He knelt before all 
the stars of heaven and 
worshiped them. 
{I}4_{/}He built altars 
in the courtyard of the 
House of Yahweh, about 
which Yahweh had said, 
"Jerusalem shall be the 
dwelling place of my 
Name."
{I}5_{/}He built altars 
for all the stars of 
heaven in the two 
courtyards of the House 
of Yahweh. {I}6_{/}He 
sacrificed his son by 
fire. He practiced 
soothsaying and magic, he 
brought in seers and 
wizards, doing without 
ceasing what Yahweh 
condemned, and thus 
provoking his anger. 
{I}7_{/}He even put up 
the sacred pillar of the 
goddess Asherah in the 
House of Yahweh in spite 
of what Yahweh had said 
to David and to his son, 
Solomon: "I shall let my 
Name rest forever in this 
House, for I have chosen 
Jerusalem from among all 
the tribes of Israel. 
{I}8_{/}I shall no longer 
let Israel wander out of 
the land I gave to their 
fathers, provided that 
you try to live according 
to all the Law I gave you 
through my servant 
Moses."
{I}9_{/}But they did not 
listen, and Manasseh led 
them into doing things 
worse than those nations 
had done whom Yahweh had 
expelled before the 
Israelites. {I}10_{/}So 
Yahweh spoke through the 
mouth of his servants, 
the prophets, saying,
{I}11_{/}"Manasseh, king 
of Judah, has multiplied 
the wretched practices 
and has acted worse than 
the Amorites. He has made 
the people of Judah sin 
with his repugnant 
images.
{I}12_{/}Therefore, I 
shall bring upon 
Jerusalem and upon Judah 
an evil so great that the 
ears of those who hear of 
it shall buzz. 
{I}13{/}Jerusalem and its 
kings shall suffer the 
fate of Samaria and of 
the family of Ahab. I 
will wipe Jerusalem as 
one wipes a plate to 
clean it, and then turns 
it upside down. 
{I}14_{/}I shall drive 
away the rest of my 
people and give them over 
into the hands of their 
enemies so that they 
shall become their prey 
and booty. {I}15_{/}For 
they did what displeased 
me and made me angry from 
the day when their 
fathers came out of Egypt 
to this day."
{I}16_{/}Manasseh also 
shed innocent blood in 
such quantity that it 
filled up Jerusalem from 
one end to the other, 
besides the sins which he 
made Judah commit, doing 
what is wrong in the 
sight of Yahweh. 
{I}17_{/}The rest 
regarding Manasseh, all 
that he did and the sins 
he committed, is written 
in the Book of the 
Chronicles of the Kings 
of Judah.
{I}18_{/}When Manasseh 
died, they buried him in 
the garden of his house, 
in the garden of Uzza, 
and his son Amon reigned 
in his place.
{I}19_{/}Amon was twenty-
two years old when he 
began his reign, and he 
reigned for two years in 
Jerusalem; his mother's 
name was Meshullemeth, 
daughter of Haruz, of the 
city of Jotbah. 
{I}20_{/}He treated 
Yahweh badly, as his 
father Manasseh had done. 
{I}21_{/}He completely 
followed in the footsteps 
of his father - he served 
the idols his father had 
served and bowed down 
before them. {I}22_{/}He 
abandoned Yahweh, the God 
of his fathers, and did 
not walk in the way of 
Yahweh.
{I}23_{/}The officials of 
Amon conspired against 
him, and murdered him in 
his house. {I}24_{/}But 
the citizens killed all 
who had plotted against 
the king, and they 
proclaimed his son Josiah 
king in his place.
{I}25_{/}The rest 
regarding Amon and all 
that he did is written in 
the Book of the 
Chronicles of the Kings 
of Judah. {I}26_{/}They 
buried him in his tomb, 
in the garden of Uzza, 
and his son Josiah 
reigned in his place. 
THE BOOK OF THE LAW IS 
DISCOVERED{/}

