Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Ahijah » Father of baasha
And Baasha, the son of Ahijah, of the family of Issachar, made a secret design against him, attacking him at Gibbethon, a town of the Philistines. Nadab and the armies of Israel were making war on Gibbethon.
In the third year of the reign of King Asa of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king of all Israel. He ruled in Tirzah for twenty-four years.
I will treat his family as I did the families of King Jeroboam son of Nebat and of King Baasha son of Ahijah.
Baasha » King of israel
Your family will become like the family of King Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the family of King Baasha son of Ahijah. This is because you have stirred up my anger by leading Israel into sin.
I will treat his family as I did the families of King Jeroboam son of Nebat and of King Baasha son of Ahijah.
There was war between Asa and Baasha, king of Israel, through out their reigns. And Baasha, king of Israel, went up against Judah. He fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or in to Asa the king of Judah. Then Asa took all the silver and gold still stored in Jehovah's Temple, and in the king's house, and delivered them, in the care of his servants, to Ben-hadad, son of Tabrimmon, son of Rezon, king of Aram, at Damascus. He said: read more.
Let there be an agreement between us just as there was between my father and your father. I have sent you an offering of silver and gold. End your agreement with Baasha, king of Israel that he may give up attacking me. Ben-hadad agreed to King Asa's request and sent his armies to attack Israel. He conquered Ijon and Dan and Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth as far as the land of Naphtali. When Baasha heard this he stopped fortifying Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah. Then King Asa issued an order to all Judah. Every man came to carry away the stone and the timber Baasha used to fortify Ramah. King Asa used them for building Geba in the land of Benjamin, and Mizpah.
Let there be an agreement between us just as there was between my father and your father. I have sent you an offering of silver and gold. End your agreement with Baasha, king of Israel that he may give up attacking me. Ben-hadad agreed to King Asa's request and sent his armies to attack Israel. He conquered Ijon and Dan and Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth as far as the land of Naphtali. When Baasha heard this he stopped fortifying Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah. Then King Asa issued an order to all Judah. Every man came to carry away the stone and the timber Baasha used to fortify Ramah. King Asa used them for building Geba in the land of Benjamin, and Mizpah.
And Baasha, the son of Ahijah, of the family of Issachar, made a secret design against him, attacking him at Gibbethon, a town of the Philistines. Nadab and the armies of Israel were making war on Gibbethon. In the third year of the rule of Asa, king of Judah, Baasha put him to death, and became king in his place. When he became king, he sent destruction on all the offspring of Jeroboam. He killed every person of the family of Jeroboam according to the word of Jehovah as stated by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite. read more.
This happened because Jeroboam aroused the anger of Jehovah, the God of Israel, by the sins he committed and that he caused Israel to commit. Everything else that Nadab did is recorded in The History of the Kings of Israel. King Asa of Judah and King Baasha of Israel were constantly at war as long as they reigned. In the third year of the reign of King Asa of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king of all Israel. He ruled in Tirzah for twenty-four years. Like King Jeroboam before him, he sinned against Jehovah and led Israel into sin.
This happened because Jeroboam aroused the anger of Jehovah, the God of Israel, by the sins he committed and that he caused Israel to commit. Everything else that Nadab did is recorded in The History of the Kings of Israel. King Asa of Judah and King Baasha of Israel were constantly at war as long as they reigned. In the third year of the reign of King Asa of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king of all Israel. He ruled in Tirzah for twenty-four years. Like King Jeroboam before him, he sinned against Jehovah and led Israel into sin.
Jehovah spoke to the prophet Jehu son of Hanani and gave him this message to give to Baasha: I lifted you out of the dust and made you ruler over my people Israel. You have gone the way of Jeroboam. You made my people Israel do evil, moving me to wrath by their sins. Truly, I will take away the family of Baasha. I will make your family like the family of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. read more.
Dogs will eat anyone of the family of Baasha who dies in town. The birds of the air will eat anyone who dies in the open country. The rest of the acts of Baasha, what he did, and his power, are recorded in the book of the History of the Kings of Israel. Baasha rested with his fathers. He was buried at Tirzah; and Elah his son became king in his place. The word of Jehovah came to the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani. This was a warning against Baasha and his family because of all the evil he did in the eyes of Jehovah. He made Jehovah angry by the work of his hands, because he was like the family of Jeroboam, and because he killed him.
Dogs will eat anyone of the family of Baasha who dies in town. The birds of the air will eat anyone who dies in the open country. The rest of the acts of Baasha, what he did, and his power, are recorded in the book of the History of the Kings of Israel. Baasha rested with his fathers. He was buried at Tirzah; and Elah his son became king in his place. The word of Jehovah came to the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani. This was a warning against Baasha and his family because of all the evil he did in the eyes of Jehovah. He made Jehovah angry by the work of his hands, because he was like the family of Jeroboam, and because he killed him.
It was the thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign. King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and built fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from going to or coming from King Asa of Judah. Then Asa brought out all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of Jehovah's Temple and the royal palace. He sent them to Damascus to King Benhadad. He said: There is a treaty between you and me as there was between your father and my father. I am sending you silver and gold. Now break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel so that he will leave me alone. read more.
Benhadad agreed to do what King Asa requested. He sent his generals and their armies to attack the cities of Israel. He conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim, and all the storage cities in the territory of Naphtali. When King Baasha heard what happened he stopped fortifying Ramah and abandoned the work. King Asa gathered men from throughout Judah and had them carry off the stones and timbers that Baasha had been using at Ramah. They used them to fortify the cities of Geba and Mizpah.
Benhadad agreed to do what King Asa requested. He sent his generals and their armies to attack the cities of Israel. He conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim, and all the storage cities in the territory of Naphtali. When King Baasha heard what happened he stopped fortifying Ramah and abandoned the work. King Asa gathered men from throughout Judah and had them carry off the stones and timbers that Baasha had been using at Ramah. They used them to fortify the cities of Geba and Mizpah.
The cistern where Ishmael threw all the bodies of the men he had killed was the same one that King Asa made as a part of his defense against King Baasha of Israel. Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, filled it with the bodies.
Church and state » Ecclesiastical power superior to civil » Withdraws support and anoints a successor
In the seventh year Jehoiada the priest sent for the officers in charge of the royal bodyguard and of the palace guards, and told them to come to the Temple. He made them agree under oath to what he planned to do. He showed them King Ahaziah's son Joash and gave them the following orders: When you come on duty on the Sabbath, one third of you are to guard the palace. One third are to stand guard at the Sur Gate. The other third are to stand guard at the gate behind the other guards. read more.
The two groups that go off duty on the Sabbath are to stand guard at the Temple to protect the king. You are to guard King Jehoash with drawn swords and stay with him wherever he goes. Anyone who comes near you is to be killed. The officers obeyed Jehoiada's instructions and brought their men to him, those going off duty on the Sabbath and those going on duty. He gave the officers the spears and shields that had belonged to King David and had been kept in the Temple. He stationed the men with drawn swords all around the front of the Temple, to protect the king. Then Jehoiada led Joash out and placed the crown on his head. He gave him a copy of the laws governing kingship. Then Jehoash was anointed and proclaimed king. The people clapped their hands and shouted: Long live the king!
The two groups that go off duty on the Sabbath are to stand guard at the Temple to protect the king. You are to guard King Jehoash with drawn swords and stay with him wherever he goes. Anyone who comes near you is to be killed. The officers obeyed Jehoiada's instructions and brought their men to him, those going off duty on the Sabbath and those going on duty. He gave the officers the spears and shields that had belonged to King David and had been kept in the Temple. He stationed the men with drawn swords all around the front of the Temple, to protect the king. Then Jehoiada led Joash out and placed the crown on his head. He gave him a copy of the laws governing kingship. Then Jehoash was anointed and proclaimed king. The people clapped their hands and shouted: Long live the king!
Jehovah said to Samuel: How long will you mourn for Saul? After all I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Take oil in your vessel and go. I will send you to Jesse, the Beth-lehemite. I have a king from among his sons. How can I go? Samuel asked. When Saul hears about it he will kill me Jehovah said: Take a heifer with you and say: 'I have come to sacrifice to Jehovah.' Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice. I will reveal to you what you should do. You will anoint the one I point out to you. read more.
Samuel did what Jehovah told him. When he came to Bethlehem the elders of the city trembled at his coming. They greeted him and said: May peace be with you. Greetings, he replied, I have come to sacrifice to Jehovah. Perform the ceremonies to make yourselves holy, and come with me to the sacrifice. He performed the ceremonies for Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they entered he looked at Eliab and thought: Surely Jehovah's anointed is before Him. But Jehovah said to Samuel: Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature. I have rejected him. God does not see as man sees. Man looks at the outward appearance. Jehovah looks at the heart (inner man). Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. Samuel said: Jehovah has not chosen this one either. Next Jesse made Shammah pass by. He said: Jehovah has not chosen this one either. So Jesse brought seven more of his sons to Samuel, but Samuel told Jesse: Jehovah has not chosen any of these. Are these all the sons you have? Samuel asked. There is still the youngest one, Jesse answered. He is tending sheep. Samuel responded: Send someone to get him. We will not continue until he gets here. Jesse sent for him. He was a handsome, healthy young man, and his eyes sparkled. Jehovah said to Samuel: This is the one. Anoint him! Samuel took the olive oil and anointed David in front of his brothers. Immediately the Spirit of Jehovah took control of David and was with him from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.
Samuel did what Jehovah told him. When he came to Bethlehem the elders of the city trembled at his coming. They greeted him and said: May peace be with you. Greetings, he replied, I have come to sacrifice to Jehovah. Perform the ceremonies to make yourselves holy, and come with me to the sacrifice. He performed the ceremonies for Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they entered he looked at Eliab and thought: Surely Jehovah's anointed is before Him. But Jehovah said to Samuel: Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature. I have rejected him. God does not see as man sees. Man looks at the outward appearance. Jehovah looks at the heart (inner man). Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. Samuel said: Jehovah has not chosen this one either. Next Jesse made Shammah pass by. He said: Jehovah has not chosen this one either. So Jesse brought seven more of his sons to Samuel, but Samuel told Jesse: Jehovah has not chosen any of these. Are these all the sons you have? Samuel asked. There is still the youngest one, Jesse answered. He is tending sheep. Samuel responded: Send someone to get him. We will not continue until he gets here. Jesse sent for him. He was a handsome, healthy young man, and his eyes sparkled. Jehovah said to Samuel: This is the one. Anoint him! Samuel took the olive oil and anointed David in front of his brothers. Immediately the Spirit of Jehovah took control of David and was with him from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.
Elisha the prophet called one of the young prophets and said to him: Prepare to go to Ramoth in Gilead. Take this jar of olive oil with you. When you get there look for Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat and grandson of Nimshi. Take him to a private room away from his companions. Pour this olive oil on his head, and say: 'Jehovah anoints you king of Israel. Then leave there as fast as you can.' read more.
