Pekah

23Azariah had been king of Judah for 50 years. Then Pekahiah son of Menahem became king of Israel. He ruled in Samaria for two years.

In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years.

24He did what was evil in the LORD's eyes. He kept doing the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat. Jeroboam had led Israel into those sins.

And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

25Pekah son of Remaliah was one of his officers. He made a secret plan against the king. Argob and Arieh helped him, and fifty men from Gilead. In the strong part of the palace in Samaria, Pekah struck Pekahiah down and killed him. Then Pekah became king instead.

But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king’s house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his room.

NoteGilead was a part of Israel east of the Jordan River. The "strong part of the palace" was a tower inside it, built for safety.

26The other things Pekahiah did are written down. They are in the book called the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

And the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

27Azariah had been king of Judah for 52 years. Then Pekah son of Remaliah became king of Israel. He ruled in Samaria for twenty years.

In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years.

28He did what was evil in the LORD's eyes. He kept doing the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat. Jeroboam had led Israel into those sins.

And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

29While Pekah was king of Israel, Tiglathpileser, king of Assyria, came. He took the towns of Ijon, Abelbethmaachah, Janoah, Kedesh, and Hazor. He also took Gilead, Galilee, and all the land of Naphtali. He carried the people away to Assyria as prisoners.

In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abelbethmaachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria.

NoteAssyria did not just win battles. It marched people away from their homes to live far off. That made it hard for them to fight back later. Galilee and Naphtali were in the north of Israel.

30Hoshea son of Elah made a secret plan against Pekah son of Remaliah. Hoshea attacked him and killed him. Then Hoshea became king instead. This was in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah.

And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.

31The other things Pekah did are written down. They are in the book called the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

And the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

36The other things Jotham did are written down. They are in the book called the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah.

Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

37In those days the LORD began to send trouble to Judah. He sent Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah against them.

In those days the LORD began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah.

NoteSyria, also called Aram, was the country just north of Israel. Judah now had enemies on two sides at once.

38Then Jotham died like his fathers before him. They buried him with them in the City of David. His son Ahaz became king after him.

And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.

5Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah king of Israel came to fight Jerusalem. They surrounded the city where Ahaz was. But they could not beat him.

Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.

NoteArmies would surround a city and let nobody in or out. No new food could get inside. They waited for the people to give up. The King James word for this is "besieged".

6At that time Rezin took back the town of Elath for Syria. He drove the men of Judah out of it. Then people from Syria moved into Elath. They still live there today.

At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.

NoteElath was a town down by the sea. Trading ships stopped there, so it was worth fighting over. Syria was the country just north of Israel.

7So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser, the king of Assyria. He said, "I am your servant and your son. Please come and save me. The king of Syria and the king of Israel are attacking me."

So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me.

NoteAssyria was a huge, powerful empire far to the east. Calling himself "servant" and "son" was a promise. It meant Ahaz would obey that king and pay him money.

8Ahaz took the silver and gold from the LORD's house. He took more from the treasure rooms of his own palace. He sent it all as a gift to the king of Assyria.

And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.

NoteThe LORD's house means the temple in Jerusalem. It was a special building where people worshiped God. Gold and silver gifts were kept safe inside it.

9The king of Assyria listened to him. He marched to the city of Damascus and captured it. He carried its people away to a place called Kir. And he killed Rezin.

And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.

NoteDamascus was the biggest city in Syria. Kir was very far away. Kings who won a war often marched the losing people far from home. That way they could not fight back.

5So the LORD his God let the king of Aram beat him. That army took many people away to Damascus. The king of Israel beat Ahaz too, and many died.

Wherefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter.

NoteAram was a country north of Judah. Some Bibles call it Syria. Damascus was its main city.

6Pekah son of Remaliah killed 120,000 brave men of Judah in one day. This happened because Judah had turned away from the LORD, the God of their fathers.

For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men; because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers.

7Zichri was a strong soldier from Ephraim. He killed the king's son Maaseiah. He also killed Azrikam, who ran the palace, and Elkanah, the king's second in command.

And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king’s son, and Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah that was next to the king.

NoteEphraim was one of the big family groups in Israel. The palace was the king's house, and someone had to run it.

8The army of Israel took 200,000 of their own relatives as prisoners. They took women, boys, and girls. They also took many goods and carried them to Samaria.

And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.

NoteSamaria was the capital city of Israel, the northern land. The people of Israel and Judah came from the same family long ago. That is why the story calls them relatives.

9A prophet of the LORD named Oded was there. He met the army coming to Samaria. He said, "The LORD was angry with Judah, so he let you win. But you killed them in a rage that heaven can see."

But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because the LORD God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth up unto heaven.

NoteA prophet was someone who told people what God said. Oded stopped the army before it reached the city.

10"Now you plan to make the people of Judah and Jerusalem your slaves. But you have sinned against the LORD your God too."

And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you: but are there not with you, even with you, sins against the LORD your God?

NoteSlaves were people who were owned by others. They had to work and could not go home.

11"So listen to me. Send these prisoners back home. They are your own relatives. The LORD is very angry with you."

Now hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again, which ye have taken captive of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the LORD is upon you.

12Then some leaders of Ephraim stood in the way of the soldiers coming home. They were Azariah son of Johanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai.

Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against them that came from the war,

13They said, "Do not bring the prisoners here. We have already sinned against the LORD. You would only make our guilt bigger. Our guilt is already great, and God is very angry with Israel."

And said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither: for whereas we have offended against the LORD already, ye intend to add more to our sins and to our trespass: for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.

14So the soldiers gave up the prisoners and the goods. They handed them over to the leaders and the whole crowd.

So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation.

15The men who had been named stood up and took care of the prisoners. From the goods they gave clothes to those who had none. They gave them sandals, food, and drink. They rubbed oil on them. They put the weak ones on donkeys. Then they took them home to Jericho, the city of palm trees. After that they went back to Samaria.

And the men which were expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.

NotePeople rubbed olive oil on cuts and sores, like medicine. Jericho was a warm town where tall palm trees grew.

1Ahaz was king of Judah. His father was Jotham, and Jotham's father was Uzziah. While Ahaz was king, two other kings came to fight Jerusalem. They were Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel. But they could not beat the city.

And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.

NoteLong ago God's people were one country. Then they split into two. Judah was in the south, and Jerusalem was its main city. Israel was in the north. Syria was another country nearby.

2Someone told the royal family of King David, "Syria has joined up with Ephraim." Then the king's heart shook with fear, and his people's hearts shook too. They shook like trees in a forest when the wind blows.

And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.

NoteThe house of David means the king's family. David was a great king long before this. Ahaz came from David's family. Ephraim was another name for Israel.

3Then the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out and meet Ahaz. Take your son Shear-jashub with you. Meet him where the water channel ends at the upper pool. It is on the road by the field where people wash clothes."

Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field;

NoteIsaiah was a prophet. A prophet is someone who tells people what God says. LORD in big letters stands for God's own special name. Isaiah's son had a name with a message in it: "A few will come back."

4"Say to him: Stay calm and be quiet. Do not be afraid. Do not lose heart over these two kings. They are only like two burnt sticks that still smoke. Rezin of Syria and the son of Remaliah are very angry. Do not fear them."

And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.

NoteTwo burnt sticks that still smoke are nearly out of fire. Isaiah says the two kings are like that. They look scary, but their power is almost gone.

5"Syria and Ephraim and the son of Remaliah have made a bad plan against you. This is what they said:"

Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying,

6"Let us go fight Judah and scare its people. Let us break into it and split it up. Then we will make the son of Tabeal king there."

Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal:

NoteThe son of Tabeal was the man these kings wanted as king. They planned to push Ahaz off the throne.

7But the Lord GOD says, "That plan will not stand. It will not happen."

Thus saith the Lord GOD, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.

8Syria's leading city is Damascus, and Damascus is led by Rezin. In sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken to pieces. It will not be a people anymore.

For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.

NoteDamascus was the biggest city in Syria. Sixty-five years was longer than many people lived back then. Broken to pieces means the people would be carried off to other lands.

9Ephraim's leading city is Samaria, and Samaria is led by Remaliah's son. If you will not trust God, you will not stand firm at all.

And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.

NoteSamaria was the biggest city in Israel, the country up north.