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Ahaziah, having fallen ill, sent to ask Baal if he would recover. The Prophet Elijah, having met the messengers, ordered them to return and say that he would not recover. Ahaziah, having learned that it was Elijah, sent fifty commanders to him twice, and each of them with fifty soldiers was destroyed by fire; Elijah is commanded to go with the third. When he arrived, he said that the king would die. After him his brother Joram reigned, because he had no son. This speaks of Elijah's taking up into heaven. The sons of the prophets, seeing Elisha walking through the Jordan on dry ground, said: “The spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha” (2 Kings 2:15), and asked permission to look for Elijah. He did not allow it, and then he allowed it, but those who sought did not find it. The water in Jericho becomes healthy. On his way to Bethel, Elisha curses the children who laughed at him and they are devoured by bears. The king of Moab refused to pay the usual tribute. Joram, the king of Israel, begins a war against him, taking with him Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom. When they did not find water in the desert and were in danger of perishing, they came to Elisha on the advice of Ahaziah. He is angry with the king of Israel and says that he would not like to see him, except for the sake of the king of Judah; predicts for them not only an abundance of water, but also victory over the Moabites; which is what happened. The king of Moab was brought to such distress that he stabbed his son to death at the top of the wall. Next it is said about a woman who had a lot of oil added, and about a Sumanite woman who, through the prayer of the prophet, was given a son; and when he died, the prophet resurrected him. During a famine, he destroyed the poisonous bitterness in the cauldron and, in the name of God, fed one hundred men with twenty barley loaves. Naaman, the military commander of the king of Syria, was stricken with leprosy and, coming to the king of Israel, demanded healing; the king was perplexed and tore his clothes. Elisha calls Naaman to him and commands him to plunge into the Jordan seven times. At first he did not want and did not believe that he would be healed, and then, on the advice of his servants, he immersed himself and was healed. He gave gifts to Elisha, but this one did not want to accept. When Naaman departed, Gehazi, Elisha's servant, caught up with him, as if sent from Elisha, and took from Naaman two talents of silver and two garments. Having come to Elisha, he tried to hide it; but the prophet denounced him and struck him with leprosy as punishment. The sons of the prophets go to chop wood for the building. When the ax of one of them fell from the axe, Elisha, having cut off the tree, threw it into the water, and the iron floated to the surface of the water. The Syrian king waged war with the Israeli king, and Elisha predicted the actions of the enemy. Having learned about this, the enemy sends a detachment of soldiers to Elisha; but through the prayer of the prophet those who came were struck with blindness, and he led them into the midst of their enemies. When the king wanted to kill them, Elisha did not allow it, but ordered them to be treated and released. There came a great famine, so that a donkey's head was worth fifty shekels, and a quarter of a cabbage of pigeon dung was worth five shekels; Then one woman came to the king and accused another woman of eating her son with her and promising to give her son, but did not fulfill her promise. Then the king tore his clothes and ordered Elisha's head to be cut off. The prophet tells the one sent to him that tomorrow the famine will end; and since this one did not believe, he predicted his death. Four lepers, exhausted by hunger, decide to betray themselves to their enemies, but when they arrive at their camp, they do not find a single person there, but only tents full of great wealth. Having taken as much as they could carry, they returned and reported to the king. The king at first suspected a deception in this, but having sent horsemen and knowing for sure, he allowed the people to plunder the camp; and the famine stopped, and he who did not believe Elisha was crushed by the crowd and died. Elisha predicts a seven-year famine for the woman whose son he resurrected and advises her to move from this country. She moved; but when the hunger stopped, she returned and, coming to the king, asked that her property be returned to her. The Syrian king sends to Elisha to find out if he will be healed of the illness from which he is suffering. The prophet told