Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Church and state » Ecclesiastical power superior to civil » Withdraws support and anoints a successor
But the seventh year Jehoiada sent and took rulers over hundreds, captains and people of the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the LORD and made a covenant with them, causing them to swear an oath in the house of the LORD, and he showed them the king's son. And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye shall do; a third part of you that shall enter in on the sabbath shall be the keepers of the watch of the king's house; and a third part shall be at the gate of Sur; ; and a third part at the gate behind the guard; so ye shall have the watch of the house of Mesah. read more.
And two parts of all you that go forth on the sabbath, even they shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD about the king. And ye shall compass the king round about, each man with his weapons in his hand; and he that comes within these orders shall be slain. Ye must be with the king as he goes out and as he comes in. And the captains over the hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada, the priest, commanded; and each man took his men that were to come in on the sabbath with those that should go out on the sabbath and came to Jehoiada, the priest. And the priest gave the captains over hundreds King David's spears and shields that were in the house of the LORD. And the guard stood, each man with his weapons in his hand, round about the king, from the right corner of the house to the left corner of the house, next to the altar and the house. Then he brought forth the king's son and put the crown upon him and gave him the testimony, and they made him king by anointing him; and they clapped their hands and said, Long live the king.
And two parts of all you that go forth on the sabbath, even they shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD about the king. And ye shall compass the king round about, each man with his weapons in his hand; and he that comes within these orders shall be slain. Ye must be with the king as he goes out and as he comes in. And the captains over the hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada, the priest, commanded; and each man took his men that were to come in on the sabbath with those that should go out on the sabbath and came to Jehoiada, the priest. And the priest gave the captains over hundreds King David's spears and shields that were in the house of the LORD. And the guard stood, each man with his weapons in his hand, round about the king, from the right corner of the house to the left corner of the house, next to the altar and the house. Then he brought forth the king's son and put the crown upon him and gave him the testimony, and they made him king by anointing him; and they clapped their hands and said, Long live the king.
And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill thy horn with oil and go; I will send thee to Jesse of Bethlehem for I have provided me a king among his sons. And Samuel said, How can I go? If Saul understands it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take a heifer with thee and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD. And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do, and thou shalt anoint unto me the one whom I name unto thee. read more.
And Samuel did as the LORD said and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming and said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably; I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and called them to the sacrifice. And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab and said, Peradventure is the LORD's anointed before him? And the LORD replied unto Samuel, Do not look on his countenance or on the height of his stature because I have refused him, for it is not as man sees, for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart. Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither has the LORD chosen this one. Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither has the LORD chosen this one. Again, Jesse made his seven sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD has not chosen these. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are all thy young men here? And he said, There remains yet the youngest, and, behold, he keeps the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send for him, for we will not sit down to the table until he comes here. And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and of a beautiful countenance and handsome. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him, for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him from among his brethren; and the Spirit of the LORD prospered David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.
And Samuel did as the LORD said and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming and said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably; I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and called them to the sacrifice. And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab and said, Peradventure is the LORD's anointed before him? And the LORD replied unto Samuel, Do not look on his countenance or on the height of his stature because I have refused him, for it is not as man sees, for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart. Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither has the LORD chosen this one. Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither has the LORD chosen this one. Again, Jesse made his seven sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD has not chosen these. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are all thy young men here? And he said, There remains yet the youngest, and, behold, he keeps the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send for him, for we will not sit down to the table until he comes here. And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and of a beautiful countenance and handsome. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him, for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him from among his brethren; and the Spirit of the LORD prospered David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.
Then Elisha, the prophet, called one of the sons of the prophets and said unto him, Gird up thy loins and take this flask of oil in thy hand and go to Ramothgilead. And when thou comest there, thou shalt see Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, there; go in and make him arise up from among his brethren and take him to an inner chamber. Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say, Thus hath the LORD said, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door and flee and do not tarry. read more.
