In 2 Chronicles 25:1-28 Amaziah reigned for 29 years and did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, initially (vv1-2). He slew his servants who had killed his father, but not their children (vv3-4). Amaziah turned to idolatry, having brought back the idol gods of the slaughtered Edomites (vv14-16). He challenged Joash king of Israel who accepted the challenge and defeated Judah (vv17-24). In chapter 26:1-23 the people took Amaziah’s son Uzziah when he was 16 to be king and he reigned for 52 years in Jerusalem (vv1-3). He did what was right: he sought God and prospered (vv4-5). He built towers in Jerusalem and in the desert and dug wells for his cattle (vv 9-10). However, he transgressed against the Lord and was challenged by the priests (vv16-18). He was smitten by the Lord and was a leper until his death (vv19-23).
In chapter 27:1-9 we have the reign of Jotham, son of Uzziah. He was 25 when he began to reign and he reigned for 16 years in Jerusalem. He did what was right (vv1-2). He built the high gate, cities in the mountains, castles, and towers in the forests (vv3-4). In chapter 28:1-27 we have Ahaz’s reign. He was 20 when he began to reign and reigned for 16 years in Jerusalem. He was evil: he followed the ways of the kings of Israel, in turning to idolatry (vv1-4). God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria and the hand of the king of Israel who carried away a great number captive (v8). However, the prophet Oded convinced Israel to release the captives and they were taken to the city of Jericho (vv 9-11). Ahaz transgressed against the Lord by turning to idolatry, destroying the vessels of the House of God, and closing its doors (vv22-27).
In chapters 29:1-32.33 we have Hezekiah’s reign. He was 25 years old when he began to reign and reigned 29 years in Jerusalem. He was a righteous king. He opened the doors of the House of the Lord, restored worship, assembled the priests and Levites (v4), commanded them to sanctify themselves (vv5-11), and had the House of God cleansed (vv12-19).
Hezekiah also restored the observance of the Passover (30:1-27). In chapter 31 Israel destroys idolatry (v1) and Hezekiah restores the offerings and the worship of God (vv2-21). In chapter 32 we have the invasion of Sennacherib the king of Assyria. The exchange of messages is seen in verses 9-23. In the closing verses 24-33 we have Hezekiah’s sickness, humility, riches, and death.
In chapter 33:1-20 we have Manasseh’s reign; he was 12 years old when he began to reign and he reigned for 55 years in Jerusalem and did that which was evil (vv1-2). He built the high places and altars, turned to idolatry and introduced heathen practices (3-6). He profaned the House of God by placing an idol in it (7-9). Manasseh and the people would not listen to the Lord, so He brought the king of Assyria upon them who carried Manasseh captive to Babylon (vv10-11). In his affliction he repented, humbled himself, and supplicated God Who heard; thus Manasseh was returned to Jerusalem (vv12-13).
In verses 20-25 Amon, the son of Manasseh, reigned. He was 22 years old when he began to reign and reigned for two years in Jerusalem. He did evil as his father had done, sacrificing to, and serving, the images his father made (vv21-22). His servants conspired against him and killed him and the people slew the servants and made Amon’s son Josiah king (vv24-25).
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign and reigned for 31 years in Jerusalem. He did what was right, purged Judah and Jerusalem from idolatry (34:3-5), as well as the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and all the land of Israel (6-7). He had the Temple repaired (8-13). The Book of the Law was found and read (14-19). The Lord was enquired of and He answered (20-28). A covenant was made, all abominations were removed, and they all served and followed the Lord (29-33). The Passover was kept (35:1-19). In the closing verses of chapter 35 we have the invasion by the king of Egypt, Josiah’s folly and death (vv20-27).
In chapter 36:1-4 we have Jehoahaz’s reign. At the death of King Josiah the people made his son Jehoahaz king. He was 23 years old when he began to reign, but only reigned for three months in Jerusalem (1-2). The king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem, sentenced the land for a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. He made Jehoahaz’s brother, Eliakim king and changed his name to Jehoiakim. He carried away Jehoahaz to Egypt (36:3-4).
Jehoiakim was 25 when he began to reign and reigned for 11 years in Jerusalem (vv5-8). He was evil (v5). Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came against him, bound him and carried him away to Babylon along with the vessels of the House of the Lord. His son, Jehoiachin, reigned in his stead (36:8).
In verses 9-10 we have Jehoiachin’s reign. He began to reign when he was eight years old and only reigned for three months and ten days in Jerusalem and did that which was evil. After a year, Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon and made his brother, Zedekiah, king over Judah and Jerusalem (vv8-10). He began to reign when he was 20 years old and he reigned in Jerusalem for 11 years (10-12). He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he refused to humble himself, rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, and hardened his heart (vv12-13). The priests and the people transgressed, polluted the House of the Lord, and mocked the messengers of God (vv14-16). God brought the Chaldees upon them who slew them and carried the vessels and treasures of the House of the Lord along with the treasures of the king and the princes to Babylon (vv17-18). They burned the House of God and the palaces, and destroyed the wall of Jerusalem and the goodly vessels (v19). Those who were not killed were carried away to Babylon to be servants until the Persian reign; this was in keeping with the Word of the Lord proclaimed by Jeremiah that the land would be desolate in order to keep the Sabbaths to fulfill 70 years (vv19-21). The book ends with the decree of Cyrus allowing the Jews to return to their land to build the Temple.
