2 Kings 15:1-7

Azariah’s Reign over Judah

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

15:6 The rest of the events of Azariah’s reign, including all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah. ⁵  15:7 Azariah passed away ⁶  and was buried ⁷  with his ancestors in the city of David. His son Jotham replaced him as king.

[15:2]  ¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[15:3]  ² tn Heb “he did what was proper in the eyes of the Lord, according to all which Amaziah his father had done.”

[15:5]  ³ tn Traditionally, “he was a leper.” But see the note at 5:1.

[15:5]  ⁴ tn The precise meaning of בֵית הַחָפְשִׁית (bet hakhofÿshit), “house of […?],” is uncertain. For a discussion of various proposals, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 166-67.

[15:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Azariah, and all which he did, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah?”

[15:7]  ⁶ tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”

[15:7]  ⁷ tn Heb “and they buried him.”