{1}22{/}

{I}1_{/}Josiah was eight 
years old when he began 
to govern, and he reigned 
for thirty-one years in 
Jerusalem. His mother was 
Jedidah, daughter of 
Adaiah of Bozkath. 
{I}2_{/}He did everything 
that was right in the 
eyes of Yahweh, and 
followed in the footsteps 
of David, his father, 
without turning aside 
either to the right or to 
the left.
{I}3_{/}In the eighteenth 
year of his reign, King 
Josiah sent his secretary 
Shaphan, son of Azaliah, 
son of Meshullam, to the 
House of Yahweh, saying, 
{I}4_{/}"Go up to the 
high priest Hilkiah and 
give him the amount of 
money which the people 
offer for the House of 
Yahweh, and that which 
the gatekeepers have 
collected, and when these 
have been smelted down, 
{I}5_{/}let them turn it 
over to those in charge 
of the House of Yahweh. 
{I}6_{/}It shall be given 
to those carpenters and 
construction workers who 
do the repairs of the 
House. In the same way, 
they shall buy the wood 
and stones needed for the 
repair of the 
House.{I}7_{/}But do not 
ask from them any account 
of the money, for they 
are honorable men."
{I}8_{/}At that moment 
Hilkiah, the high priest, 
said to Shaphan, the 
secretary, "I have found 
the Book of the Law in 
the House of Yahweh." And 
he entrusted the Book to 
Shaphan who read it. 
{I}9_{/}Then Shaphan went 
to the king and said, "We 
have gathered the money 
in the House, and this 
has been turned over to 
the caretakers of the 
House to make the 
repairs."
{I}10_{/}And Shaphan 
added, "The priest 
Hilkiah has turned over a 
book to me." And Shaphan 
read the book to the 
king. {I}11_{/}When the 
king heard the contents 
of the book, he tore his 
clothes and 
{I}12_{/}commanded 
Hilkiah, Ahikam, Achbor, 
the secretary Shaphan, 
and Asaiah, his minister, 
to do the following, 
{I}13_{/}"Go and consult 
Yahweh about the threats 
in this book which you 
have found. Consult him 
for me, for the people 
and for the whole of 
Judah, since our fathers 
did not listen to what 
this book says nor to its 
ordinances. This is why 
the anger of Yahweh is 
ready to burn against 
us."

{I}14_{/}The priest 
Hilkiah, Ahikam, Achbor, 
Shaphan and Asaiah went 
to consult the prophetess 
Huldah, wife of Shallum, 
son of Tikva, son of 
Harhas, keeper of the 
wardrobe. She lived in 
Jerusalem, in the new 
city.
{I}15_{/}She answered 
them, {I}16_{/}"You will 
say to the one who sent 
you to me: This is what 
Yahweh says: I shall 
bring evil upon this 
place and upon its 
inhabitants according to 
all the words of the book 
which the king of Judah 
has read, {I}17_{/}for 
this people have 
abandoned me and they 
have burned incense in 
honor of other gods. 
Because of all they have 
done, I am angry about 
this place, and the fire 
of my anger will not be 
quenched.
{I}18_{/}You shall 
deliver this answer to 
the king of Judah, who 
has sent you to consult 
Yahweh: Yahweh, the God 
of Israel says this - The 
warnings in this book 
shall not reach you, 
{I}19_{/}for your heart 
has been touched and you 
have done penance in the 
presence of Yahweh when 
you heard what I have 
said against this place 
and its inhabitants, that 
this place shall be 
desolate and cursed. You 
have torn your garments 
and wept before me, and I 
have heard you, says 
Yahweh. 
{I}20_{/}Therefore, you 
shall join your fathers; 
you shall die and be 
buried in peace, without 
seeing any of the evils I 
shall send against this 
place." 
JOSIAH'S RELIGIOUS 
REFORM{/}