the visitor that he would not be healed, and together he predicted the disasters of the Israelites. When this king died, Hazael reigned in his place. When Jehoram, king of Judah, died, his son Ahaziah became his successor. Elisha, sending one of the sons of the prophets, ordered to anoint Jehu; Jehu, who has reigned, kills Joram and throws him into Naboth’s vineyard, which was taken away by Joram’s father. Having also killed Ahaziah, he enters the city of Israel. Meanwhile, Jezebel, adorned, looked on from above. The king ordered the courtiers to throw her down and, thrown off, she died. Jehu killed the seventy sons of Achaab, killed the brothers of Ahaziah, destroyed the priests of Baal, and crushed Baal himself. Then Hazael defeated the Israelites. After the death of Jehu, Jehoahaz his son reigned. It speaks of Joash, king of Judah, of the priest Jehoiada, and of Athaliah. The Israelites were betrayed to their enemies and again God had mercy on them. When Jehoahaz died, Joash his son reigned over the Israelites; When he came to Elisha, he wept. The Prophet told him to take five arrows and throw them into the ground. When he stopped, having thrown only three, the prophet said to him: “You would have to strike five or six times, then you would have beaten the Syrians completely, but now you will only defeat the Syrians three times” (2 Kings 13:19). Elisha died and was buried; and one dead man, thrown into his tomb, rose again. When Hazael died, his son Ader reigned. Joash defeated the Syrians three times and died, after him his son Jeroboam reigned. After the death of Joash, king of Judah, Amaziah his son reigned. Having defeated the Edomites, he also fought with Joash, king of Israel; but Joash defeated him and entered Jerusalem. After the death of Jeroboam, Zechariah his son reigned over the Israelites. After the death of Amaziah, king of Judah, Azariah, who is also called Uzziah, reigned. With him, Hosea began to prophesy. Sellum, having killed Zechariah, reigned over the Israelites. He used the help of Phul, king of Assyria, who gave him a thousand talents. When he died, Manaim reigned in his place. After Uzziah, his son Jotham reigned over the Jews, and after the death of Jotham his son Ahaz reigned. During his presence, Rasson the Syrian and Phekei, the son of the Romelians, attacked. Ahaz sent to Felgaffellaser of Assyria, inviting him to help, and he came, took Damascus and killed Rasson. Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked Hoshea, the son of Elah, and made him his slave. When the Assyrian king found out that he wanted to defer and send envoys to the Ethiopian king, he besieged him, put him in chains, took Samaria and other cities, and resettled the inhabitants to Assyria. Here follows a denunciation of the Israelites and Jews. Those brought out of Babylon and settled in Samaria did not fear God, and therefore were destroyed by lions. Then a priest is sent there and teaches them the law of God; but they feared the Lord and served idols. It speaks of Hezekiah and the Assyrians, who are also spoken of in Isaiah; about Manasseh and his wickedness, and about murders. After his death, his son Amon reigned. After the death of Amon, Josiah his son reigned, about whom it was predicted to Jeroboam, Solomon's servant, when the king's hand withered. He cleansed Jerusalem and other places, excavated the tombs of the priests of idols and destroyed the idols. It is said about him that before there was no king like him, who would turn to the Lord with all his heart and all his soul. During his presence Jeremiah began to prophesy; The prophetess Aldana was with him. When Pharaoh Necho killed him, Jehoahaz his son reigned. But Pharaoh, having overthrown him, took him to Egypt, where he died, and installed Josiah’s son Eliakim, also called Joachim, as king, and imposed tribute on the land. Jehoiakim was Nebuchadnezzar's first tributary. He was thrown outside the walls. Jeremiah says about him: “His corpse will be thrown into the heat of the day and into the cold of the night and ... he will be buried with a donkey’s burial” (Jer. 36:30, 22:19), because he was buried when he had already decayed. After the death of Eliakim, or Joiakim, the son of Josiah, Joiakim his son, the grandson of Josiah, reigned. This Joachim was also called Jehoiachin. The king of Egypt had not yet left his country when Nebuchadnezzar arrived and besieged the city; Joachim or Jehoiachin came out to him with his mother. Nebuchadnezzar resettled him to Babylon and made his father's brother, the son of Josiah, king in Jerusalem; it was Mattaniah, otherwise Zedekiah. When he broke away from the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar came, besieged Jerusalem, took it and burned it, and blinded Zedekiah, put him in chains and took him to Babylon. He placed Gedaliah over those who remained in Jerusalem. When Ishmael killed him, the rest fled to Egypt. But after that, Evillad Marodach, king of Babylon, honored Joachim with great honor in Babylon. Thus, the kingdom of Samaria, as already said, ceased under Hoshea, the son of Elah, who killed Pekah, the son of Romeli. And the kingdom of Jerusalem ended under Zedekiah. The latter, being taken to Babylon and deprived of his sight, was thrown into a ditch for 27 years. But after that, the king of Babylon elevated Joachim, gave him a throne above other kings, and ate and drank with him until the end of his life. This is where the book ends, i.e. taking the city and taking the people into captivity. Now it remains to briefly list the names of the kings of Judah and Israel from these four books and show what the end of the activities of each of them was and how many years each of them reigned. After the death of Saul, who reigned forty years, David reigned over all the Israelites and Jews for forty years, namely, in Hebron for seven years, and over all the Israelites and Jews for thirty-three years. He did righteousness with a perfect heart. The prophets Nathan and Gad were with him. Solomon, the son of David, reigned over all the people also for forty years, and committed evil. And with him were the prophets Nathan and Gad. Rehoboam his son reigned seventeen years and did evil. Under him, the kingdom was divided and two tribes remained with him in Jerusalem, Judah and Benjamin; in Samaria there are ten tribes. With him were the prophets Ahijah the Silonite and Adda. Abijah his son reigned three years; his heart was not like David’s, but he walked in the sins of his father; and with him was the prophet Adda. Asa his son reigned forty-one years and did righteousness; however, he still had the heights (idols). With him were the prophets Azariah, son of Hadad, and Ananias. Jehoshaphat his son reigned twenty-five years and did righteousness; but the heights still remained. Subsequently, he was reproached for impiety because he was on friendly terms with Ahaziah, the king of Israel, and for the most part took part in his affairs. With him were the prophets Elijah, Elisha, Micah, Jehu the son of Hanani, Jozoel the son of Zechariah, and Eliezer the son of Dodius of Marisis. Jehoram his son reigned eight years and did evil, because he had Achaab's daughter as his wife. And Elijah and Elisha were with him. Ahaziah his son reigned one year and did evil; after him Athaliah his mother seven years. Joash the son of Ahaziah reigned for forty years. He killed Zechariah and did the truth with all his soul while the wise Jehoiada was alive and instructed him. His servants killed him in the house of Mallon. Zechariah the son of Jehoiada prophesied in his presence. Amaziah his son reigned for nineteen years, and at first he did justice, but not like David, because the people still made sacrifices on the high places and did not destroy the oak forests. And there were prophets with him, but their names were not written down. Subsequently, Amaziah, having amazed the inhabitants of Siir, became proud, began to serve Syrian idols and was killed, betrayed to his enemies. Azariah, who is also Uzziah, reigned fifty-two years and at first did righteousness, like his father; however, he did not destroy the heights; but from his success in business he became proud and wanted to burn incense in the church himself, which should have been done only by the priests; for this he was stricken with leprosy and heard: “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord; this is the work of the priests” (2 Chronicles 26:18). The prophet Isaiah was with him. Jotham his son reigned sixteen years and did righteousness, like his father; however, it did not destroy the heights. And Isaiah was with him. Ahaz his son reigned sixteen years and did evil. With him were the prophets Isaiah and Odid. Hezekiah his son reigned for twenty-nine years and did justice just like David. He destroyed the brass serpent that Moses hanged. During his presence, Sennacherib and Rapsacus, the Assyrians, who uttered blasphemy, were struck, and then an Angel appeared and destroyed one hundred and eighty-five thousand people from them in one night. When Hezekiah was close to death, his life was extended for fifteen years. Manasseh his son reigned fifty years and did evil. He restored what Hezekiah had destroyed and was the second Jeroboam for the Jews, so that Jerusalem suffered for him, like Samaria, and about him it is said: “He