Version: King James Version (public domain)
2 Kings
From Elisha to the exile
2 Kings follows the kingdoms of Israel and Judah to the end: the fall of Samaria to Assyria (722 BC) and the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon (586 BC).
Historical context
The book judges each king by faithfulness to God and explains the exile as the result of the people’s unfaithfulness.
Explanation
Best-known passages
- Elijah taken up to heaven (ch. 2)
- Naaman is healed (ch. 5)
- Josiah’s reform (ch. 22–23)
- The fall of Jerusalem (ch. 25)