{1}23{/}

{I}1_{/}The king summoned 
to his side all the 
leaders of Judah and 
Jerusalem. {I}2_{/}Then 
he went up to the House 
of Yahweh followed by all 
the people of Judah and 
Jerusalem. The priests 
with the prophets and all 
the people went with him, 
from the youngest to the 
oldest. When all were 
gathered, he read to them 
the book of the Law found 
in the House of Yahweh.
{I}3_{/}The king stood by 
the pillar; he made a 
covenant in the presence 
of Yahweh, promising to 
follow him, to keep his 
commandments and laws, 
and to respect his 
ordinances. He promised 
to keep this covenant 
according to what was 
written in the book with 
all his heart and with 
all his soul. And all the 
people promised with him.
{I}4_{/}Then the king 
commanded the high priest 
Hilkiah as well as the 
priests of lesser rank 
and all the gatekeepers 
to bring out all the 
objects which had been 
made for Baal, Asherah 
and for all the stars of 
heaven. He had them 
burned outside Jerusalem, 
in the idle land of 
Kidron, and had their 
ashes brought to Bethel.
{I}5_{/}The kings of 
Judah had appointed pagan 
priests who offered 
sacrifices in the 
sanctuaries on the hills, 
in the different cities 
of Judah and in the 
suburbs of Jerusalem. 
Josiah did away with them 
and with those who 
offered incense to Baal, 
to the sun, the moon, the 
stars and all the 
heavenly host. 
{I}6_{/}The Sacred Pillar 
that was in the House of 
Yahweh was brought out of 
Jerusalem and was taken 
to the brook Kidron, 
where it was burned and 
its ashes thrown on the 
public grave.
{I}7_{/}The king 
demolished the house of 
the effeminate men who 
dedicated themselves to 
prostitution (as was done 
in the cult of Asherah). 
This was within the 
courtyards of the House 
of Yahweh, and in this 
house too the women wove 
veils for Asherah.
{I}8_{/}Right after this 
he made all the priests 
from the cities of Judah 
come to Jerusalem, and he 
destroyed all the 
sanctuaries on the hills 
where they had offered 
sacrifice from Beersheba 
in the south to Geba in 
the north. He destroyed 
the Sanctuary of the 
Gates that was at the 
entrance of the gate of 
Joshua, the city 
governor. It was on the 
left side of the entrance 
gate to the city.
{I}9_{/}The priests who 
had served in the 
sanctuaries on the hills 
could not offer 
sacrifices in the House 
of Yahweh; they only ate 
the unleavened bread with 
the priests of Jerusalem.
{I}10_{/}The king had the 
place for burning human 
sacrifices in the valley 
of Ben-hinnom destroyed, 
so that no one could 
sacrifice his sons or 
daughters in the fire 
according to the ritual 
of Molech. {I}11_{/}The 
horses which the kings of 
Judah had dedicated to 
the sun were removed from 
the entrance of the House 
of Yahweh; these were in 
the atrium, near the 
house of the palace 
official, Nathanmelech. 
And the chariots of the 
sun were burned. 
{I}12_{/}There were 
altars which the kings of 
Judah had built on the 
roof of the palace of 
Ahaza. There were also 
altars built by Manasseh 
in the two courtyards of 
the House of Yahweh. 
Josiah had them all 
destroyed and reduced to 
dust, which was thrown 
into the brook Kidron.
{I}13_{/}The king 
destroyed the sanctuaries 
on the hills facing 
Jerusalem, to the south 
of the Mount of Olives. 
Solomon, king of Israel, 
had built them for 
Ashtoreth the idol of the 
Sidonians, for Chemosh, 
the idol of Moab, and for 
Milcom, the idol of the 
Ammonites. {I}14_{/}The 
king broke in pieces the 
images of the false gods, 
cut down the sacred 
pillars, and filled the 
places in which these had 
been with human bones to 
make them unclean.
{I}15_{/}There was also 
the sanctuary of Bethel, 
with the altar which 
Jeroboam, king of Israel, 
had made. This cult had 
been the sin of Israel. 
The king destroyed it. He 
set the sanctuary on fire 
and burned the sacred 
pillar. {I}16_{/}Looking 
around on all sides, 
Josiah saw the tombs on 
the mountain; he had the 
bones taken out of the 
tomb and burned on the 
altar. So the word of 
Yahweh was fulfilled 
which the man of God had 
proclaimed when Jeroboam 
was standing by the altar 
during a feast. Josiah 
noticed the tomb of this 
man of God, {I}17_{/}and 
he said, "What is that 
monument that I see?" The 
people of the city said 
to him, "That is the tomb 
of the man of God who 
came from Judah to 
announce what you have 
just done with the altar 
of Bethel." {I}18_{/}The 
king commanded, "Leave 
the tomb in peace, and 
let no one touch his 
bones." And his bones, 
together with the bones 
of the prophet of 
Samaria, were not 
touched.
{I}19_{/}Josiah also 
removed all the 
sanctuaries on the hills 
in the cities of Samaria. 
These sanctuaries had 
been made by the kings of 
Israel and they had 
provoked the anger of 
Yahweh. The king 
destroyed them and did to 
them as he had done to 
the temple of Bethel.
{I}20_{/}He slaughtered 
upon the altars all the 
priests of the 
sanctuaries on the hills 
who were found there, and 
he burned human bones on 
the altars. Then he 
returned to Jerusalem. 
{I}21_{/}The king gave 
this order to all the 
people, "Celebrate the 
Passover in honor of 
Yahweh, our God, as it is 
written in this Book of 
the Covenant."
{I}22_{/}A Passover like 
this had not been 
celebrated since the days 
of the Judges who had 
governed Israel, or 
during the time when the 
kings of Israel and the 
kings of Judah reigned. 
{I}23_{/}This Passover 
was celebrated in 
Jerusalem in the 
eighteenth year of King 
Josiah. 
{I}24_{/}Josiah obeyed 
all the words of the Law 
written in the book which 
the priest Hilkiah had 
found in the House of 
Yahweh. He immediately 
did away with the mediums 
and seers, the small 
household gods and the 
idols, and all those 
loathsome things seen in 
the lands of Judah and 
Jerusalem.
{I}25_{/}There had never 
before been a king like 
him who returned to 
Yahweh with all his 
heart, with all his soul, 
and with all his 
strength, observing all 
the Law of Moses, nor was 
another like him seen 
again.
{I}26_{/}In spite of 
this, Yahweh did not turn 
from the fire of his 
anger. He was angry with 
Judah because of all the 
evils Manasseh had done. 
{I}27_{/}So Yahweh 
declared, "I shall also 
cast Judah away from my 
presence as I have cast 
Israel; I shall no longer 
take Jerusalem into 
consideration, though it 
is the city I have chosen 
and there is the House of 
which I have said: My 
Name dwells here."
{I}28_{/}The rest 
regarding Josiah and all 
that he did is written in 
the Book of the 
Chronicles of the Kings 
of Judah. {I}29_{/}In 
those days, the Pharaoh 
Neco crossed the river 
Euphrates and went to 
join the king of Asshur. 
King Josiah set out to 
confront him, but Neco 
killed him in Megiddo 
when he saw him. 
{I}30_{/}Josiah's 
servants brought his body 
in a chariot from Megiddo 
to Jerusalem, and they 
buried him in his tomb. 
Then the people took 
Jehoahaz, son of Josiah, 
to anoint him and make 
him king in place of his 
father.
JOSIAH'S SONS{/}