The young prophet went to Ramoth. He found the army officers in conference. He said: I have a message for you. Jehu asked: Who are you speaking to? To you, captain. He replied. The two of them went indoors. The prophet poured the olive oil on Jehu's head and said to him: Jehovah, the God of Israel, says: 'I anoint you king of my people Israel. You are to kill your master the king of the house of Ahab. I am punishing Jezebel for murdering my prophets and my other servants. The entire house of Ahab will perish. I will get rid of every male in his family, young and old alike. I will treat his family as I did the families of King Jeroboam son of Nebat and of King Baasha son of Ahijah. Jezebel will not be buried. Dogs in the territory of Jezreel will eat her body.' After saying this, the young prophet opened the door and fled. Jehu went back to his fellow officers. They asked him: Is everything all right? What did this mad fellow want with you? Jehu answered: You know what he wanted. No we do not! They replied. Tell us what he said! They asked. He told me that Jehovah says: 'I anoint you king of Israel.' At once Jehu's fellow officers spread their cloaks at the top of the steps for Jehu to stand on. They blew trumpets and shouted: Jehu is king! So Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, plotted against Joram. Joram and all the army of Israel were keeping watch on Ramoth-gilead against Hazael, king of Aram: King Joram went back to Jezreel to recuperate from the wounds he received from the Aramaeans when he fought against Hazael, king of Aram. Jehu said: If this is your purpose let no one get away to give news of it in Jezreel. So Jehu got into his carriage and went to Jezreel. Joram was ill in bed there and Ahaziah, king of Judah came to see him. The watchman on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu and his company coming. He said: I see a company of people. Joram said: Send out a horseman to them and let him ask: 'Do you come in peace?' So a horseman went out to them and said: The king asks: 'Do you come in peace? ' Jehu said: What have you to do with peace? Follow me. The watchman reported that the horseman reached the group and was returning. A second man was sent out on horseback. He approached them and asked the same thing: Do you come in peace? Jehu replied: What have you to do with peace? Follow me. The watchman reported: He went up to them and has not come back. The driving is like the driving of Jehu, son of Nimshi, for he is driving violently. Joram said: Get ready. They prepared his chariot and Joram, king of Israel, with Ahaziah, king of Judah, went out in their chariots to meet Jehu. They came face to face with him at the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. When Joram saw Jehu he said: Do you come in peace, Jehu? He said in reply: What peace is possible while all the land is full of the disgusting sins of your mother Jezebel, and her secret arts of witchcraft? Then Joram turned his horses and fled. He said to Ahaziah: Broken faith, O Ahaziah! Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and sent an arrow, wounding Joram between the arms. The arrow came out at his heart, and he went down on his face in his chariot. Jehu said to Bidkar, his captain: Pick him up, and put him in the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. I remember when you and I were riding together after Ahab, his father. Jehovah offered this prophesy against him. Even as I saw the blood of Naboth and his sons yesterday, 'I will pay you back in this field,' declares Jehovah. Now take him and throw him into the field as Jehovah predicted.
The young prophet went to Ramoth. He found the army officers in conference. He said: I have a message for you. Jehu asked: Who are you speaking to? To you, captain. He replied. The two of them went indoors. The prophet poured the olive oil on Jehu's head and said to him: Jehovah, the God of Israel, says: 'I anoint you king of my people Israel. You are to kill your master the king of the house of Ahab. I am punishing Jezebel for murdering my prophets and my other servants. The entire house of Ahab will perish. I will get rid of every male in his family, young and old alike. I will treat his family as I did the families of King Jeroboam son of Nebat and of King Baasha son of Ahijah. Jezebel will not be buried. Dogs in the territory of Jezreel will eat her body.' After saying this, the young prophet opened the door and fled. Jehu went back to his fellow officers. They asked him: Is everything all right? What did this mad fellow want with you? Jehu answered: You know what he wanted. No we do not! They replied. Tell us what he said! They asked. He told me that Jehovah says: 'I anoint you king of Israel.' At once Jehu's fellow officers spread their cloaks at the top of the steps for Jehu to stand on. They blew trumpets and shouted: Jehu is king! So Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, plotted against Joram. Joram and all the army of Israel were keeping watch on Ramoth-gilead against Hazael, king of Aram: King Joram went back to Jezreel to recuperate from the wounds he received from the Aramaeans when he fought against Hazael, king of Aram. Jehu said: If this is your purpose let no one get away to give news of it in Jezreel. So Jehu got into his carriage and went to Jezreel. Joram was ill in bed there and Ahaziah, king of Judah came to see him. The watchman on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu and his company coming. He said: I see a company of people. Joram said: Send out a horseman to them and let him ask: 'Do you come in peace?' So a horseman went out to them and said: The king asks: 'Do you come in peace? ' Jehu said: What have you to do with peace? Follow me. The watchman reported that the horseman reached the group and was returning. A second man was sent out on horseback. He approached them and asked the same thing: Do you come in peace? Jehu replied: What have you to do with peace? Follow me. The watchman reported: He went up to them and has not come back. The driving is like the driving of Jehu, son of Nimshi, for he is driving violently. Joram said: Get ready. They prepared his chariot and Joram, king of Israel, with Ahaziah, king of Judah, went out in their chariots to meet Jehu. They came face to face with him at the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. When Joram saw Jehu he said: Do you come in peace, Jehu? He said in reply: What peace is possible while all the land is full of the disgusting sins of your mother Jezebel, and her secret arts of witchcraft? Then Joram turned his horses and fled. He said to Ahaziah: Broken faith, O Ahaziah! Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and sent an arrow, wounding Joram between the arms. The arrow came out at his heart, and he went down on his face in his chariot. Jehu said to Bidkar, his captain: Pick him up, and put him in the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. I remember when you and I were riding together after Ahab, his father. Jehovah offered this prophesy against him. Even as I saw the blood of Naboth and his sons yesterday, 'I will pay you back in this field,' declares Jehovah. Now take him and throw him into the field as Jehovah predicted.
Enthusiasm » Instances of » Jehu
Elisha the prophet called one of the young prophets and said to him: Prepare to go to Ramoth in Gilead. Take this jar of olive oil with you. When you get there look for Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat and grandson of Nimshi. Take him to a private room away from his companions. Pour this olive oil on his head, and say: 'Jehovah anoints you king of Israel. Then leave there as fast as you can.' read more.
The young prophet went to Ramoth. He found the army officers in conference. He said: I have a message for you. Jehu asked: Who are you speaking to? To you, captain. He replied. The two of them went indoors. The prophet poured the olive oil on Jehu's head and said to him: Jehovah, the God of Israel, says: 'I anoint you king of my people Israel. You are to kill your master the king of the house of Ahab. I am punishing Jezebel for murdering my prophets and my other servants. The entire house of Ahab will perish. I will get rid of every male in his family, young and old alike. I will treat his family as I did the families of King Jeroboam son of Nebat and of King Baasha son of Ahijah. Jezebel will not be buried. Dogs in the territory of Jezreel will eat her body.' After saying this, the young prophet opened the door and fled. Jehu went back to his fellow officers. They asked him: Is everything all right? What did this mad fellow want with you? Jehu answered: You know what he wanted. No we do not! They replied. Tell us what he said! They asked. He told me that Jehovah says: 'I anoint you king of Israel.' At once Jehu's fellow officers spread their cloaks at the top of the steps for Jehu to stand on. They blew trumpets and shouted: Jehu is king! So Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, plotted against Joram. Joram and all the army of Israel were keeping watch on Ramoth-gilead against Hazael, king of Aram:
The young prophet went to Ramoth. He found the army officers in conference. He said: I have a message for you. Jehu asked: Who are you speaking to? To you, captain. He replied. The two of them went indoors. The prophet poured the olive oil on Jehu's head and said to him: Jehovah, the God of Israel, says: 'I anoint you king of my people Israel. You are to kill your master the king of the house of Ahab. I am punishing Jezebel for murdering my prophets and my other servants. The entire house of Ahab will perish. I will get rid of every male in his family, young and old alike. I will treat his family as I did the families of King Jeroboam son of Nebat and of King Baasha son of Ahijah. Jezebel will not be buried. Dogs in the territory of Jezreel will eat her body.' After saying this, the young prophet opened the door and fled. Jehu went back to his fellow officers. They asked him: Is everything all right? What did this mad fellow want with you? Jehu answered: You know what he wanted. No we do not! They replied. Tell us what he said! They asked. He told me that Jehovah says: 'I anoint you king of Israel.' At once Jehu's fellow officers spread their cloaks at the top of the steps for Jehu to stand on. They blew trumpets and shouted: Jehu is king! So Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, plotted against Joram. Joram and all the army of Israel were keeping watch on Ramoth-gilead against Hazael, king of Aram:
Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu sent letters to Samaria, to the rulers of the town, and to the elders, and to those who took care of the sons of Ahab. The letter stated: You are in charge of the king's descendants, and you have at your disposal chariots, horses, weapons, and fortified cities. As soon as you receive this letter, choose the best qualified of the king's descendants and make him king, and fight to defend him. read more.
The rulers of Samaria were terrified. They said: How can we oppose Jehu when neither King Joram nor King Ahaziah could? So the officer in charge of the palace and the official in charge of the city, together with the leading citizens and the guardians, sent this message to Jehu: We are your servants, and we are ready to do anything you say. But we will not make anyone king. Do whatever you think best. Jehu wrote them another letter: If you are with me and are ready to follow my orders, bring the heads of King Ahab's descendants to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow. The seventy descendants of King Ahab were under the care and were being brought up by the leading citizens of Samaria. As soon as Jehu's letter arrived, the leaders of Samaria killed all seventy of Ahab's descendants and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel. Jehu was informed that the heads of Ahab's descendants had been brought. He ordered them to be piled up in two heaps at the city gate and left there until the following morning. In the morning he went out and said to all the people there: You are upright people. It is true that I made designs against my master, and put him to death. Who is responsible for the death of all these? You may be certain that nothing Jehovah said about the family of Ahab will be without effect. Jehovah has done what he said by his servant Elijah. Jehu put to death all the rest of the seed of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his relations and his near friends and his priests, till there were no more of them. Jehu then left for Samaria. He was at the meeting-place of the shepherds of the sheep. He came across the brothers of Ahaziah, king of Judah, and asked: Who are you? They replied: We are the brothers of Ahaziah, king of Judah. We are going down to see the children of the king and of the queen. He ordered: Take them alive. So they took them alive and then killed them at the cistern of the shearing house. He killed all forty-two of them. When he left there he met Jehonadab, the son of Rechab. He greeted him and said to him: Is your heart true to mine, as mine is to yours? Jehonadab in answer said: It is. Jehu said: If it is give me your hand. He gave him his hand and he made him come up into his chariot. He said: Come with me and see how I am on fire with zeal for Jehovah's cause. So he made him go with him in his chariot. When Jehu arrived at Samaria, he put to death all those of Ahab's family who were still in Samaria. There were no more of them, as Jehovah had said to Elijah. Jehu assembled all the people and said to them: Ahab was Baal's servant in a small way, but Jehu will be his servant on a great scale. Now send for all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and priests, to come to me. Let no one stay away for I have a great offering to make to Baal. Anyone who is not present will be put to death. Jehu did this with deceit. It was his purpose to destroy the servants of Baal. Jehu said: Let there be a special holy meeting for the worship of Baal. So a public statement was made. Jehu sent through all Israel; and all the servants of Baal came, not one kept away. They entered the house of Baal. It was full from one end to the other end. Jehu said to the keeper of the robes: Get out robes for all the servants of Baal. So he got out robes for them. Jehu, with Jehonadab, the son of Rechab, went into the house of Baal. He said to the servants of Baal: Make a search with care, to see that no servant of Jehovah is with you, but only servants of Baal. They went in to make offerings and burned offerings. Jehu put eighty men outside. He told them: If any man whom I give into your hands escapes, he who lets him go will forfeit his own life for that life. As soon as he finished offering the burned offering Jehu said to the armed men and the captains: Go in and put them to death! Do not let one come out! So they put them to the sword. Pulling the images to the ground, they went into the holy place of the house of Baal. They removed the image of Asherah from the house of Baal and burned it. The altar of Baal was pulled down and the house of Baal was broken up and made an unclean place, as it is to this day. Jehu put an end to the worship of Baal in Israel.