So the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramothgilead. And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting, and he said, I have an errand to thee, O captain. And Jehu said, Unto which of all us? And he said, To thee, O captain. And he arose and went into the house, and he poured the oil on his head and said unto him, Thus hath said the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel. And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab, thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my slaves, the prophets, and the blood of all the slaves of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisses against the wall, he that is shut up as well as he that is left in Israel. And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha, the son of Ahijah. And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be no one to bury her. And he opened the door and fled. Then Jehu came forth to the slaves of his lord, and one said unto him, Is there peace? Why did this mad fellow come to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man and his communication. And they said, We know not; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus he spoke unto me, saying, Thus hath the LORD said, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then they hastened, and each man took his garment, and put it under him in a high throne, and blew the shofar, saying, Jehu is king. So Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram was keeping Ramothgilead, with all Israel, because of Hazael, king of Syria. But King Joram was returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him, when he fought with Hazael, king of Syria.) And Jehu said, If it is your desire, then do not let anyone go forth nor escape out of the city to tell the news in Jezreel. So Jehu rode and went to Jezreel, for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah, king of Judah, was come down to see Joram. And the watchman, who stood in the tower of Jezreel, spied the company of Jehu as he came and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take a horseman and send to meet them and let him say unto them, Is there peace? So one on horseback went to meet him and said, Thus saith the king, Is there peace? And Jehu said, What hast thou to do with peace? Turn behind me. And the watchman gave notice, saying, The messenger came to them, but he does not return. Then he sent out another on horseback, who came to them, and said, Thus saith the king, Is there peace? And Jehu answered, What hast thou to do with peace? Turn behind me. And the watchman gave notice again, saying, He also came unto them and does not return, and the pace of him who is coming is like the pace of Jehu, the son of Nimshi, for he comes impetuously. And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram, king of Israel, and Ahaziah, king of Judah, went out, each in his chariot, and they went out to meet Jehu and found him in the portion of Naboth of Jezreel. And when Joram saw Jehu, he said, Is there peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the fornications of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many? Then Joram turned his hands and fled and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah. But Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot. Then said Jehu to Bidkar, his captain, Take him and cast him in the edge of the portion of the field of Naboth of Jezreel. Remember that when thou and I went together after Ahab, his father, the LORD pronounced this sentence upon him, saying, Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, said the LORD, and I will requite thee in this portion, said the LORD. Now, therefore, take and cast him into the portion, according to the word of the LORD.
So the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramothgilead. And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting, and he said, I have an errand to thee, O captain. And Jehu said, Unto which of all us? And he said, To thee, O captain. And he arose and went into the house, and he poured the oil on his head and said unto him, Thus hath said the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel. And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab, thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my slaves, the prophets, and the blood of all the slaves of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisses against the wall, he that is shut up as well as he that is left in Israel. And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha, the son of Ahijah. And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be no one to bury her. And he opened the door and fled. Then Jehu came forth to the slaves of his lord, and one said unto him, Is there peace? Why did this mad fellow come to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man and his communication. And they said, We know not; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus he spoke unto me, saying, Thus hath the LORD said, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then they hastened, and each man took his garment, and put it under him in a high throne, and blew the shofar, saying, Jehu is king. So Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram was keeping Ramothgilead, with all Israel, because of Hazael, king of Syria. But King Joram was returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him, when he fought with Hazael, king of Syria.) And Jehu said, If it is your desire, then do not let anyone go forth nor escape out of the city to tell the news in Jezreel. So Jehu rode and went to Jezreel, for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah, king of Judah, was come down to see Joram. And the watchman, who stood in the tower of Jezreel, spied the company of Jehu as he came and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take a horseman and send to meet them and let him say unto them, Is there peace? So one on horseback went to meet him and said, Thus saith the king, Is there peace? And Jehu said, What hast thou to do with peace? Turn behind me. And the watchman gave notice, saying, The messenger came to them, but he does not return. Then he sent out another on horseback, who came to them, and said, Thus saith the king, Is there peace? And Jehu answered, What hast thou to do with peace? Turn behind me. And the watchman gave notice again, saying, He also came unto them and does not return, and the pace of him who is coming is like the pace of Jehu, the son of Nimshi, for he comes impetuously. And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram, king of Israel, and Ahaziah, king of Judah, went out, each in his chariot, and they went out to meet Jehu and found him in the portion of Naboth of Jezreel. And when Joram saw Jehu, he said, Is there peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the fornications of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many? Then Joram turned his hands and fled and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah. But Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot. Then said Jehu to Bidkar, his captain, Take him and cast him in the edge of the portion of the field of Naboth of Jezreel. Remember that when thou and I went together after Ahab, his father, the LORD pronounced this sentence upon him, saying, Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, said the LORD, and I will requite thee in this portion, said the LORD. Now, therefore, take and cast him into the portion, according to the word of the LORD.