{I}31_{/}Jehoahaz was 
twenty-three years old 
when he began to reign, 
and he reigned for three 
months in Jerusalem. His 
mother was Hamutal, 
daughter of Jeremiah of 
Libnah. {I}32_{/}He did 
what displeases Yahweh, 
imitating his fathers. 
{I}33_{/}The Pharaoh Neco 
bound Jehoahaz in chains 
in Riblah, in the land of 
Hamath, since he did not 
want him to reign in 
Jerusalem. Then he 
imposed on the land a 
contribution of one 
hundred talents of silver 
and ten of gold. 
{I}34_{/}And he installed 
as king another son of 
Josiah, Eliakim, as the 
successor to his father, 
and changed his name to 
Jehoiakim. But he took 
Jehoahaz away and brought 
him to Egypt, where 
Jehoahaz died.
{I}35_{/}Jehoiakim gave 
the silver and gold to 
the Pharaoh to pay the 
contribution which the 
Pharaoh himself exacted 
from him, through a tax 
imposed on all the land. 
Everyone had to pay his 
quota according to what 
he possessed. So 
Jehoiakim collected from 
all the people the gold 
and silver demanded by 
the Pharaoh.
{I}36_{/}Jehoiakim was 
twenty-five years old 
when he began to reign, 
and he reigned for eleven 
years in Jerusalem. His 
mother was Zebidha, 
daughter of Pedaiah of 
Rumah. {I}37_{/}He did 
what displeased Yahweh, 
imitating his fathers.
NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S 
INVASION{/}

{1}24{/}

{I}1_{/}In those days, 
Nebuchadnezzar, king of 
Babylon, invaded the 
land, and Jehoiakim 
became subject to him for 
three years, after which 
he rebelled. 
{I}2_{/}Yahweh then sent 
against Jehoiakim, bands 
of Chaldeans, Arameans, 
Moabites and Ammonites. 
They raided the land of 
Judah and destroyed it 
according to the word 
Yahweh had spoken through 
his servants, the 
prophets.
{I}3_{/}All this happened 
only because Yahweh had 
ordered it so. He willed 
to cast the people far 
away from his presence 
because of the sins of 
Manasseh, and all the 
evils he had done. 
{I}4_{/}And also because 
of the innocent blood he 
had shed that filled 
Jerusalem. Because of all 
this, Yahweh would not 
pardon them.
{I}5_{/}The rest 
regarding Jehoiakim and 
all that he did is 
written in the Book of 
the Chronicles of the 
Kings of Judah. 
{I}6_{/}When Jehoiakim 
died, his son Jehoiachin 
succeeded him.
{I}7_{/}The king of Egypt 
did not leave his own 
land again because the 
king of Babylon had 
conquered all that 
belonged to the king of 
Egypt, from the river of 
Egypt to the Euphrates 
River.
THE FIRST EXILE{/}

