Menahem Reigns in Israel
Menahem begins a ten-year reign in Samaria, but like those before him he does evil and stays in Jeroboam’s sins.
I17n the thirty-ninth year of Azariah’s reign over Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria ten years. 18And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and throughout his reign he did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.
When Pul of Assyria invades, Menahem pays him a great sum to secure his kingdom, raising the silver by exacting it from Israel’s wealthy men.
19Then Pul king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver in order to gain his support and strengthen his own grip on the kingdom. 20Menahem exacted this money from each of the wealthy men of Israel — fifty shekels of silver from each man — to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria withdrew and did not remain in the land.
The account closes with the usual reference to the chronicles, and Menahem dies with Pekahiah succeeding him.
21As for the rest of the acts of Menahem, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 22And Menahem rested with his fathers, and his son Pekahiah reigned in his place.