邦国因有罪过，君王就多更换；因有聪明知识的人，国必长存。

地上因有罪过，君王就多更换；因聪明和有见识的人，国必长存。

地上因有罪过，君王就多更换；因聪明和有见识的人，国必长存。

国中有罪，君王常换；国有哲士，长治久安。

国家因有过犯，领袖就经常更换；依赖聪明知识俱备的人，国家才可以长存。

国中因有过犯，就有许多首领争权；但靠着有悟性、有知识的人，国就得以长存。

邦國因有罪過，君王就多更換；因有聰明知識的人，國必長存。

地上因有罪過，君王就多更換；因聰明和有見識的人，國必長存。

地上因有罪過，君王就多更換；因聰明和有見識的人，國必長存。

國中有罪，君王常換；國有哲士，長治久安。

國家因有過犯，領袖就經常更換；依賴聰明知識俱備的人，國家才可以長存。

邦國因有罪過、人君就多更換；因有明達和知識的人、國必長久存立。

國中因有過犯，就有許多首領爭權；但靠著有悟性、有知識的人，國就得以長存。

國有罪惡、則主迭更、人有明哲、則邦恆存、

國亂則主迭更、民良則邦永治。

邦亂則多主迭更、有一明哲具知識者、可長治國、

When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order.

A country has many rulers when its people don’t obey. But an understanding ruler knows how to keep order.

When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but with a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability will long continue.

When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability.

When a land is in rebellion, it has many rulers, but with a discerning and knowledgeable person, it endures.

Due to a wrongdoing of a land its leaders are many, But by a person of understanding and knowledge, so it endures.

Because of the transgression of a land, many are its princes; But by a man of understanding and knowledge Right will be prolonged.

For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof; But by men of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged.

When a land is in rebellion, it has many rulers, but with a discerning and knowledgeable person, it endures.

For the transgression of a land many[ are] the princes thereof: but by a man of understanding[ and] knowledge the state[ thereof] shall be prolonged.

When a country is rebellious it has many princes, but by someone who is discerning and knowledgeable order is maintained.

In rebellion, a land has many rulers, but order is maintained by a man of understanding and knowledge.

And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping.But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.“ So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. (niv)

So in my anger I gave you a king, and in my wrath I took him away. (niv)

Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. (niv)

And the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father.Jehoahaz was twenty- three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months.The king of Egypt dethroned him in Jerusalem and imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.The king of Egypt made Eliakim, a brother of Jehoahaz, king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But Necho took Eliakim’s brother Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt.Jehoiakim was twenty- five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord his God.Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked him and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.Nebuchadnezzar also took to Babylon articles from the temple of the Lord and put them in his temple there.The other events of Jehoiakim’s reign, the detestable things he did and all that was found against him, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son succeeded him as king.Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord.In the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon, together with articles of value from the temple of the Lord, and he made Jehoiachin’s uncle, Zedekiah, king over Judah and Jerusalem.Zedekiah was twenty- one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years.He did evil in the eyes of the Lord his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke the word of the Lord. (niv)

In the twenty- sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel, and he reigned in Tirzah two years.Zimri, one of his officials, who had command of half his chariots, plotted against him. Elah was in Tirzah at the time, getting drunk in the home of Arza, the palace administrator at Tirzah.Zimri came in, struck him down and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah. Then he succeeded him as king.As soon as he began to reign and was seated on the throne, he killed off Baasha’s whole family. He did not spare a single male, whether relative or friend.So Zimri destroyed the whole family of Baasha, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken against Baasha through the prophet Jehu—because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed and had caused Israel to commit, so that they aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, by their worthless idols.As for the other events of Elah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?In the twenty- seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah seven days. The army was encamped near Gibbethon, a Philistine town.When the Israelites in the camp heard that Zimri had plotted against the king and murdered him, they proclaimed Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that very day there in the camp.Then Omri and all the Israelites with him withdrew from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah.When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the royal palace and set the palace on fire around him. So he died,because of the sins he had committed, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord and following the ways of Jeroboam and committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.As for the other events of Zimri’s reign, and the rebellion he carried out, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?Then the people of Israel were split into two factions; half supported Tibni son of Ginath for king, and the other half supported Omri.But Omri’s followers proved stronger than those of Tibni son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri became king.In the thirty- first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirzah.He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and built a city on the hill, calling it Samaria, after Shemer, the name of the former owner of the hill.But Omri did evil in the eyes of the Lord and sinned more than all those before him.He followed completely the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat, committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit, so that they aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, by their worthless idols.As for the other events of Omri’s reign, what he did and the things he achieved, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?Omri rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. And Ahab his son succeeded him as king.In the thirty- eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty- two years. (niv)

King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to heaven about this.And the Lord sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the commanders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons, his own flesh and blood, cut him down with the sword.So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all others. He took care of them on every side.Many brought offerings to Jerusalem for the Lord and valuable gifts for Hezekiah king of Judah. From then on he was highly regarded by all the nations.In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign.But Hezekiah’s heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the Lord’s wrath was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem.Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the Lord’s wrath did not come on them during the days of Hezekiah. (niv)

See now, the Lord, the Lord Almighty, is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah both supply and support: all supplies of food and all supplies of water,the hero and the warrior, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder,the captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor, skilled craftsman and clever enchanter.“ I will make mere youths their officials; children will rule over them.”People will oppress each other— man against man, neighbor against neighbor. The young will rise up against the old, the nobody against the honored.A man will seize one of his brothers in his father’s house, and say,“ You have a cloak, you be our leader; take charge of this heap of ruins!”But in that day he will cry out,“ I have no remedy. I have no food or clothing in my house; do not make me the leader of the people.” (niv)

In the thirty- eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned six months.He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as his predecessors had done. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah. He attacked him in front of the people, assassinated him and succeeded him as king.The other events of Zechariah’s reign are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.So the word of the Lord spoken to Jehu was fulfilled:“ Your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”Shallum son of Jabesh became king in the thirty- ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned in Samaria one month.Then Menahem son of Gadi went from Tirzah up to Samaria. He attacked Shallum son of Jabesh in Samaria, assassinated him and succeeded him as king.The other events of Shallum’s reign, and the conspiracy he led, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.At that time Menahem, starting out from Tirzah, attacked Tiphsah and everyone in the city and its vicinity, because they refused to open their gates. He sacked Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women.In the thirty- ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria ten years.He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. During his entire reign he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.Then Pul king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave him a thousand talents of silver to gain his support and strengthen his own hold on the kingdom.Menahem exacted this money from Israel. Every wealthy person had to contribute fifty shekels of silver to be given to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria withdrew and stayed in the land no longer.As for the other events of Menahem’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?Menahem rested with his ancestors. And Pekahiah his son succeeded him as king.In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years.Pekahiah did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.One of his chief officers, Pekah son of Remaliah, conspired against him. Taking fifty men of Gilead with him, he assassinated Pekahiah, along with Argob and Arieh, in the citadel of the royal palace at Samaria. So Pekah killed Pekahiah and succeeded him as king.The other events of Pekahiah’s reign, and all he did, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.In the fifty- second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years.He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.In the time of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maakah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor. He took Gilead and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and deported the people to Assyria.Then Hoshea son of Elah conspired against Pekah son of Remaliah. He attacked and assassinated him, and then succeeded him as king in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah.As for the other events of Pekah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? (niv)

Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.” (niv)

What you decide on will be done, and light will shine on your ways.When people are brought low and you say,‘ Lift them up!’ then he will save the downcast.He will deliver even one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.” (niv)

Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of Asa king of Judah and succeeded him as king. (niv)

Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. (niv)

Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. (niv)