{I}8_{/}Jehoiachin was 
eighteen years old when 
he succeeded his father, 
and he reigned for three 
months in Jerusalem. His 
mother was Nehushta, 
daughter of Elnathan of 
Jerusalem. 
{I}9_{/}Jehoiachin 
treated Yahweh badly, as 
his father had done.
{I}10_{/}At that time, 
the officials of 
Nebuchadnezzar, king of 
Babylon, came to attack 
Jerusalem, surrounding 
the city. 
{I}11_{/}Nebuchadnezzar 
came while the city was 
being besieged by his 
men.
{I}12_{/}Jehoiachin, king 
of Judah, surrendered 
together with his mother, 
his servants, his leaders 
and the palace officials. 
It was the eighth year of 
the reign of 
Nebuchadnezzar. 
{I}13_{/}Nebuchadnezzar 
captured them and he took 
away the treasures of the 
House of Yahweh and of 
the king's house. He also 
destroyed all the objects 
of gold which Solomon, 
king of Israel, had made 
for the sanctuary of 
Yahweh. So the word 
Yahweh had spoken, was 
fulfilled.
{I}14_{/}Nebuchadnezzar 
carried off into exile 
all the leaders and 
prominent men, the 
blacksmiths and 
locksmiths, all the men 
of valor fit for war. A 
total of ten thousand 
were exiled to Babylon. 
Only the poorest sector 
of the population was 
left. 
{I}15_{/}Nebuchaddnezzar 
also carried away 
Jehoiachin, with his 
mother, his wives, the 
ministers of the palace, 
and the prominent men of 
the land.
{I}16_{/}So all the 
prominent people, 
numbering seven thousand, 
the blacksmiths, 
numbering a thousand, and 
all the men fit for war 
were deported to Babylon 
by the king of Babylon.
{I}17_{/}He made 
Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's 
uncle, king of Jerusalem, 
in place of Jehoiachin. 
And he changed his name 
to Zedekiah.
{I}18_{/}Zedekiah was 
twenty-one years old, and 
he reigned in Jerusalem 
for eleven years. His 
mother was Hamutal, 
daughter of Jeremiah. 
{I}19_{/}He did what 
displeased Yahweh, as 
Jehoiakim had done; 
{I}20_{/}so the 
punishment of Yahweh fell 
on Jerusalem and Judah, 
until he cast them far 
away from his presence. 
And Zedekiah rebelled 
against the king of 
Babylon.
THE CHALDEANS CONQUER AND 
DESTROY JERUSALEM{/}