Decision » Instances of » Jehu
Then Jehu came forth to the slaves of his lord, and one said unto him, Is there peace? Why did this mad fellow come to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man and his communication. And they said, We know not; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus he spoke unto me, saying, Thus hath the LORD said, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then they hastened, and each man took his garment, and put it under him in a high throne, and blew the shofar, saying, Jehu is king. read more.
So Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram was keeping Ramothgilead, with all Israel, because of Hazael, king of Syria. But King Joram was returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him, when he fought with Hazael, king of Syria.) And Jehu said, If it is your desire, then do not let anyone go forth nor escape out of the city to tell the news in Jezreel. So Jehu rode and went to Jezreel, for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah, king of Judah, was come down to see Joram. And the watchman, who stood in the tower of Jezreel, spied the company of Jehu as he came and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take a horseman and send to meet them and let him say unto them, Is there peace? So one on horseback went to meet him and said, Thus saith the king, Is there peace? And Jehu said, What hast thou to do with peace? Turn behind me. And the watchman gave notice, saying, The messenger came to them, but he does not return. Then he sent out another on horseback, who came to them, and said, Thus saith the king, Is there peace? And Jehu answered, What hast thou to do with peace? Turn behind me. And the watchman gave notice again, saying, He also came unto them and does not return, and the pace of him who is coming is like the pace of Jehu, the son of Nimshi, for he comes impetuously. And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram, king of Israel, and Ahaziah, king of Judah, went out, each in his chariot, and they went out to meet Jehu and found him in the portion of Naboth of Jezreel. And when Joram saw Jehu, he said, Is there peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the fornications of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many? Then Joram turned his hands and fled and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah. But Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot. Then said Jehu to Bidkar, his captain, Take him and cast him in the edge of the portion of the field of Naboth of Jezreel. Remember that when thou and I went together after Ahab, his father, the LORD pronounced this sentence upon him, saying, Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, said the LORD, and I will requite thee in this portion, said the LORD. Now, therefore, take and cast him into the portion, according to the word of the LORD. But when Ahaziah, the king of Judah, saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu followed after him and said, Smite him also in the chariot. And they did so at the ascent to Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo and died there. And his slaves carried him to Jerusalem and buried him in his sepulchre with his fathers in the city of David. In the eleventh year of Joram, the son of Ahab, Ahaziah began to reign over Judah. And Jehu came to Jezreel, and when Jezebel heard of it, she painted her face and tired her head and looked out of a window. And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master? And he lifted up his face to the window and said, Who is on my side? Who? And two or three eunuchs looked at him. And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down, and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses; and he trode her under foot. And he entered in, and after he ate and drank, he said, Go, see now this cursed woman and bury her; for after all she is a king's daughter. But when they went to bury her, they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. And they returned and told him. And he said, This is the word of the LORD, which he spoke by his slave Elijah, the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel. And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel so that no one shall be able to say, This is Jezebel.
So Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram was keeping Ramothgilead, with all Israel, because of Hazael, king of Syria. But King Joram was returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him, when he fought with Hazael, king of Syria.) And Jehu said, If it is your desire, then do not let anyone go forth nor escape out of the city to tell the news in Jezreel. So Jehu rode and went to Jezreel, for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah, king of Judah, was come down to see Joram. And the watchman, who stood in the tower of Jezreel, spied the company of Jehu as he came and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take a horseman and send to meet them and let him say unto them, Is there peace? So one on horseback went to meet him and said, Thus saith the king, Is there peace? And Jehu said, What hast thou to do with peace? Turn behind me. And the watchman gave notice, saying, The messenger came to them, but he does not return. Then he sent out another on horseback, who came to them, and said, Thus saith the king, Is there peace? And Jehu answered, What hast thou to do with peace? Turn behind me. And the watchman gave notice again, saying, He also came unto them and does not return, and the pace of him who is coming is like the pace of Jehu, the son of Nimshi, for he comes impetuously. And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram, king of Israel, and Ahaziah, king of Judah, went out, each in his chariot, and they went out to meet Jehu and found him in the portion of Naboth of Jezreel. And when Joram saw Jehu, he said, Is there peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the fornications of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many? Then Joram turned his hands and fled and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah. But Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot. Then said Jehu to Bidkar, his captain, Take him and cast him in the edge of the portion of the field of Naboth of Jezreel. Remember that when thou and I went together after Ahab, his father, the LORD pronounced this sentence upon him, saying, Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, said the LORD, and I will requite thee in this portion, said the LORD. Now, therefore, take and cast him into the portion, according to the word of the LORD. But when Ahaziah, the king of Judah, saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu followed after him and said, Smite him also in the chariot. And they did so at the ascent to Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo and died there. And his slaves carried him to Jerusalem and buried him in his sepulchre with his fathers in the city of David. In the eleventh year of Joram, the son of Ahab, Ahaziah began to reign over Judah. And Jehu came to Jezreel, and when Jezebel heard of it, she painted her face and tired her head and looked out of a window. And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master? And he lifted up his face to the window and said, Who is on my side? Who? And two or three eunuchs looked at him. And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down, and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses; and he trode her under foot. And he entered in, and after he ate and drank, he said, Go, see now this cursed woman and bury her; for after all she is a king's daughter. But when they went to bury her, they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. And they returned and told him. And he said, This is the word of the LORD, which he spoke by his slave Elijah, the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel. And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel so that no one shall be able to say, This is Jezebel.
Enthusiasm » Instances of » Jehu
Then Elisha, the prophet, called one of the sons of the prophets and said unto him, Gird up thy loins and take this flask of oil in thy hand and go to Ramothgilead. And when thou comest there, thou shalt see Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, there; go in and make him arise up from among his brethren and take him to an inner chamber. Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say, Thus hath the LORD said, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door and flee and do not tarry. read more.
So the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramothgilead. And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting, and he said, I have an errand to thee, O captain. And Jehu said, Unto which of all us? And he said, To thee, O captain. And he arose and went into the house, and he poured the oil on his head and said unto him, Thus hath said the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel. And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab, thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my slaves, the prophets, and the blood of all the slaves of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisses against the wall, he that is shut up as well as he that is left in Israel. And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha, the son of Ahijah. And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be no one to bury her. And he opened the door and fled. Then Jehu came forth to the slaves of his lord, and one said unto him, Is there peace? Why did this mad fellow come to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man and his communication. And they said, We know not; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus he spoke unto me, saying, Thus hath the LORD said, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then they hastened, and each man took his garment, and put it under him in a high throne, and blew the shofar, saying, Jehu is king. So Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram was keeping Ramothgilead, with all Israel, because of Hazael, king of Syria.
So the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramothgilead. And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting, and he said, I have an errand to thee, O captain. And Jehu said, Unto which of all us? And he said, To thee, O captain. And he arose and went into the house, and he poured the oil on his head and said unto him, Thus hath said the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel. And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab, thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my slaves, the prophets, and the blood of all the slaves of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisses against the wall, he that is shut up as well as he that is left in Israel. And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha, the son of Ahijah. And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be no one to bury her. And he opened the door and fled. Then Jehu came forth to the slaves of his lord, and one said unto him, Is there peace? Why did this mad fellow come to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man and his communication. And they said, We know not; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus he spoke unto me, saying, Thus hath the LORD said, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then they hastened, and each man took his garment, and put it under him in a high throne, and blew the shofar, saying, Jehu is king. So Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram was keeping Ramothgilead, with all Israel, because of Hazael, king of Syria.
And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters and sent to Samaria unto the princes of Jezreel, to the elders, and to those that brought up Ahab's children, saying, Now as soon as this letter comes to you, unto those who have your master's sons and who have chariots and horsemen and who have the arms and munitions of the city, see which is the best and most upright of your master's sons and set him on his father's throne and fight for your master's house. read more.