The rulers of Samaria were terrified. They said: How can we oppose Jehu when neither King Joram nor King Ahaziah could? So the officer in charge of the palace and the official in charge of the city, together with the leading citizens and the guardians, sent this message to Jehu: We are your servants, and we are ready to do anything you say. But we will not make anyone king. Do whatever you think best. Jehu wrote them another letter: If you are with me and are ready to follow my orders, bring the heads of King Ahab's descendants to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow. The seventy descendants of King Ahab were under the care and were being brought up by the leading citizens of Samaria. As soon as Jehu's letter arrived, the leaders of Samaria killed all seventy of Ahab's descendants and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel. Jehu was informed that the heads of Ahab's descendants had been brought. He ordered them to be piled up in two heaps at the city gate and left there until the following morning. In the morning he went out and said to all the people there: You are upright people. It is true that I made designs against my master, and put him to death. Who is responsible for the death of all these? You may be certain that nothing Jehovah said about the family of Ahab will be without effect. Jehovah has done what he said by his servant Elijah. Jehu put to death all the rest of the seed of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his relations and his near friends and his priests, till there were no more of them. Jehu then left for Samaria. He was at the meeting-place of the shepherds of the sheep. He came across the brothers of Ahaziah, king of Judah, and asked: Who are you? They replied: We are the brothers of Ahaziah, king of Judah. We are going down to see the children of the king and of the queen. He ordered: Take them alive. So they took them alive and then killed them at the cistern of the shearing house. He killed all forty-two of them. When he left there he met Jehonadab, the son of Rechab. He greeted him and said to him: Is your heart true to mine, as mine is to yours? Jehonadab in answer said: It is. Jehu said: If it is give me your hand. He gave him his hand and he made him come up into his chariot. He said: Come with me and see how I am on fire with zeal for Jehovah's cause. So he made him go with him in his chariot. When Jehu arrived at Samaria, he put to death all those of Ahab's family who were still in Samaria. There were no more of them, as Jehovah had said to Elijah. Jehu assembled all the people and said to them: Ahab was Baal's servant in a small way, but Jehu will be his servant on a great scale. Now send for all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and priests, to come to me. Let no one stay away for I have a great offering to make to Baal. Anyone who is not present will be put to death. Jehu did this with deceit. It was his purpose to destroy the servants of Baal. Jehu said: Let there be a special holy meeting for the worship of Baal. So a public statement was made. Jehu sent through all Israel; and all the servants of Baal came, not one kept away. They entered the house of Baal. It was full from one end to the other end. Jehu said to the keeper of the robes: Get out robes for all the servants of Baal. So he got out robes for them. Jehu, with Jehonadab, the son of Rechab, went into the house of Baal. He said to the servants of Baal: Make a search with care, to see that no servant of Jehovah is with you, but only servants of Baal. They went in to make offerings and burned offerings. Jehu put eighty men outside. He told them: If any man whom I give into your hands escapes, he who lets him go will forfeit his own life for that life. As soon as he finished offering the burned offering Jehu said to the armed men and the captains: Go in and put them to death! Do not let one come out! So they put them to the sword. Pulling the images to the ground, they went into the holy place of the house of Baal. They removed the image of Asherah from the house of Baal and burned it. The altar of Baal was pulled down and the house of Baal was broken up and made an unclean place, as it is to this day. Jehu put an end to the worship of Baal in Israel.
Jehu » Son of nimshi, king of israel
And also anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, making him king over Israel; and Elisha, the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, to be prophet in your place.
Elisha the prophet called one of the young prophets and said to him: Prepare to go to Ramoth in Gilead. Take this jar of olive oil with you. When you get there look for Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat and grandson of Nimshi. Take him to a private room away from his companions. Pour this olive oil on his head, and say: 'Jehovah anoints you king of Israel. Then leave there as fast as you can.' read more.
The young prophet went to Ramoth. He found the army officers in conference. He said: I have a message for you. Jehu asked: Who are you speaking to? To you, captain. He replied. The two of them went indoors. The prophet poured the olive oil on Jehu's head and said to him: Jehovah, the God of Israel, says: 'I anoint you king of my people Israel. You are to kill your master the king of the house of Ahab. I am punishing Jezebel for murdering my prophets and my other servants. The entire house of Ahab will perish. I will get rid of every male in his family, young and old alike. I will treat his family as I did the families of King Jeroboam son of Nebat and of King Baasha son of Ahijah. Jezebel will not be buried. Dogs in the territory of Jezreel will eat her body.' After saying this, the young prophet opened the door and fled. Jehu went back to his fellow officers. They asked him: Is everything all right? What did this mad fellow want with you? Jehu answered: You know what he wanted. No we do not! They replied. Tell us what he said! They asked. He told me that Jehovah says: 'I anoint you king of Israel.' At once Jehu's fellow officers spread their cloaks at the top of the steps for Jehu to stand on. They blew trumpets and shouted: Jehu is king! So Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, plotted against Joram. Joram and all the army of Israel were keeping watch on Ramoth-gilead against Hazael, king of Aram:
The young prophet went to Ramoth. He found the army officers in conference. He said: I have a message for you. Jehu asked: Who are you speaking to? To you, captain. He replied. The two of them went indoors. The prophet poured the olive oil on Jehu's head and said to him: Jehovah, the God of Israel, says: 'I anoint you king of my people Israel. You are to kill your master the king of the house of Ahab. I am punishing Jezebel for murdering my prophets and my other servants. The entire house of Ahab will perish. I will get rid of every male in his family, young and old alike. I will treat his family as I did the families of King Jeroboam son of Nebat and of King Baasha son of Ahijah. Jezebel will not be buried. Dogs in the territory of Jezreel will eat her body.' After saying this, the young prophet opened the door and fled. Jehu went back to his fellow officers. They asked him: Is everything all right? What did this mad fellow want with you? Jehu answered: You know what he wanted. No we do not! They replied. Tell us what he said! They asked. He told me that Jehovah says: 'I anoint you king of Israel.' At once Jehu's fellow officers spread their cloaks at the top of the steps for Jehu to stand on. They blew trumpets and shouted: Jehu is king! So Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, plotted against Joram. Joram and all the army of Israel were keeping watch on Ramoth-gilead against Hazael, king of Aram:
Kings » Who reigned over israel » Jehu
Pour this olive oil on his head, and say: 'Jehovah anoints you king of Israel. Then leave there as fast as you can.' The young prophet went to Ramoth. He found the army officers in conference. He said: I have a message for you. Jehu asked: Who are you speaking to? To you, captain. He replied. read more.
The two of them went indoors. The prophet poured the olive oil on Jehu's head and said to him: Jehovah, the God of Israel, says: 'I anoint you king of my people Israel. You are to kill your master the king of the house of Ahab. I am punishing Jezebel for murdering my prophets and my other servants. The entire house of Ahab will perish. I will get rid of every male in his family, young and old alike. I will treat his family as I did the families of King Jeroboam son of Nebat and of King Baasha son of Ahijah. Jezebel will not be buried. Dogs in the territory of Jezreel will eat her body.' After saying this, the young prophet opened the door and fled. Jehu went back to his fellow officers. They asked him: Is everything all right? What did this mad fellow want with you? Jehu answered: You know what he wanted. No we do not! They replied. Tell us what he said! They asked. He told me that Jehovah says: 'I anoint you king of Israel.' At once Jehu's fellow officers spread their cloaks at the top of the steps for Jehu to stand on. They blew trumpets and shouted: Jehu is king! So Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, plotted against Joram. Joram and all the army of Israel were keeping watch on Ramoth-gilead against Hazael, king of Aram: King Joram went back to Jezreel to recuperate from the wounds he received from the Aramaeans when he fought against Hazael, king of Aram. Jehu said: If this is your purpose let no one get away to give news of it in Jezreel. So Jehu got into his carriage and went to Jezreel. Joram was ill in bed there and Ahaziah, king of Judah came to see him. The watchman on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu and his company coming. He said: I see a company of people. Joram said: Send out a horseman to them and let him ask: 'Do you come in peace?' So a horseman went out to them and said: The king asks: 'Do you come in peace? ' Jehu said: What have you to do with peace? Follow me. The watchman reported that the horseman reached the group and was returning. A second man was sent out on horseback. He approached them and asked the same thing: Do you come in peace? Jehu replied: What have you to do with peace? Follow me. The watchman reported: He went up to them and has not come back. The driving is like the driving of Jehu, son of Nimshi, for he is driving violently. Joram said: Get ready. They prepared his chariot and Joram, king of Israel, with Ahaziah, king of Judah, went out in their chariots to meet Jehu. They came face to face with him at the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. When Joram saw Jehu he said: Do you come in peace, Jehu? He said in reply: What peace is possible while all the land is full of the disgusting sins of your mother Jezebel, and her secret arts of witchcraft? Then Joram turned his horses and fled. He said to Ahaziah: Broken faith, O Ahaziah! Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and sent an arrow, wounding Joram between the arms. The arrow came out at his heart, and he went down on his face in his chariot. Jehu said to Bidkar, his captain: Pick him up, and put him in the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. I remember when you and I were riding together after Ahab, his father. Jehovah offered this prophesy against him. Even as I saw the blood of Naboth and his sons yesterday, 'I will pay you back in this field,' declares Jehovah. Now take him and throw him into the field as Jehovah predicted. When King Ahaziah of Judah saw this, he fled on the road leading to Beth Haggan. Jehu pursued him and ordered: Shoot him down in his chariot. They shot him at Gur Pass, near Ibleam. Ahaziah continued to flee until he got to Megiddo, where he died. His servants brought him in a chariot to Jerusalem. They buried him in a tomb with his ancestors in the City of David. Ahaziah became king over Judah. It was in the eleventh year of the rule of Joram, the son of Ahab. Jehu went to Jezreel. Jezebel had news of what happened. Painting her eyes and dressing her hair with ornaments, she put her head out of the window. As Jehu entered the town, she said: Have you come in peace, you Zimri, who killed his master? Then, looking up to the window, he said: Who is on my side, who? Two or three eunuchs look out at him. He said: Take her and throw her out the window. So they threw her down with force. Her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses. She was crushed under their feet. He came in and ate and drank. He said: Now see to this cursed woman. Bury her body in the earth, for she is a king's daughter. They went to bury her, but they found nothing to bury. There were only the bones of her head, and her feet, and parts of her hands. So they came back and told him about it. He said: This is what Jehovah said by his servant Elijah the Tishbite: 'In the heritage of Jezreel the flesh of Jezebel will become food for dogs. The dead body of Jezebel will be like waste dropped on the face of the earth in the heritage of Jezreel. They will not be able to say: This is Jezebel.' Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu sent letters to Samaria, to the rulers of the town, and to the elders, and to those who took care of the sons of Ahab. The letter stated: You are in charge of the king's descendants, and you have at your disposal chariots, horses, weapons, and fortified cities. As soon as you receive this letter, choose the best qualified of the king's descendants and make him king, and fight to defend him. The rulers of Samaria were terrified. They said: How can we oppose Jehu when neither King Joram nor King Ahaziah could? So the officer in charge of the palace and the official in charge of the city, together with the leading citizens and the guardians, sent this message to Jehu: We are your servants, and we are ready to do anything you say. But we will not make anyone king. Do whatever you think best. Jehu wrote them another letter: If you are with me and are ready to follow my orders, bring the heads of King Ahab's descendants to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow. The seventy descendants of King Ahab were under the care and were being brought up by the leading citizens of Samaria. As soon as Jehu's letter arrived, the leaders of Samaria killed all seventy of Ahab's descendants and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel. Jehu was informed that the heads of Ahab's descendants had been brought. He ordered them to be piled up in two heaps at the city gate and left there until the following morning. In the morning he went out and said to all the people there: You are upright people. It is true that I made designs against my master, and put him to death. Who is responsible for the death of all these? You may be certain that nothing Jehovah said about the family of Ahab will be without effect. Jehovah has done what he said by his servant Elijah. Jehu put to death all the rest of the seed of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his relations and his near friends and his priests, till there were no more of them. Jehu then left for Samaria. He was at the meeting-place of the shepherds of the sheep. He came across the brothers of Ahaziah, king of Judah, and asked: Who are you? They replied: We are the brothers of Ahaziah, king of Judah. We are going down to see the children of the king and of the queen. He ordered: Take them alive. So they took them alive and then killed them at the cistern of the shearing house. He killed all forty-two of them. When he left there he met Jehonadab, the son of Rechab. He greeted him and said to him: Is your heart true to mine, as mine is to yours? Jehonadab in answer said: It is. Jehu said: If it is give me your hand. He gave him his hand and he made him come up into his chariot. He said: Come with me and see how I am on fire with zeal for Jehovah's cause. So he made him go with him in his chariot. When Jehu arrived at Samaria, he put to death all those of Ahab's family who were still in Samaria. There were no more of them, as Jehovah had said to Elijah. Jehu assembled all the people and said to them: Ahab was Baal's servant in a small way, but Jehu will be his servant on a great scale. Now send for all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and priests, to come to me. Let no one stay away for I have a great offering to make to Baal. Anyone who is not present will be put to death. Jehu did this with deceit. It was his purpose to destroy the servants of Baal. Jehu said: Let there be a special holy meeting for the worship of Baal. So a public statement was made. Jehu sent through all Israel; and all the servants of Baal came, not one kept away. They entered the house of Baal. It was full from one end to the other end. Jehu said to the keeper of the robes: Get out robes for all the servants of Baal. So he got out robes for them. Jehu, with Jehonadab, the son of Rechab, went into the house of Baal. He said to the servants of Baal: Make a search with care, to see that no servant of Jehovah is with you, but only servants of Baal. They went in to make offerings and burned offerings. Jehu put eighty men outside. He told them: If any man whom I give into your hands escapes, he who lets him go will forfeit his own life for that life. As soon as he finished offering the burned offering Jehu said to the armed men and the captains: Go in and put them to death! Do not let one come out! So they put them to the sword. Pulling the images to the ground, they went into the holy place of the house of Baal. They removed the image of Asherah from the house of Baal and burned it. The altar of Baal was pulled down and the house of Baal was broken up and made an unclean place, as it is to this day. Jehu put an end to the worship of Baal in Israel. But Jehu did not keep himself from all the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and the evil he made Israel do. The gold calves were still worshiped in Bethel and in Dan. Jehovah said to Jehu: You have done well by doing what is right in my eyes. You carried out my purpose for the family of Ahab. Therefore your sons will be kings of Israel to the fourth generation. But Jehu did not take care to keep the law of Jehovah with all his heart. He did not keep himself from the sin that Jeroboam did and made Israel do. Jehovah began to reduce the size of Israel's territory. King Hazael of Syria conquered all the Israelite territory east of the Jordan, as far south as the town of Aroer on the Arnon River. This included the territories of Gilead and Bashan, where the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and East Manasseh lived. Everything else that Jehu did, including his brave deeds, is recorded in The History of the Kings of Israel. He died and was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz succeeded him as king. Jehu had ruled in Samaria as king of Israel for twenty-eight years.
The two of them went indoors. The prophet poured the olive oil on Jehu's head and said to him: Jehovah, the God of Israel, says: 'I anoint you king of my people Israel. You are to kill your master the king of the house of Ahab. I am punishing Jezebel for murdering my prophets and my other servants. The entire house of Ahab will perish. I will get rid of every male in his family, young and old alike. I will treat his family as I did the families of King Jeroboam son of Nebat and of King Baasha son of Ahijah. Jezebel will not be buried. Dogs in the territory of Jezreel will eat her body.' After saying this, the young prophet opened the door and fled. Jehu went back to his fellow officers. They asked him: Is everything all right? What did this mad fellow want with you? Jehu answered: You know what he wanted. No we do not! They replied. Tell us what he said! They asked. He told me that Jehovah says: 'I anoint you king of Israel.' At once Jehu's fellow officers spread their cloaks at the top of the steps for Jehu to stand on. They blew trumpets and shouted: Jehu is king! So Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, plotted against Joram. Joram and all the army of Israel were keeping watch on Ramoth-gilead against Hazael, king of Aram: King Joram went back to Jezreel to recuperate from the wounds he received from the Aramaeans when he fought against Hazael, king of Aram. Jehu said: If this is your purpose let no one get away to give news of it in Jezreel. So Jehu got into his carriage and went to Jezreel. Joram was ill in bed there and Ahaziah, king of Judah came to see him. The watchman on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu and his company coming. He said: I see a company of people. Joram said: Send out a horseman to them and let him ask: 'Do you come in peace?' So a horseman went out to them and said: The king asks: 'Do you come in peace? ' Jehu said: What have you to do with peace? Follow me. The watchman reported that the horseman reached the group and was returning. A second man was sent out on horseback. He approached them and asked the same thing: Do you come in peace? Jehu replied: What have you to do with peace? Follow me. The watchman reported: He went up to them and has not come back. The driving is like the driving of Jehu, son of Nimshi, for he is driving violently. Joram said: Get ready. They prepared his chariot and Joram, king of Israel, with Ahaziah, king of Judah, went out in their chariots to meet Jehu. They came face to face with him at the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. When Joram saw Jehu he said: Do you come in peace, Jehu? He said in reply: What peace is possible while all the land is full of the disgusting sins of your mother Jezebel, and her secret arts of witchcraft? Then Joram turned his horses and fled. He said to Ahaziah: Broken faith, O Ahaziah! Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and sent an arrow, wounding Joram between the arms. The arrow came out at his heart, and he went down on his face in his chariot. Jehu said to Bidkar, his captain: Pick him up, and put him in the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. I remember when you and I were riding together after Ahab, his father. Jehovah offered this prophesy against him. Even as I saw the blood of Naboth and his sons yesterday, 'I will pay you back in this field,' declares Jehovah. Now take him and throw him into the field as Jehovah predicted. When King Ahaziah of Judah saw this, he fled on the road leading to Beth Haggan. Jehu pursued him and ordered: Shoot him down in his chariot. They shot him at Gur Pass, near Ibleam. Ahaziah continued to flee until he got to Megiddo, where he died. His servants brought him in a chariot to Jerusalem. They buried him in a tomb with his ancestors in the City of David. Ahaziah became king over Judah. It was in the eleventh year of the rule of Joram, the son of Ahab. Jehu went to Jezreel. Jezebel had news of what happened. Painting her eyes and dressing her hair with ornaments, she put her head out of the window. As Jehu entered the town, she said: Have you come in peace, you Zimri, who killed his master? Then, looking up to the window, he said: Who is on my side, who? Two or three eunuchs look out at him. He said: Take her and throw her out the window. So they threw her down with force. Her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses. She was crushed under their feet. He came in and ate and drank. He said: Now see to this cursed woman. Bury her body in the earth, for she is a king's daughter. They went to bury her, but they found nothing to bury. There were only the bones of her head, and her feet, and parts of her hands. So they came back and told him about it. He said: This is what Jehovah said by his servant Elijah the Tishbite: 'In the heritage of Jezreel the flesh of Jezebel will become food for dogs. The dead body of Jezebel will be like waste dropped on the face of the earth in the heritage of Jezreel. They will not be able to say: This is Jezebel.' Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu sent letters to Samaria, to the rulers of the town, and to the elders, and to those who took care of the sons of Ahab. The letter stated: You are in charge of the king's descendants, and you have at your disposal chariots, horses, weapons, and fortified cities. As soon as you receive this letter, choose the best qualified of the king's descendants and make him king, and fight to defend him. The rulers of Samaria were terrified. They said: How can we oppose Jehu when neither King Joram nor King Ahaziah could? So the officer in charge of the palace and the official in charge of the city, together with the leading citizens and the guardians, sent this message to Jehu: We are your servants, and we are ready to do anything you say. But we will not make anyone king. Do whatever you think best. Jehu wrote them another letter: If you are with me and are ready to follow my orders, bring the heads of King Ahab's descendants to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow. The seventy descendants of King Ahab were under the care and were being brought up by the leading citizens of Samaria. As soon as Jehu's letter arrived, the leaders of Samaria killed all seventy of Ahab's descendants and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel. Jehu was informed that the heads of Ahab's descendants had been brought. He ordered them to be piled up in two heaps at the city gate and left there until the following morning. In the morning he went out and said to all the people there: You are upright people. It is true that I made designs against my master, and put him to death. Who is responsible for the death of all these? You may be certain that nothing Jehovah said about the family of Ahab will be without effect. Jehovah has done what he said by his servant Elijah. Jehu put to death all the rest of the seed of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his relations and his near friends and his priests, till there were no more of them. Jehu then left for Samaria. He was at the meeting-place of the shepherds of the sheep. He came across the brothers of Ahaziah, king of Judah, and asked: Who are you? They replied: We are the brothers of Ahaziah, king of Judah. We are going down to see the children of the king and of the queen. He ordered: Take them alive. So they took them alive and then killed them at the cistern of the shearing house. He killed all forty-two of them. When he left there he met Jehonadab, the son of Rechab. He greeted him and said to him: Is your heart true to mine, as mine is to yours? Jehonadab in answer said: It is. Jehu said: If it is give me your hand. He gave him his hand and he made him come up into his chariot. He said: Come with me and see how I am on fire with zeal for Jehovah's cause. So he made him go with him in his chariot. When Jehu arrived at Samaria, he put to death all those of Ahab's family who were still in Samaria. There were no more of them, as Jehovah had said to Elijah. Jehu assembled all the people and said to them: Ahab was Baal's servant in a small way, but Jehu will be his servant on a great scale. Now send for all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and priests, to come to me. Let no one stay away for I have a great offering to make to Baal. Anyone who is not present will be put to death. Jehu did this with deceit. It was his purpose to destroy the servants of Baal. Jehu said: Let there be a special holy meeting for the worship of Baal. So a public statement was made. Jehu sent through all Israel; and all the servants of Baal came, not one kept away. They entered the house of Baal. It was full from one end to the other end. Jehu said to the keeper of the robes: Get out robes for all the servants of Baal. So he got out robes for them. Jehu, with Jehonadab, the son of Rechab, went into the house of Baal. He said to the servants of Baal: Make a search with care, to see that no servant of Jehovah is with you, but only servants of Baal. They went in to make offerings and burned offerings. Jehu put eighty men outside. He told them: If any man whom I give into your hands escapes, he who lets him go will forfeit his own life for that life. As soon as he finished offering the burned offering Jehu said to the armed men and the captains: Go in and put them to death! Do not let one come out! So they put them to the sword. Pulling the images to the ground, they went into the holy place of the house of Baal. They removed the image of Asherah from the house of Baal and burned it. The altar of Baal was pulled down and the house of Baal was broken up and made an unclean place, as it is to this day. Jehu put an end to the worship of Baal in Israel. But Jehu did not keep himself from all the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and the evil he made Israel do. The gold calves were still worshiped in Bethel and in Dan. Jehovah said to Jehu: You have done well by doing what is right in my eyes. You carried out my purpose for the family of Ahab. Therefore your sons will be kings of Israel to the fourth generation. But Jehu did not take care to keep the law of Jehovah with all his heart. He did not keep himself from the sin that Jeroboam did and made Israel do. Jehovah began to reduce the size of Israel's territory. King Hazael of Syria conquered all the Israelite territory east of the Jordan, as far south as the town of Aroer on the Arnon River. This included the territories of Gilead and Bashan, where the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and East Manasseh lived. Everything else that Jehu did, including his brave deeds, is recorded in The History of the Kings of Israel. He died and was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz succeeded him as king. Jehu had ruled in Samaria as king of Israel for twenty-eight years.
