Jehoahaz

1Joash son of Ahaziah was king of Judah. In Joash's twenty-third year as king, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel. He ruled from the city of Samaria for seventeen years.

In the three and twentieth year of Joash the son of Ahaziah king of Judah Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years.

NoteGod's people once split into two countries. The north was called Israel. The south was called Judah. Each one had its own king. People told time by saying which year a king had ruled.

2Jehoahaz did what the LORD said was wrong. He kept doing the same sins as King Jeroboam son of Nebat. Jeroboam had led Israel into sin. Jehoahaz never turned away from those sins.

And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.

NoteJeroboam was a king of Israel long before this. He set up gold statues for people to pray to. The kings after him kept doing the same thing.

3So the LORD became angry with Israel. He let Hazael, the king of Syria, beat them. Hazael's son Ben-hadad beat them too. This kept happening again and again.

And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael, all their days.

NoteSyria was a country next to Israel, on the north side. Its army fought Israel many times.

4Then Jehoahaz begged the LORD to help. The LORD listened to him. He saw how badly the king of Syria was hurting Israel.

And Jehoahaz besought the LORD, and the LORD hearkened unto him: for he saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them.

5The LORD sent someone to save Israel. They got away from the power of the Syrians. Then the people of Israel lived in their own homes again, like before.

(And the LORD gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians: and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime.

NoteThe Bible does not tell us this helper's name. He was someone God used to push the Syrian army back.

6But they still did not stop the sins of Jeroboam's family. They kept on doing them. The tall wooden pole for a false god still stood in Samaria.

Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin, but walked therein: and there remained the grove also in Samaria.)

NotePeople set up tall wooden poles to honor a false god named Asherah. Standing a pole up was their way of worshiping her.

7Jehoahaz had almost no army left. He had only fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand soldiers on foot. The king of Syria had wiped out the rest. He crushed them like dust.

Neither did he leave of the people to Jehoahaz but fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria had destroyed them, and had made them like the dust by threshing.

NoteA chariot is a small cart pulled by horses. Soldiers rode in chariots to fight. Fifty horsemen and ten chariots is a very small army.

8The other things Jehoahaz did, and how strong he was, are all written down. They are in the book of the history of the kings of Israel.

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

NoteKings kept a big record book of everything that happened. That book is lost now. We only have what the Bible tells us about it.

9Jehoahaz died like the fathers before him. They buried him in Samaria. His son Joash became king after him.

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

Note"Slept with his fathers" is an old way of saying he died. It means he joined the family members who died before him.

22Hazael the king of Syria kept hurting Israel the whole time Jehoahaz was king.

But Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.

23But the LORD was kind to Israel and felt sorry for them. He turned toward them because of his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He would not destroy them or send them away from him.

And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet.

NoteAbraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived long before this. All of Israel came from their family. God had promised them long ago to care for their family.

24Then Hazael the king of Syria died. His son Ben-hadad became king after him.

So Hazael king of Syria died; and Benhadad his son reigned in his stead.

25Hazael had taken some towns from Jehoahaz in war. Now Jehoash son of Jehoahaz took those towns back from Ben-hadad. Joash beat him three times and won the cities of Israel back.

And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael the cities, which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times did Joash beat him, and recovered the cities of Israel.