Azariah became king of Judah when he was 16-years-old and he reigned for 52 years. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord yet he allowed pagan rituals in the high places to continue. He lived in a separate house owing to his skin disease so his son Jotham took charge of the palace and government and then officially succeeded him when he died.
Zechariah assumed the throne of Israel during the 38th year of Azariah's reign in Judah but he only reigned for 6 months when he was assassinated and replaced by Shallum. Further violence saw Shallum replaced even quicker after a month! He was assassinated and replaced by Menahem, and when Menahem was refused entry to Tiphsah he sacked the city and ripped open all its pregnant women! Menahem reigned in Israel for 10 years and did evil before God. When the king of Assyria invaded Israel Menahem bribed him with silver to withdraw, and when he died his son Pekahiah replaced him and reigned in Israel for 2 years. Pekahiah again sinned against God like his predecessors until he too was assassinated and replaced by Pekah. Pekah was king of Israel for 20 years and also practiced evil. At this time the king of Assyria came and conquered various parts of the land and deported people to Assyria. Then Hoshea assassinated Pekah and replaced him.
Meanwhile Jotham came to power in Judah whilst Pekah was in his second year in Israel. Jotham came to the throne aged 25 and he reigned for 16 years doing better before God without however eliminating the pagan high places. He did rebuild the upper gate of the temple, and when he died his son Ahaz replaced him as king.
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