Kings » Who reigned over israel » Jehoram, or joram
Joram son of Ahab became king of Israel in the eighteenth year of the reign of King Jehoshaphat of Judah. He ruled in Samaria for twelve years. Though he was not as bad as his father or his mother Jezebel; he sinned against Jehovah. He removed the image his father had made for the worship of Baal. Like King Jeroboam son of Nebat before him, he caused Israel to sin. He would not turn away from sin. read more.
King Mesha of Moab raised sheep. Yearly he gave as tribute to the king of Israel one hundred thousand lambs and the wool from one hundred thousand sheep. When King Ahab of Israel died Mesha rebelled against Israel. At once King Joram mobilized his troops and left Samaria. He sent this message to King Jehoshaphat of Judah: The king of Moab rebelled against me. Will you join me to war against Moab? King Jehoshaphat replied: I will. I am on your side. My men and horses are at your disposal. Which way shall we go to the attack? Joram answered: We will go the long way through the wilderness of Edom. King Joram and the kings of Judah and Edom assembled. After marching seven days, they ran out of water. There was none left for the men or the pack animals. Alas, all is done, King Joram exclaimed. Has Jehovah called us together to be at the mercy of the king of Moab? King Jehoshaphat asked: Do we have a prophet here to consult Jehovah? An officer of King Joram's forces answered: Elisha son of Shaphat is here who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah. The word of Jehovah is with him, King Jehoshaphat said. So the three kings went to Elisha. Why should I have anything to do with you? Elisha said to the king of Israel. Go consult the prophets your father and mother consulted. No! Joram king of Israel replied. It is Jehovah who placed us three kings at the mercy of the king of Moab. Elisha answered: By the living God Jehovah, whom I serve, I swear that I would have nothing to do with you if I did not respect your ally, King Jehoshaphat of Judah. Now bring me a musician. As the musician played his harp, the power of Jehovah came on Elisha. He said: This is what Jehovah says: 'Dig ditches all over this dry streambed (wadi). You will not see any rain or wind. This streambed will be filled with water and you and your animals will have plenty to drink. Elisha continued: This is an easy thing for Jehovah to do. He will also give you victory over the Moabites. You will conquer all their beautiful fortified cities. You will cut down all their fruit trees, stop all their springs, and ruin all their fertile fields by covering them with stones. The next morning when the sacrifice was offered water came flowing from the direction of Edom. It covered the ground. The Moabites heard that the three kings came to attack them. All the young and old men who could bear arms were called out and stationed at the border. They got up the next morning. The sun was shining on the water. It looked as red as blood. They said: It is blood! The three armies fought and killed each other! Let us go and loot their camp! When they came to the camp the Israelites attacked them and drove them back. The Israelites kept up the pursuit, killing the Moabites. They destroyed their cities. As they passed by a fertile field, every Israelite would throw a stone on it until finally all the fields were covered with stones. They also stopped up the springs and cut down the fruit trees. At last only the capital city of Kir Heres was left. The slingers surrounded it and attacked it. The king of Moab realized that he was losing the battle. So he took seven hundred swordsmen with him and tried to force his way through the enemy lines and escape to the king of Edom. However they failed. He took his oldest son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him on the city wall as a sacrifice to the god of Moab. The Israelites were terrified and so they drew back from the city and returned to their own country. The widow of a member of a group of prophets said to Elisha: My husband has died! As you know, he was a man who respected God. A man to whom he owed money came to take away my two sons as slaves in payment for my husband's debt. Elisha said: Tell me what shall I do for you? What do you have at home? She answered: Except for a small jar of olive oil, I have nothing. Ask your neighbors for empty jars. Borrow as many as you can, Elisha told her. You and your sons go into the house and shut the door behind you. Pour oil into the jars. Set each one aside as soon as it is full. The woman went into her house with her sons. They closed the door and took the small jar of olive oil, and poured oil into the jars as her sons brought them to her. When the jars were full she asked if there were any more. That was the last one, one of her sons told her. So the olive oil stopped flowing. She returned to Elisha, the prophet. He said: Sell the olive oil and pay all your debts. There will be enough money left over for you and your sons to pay your living expenses. Elisha went to Shunem, where a rich woman lived. She invited him to a meal. From that time on every time he went to Shunem he would have his meals at her house. She said to her husband: I know that this man who comes here often is a holy man. Let us build a small room on the roof, and put a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp in it. He can stay there when he visits us. One day Elisha returned to Shunem and went to his room to rest. He told his servant Gehazi to call the woman. When she came, he said to Gehazi: Ask her what I can do for her in return for all the trouble she has had in providing for our needs. Maybe she would like me to go to the king or the army commander and put in a good word for her. I have all I need here among my own people, she answered. Elisha asked Gehazi: What can I do for her? He answered: She has no son, and her husband is an old man. Tell her to come here, Elisha ordered. She came and stood in the doorway. Elisha said to her: By this time next year you will hold a son in your arms. Please do not lie to me. You are a man of God! She said. Just as Elisha said, about that time the following year she gave birth to a son. Years later at harvest time, the boy went out one morning to join his father, who was in the field with the harvest workers. Suddenly he cried out to his father: My head hurts! My head hurts! Carry the boy to his mother, the father said to a servant. The servant carried the boy back to his mother. She held him in her lap until noon. Then the boy died. She carried him up to Elisha's room and put him on the bed. She closed the door behind her and left. She called her husband and said to him: Send a servant here with a donkey. I need to go to the prophet Elisha. I will be back as soon as I can. Why must you go today? Her husband asked. It is neither a Sabbath nor a New Moon Festival. She replied: Never mind. She had the donkey saddled, and ordered the servant: Make the donkey go as fast as it can. Do not slow down unless I tell you. She left for Mount Carmel, where Elisha was. Elisha saw her coming while she was still far off. He said to his servant Gehazi: Look, there comes the woman from Shunem! Hurry to her and find out if everything is all right with her and her family. She told Gehazi that everything was all right, but when she came to Elisha, she bowed down before him and took hold of his feet. Gehazi was about to push her away. Elisha said: Do not bother her. You can see she is deeply distressed. Jehovah has not told me a thing about it. The woman said to him: Did I ask you for a son? Did I not tell you not to get my hopes up? Elisha told Gehazi: Hurry! Take my walking stick. Do not stop to talk to anyone. If anyone speaks to you do not respond. Go straight to the house and hold my stick over the boy. The woman said to Elisha: I swear by my loyalty to the living God Jehovah and to you that I will not leave you! So the two of them started back together. Gehazi went ahead and held Elisha's stick over the child. There was no sound or any other sign of life. He returned to meet Elisha and said: The boy did not wake up. When Elisha arrived he went alone into the room. He saw the boy lying dead on the bed. He closed the door and prayed to Jehovah. Then he lay down on the boy, placing his mouth, eyes, and hands on the boy's mouth, eyes, and hands. As he lay stretched out over the boy, the boy's body started to get warm. Elisha got up and walked around the room. He returned and again stretched himself over the boy. The boy sneezed seven times and then opened his eyes. Elisha called Gehazi and told him to call the boy's mother. When she came in, he said to her: Take your son! She fell at Elisha's feet with her face on the ground. Then she took her son and left. When there was a famine throughout the land, Elisha returned to Gilgal. He was teaching a group of prophets. He told his servant to put a big pot on the fire and make some stew for them. One of them went out in the fields to gather herbs. He found a wild vine and picked as many gourds as he could carry. He brought them back and sliced them into the stew, not knowing what they were. The stew was poured out for the men to eat. They tasted it and exclaimed to Elisha: It is poisoned! They would not eat it. Elisha asked for some meal. He threw it into the pot and said: Pour out some more stew for them. Then there was nothing wrong with it. A man came from Baal Shalishah. He brought Elisha twenty loaves of bread made from the first barley harvested that year and some freshly cut heads of grain. Elisha told his servant to feed the group of prophets with this. He asked: How am I to feed a hundred hungry men with this? Elisha replied: Give it to them to eat, because Jehovah says that they will eat and still have some left over. (Matthew 14:20) So the servant set the food before them. Just as Jehovah said, they ate and had some left over. Naaman was a great soldier. He was commander of the Syrian army and highly respected and esteemed by the king of Syria (Aram). Jehovah gave victory to the Syrian forces through Naaman. He suffered from a dreaded skin disease. The Syrians carried off a little Israelite girl during one of their raids against Israel. The girl became a servant of Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress: I wish my master could go to the prophet who lives in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy. Naaman heard of this and told the king what the girl said. The king said: Go to the king of Israel and take this letter to him. Naaman departed. He took thirty thousand pieces of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of fine clothes. The letter stated: This letter will introduce my officer Naaman. I want you to cure him of his leprosy. The king of Israel read the letter and tore his clothes and said: How can the king of Syria expect me to cure this man? Does he think that I am God, with the power of life and death? It is plain that he is trying to start a quarrel with me! When the prophet Elisha heard what happened, he sent word to the king: Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me. I will show him that there is a prophet in Israel! Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the entrance to Elisha's house. Elisha sent a servant to tell him to wash himself seven times in the Jordan River. He would then be completely cured of his disease. Naaman left in a rage, saying: I thought he would at least come out to me, pray to Jehovah his God, wave his hand over the diseased spot, and cure me! Are not the Abanah and Pharpar rivers in Damascus better than any river in Israel? I could have washed in them and been cured! His servants went up to him and said: If the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it. Now why can you not just wash yourself, as he said, and be cured? So Naaman went to the Jordan River and dipped himself in it seven times, as Elisha had instructed. He was completely cured. His flesh became firm and healthy like that of a child. Naaman returned to Elisha with all his men and said: Now I realize there is no god but the God of Israel. Please accept a gift from me. Elisha the prophet answered: By the living God Jehovah whom I serve, I swear that I will not accept a gift. Naaman insisted that he accept it, but he would not. So Naaman said: If you will not accept my gift, then let me have two mule-loads of earth to take home with me. From now on I will not offer sacrifices or burnt offerings to any god except Jehovah. I hope Jehovah will forgive me when I accompany my king to the temple of Rimmon, the god of Syria, and worship him. Surely Jehovah will forgive me! Elisha said: Go in peace. And Naaman left. He had gone only a short distance, when Elisha's servant Gehazi said to himself: My master has let Naaman get away without paying a thing! He should have accepted what that Syrian offered him. By the living God Jehovah I will run after him and get something from him. He ran after Naaman. When Naaman saw a man running after him, he got down from his chariot to meet him, and asked: What is wrong? Nothing is wrong, answered Gehazi. But my master sent me to tell you that just now two members of the group of prophets in the hill country of Ephraim arrived. He would like you to give them three thousand pieces of silver and two changes of fine clothes. Please take six thousand pieces of silver, Naaman replied. He tied the silver in two bags and gave them and two changes of fine clothes to two of his servants, and sent them on ahead of Gehazi. They reached the hill where Elisha lived. Gehazi took the two bags and carried them into the house. Then he sent Naaman's servants back. He went into the house. Elisha asked him: Where have you been? Oh, nowhere, he answered. Elisha said: Was I there in spirit when the man got out of his chariot to meet you? This is no time to accept money and clothes, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and cattle, or servants! Naaman's leprosy will come upon you. You and your descendants will have it from generation to generation! When Gehazi left, he had the disease. His skin was as white as snow. The group of prophets Elisha was in charge of complained to him: The place where we live is too small! Allow us to go to the Jordan and cut down some trees. We can build a place to live. Elisha answered: Go. One of them urged him to go with them and he agreed. They set out together and when they arrived at the Jordan they cut down trees. One of them was cutting down a tree when suddenly his ax head fell in the water. It was a borrowed ax, he exclaimed to Elisha. What will I do? Elisha said: Where did it fall? The man showed him the place. Elisha cut off a stick. Then he threw it in the water and made the ax head float. Pick it up, he ordered. The man put his hand in the water and picked it up. The king of Syria was at war with Israel. He consulted his officers and chose a place to set up camp. Elisha sent word to the king of Israel. He warned him not to go near that place, because the Syrians were waiting to ambush him. The king of Israel warned the people who lived there. So they were on guard. This happened several times. The Syrian king was greatly upset over this. He called in his officers and asked them: Show me who of us is on the side of the king of Israel? One of his servants said: No one is, Your Majesty. The prophet Elisha tells the king of Israel what you say even in the privacy of your own bedroom. Locate him! the king ordered, and I will capture him. He was told: Elisha is in Dothan. He sent a large force there with horses and chariots. They surrounded the town at night. Early the next morning Elisha's servant got up and went out of the house. He saw the Syrian troops with their horses and chariots surrounding the town. He went to Elisha and said: Alas my master what shall we do? Do not be afraid, Elisha answered. We have more on our side than they have on theirs. Elisha prayed: O Jehovah, open his eyes that he may see. Jehovah answered his prayer. Elisha's servant looked up and saw the hillside covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. The Syrians attacked! Elisha prayed, O Jehovah, strike these men blind! Jehovah answered his prayer and struck them blind. Elisha said to the Syrians: This is not the way or the town you are looking for. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are after. He led them to Samaria. When they entered the city, Elisha prayed: Open their eyes and let them see. Jehovah answered his prayer. He restored their sight, and they saw that they were inside Samaria. When the king of Israel saw the Syrians, he asked Elisha: Shall I kill them? No, Elisha answered. Would you put to death soldiers you captured in combat? Give them something to eat and drink. Then let them return to their king. So the king of Israel provided a great feast for them. After they ate and drank he sent them back to the king of Syria. From then on the Syrians stopped raiding the land of Israel. After that King Benhadad of Syria led his entire army against Israel in siege of the city of Samaria. The siege caused a great food shortage in the city. It was so severe that a donkey's head cost eighty pieces of silver, and half a pound of dove's dung cost five pieces of silver. The king of Israel walked by on the city wall when a woman cried out: Help me, Your Majesty! The king replied: If Jehovah will not help you, what help can I provide? Where can I get you help from the threshing floor or the wine press? The king asked: What is your trouble? She answered: The other day a woman suggested that we eat my child. Then we could eat her child the next day. So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I told her that we would eat her son, but she had hidden him! Hearing this, the king tore his clothes. The people close to the wall could see that he was wearing sackcloth under his clothes. He exclaimed: May God strike me dead if Elisha is not beheaded before the day is over! He sent a messenger to get Elisha. Meanwhile Elisha was at home with some elders who were visiting him. Before the messenger arrived, Elisha said to the elders: That murderer is sending someone to kill me! When he gets here, shut the door. Do not let him come in. The king will follow him. While Elisha was still talking the king arrived and said: Jehovah brought this trouble on us! Why should I wait any longer for him to do something? Elisha answered: Hear the word of Jehovah: 'By this time tomorrow you will be able to buy in Samaria ten pounds of the best wheat or twenty pounds of barley for one piece of silver.' The personal attendant of the king said to Elisha: If Jehovah could make floodgates in the heavens could this happen? Elisha replied: You will see it with your own eyes. But you will not eat from it. Four men who were suffering from a dreaded skin disease were outside the gates of Samaria. They said to each other: Why should we wait here until we die? If we go into the city we will starve to death. If we stay here we will also die. So let us go to the Syrian camp. The worst they can do is kill us. Maybe they will spare our lives. They arose in the twilight and went to the Syrian camp. When they reached it, no one was there. Jehovah made the Syrians hear what sounded like the advance of a large army with horses and chariots. The Syrians thought that the king of Israel had hired Hittite and Egyptian kings and their armies to attack them. The Syrians arose and fled while it was yet dark. They left their tents, and their horses, and their donkeys in the camp and fled for their lives. The lepers came to the edge of the camp. They went into one tent and ate and drank. They took silver and gold and clothing. They entered another tent and carried away spoil and hid it. They said to each other: We should not do this! We have good news. We should not keep it to ourselves. If we wait until morning to tell it we will be punished. Let us go tell the king's officers! They left the Syrian camp and went to Samaria. They called out to the guards at the gates: We went to the Syrian camp and did not see or hear anyone. The horses and donkeys have not been untied. The tents are just as the Syrians left them. The guards announced the news. It was reported in the palace. The king got out of bed even though it was night. He said to his officials: I will tell you what the Syrians are planning! They know about the famine here, so they have left their camp to go and hide in the countryside. They think that we will leave the city to find food. Then they will take us alive and capture the city. One of his servants said: The people in the city are doomed like those who have already died. Send some men with five of the horses that are left and find out what happened. They chose some men and the king sent them in two chariots with instructions to go and find out what had happened to the Syrian army. The men went to the Jordan. Along the road they saw the clothes and equipment that the Syrians had abandoned as they fled. Then they returned and reported to the king. The people of Samaria rushed out and looted the Syrian camp. Just as Jehovah said, ten pounds of the best wheat or twenty pounds of barley were sold for one piece of silver. The king of Israel put the city gate under the command of the officer who was his personal attendant. The officer was trampled to death there by the people and died, as Elisha had predicted when the king went to see him. Elisha told the king that by that time the following day ten pounds of the best wheat or twenty pounds of barley would be sold in Samaria for one piece of silver. The king's attendant answered: If Jehovah could open floodgates in the heavens could this happen? Elisha had replied: You shall see with your own eyes. But you will not eat from it. And that is just what happened! He died. The people at the city gate trampled him to death. Elisha told the woman who lived in Shunem, whose son he brought back to life: Jehovah is sending a famine on the land. It will last for seven years. Leave with your family and go live somewhere else. She followed his instructions and left with her family to live in Philistia for the seven years. When the seven years ended she returned to Israel. She went to the king to ask that her house and her land be restored to her. The king was talking with Gehazi, Elisha's servant, when she found him. The king wanted to know about Elisha's miracles. Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had brought a dead person back to life. The woman made her appeal to the king. Gehazi said to him: Your Majesty, here is the woman and here is her son whom Elisha brought back to life! She responded to the king's question by confirming Gehazi's story. The king called an official and told him to give back to her everything that was hers. This included the value of all the crops that her fields produced during the seven years she was away. Elisha went to Damascus when King Benhadad of Syria was sick. The king was told that Elisha was there. He said to Hazael, one of his officials: Take a gift to the prophet and ask him to consult Jehovah to find out whether or not I am going to get well. Hazael loaded forty camels with all kinds of the finest products of Damascus and went to Elisha. Hazael said: Your servant, King Benhadad sent me to ask if he will recover from his sickness. Elisha answered: Jehovah has revealed to me that he will die. However go to him and tell him that he will recover. Elisha stared at him in horror until Hazael became ill at ease. Suddenly Elisha burst into tears. Why are you crying? Hazael asked. Because I know the horrible things you will do against the people of Israel, Elisha answered. You will burn their fortresses, slaughter their finest young men, batter their children to death, and rip open their pregnant women. How could I ever be that powerful? Hazael asked. I am nobody, only a dog. Elisha replied: Jehovah has revealed to me that you will be king of Syria. Hazael returned to Benhadad, who asked him: What did Elisha say? He told me that you will certainly get well, Hazael answered. The following day Hazael took a blanket, soaked it in water, and smothered the king. Hazael succeeded Benhadad as king of Syria. Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat became king of Judah. It was the fifth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab as king of Israel. He was thirty-two years old. He ruled in Jerusalem for eight years. His wife was Ahab's daughter. Like the family of Ahab he followed the evil ways of the kings of Israel. He sinned against Jehovah. Jehovah was not willing to destroy Judah. He promised his servant David that his descendants would always continue to rule. Edom revolted against Judah and became an independent kingdom. Jehoram and his chariots went to Zair. The Edomite army surrounded them. He and his chariot commanders managed to break out and escape. His soldiers scattered to their homes. Edom has been independent of Judah ever since. The city of Libnah also revolted at that time. Everything Jehoram did is recorded in The History of the Kings of Judah. Jehoram died and was buried in the royal tombs in David's City. His son Ahaziah succeeded him as king. Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah. This was in the twelfth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab as king of Israel. He was twenty-two years old. He ruled in Jerusalem for one year. His mother was Athaliah, the daughter of King Ahab and granddaughter of King Omri of Israel. Ahaziah was related to King Ahab by marriage. He sinned against Jehovah as Ahab's family did. King Ahaziah joined King Joram of Israel in a war against King Hazael of Syria. The armies clashed at Ramoth in Gilead. Joram was wounded in battle. He returned to the city of Jezreel to recover from his wounds. Ahaziah went there to visit him. Elisha the prophet called one of the young prophets and said to him: Prepare to go to Ramoth in Gilead. Take this jar of olive oil with you. When you get there look for Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat and grandson of Nimshi. Take him to a private room away from his companions. Pour this olive oil on his head, and say: 'Jehovah anoints you king of Israel. Then leave there as fast as you can.' The young prophet went to Ramoth. He found the army officers in conference. He said: I have a message for you. Jehu asked: Who are you speaking to? To you, captain. He replied. The two of them went indoors. The prophet poured the olive oil on Jehu's head and said to him: Jehovah, the God of Israel, says: 'I anoint you king of my people Israel. You are to kill your master the king of the house of Ahab. I am punishing Jezebel for murdering my prophets and my other servants. The entire house of Ahab will perish. I will get rid of every male in his family, young and old alike. I will treat his family as I did the families of King Jeroboam son of Nebat and of King Baasha son of Ahijah. Jezebel will not be buried. Dogs in the territory of Jezreel will eat her body.' After saying this, the young prophet opened the door and fled. Jehu went back to his fellow officers. They asked him: Is everything all right? What did this mad fellow want with you? Jehu answered: You know what he wanted. No we do not! They replied. Tell us what he said! They asked. He told me that Jehovah says: 'I anoint you king of Israel.' At once Jehu's fellow officers spread their cloaks at the top of the steps for Jehu to stand on. They blew trumpets and shouted: Jehu is king! So Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, plotted against Joram. Joram and all the army of Israel were keeping watch on Ramoth-gilead against Hazael, king of Aram: King Joram went back to Jezreel to recuperate from the wounds he received from the Aramaeans when he fought against Hazael, king of Aram. Jehu said: If this is your purpose let no one get away to give news of it in Jezreel. So Jehu got into his carriage and went to Jezreel. Joram was ill in bed there and Ahaziah, king of Judah came to see him. The watchman on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu and his company coming. He said: I see a company of people. Joram said: Send out a horseman to them and let him ask: 'Do you come in peace?' So a horseman went out to them and said: The king asks: 'Do you come in peace? ' Jehu said: What have you to do with peace? Follow me. The watchman reported that the horseman reached the group and was returning. A second man was sent out on horseback. He approached them and asked the same thing: Do you come in peace? Jehu replied: What have you to do with peace? Follow me. The watchman reported: He went up to them and has not come back. The driving is like the driving of Jehu, son of Nimshi, for he is driving violently. Joram said: Get ready. They prepared his chariot and Joram, king of Israel, with Ahaziah, king of Judah, went out in their chariots to meet Jehu. They came face to face with him at the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. When Joram saw Jehu he said: Do you come in peace, Jehu? He said in reply: What peace is possible while all the land is full of the disgusting sins of your mother Jezebel, and her secret arts of witchcraft? Then Joram turned his horses and fled. He said to Ahaziah: Broken faith, O Ahaziah! Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and sent an arrow, wounding Joram between the arms. The arrow came out at his heart, and he went down on his face in his chariot. Jehu said to Bidkar, his captain: Pick him up, and put him in the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. I remember when you and I were riding together after Ahab, his father. Jehovah offered this prophesy against him. Even as I saw the blood of Naboth and his sons yesterday, 'I will pay you back in this field,' declares Jehovah. Now take him and throw him into the field as Jehovah predicted.
