2 Kings

Elijah is taken to heaven, succeeded by Elisha as God’s prophet in Israel. Jehu becomes king, eradicating Ahab’s malevolent lineage. In Judah, Ahab’s daughter, seeking to kill all of David’s descendants, fails. Both kingdoms see predominantly wicked rulers, except for a few reformers in Judah like Hezekiah and Josiah. Israel’s chronic idolatry culminates in Assyrian conquest, and later, the Babylonians destroy Jerusalem as divine judgment.