But they were exceedingly afraid and said, Behold, two kings could not stand before him; how then shall we stand? And he that was over the house and he that was over the city, the elders also, and those who had brought up the children sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy slaves and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king; thou shalt do that which is good in thy eyes. Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye are mine and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take the heads of the male sons of your master and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time. Now the king's sons, being seventy males, were with the great men of the city, who had brought them up. And when the letter came to them, they took the king's sons and slew seventy males and put their heads in baskets and sent him them to Jezreel. And a messenger came and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said, Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning. And in the morning, he went out and stood and said to all the people, Ye are righteous; behold, I conspired against my master and slew him; but who slew all these? Know now that of the word of the LORD which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab, nothing shall fall to the ground, for the LORD has done that which he spoke by his slave Elijah. So Jehu slew all that had remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men and all his kinsfolk and all his priests until he left him none remaining. And he arose and departed and came to Samaria. And as he was at a pastor's shearing house in the way, Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah, king of Judah, and said, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah, and we go down to salute the sons of the king and the sons of the queen. So he said, Take them alive. And after they took them alive, they slew them at the well of the shearing house, forty-two men, without leaving any of them. And when he had departed from there, he met Jehonadab, the son of Rechab; and after he saluted him, he said to him, Is thy heart right as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it is, give me thy hand. And he gave him his hand, and he took him up to him into the chariot. And he said, Come with me, and thou shalt see my zeal for the LORD. So they had him ride in his chariot. And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that had remained of Ahab in Samaria, until he had completely destroyed him, according to the word of the LORD which he had spoken to Elijah. And Jehu gathered all the people together and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little but Jehu shall serve him much. Now, therefore, call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests; let no one be lacking, for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal; whoever is lacking shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtilty to the intent that he might destroy those that served Baal. And Jehu said, Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it. And Jehu sent through all Israel, and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was no one lacking that did not come. And they came into the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was full from one end to another. And he said to the one that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all those that served Baal. And he brought them forth vestments. And Jehu went with Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal and said unto the servants of Baal, Search and make sure that none of the slaves of the LORD are here with you, but only the servants of Baal. And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu put eighty men outside and said, Whoever leaves alive any of the men whom I have brought into your hands, his life shall be for that of the other. And after they had finished offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to those of his guard and to the captains, Go in, and slay them; let none escape. And they smote them with the edge of the sword, and the guard and the captains left them where they fell and went to the city of the house of Baal, and they removed the images out of the house of Baal and burned them. And they broke down the image of Baal and broke down the house of Baal and made it a latrine unto this day. Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
But they were exceedingly afraid and said, Behold, two kings could not stand before him; how then shall we stand? And he that was over the house and he that was over the city, the elders also, and those who had brought up the children sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy slaves and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king; thou shalt do that which is good in thy eyes. Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye are mine and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take the heads of the male sons of your master and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time. Now the king's sons, being seventy males, were with the great men of the city, who had brought them up. And when the letter came to them, they took the king's sons and slew seventy males and put their heads in baskets and sent him them to Jezreel. And a messenger came and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said, Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning. And in the morning, he went out and stood and said to all the people, Ye are righteous; behold, I conspired against my master and slew him; but who slew all these? Know now that of the word of the LORD which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab, nothing shall fall to the ground, for the LORD has done that which he spoke by his slave Elijah. So Jehu slew all that had remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men and all his kinsfolk and all his priests until he left him none remaining. And he arose and departed and came to Samaria. And as he was at a pastor's shearing house in the way, Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah, king of Judah, and said, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah, and we go down to salute the sons of the king and the sons of the queen. So he said, Take them alive. And after they took them alive, they slew them at the well of the shearing house, forty-two men, without leaving any of them. And when he had departed from there, he met Jehonadab, the son of Rechab; and after he saluted him, he said to him, Is thy heart right as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it is, give me thy hand. And he gave him his hand, and he took him up to him into the chariot. And he said, Come with me, and thou shalt see my zeal for the LORD. So they had him ride in his chariot. And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that had remained of Ahab in Samaria, until he had completely destroyed him, according to the word of the LORD which he had spoken to Elijah. And Jehu gathered all the people together and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little but Jehu shall serve him much. Now, therefore, call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests; let no one be lacking, for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal; whoever is lacking shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtilty to the intent that he might destroy those that served Baal. And Jehu said, Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it. And Jehu sent through all Israel, and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was no one lacking that did not come. And they came into the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was full from one end to another. And he said to the one that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all those that served Baal. And he brought them forth vestments. And Jehu went with Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal and said unto the servants of Baal, Search and make sure that none of the slaves of the LORD are here with you, but only the servants of Baal. And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu put eighty men outside and said, Whoever leaves alive any of the men whom I have brought into your hands, his life shall be for that of the other. And after they had finished offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to those of his guard and to the captains, Go in, and slay them; let none escape. And they smote them with the edge of the sword, and the guard and the captains left them where they fell and went to the city of the house of Baal, and they removed the images out of the house of Baal and burned them. And they broke down the image of Baal and broke down the house of Baal and made it a latrine unto this day. Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
Jehu » Son of nimshi, king of israel
and Jehu, the son of Nimshi, thou shalt anoint to be king over Israel; and Elisha, the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah, thou shalt anoint to be prophet in thy place.