King Mesha of Moab raised sheep. Yearly he gave as tribute to the king of Israel one hundred thousand lambs and the wool from one hundred thousand sheep. When King Ahab of Israel died Mesha rebelled against Israel. At once King Joram mobilized his troops and left Samaria. He sent this message to King Jehoshaphat of Judah: The king of Moab rebelled against me. Will you join me to war against Moab? King Jehoshaphat replied: I will. I am on your side. My men and horses are at your disposal. Which way shall we go to the attack? Joram answered: We will go the long way through the wilderness of Edom. King Joram and the kings of Judah and Edom assembled. After marching seven days, they ran out of water. There was none left for the men or the pack animals. Alas, all is done, King Joram exclaimed. Has Jehovah called us together to be at the mercy of the king of Moab? King Jehoshaphat asked: Do we have a prophet here to consult Jehovah? An officer of King Joram's forces answered: Elisha son of Shaphat is here who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah. The word of Jehovah is with him, King Jehoshaphat said. So the three kings went to Elisha. Why should I have anything to do with you? Elisha said to the king of Israel. Go consult the prophets your father and mother consulted. No! Joram king of Israel replied. It is Jehovah who placed us three kings at the mercy of the king of Moab. Elisha answered: By the living God Jehovah, whom I serve, I swear that I would have nothing to do with you if I did not respect your ally, King Jehoshaphat of Judah. Now bring me a musician. As the musician played his harp, the power of Jehovah came on Elisha. He said: This is what Jehovah says: 'Dig ditches all over this dry streambed (wadi). You will not see any rain or wind. This streambed will be filled with water and you and your animals will have plenty to drink. Elisha continued: This is an easy thing for Jehovah to do. He will also give you victory over the Moabites. You will conquer all their beautiful fortified cities. You will cut down all their fruit trees, stop all their springs, and ruin all their fertile fields by covering them with stones. The next morning when the sacrifice was offered water came flowing from the direction of Edom. It covered the ground. The Moabites heard that the three kings came to attack them. All the young and old men who could bear arms were called out and stationed at the border. They got up the next morning. The sun was shining on the water. It looked as red as blood. They said: It is blood! The three armies fought and killed each other! Let us go and loot their camp! When they came to the camp the Israelites attacked them and drove them back. The Israelites kept up the pursuit, killing the Moabites. They destroyed their cities. As they passed by a fertile field, every Israelite would throw a stone on it until finally all the fields were covered with stones. They also stopped up the springs and cut down the fruit trees. At last only the capital city of Kir Heres was left. The slingers surrounded it and attacked it. The king of Moab realized that he was losing the battle. So he took seven hundred swordsmen with him and tried to force his way through the enemy lines and escape to the king of Edom. However they failed. He took his oldest son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him on the city wall as a sacrifice to the god of Moab. The Israelites were terrified and so they drew back from the city and returned to their own country. The widow of a member of a group of prophets said to Elisha: My husband has died! As you know, he was a man who respected God. A man to whom he owed money came to take away my two sons as slaves in payment for my husband's debt. Elisha said: Tell me what shall I do for you? What do you have at home? She answered: Except for a small jar of olive oil, I have nothing. Ask your neighbors for empty jars. Borrow as many as you can, Elisha told her. You and your sons go into the house and shut the door behind you. Pour oil into the jars. Set each one aside as soon as it is full. The woman went into her house with her sons. They closed the door and took the small jar of olive oil, and poured oil into the jars as her sons brought them to her. When the jars were full she asked if there were any more. That was the last one, one of her sons told her. So the olive oil stopped flowing. She returned to Elisha, the prophet. He said: Sell the olive oil and pay all your debts. There will be enough money left over for you and your sons to pay your living expenses. Elisha went to Shunem, where a rich woman lived. She invited him to a meal. From that time on every time he went to Shunem he would have his meals at her house. She said to her husband: I know that this man who comes here often is a holy man. Let us build a small room on the roof, and put a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp in it. He can stay there when he visits us. One day Elisha returned to Shunem and went to his room to rest. He told his servant Gehazi to call the woman. When she came, he said to Gehazi: Ask her what I can do for her in return for all the trouble she has had in providing for our needs. Maybe she would like me to go to the king or the army commander and put in a good word for her. I have all I need here among my own people, she answered. Elisha asked Gehazi: What can I do for her? He answered: She has no son, and her husband is an old man. Tell her to come here, Elisha ordered. She came and stood in the doorway. Elisha said to her: By this time next year you will hold a son in your arms. Please do not lie to me. You are a man of God! She said. Just as Elisha said, about that time the following year she gave birth to a son. Years later at harvest time, the boy went out one morning to join his father, who was in the field with the harvest workers. Suddenly he cried out to his father: My head hurts! My head hurts! Carry the boy to his mother, the father said to a servant. The servant carried the boy back to his mother. She held him in her lap until noon. Then the boy died. She carried him up to Elisha's room and put him on the bed. She closed the door behind her and left. She called her husband and said to him: Send a servant here with a donkey. I need to go to the prophet Elisha. I will be back as soon as I can. Why must you go today? Her husband asked. It is neither a Sabbath nor a New Moon Festival. She replied: Never mind. She had the donkey saddled, and ordered the servant: Make the donkey go as fast as it can. Do not slow down unless I tell you. She left for Mount Carmel, where Elisha was. Elisha saw her coming while she was still far off. He said to his servant Gehazi: Look, there comes the woman from Shunem! Hurry to her and find out if everything is all right with her and her family. She told Gehazi that everything was all right, but when she came to Elisha, she bowed down before him and took hold of his feet. Gehazi was about to push her away. Elisha said: Do not bother her. You can see she is deeply distressed. Jehovah has not told me a thing about it. The woman said to him: Did I ask you for a son? Did I not tell you not to get my hopes up? Elisha told Gehazi: Hurry! Take my walking stick. Do not stop to talk to anyone. If anyone speaks to you do not respond. Go straight to the house and hold my stick over the boy. The woman said to Elisha: I swear by my loyalty to the living God Jehovah and to you that I will not leave you! So the two of them started back together. Gehazi went ahead and held Elisha's stick over the child. There was no sound or any other sign of life. He returned to meet Elisha and said: The boy did not wake up. When Elisha arrived he went alone into the room. He saw the boy lying dead on the bed. He closed the door and prayed to Jehovah. Then he lay down on the boy, placing his mouth, eyes, and hands on the boy's mouth, eyes, and hands. As he lay stretched out over the boy, the boy's body started to get warm. Elisha got up and walked around the room. He returned and again stretched himself over the boy. The boy sneezed seven times and then opened his eyes. Elisha called Gehazi and told him to call the boy's mother. When she came in, he said to her: Take your son! She fell at Elisha's feet with her face on the ground. Then she took her son and left. When there was a famine throughout the land, Elisha returned to Gilgal. He was teaching a group of prophets. He told his servant to put a big pot on the fire and make some stew for them. One of them went out in the fields to gather herbs. He found a wild vine and picked as many gourds as he could carry. He brought them back and sliced them into the stew, not knowing what they were. The stew was poured out for the men to eat. They tasted it and exclaimed to Elisha: It is poisoned! They would not eat it. Elisha asked for some meal. He threw it into the pot and said: Pour out some more stew for them. Then there was nothing wrong with it. A man came from Baal Shalishah. He brought Elisha twenty loaves of bread made from the first barley harvested that year and some freshly cut heads of grain. Elisha told his servant to feed the group of prophets with this. He asked: How am I to feed a hundred hungry men with this? Elisha replied: Give it to them to eat, because Jehovah says that they will eat and still have some left over. (Matthew 14:20) So the servant set the food before them. Just as Jehovah said, they ate and had some left over. Naaman was a great soldier. He was commander of the Syrian army and highly respected and esteemed by the king of Syria (Aram). Jehovah gave victory to the Syrian forces through Naaman. He suffered from a dreaded skin disease. The Syrians carried off a little Israelite girl during one of their raids against Israel. The girl became a servant of Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress: I wish my master could go to the prophet who lives in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy. Naaman heard of this and told the king what the girl said. The king said: Go to the king of Israel and take this letter to him. Naaman departed. He took thirty thousand pieces of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of fine clothes. The letter stated: This letter will introduce my officer Naaman. I want you to cure him of his leprosy. The king of Israel read the letter and tore his clothes and said: How can the king of Syria expect me to cure this man? Does he think that I am God, with the power of life and death? It is plain that he is trying to start a quarrel with me! When the prophet Elisha heard what happened, he sent word to the king: Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me. I will show him that there is a prophet in Israel! Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the entrance to Elisha's house. Elisha sent a servant to tell him to wash himself seven times in the Jordan River. He would then be completely cured of his disease. Naaman left in a rage, saying: I thought he would at least come out to me, pray to Jehovah his God, wave his hand over the diseased spot, and cure me! Are not the Abanah and Pharpar rivers in Damascus better than any river in Israel? I could have washed in them and been cured! His servants went up to him and said: If the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it. Now why can you not just wash yourself, as he said, and be cured? So Naaman went to the Jordan River and dipped himself in it seven times, as Elisha had instructed. He was completely cured. His flesh became firm and healthy like that of a child. Naaman returned to Elisha with all his men and said: Now I realize there is no god but the God of Israel. Please accept a gift from me. Elisha the prophet answered: By the living God Jehovah whom I serve, I swear that I will not accept a gift. Naaman insisted that he accept it, but he would not. So Naaman said: If you will not accept my gift, then let me have two mule-loads of earth to take home with me. From now on I will not offer sacrifices or burnt offerings to any god except Jehovah. I hope Jehovah will forgive me when I accompany my king to the temple of Rimmon, the god of Syria, and worship him. Surely Jehovah will forgive me! Elisha said: Go in peace. And Naaman left. He had gone only a short distance, when Elisha's servant Gehazi said to himself: My master has let Naaman get away without paying a thing! He should have accepted what that Syrian offered him. By the living God Jehovah I will run after him and get something from him. He ran after Naaman. When Naaman saw a man running after him, he got down from his chariot to meet him, and asked: What is wrong? Nothing is wrong, answered Gehazi. But my master sent me to tell you that just now two members of the group of prophets in the hill country of Ephraim arrived. He would like you to give them three thousand pieces of silver and two changes of fine clothes. Please take six thousand pieces of silver, Naaman replied. He tied the silver in two bags and gave them and two changes of fine clothes to two of his servants, and sent them on ahead of Gehazi. They reached the hill where Elisha lived. Gehazi took the two bags and carried them into the house. Then he sent Naaman's servants back. He went into the house. Elisha asked him: Where have you been? Oh, nowhere, he answered. Elisha said: Was I there in spirit when the man got out of his chariot to meet you? This is no time to accept money and clothes, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and cattle, or servants! Naaman's leprosy will come upon you. You and your descendants will have it from generation to generation! When Gehazi left, he had the disease. His skin was as white as snow. The group of prophets Elisha was in charge of complained to him: The place where we live is too small! Allow us to go to the Jordan and cut down some trees. We can build a place to live. Elisha answered: Go. One of them urged him to go with them and he agreed. They set out together and when they arrived at the Jordan they cut down trees. One of them was cutting down a tree when suddenly his ax head fell in the water. It was a borrowed ax, he exclaimed to Elisha. What will I do? Elisha said: Where did it fall? The man showed him the place. Elisha cut off a stick. Then he threw it in the water and made the ax head float. Pick it up, he ordered. The man put his hand in the water and picked it up. The king of Syria was at war with Israel. He consulted his officers and chose a place to set up camp. Elisha sent word to the king of Israel. He warned him not to go near that place, because the Syrians were waiting to ambush him. The king of Israel warned the people who lived there. So they were on guard. This happened several times. The Syrian king was greatly upset over this. He called in his officers and asked them: Show me who of us is on the side of the king of Israel? One of his servants said: No one is, Your Majesty. The prophet Elisha tells the king of Israel what you say even in the privacy of your own bedroom. Locate him! the king ordered, and I will capture him. He was told: Elisha is in Dothan. He sent a large force there with horses and chariots. They surrounded the town at night. Early the next morning Elisha's servant got up and went out of the house. He saw the Syrian troops with their horses and chariots surrounding the town. He went to Elisha and said: Alas my master what shall we do? Do not be afraid, Elisha answered. We have more on our side than they have on theirs. Elisha prayed: O Jehovah, open his eyes that he may see. Jehovah answered his prayer. Elisha's servant looked up and saw the hillside covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. The Syrians attacked! Elisha prayed, O Jehovah, strike these men blind! Jehovah answered his prayer and struck them blind. Elisha said to the Syrians: This is not the way or the town you are looking for. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are after. He led them to Samaria. When they entered the city, Elisha prayed: Open their eyes and let them see. Jehovah answered his prayer. He restored their sight, and they saw that they were inside Samaria. When the king of Israel saw the Syrians, he asked Elisha: Shall I kill them? No, Elisha answered. Would you put to death soldiers you captured in combat? Give them something to eat and drink. Then let them return to their king. So the king of Israel provided a great feast for them. After they ate and drank he sent them back to the king of Syria. From then on the Syrians stopped raiding the land of Israel. After that King Benhadad of Syria led his entire army against Israel in siege of the city of Samaria. The siege caused a great food shortage in the city. It was so severe that a donkey's head cost eighty pieces of silver, and half a pound of dove's dung cost five pieces of silver. The king of Israel walked by on the city wall when a woman cried out: Help me, Your Majesty! The king replied: If Jehovah will not help you, what help can I provide? Where can I get you help from the threshing floor or the wine press? The king asked: What is your trouble? She answered: The other day a woman suggested that we eat my child. Then we could eat her child the next day. So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I told her that we would eat her son, but she had hidden him! Hearing this, the king tore his clothes. The people close to the wall could see that he was wearing sackcloth under his clothes. He exclaimed: May God strike me dead if Elisha is not beheaded before the day is over! He sent a messenger to get Elisha. Meanwhile Elisha was at home with some elders who were visiting him. Before the messenger arrived, Elisha said to the elders: That murderer is sending someone to kill me! When he gets here, shut the door. Do not let him come in. The king will follow him. While Elisha was still talking the king arrived and said: Jehovah brought this trouble on us! Why should I wait any longer for him to do something? Elisha answered: Hear the word of Jehovah: 'By this time tomorrow you will be able to buy in Samaria ten pounds of the best wheat or twenty pounds of barley for one piece of silver.' The personal attendant of the king said to Elisha: If Jehovah could make floodgates in the heavens could this happen? Elisha replied: You will see it with your own eyes. But you will not eat from it. Four men who were suffering from a dreaded skin disease were outside the gates of Samaria. They said to each other: Why should we wait here until we die? If we go into the city we will starve to death. If we stay here we will also die. So let us go to the Syrian camp. The worst they can do is kill us. Maybe they will spare our lives. They arose in the twilight and went to the Syrian camp. When they reached it, no one was there. Jehovah made the Syrians hear what sounded like the advance of a large army with horses and chariots. The Syrians thought that the king of Israel had hired Hittite and Egyptian kings and their armies to attack them. The Syrians arose and fled while it was yet dark. They left their tents, and their horses, and their donkeys in the camp and fled for their lives. The lepers came to the edge of the camp. They went into one tent and ate and drank. They took silver and gold and clothing. They entered another tent and carried away spoil and hid it. They said to each other: We should not do this! We have good news. We should not keep it to ourselves. If we wait until morning to tell it we will be punished. Let us go tell the king's officers! They left the Syrian camp and went to Samaria. They called out to the guards at the gates: We went to the Syrian camp and did not see or hear anyone. The horses and donkeys have not been untied. The tents are just as the Syrians left them. The guards announced the news. It was reported in the palace. The king got out of bed even though it was night. He said to his officials: I will tell you what the Syrians are planning! They know about the famine here, so they have left their camp to go and hide in the countryside. They think that we will leave the city to find food. Then they will take us alive and capture the city. One of his servants said: The people in the city are doomed like those who have already died. Send some men with five of the horses that are left and find out what happened. They chose some men and the king sent them in two chariots with instructions to go and find out what had happened to the Syrian army. The men went to the Jordan. Along the road they saw the clothes and equipment that the Syrians had abandoned as they fled. Then they returned and reported to the king. The people of Samaria rushed out and looted the Syrian camp. Just as Jehovah said, ten pounds of the best wheat or twenty pounds of barley were sold for one piece of silver. The king of Israel put the city gate under the command of the officer who was his personal attendant. The officer was trampled to death there by the people and died, as Elisha had predicted when the king went to see him. Elisha told the king that by that time the following day ten pounds of the best wheat or twenty pounds of barley would be sold in Samaria for one piece of silver. The king's attendant answered: If Jehovah could open floodgates in the heavens could this happen? Elisha had replied: You shall see with your own eyes. But you will not eat from it. And that is just what happened! He died. The people at the city gate trampled him to death. Elisha told the woman who lived in Shunem, whose son he brought back to life: Jehovah is sending a famine on the land. It will last for seven years. Leave with your family and go live somewhere else. She followed his instructions and left with her family to live in Philistia for the seven years. When the seven years ended she returned to Israel. She went to the king to ask that her house and her land be restored to her. The king was talking with Gehazi, Elisha's servant, when she found him. The king wanted to know about Elisha's miracles. Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had brought a dead person back to life. The woman made her appeal to the king. Gehazi said to him: Your Majesty, here is the woman and here is her son whom Elisha brought back to life! She responded to the king's question by confirming Gehazi's story. The king called an official and told him to give back to her everything that was hers. This included the value of all the crops that her fields produced during the seven years she was away. Elisha went to Damascus when King Benhadad of Syria was sick. The king was told that Elisha was there. He said to Hazael, one of his officials: Take a gift to the prophet and ask him to consult Jehovah to find out whether or not I am going to get well. Hazael loaded forty camels with all kinds of the finest products of Damascus and went to Elisha. Hazael said: Your servant, King Benhadad sent me to ask if he will recover from his sickness. Elisha answered: Jehovah has revealed to me that he will die. However go to him and tell him that he will recover. Elisha stared at him in horror until Hazael became ill at ease. Suddenly Elisha burst into tears. Why are you crying? Hazael asked. Because I know the horrible things you will do against the people of Israel, Elisha answered. You will burn their fortresses, slaughter their finest young men, batter their children to death, and rip open their pregnant women. How could I ever be that powerful? Hazael asked. I am nobody, only a dog. Elisha replied: Jehovah has revealed to me that you will be king of Syria. Hazael returned to Benhadad, who asked him: What did Elisha say? He told me that you will certainly get well, Hazael answered. The following day Hazael took a blanket, soaked it in water, and smothered the king. Hazael succeeded Benhadad as king of Syria. Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat became king of Judah. It was the fifth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab as king of Israel. He was thirty-two years old. He ruled in Jerusalem for eight years. His wife was Ahab's daughter. Like the family of Ahab he followed the evil ways of the kings of Israel. He sinned against Jehovah. Jehovah was not willing to destroy Judah. He promised his servant David that his descendants would always continue to rule. Edom revolted against Judah and became an independent kingdom. Jehoram and his chariots went to Zair. The Edomite army surrounded them. He and his chariot commanders managed to break out and escape. His soldiers scattered to their homes. Edom has been independent of Judah ever since. The city of Libnah also revolted at that time. Everything Jehoram did is recorded in The History of the Kings of Judah. Jehoram died and was buried in the royal tombs in David's City. His son Ahaziah succeeded him as king. Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah. This was in the twelfth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab as king of Israel. He was twenty-two years old. He ruled in Jerusalem for one year. His mother was Athaliah, the daughter of King Ahab and granddaughter of King Omri of Israel. Ahaziah was related to King Ahab by marriage. He sinned against Jehovah as Ahab's family did. King Ahaziah joined King Joram of Israel in a war against King Hazael of Syria. The armies clashed at Ramoth in Gilead. Joram was wounded in battle. He returned to the city of Jezreel to recover from his wounds. Ahaziah went there to visit him. Elisha the prophet called one of the young prophets and said to him: Prepare to go to Ramoth in Gilead. Take this jar of olive oil with you. When you get there look for Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat and grandson of Nimshi. Take him to a private room away from his companions. Pour this olive oil on his head, and say: 'Jehovah anoints you king of Israel. Then leave there as fast as you can.' The young prophet went to Ramoth. He found the army officers in conference. He said: I have a message for you. Jehu asked: Who are you speaking to? To you, captain. He replied. The two of them went indoors. The prophet poured the olive oil on Jehu's head and said to him: Jehovah, the God of Israel, says: 'I anoint you king of my people Israel. You are to kill your master the king of the house of Ahab. I am punishing Jezebel for murdering my prophets and my other servants. The entire house of Ahab will perish. I will get rid of every male in his family, young and old alike. I will treat his family as I did the families of King Jeroboam son of Nebat and of King Baasha son of Ahijah. Jezebel will not be buried. Dogs in the territory of Jezreel will eat her body.' After saying this, the young prophet opened the door and fled. Jehu went back to his fellow officers. They asked him: Is everything all right? What did this mad fellow want with you? Jehu answered: You know what he wanted. No we do not! They replied. Tell us what he said! They asked. He told me that Jehovah says: 'I anoint you king of Israel.' At once Jehu's fellow officers spread their cloaks at the top of the steps for Jehu to stand on. They blew trumpets and shouted: Jehu is king! So Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, plotted against Joram. Joram and all the army of Israel were keeping watch on Ramoth-gilead against Hazael, king of Aram: King Joram went back to Jezreel to recuperate from the wounds he received from the Aramaeans when he fought against Hazael, king of Aram. Jehu said: If this is your purpose let no one get away to give news of it in Jezreel. So Jehu got into his carriage and went to Jezreel. Joram was ill in bed there and Ahaziah, king of Judah came to see him. The watchman on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu and his company coming. He said: I see a company of people. Joram said: Send out a horseman to them and let him ask: 'Do you come in peace?' So a horseman went out to them and said: The king asks: 'Do you come in peace? ' Jehu said: What have you to do with peace? Follow me. The watchman reported that the horseman reached the group and was returning. A second man was sent out on horseback. He approached them and asked the same thing: Do you come in peace? Jehu replied: What have you to do with peace? Follow me. The watchman reported: He went up to them and has not come back. The driving is like the driving of Jehu, son of Nimshi, for he is driving violently. Joram said: Get ready. They prepared his chariot and Joram, king of Israel, with Ahaziah, king of Judah, went out in their chariots to meet Jehu. They came face to face with him at the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. When Joram saw Jehu he said: Do you come in peace, Jehu? He said in reply: What peace is possible while all the land is full of the disgusting sins of your mother Jezebel, and her secret arts of witchcraft? Then Joram turned his horses and fled. He said to Ahaziah: Broken faith, O Ahaziah! Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and sent an arrow, wounding Joram between the arms. The arrow came out at his heart, and he went down on his face in his chariot. Jehu said to Bidkar, his captain: Pick him up, and put him in the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. I remember when you and I were riding together after Ahab, his father. Jehovah offered this prophesy against him. Even as I saw the blood of Naboth and his sons yesterday, 'I will pay you back in this field,' declares Jehovah. Now take him and throw him into the field as Jehovah predicted.