{1}25{/}

{I}1_{/}In the ninth year 
of Zedekiah's reign, on 
the tenth day of the 
tenth month, 
Nebuchadnezzar king of 
Babylon marched with his 
entire army and laid 
siege to Jerusalem. They 
camped outside the city 
and built siege works all 
around it. {I}2_{/}The 
city was under siege up 
to the eleventh year of 
Zedekiah.
{I}3_{/}On the ninth day 
of the fourth month 
famine became a serious 
problem in the city, and 
throughout the land there 
was no bread for the 
people. {I}4_{/}When the 
city was opened by a 
breach in the wall, the 
Judean army fled through 
the gate between the two 
walls near the king's 
garden while the 
Chaldeans were still 
around the city and they 
fled towards the Arabah. 
{I}5_{/}The Chaldeans 
followed in hot pursuit 
of King Zedekiah and 
caught up with him in the 
plains of Jericho. All 
his army deserted and 
scattered.
{I}6_{/}The Chaldeans 
seized the king and led 
him away to Riblah in the 
territory of Hamath and 
there the king of Babylon 
passed sentence on him. 
{I}7_{/}There at Riblah 
the king of Babylon 
slaughtered the sons of 
Zedekiah in his presence. 
He then put out the eyes 
of Zedekiah, bound him 
with a double bronze 
chain and took him to 
Babylon.
{I}8_{/}On the seventh 
day of the fifth month in 
the nineteenth year of 
Nebuchadnezzar king of 
Babylon, Nebuzaradan, 
commander of the 
bodyguard and servant of 
the king of Babylon, 
entered Jerusalem and 
{I}9_{/}set fire to the 
House of Yahweh and the 
royal palace as well as 
to all the houses in 
Jerusalem. {I}10_{/}The 
Chaldean army under the 
commander of the 
bodyguard completely 
demolished all the walls 
around Jerusalem.
{I}11_{/}Nebuzaradan, 
commander of the 
bodyguard, carried off 
into exile the last of 
the Jews left in the 
city, those who had 
deserted to the king of 
Babylon and the remainder 
of the artisans. 
{I}12_{/}But he left 
those among the very poor 
who were capable of 
working in vineyards and 
cultivating the soil.
{I}13_{/}The Chaldeans 
broke into pieces the 
bronze pillars, the 
stands and the bronze Sea 
in the House of Yahweh 
and carried off all this 
bronze to Babylon.
{I}14_{/}They also took 
the pots, shovels, wick 
trimmers, the spoons and 
all the bronze articles 
used in the temple 
service. {I}15_{/}The 
commander of the 
bodyguard took the 
basins, censers, 
sprinkling bowls, pots, 
lampstands, ladles and 
bowls - all that was made 
of gold or silver.
{I}16_{/}The two pillars, 
the Sea, the movable 
stands which King Solomon 
had made for the House of 
Yahweh - all this bronze 
was of immeasurable 
weight. {I}17_{/}The 
pillars were each 
eighteen cubits high. 
Each had a thickness of 
four fingers and was 
hollow. On top of each 
pillar was a bronze 
capital five cubits high, 
and above and around the 
capital there was 
filigree work with 
pomegranates made of 
bronze.
{I}18_{/}The commander of 
the bodyguard took 
captive Seraiah the chief 
priest and Zephaniah the 
next priest in rank, as 
well as three 
doorkeepers.
{I}19_{/}He also took 
from those in the city a 
eunuch in command of the 
fighting men, five 
personal advisers to the 
king who were discovered 
in the city, the 
commander's secretary, 
responsible for military 
conscription, and sixty 
of his men who were found 
in the city. 
{I}20_{/}Nebuzaradan took 
all these away to the 
king of Babylon at 
Riblah. {I}21_{/}There at 
Riblah in the territory 
of Hamath the king of 
Babylon had them put to 
death. So Judah was taken 
away captive from its own 
land.
{I}22_{/}As for the 
remnant of the people 
whom Nebuchadnezzar, king 
of Babylon, had left 
behind, he appointed 
Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, 
son of Shaphan, as their 
governor. {I}23_{/}When 
the commanders of the 
troops and their men 
heard that the king of 
Babylon had appointed 
Gedaliah as governor, 
they went to him at 
Mizpah. These were 
Ishmael, son of 
Nethaniah, Johanan, son 
of Kareah, Seraiah, son 
of Tanhumeth, from 
Natophah, Jaazaniah the 
Macaathite, with their 
men. {I}24_{/}Gedaliah 
told them and their men 
most solemnly, "Do not be 
afraid of submitting 
yourselves to the 
Chaldeans. Live in the 
country obeying the king 
of Babylon, and all will 
be well with you."
{I}25_{/}In the seventh 
month, however, Ishmael, 
son of Nethaniah son of 
Elishama, who belonged to 
the king's family, came 
with ten of his men and 
killed Gedaliah as well 
as the Judeans and the 
Chaldeans who were with 
him at Mizpah. 
{I}26_{/}Then all the 
people, from the greatest 
to the least, set out 
with the commanders of 
the troops and took 
refuge in Egypt, in fear 
of the Chaldeans.
{I}27_{/}On the twenty-
seventh day of the 
twelfth month in the 
thirty-seventh year of 
the exile of Jehoiakin 
king of Judah, Evil-
merodah, king of Babylon, 
in the year he came to 
the throne pardoned 
Jehoiakin king of Judah 
and released him from 
prison. {I}28_{/}He spoke 
kindly to him, and gave 
him more honorable 
treatment than the other 
kings who were with him 
in Babylon. 
{I}29_{/}Jehoiakin put 
aside his prison garment 
and for the rest of his 
life ate at the king's 
table.
{I}30_{/}Day by day, for 
as long as he lived, he 
was maintained by the 
king of Babylon.

