2 Kings 15:20
Arabic Simplified (الكِتاب المُقَدَّس: التَّرْجَمَةُ العَرَبِيَّةُ المُبَسَّطَةُ)
What Does This Mean?
King Menahem collected money from the wealthy people of Israel to give to the king of Assyria to stop him from attacking. Each wealthy person had to give fifty shekels of silver. The Assyrian king left after receiving the money.
Explained for Children
Imagine you and your friends have a lemonade stand. A big, scary kid comes and says he wants your money or he'll break your stand. You and your friends decide to give him some money to keep him from breaking your stand. That's kind of what King Menahem did with the Assyrian king.
Historical Background
The book of 2 Kings was written by several authors, possibly including Jeremiah, and it describes the history of Israel and Judah. This verse is set during Menahem's reign around 750 BCE. The Israelites were dealing with threats from powerful neighbors, like Assyria, which was a major empire at the time.
Living It Out Today
Sometimes, we might need to make tough decisions to protect what we value, like giving up some of our resources to avoid greater harm. Think about a situation where you had to give something up to avoid a bigger problem.