caused Judah to sin” (2 Kings 21:16). That is why he was taken captive to Babylon; but in captivity, as it is written in the book of Chronicles, he repented, and God returned him to Jerusalem and again gave him the kingdom. He died, repenting and teaching the people to serve God, but was not buried in the city of David, but in his garden, in the garden of Uzzah. Amon his son reigned two years and did evil, like Manasseh his father, and his servants killed him; he was buried in the garden of Uzzah, where his father was. Josiah his son reigned thirty-one years. The people made him king when he was eight years old, and he did righteousness in everything like David, turning neither to the right nor to the left; he destroyed the oak groves and destroyed all the idols. Being sixteen years old, he turned to the law and, finding it in disdain, ordered it to be read, declared and celebrated Easter, as it was written. He was killed by Pharaoh Necho at the Euphrates during the battle. With him were the prophets Jeremiah and Zephaniah and the prophetess Huldana, the wife of Sellim. Jehoahaz his son reigned three months and did evil; Pharaoh Necho resettled him. Jeremiah was with him. Eliakim, another son of Josiah, who was renamed Jehoiakim, reigned eleven years, and did evil. Joachim, aka Jehoiachin, his son, reigned for three months, did evil, and was taken to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar made his son Matthaniah king, renaming him Zedekiah; he reigned twelve years and did evil. And Jeremiah was with him. Until this time, the kingdom of Judah existed; now it was destroyed, like Samaria; the city was taken and everyone was taken captive to Babylon, with vessels. There are twenty-one kings in all, besides Athaliah. The names of the kings who were in Samaria, the end of the activity of each of them and the duration of their reign are as follows. Jeroboam, son of Nebat, reigned twenty-four years. After the division of the kingdom, he, returning from Egypt, was the first to reign in Samaria and did evil like no one else. Fearing that he would lose his kingdom, he made two golden calves and seduced the people, saying: “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt” (1 Kings 12:28); established both holidays and priests; he “caused Israel to sin” (1 Kings 14:16), because all subsequent kings imitated him. With him was the prophet Ahijah the Silonite and the prophet who convicted him at the altar. Nebat his son reigned for two years and did evil. No one from his family reigned anymore. Zamri, from a different family, is twelve years old. Baasha was twenty-four years old and did evil. With him were the prophets: Elijah, Elisha, Micah, the prophet who predicted to Ahaav about Syria and about the son of Ader, the prophet who struck him with wounds and exposed Ahaav, in addition, and many prophetic sons. Ahaziah his son reigned two years and did evil. And Elijah and Elisha were with him. Elijah struck down his captains of fifty with fire, according to the word of the Lord. Joram, the son of Achaab, reigned twelve years and did evil, and no one from his family reigned anymore. With him Elijah ascended, and Elisha remained until Jeroboam, the son of Joasaph, king of Israel. And with him were the sons of the prophets. Jehu, from another family, the son of the Namesites, reigned twenty-two years. He destroyed the family of Achaav, treacherously destroyed the prophets of Baal and crushed his idol. By this he created the truth and received a promise that his descendants would sit on his throne until the fourth generation. Jehoahaz his son reigned seventeen years, did evil, fought against Jerusalem and took gold and vessels from there. Jeroboam his son was forty-one years old, and did evil. Zechariah his son was six months old and did evil. Hitherto the descendants of Jehu up to the fourth generation were kings. Shallum, from another family, the son of Jabez, reigned thirty days and did evil. Manaim, from another family, the son of Gaddiah, reigned for twenty years and did evil. Isaiah and Hosea prophesied under him. Fakei, from another family, the son of the Romelians, reigned for twenty years. He killed Fakia and did evil. With him were the prophets Isaiah and Hosea. Hosea, from another family, the son of Elah, reigned for ten years. He killed Phakay and did evil, although not in the same way as his predecessors. Hosea was the last king of Samaria. Under him, this kingdom ceased, and Samaria perished, and then the Assyrians settled in it. From them came the Samaritan heretics, called Sadducees. This ends the entire content of the books of Kings. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: