Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading is from 2 Kings chapter
15. In the 27th year of Jeroboam king of Israel,
Azariah the son of Amaziah king of Judah became
king. He was 16 years old when he became king,
and he reigned 52 years in Jerusalem. His mother's
name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem, and he did what
was right in the sight of the Lord according
to all that his father Amaziah had done. except
that the high places were not removed. The people
still sacrificed and burned incense on the high
places. Then the Lord struck the king, so that
he was a leper until the day of his death. So
he dwelt in an isolated house. And Jotham, the
king's son, was over the royal house, judging
the people of the land. Now the rest of the acts
of Azariah and all that he did, are they not
written in the book of the chronicles of the
kings of Judah? So Azariah rested with his fathers,
and they buried him with his fathers in the city
of David. Then Jotham his son reigned in his
place. In the 38th year of Azariah king of Judah,
Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel
in Samaria six months, and he did evil in the
sight of the Lord, as his fathers had done. He
did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the
son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. Then Shalom
the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and
struck and killed him in front of the people,
and he reigned in his place. Now the rest of
the acts of Zechariah, indeed they are written
in the book of the chronicles of the kings of
Israel. This was the word of the Lord, which
he spoke to Jehu, saying, Your sons shall sit
on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.
And so it was. Shalom the son of Jabesh became
king in the thirty -ninth year of Uzziah king
of Judah, and he reigned a full month in Samaria.
For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah,
came to Samaria, and struck Shalom the son of
Jabesh in Samaria, and killed him, and he reigned
in his place. Now the rest of the acts of Shalom
and the conspiracy which he led, indeed they
are written in the book of the chronicles of
the kings of Israel. Then from Tirzah Menahem
attacked Tifsa, all who were there and its territory,
because they did not surrender, therefore he
attacked it. All the women there who were with
child he ripped open. In the 39th year of Azariah
king of Judah, Menahem the son of Gadi became
king over Israel and reigned 10 years in Samaria.
And he did evil in the sight of the Lord. He
did not depart all his days from the sins of
Jeroboam the son of Nebat who had made Israel
sin. Paul king of Assyria came against the land
and Menahem gave Paul a thousand talents of silver
that his hand might be with him to strengthen
the kingdom under his control. And Menahem exacted
the money from Israel. from all the very wealthy,
from each man fifty shekels of silver to give
to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria
turned back and did not stay there in the land.
Now the rest of the acts of Menahem and all that
he did, are they not written in the book of the
chronicles of the kings of Israel? So Menahem
rested with his fathers. Then Pekiah his son
reigned in his place. In the fiftieth year of
Assyria king of Judah, Pekiah the son of Menahem
became king over Israel in Samaria. and reigned
two years, and he did evil in the sight of the
Lord. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam
the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. Then
Pekah the son of Romaliah, an officer of his,
conspired against him, and killed him in Samaria,
in the citadel of the king's house, along with
Argob and Ariah. And with him were fifty men
of Gilead. He killed him, and reigned in his
place. Now the rest of the acts of Pekiah and
all that he did, indeed they are written in the
book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
In the 52nd year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah
the son of Ramaliah became king over Israel in
Samaria and reigned 20 years. And he did evil
in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from
the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who had
made Israel sin. In the days of Pekah king of
Israel, Tiglath -Pileser king of Assyria came
and took Ijon. Abel -Beit -Makkah, Genoa, Kedesh,
Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali.
And he carried them captive to Assyria. Then
Hosea, the son of Elah, led a conspiracy against
Pekah, the son of Ramaliah, and struck and killed
him. So he reigned in his place in the twentieth
year of Jerusalem, the son of Uzziah. Now the
rest of the acts of Pekah and all that he did,
indeed they are written in the book of the chronicles
of the kings of Israel. In the second year of
Pekah, the son of Ramaliah, king of Israel, Jotham,
the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, began to reign.
He was 25 years old when he became king, and
he reigned 16 years in Jerusalem. His mother's
name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok. And
he did what was right in the sight of the Lord.
He did according to all that his father Uzziah
had done. However, the high places were not removed.
The people still sacrificed and burned incense
on the high places. He built the upper gate of
the house of the Lord. 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? In those days the Lord began to send Rezin
king of Syria and Pekah the son of Ramalia against
Judah. So Jotham rested with his fathers and
was buried with his fathers in the city of David
his father. Then Ahaz his son reigned in his
place. I hope you enjoyed today's reading as
much as I did. And I look forward to seeing you
again tomorrow to continue on our journey. God
bless you and have a great day.