Verse Concepts
Then Elisha, the prophet, called one of the sons of the prophets and said unto him, Gird up thy loins and take this flask of oil in thy hand and go to Ramothgilead. And when thou comest there, thou shalt see Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, there; go in and make him arise up from among his brethren and take him to an inner chamber. Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say, Thus hath the LORD said, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door and flee and do not tarry. read more.
So the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramothgilead. And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting, and he said, I have an errand to thee, O captain. And Jehu said, Unto which of all us? And he said, To thee, O captain. And he arose and went into the house, and he poured the oil on his head and said unto him, Thus hath said the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel. And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab, thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my slaves, the prophets, and the blood of all the slaves of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisses against the wall, he that is shut up as well as he that is left in Israel. And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha, the son of Ahijah. And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be no one to bury her. And he opened the door and fled. Then Jehu came forth to the slaves of his lord, and one said unto him, Is there peace? Why did this mad fellow come to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man and his communication. And they said, We know not; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus he spoke unto me, saying, Thus hath the LORD said, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then they hastened, and each man took his garment, and put it under him in a high throne, and blew the shofar, saying, Jehu is king. So Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram was keeping Ramothgilead, with all Israel, because of Hazael, king of Syria.
So the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramothgilead. And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting, and he said, I have an errand to thee, O captain. And Jehu said, Unto which of all us? And he said, To thee, O captain. And he arose and went into the house, and he poured the oil on his head and said unto him, Thus hath said the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel. And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab, thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my slaves, the prophets, and the blood of all the slaves of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisses against the wall, he that is shut up as well as he that is left in Israel. And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha, the son of Ahijah. And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be no one to bury her. And he opened the door and fled. Then Jehu came forth to the slaves of his lord, and one said unto him, Is there peace? Why did this mad fellow come to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man and his communication. And they said, We know not; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus he spoke unto me, saying, Thus hath the LORD said, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then they hastened, and each man took his garment, and put it under him in a high throne, and blew the shofar, saying, Jehu is king. So Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram was keeping Ramothgilead, with all Israel, because of Hazael, king of Syria.
Kings » Who reigned over israel » Jehu
Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say, Thus hath the LORD said, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door and flee and do not tarry. So the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramothgilead. And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting, and he said, I have an errand to thee, O captain. And Jehu said, Unto which of all us? And he said, To thee, O captain. read more.
And he arose and went into the house, and he poured the oil on his head and said unto him, Thus hath said the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel. And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab, thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my slaves, the prophets, and the blood of all the slaves of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisses against the wall, he that is shut up as well as he that is left in Israel. And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha, the son of Ahijah. And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be no one to bury her. And he opened the door and fled. Then Jehu came forth to the slaves of his lord, and one said unto him, Is there peace? Why did this mad fellow come to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man and his communication. And they said, We know not; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus he spoke unto me, saying, Thus hath the LORD said, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then they hastened, and each man took his garment, and put it under him in a high throne, and blew the shofar, saying, Jehu is king. So Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram was keeping Ramothgilead, with all Israel, because of Hazael, king of Syria. But King Joram was returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him, when he fought with Hazael, king of Syria.) And Jehu said, If it is your desire, then do not let anyone go forth nor escape out of the city to tell the news in Jezreel. So Jehu rode and went to Jezreel, for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah, king of Judah, was come down to see Joram. And the watchman, who stood in the tower of Jezreel, spied the company of Jehu as he came and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take a horseman and send to meet them and let him say unto them, Is there peace? So one on horseback went to meet him and said, Thus saith the king, Is there peace? And Jehu said, What hast thou to do with peace? Turn behind me. And the watchman gave notice, saying, The messenger came to them, but he does not return. Then he sent out another on horseback, who came to them, and said, Thus saith the king, Is there peace? And Jehu answered, What hast thou to do with peace? Turn behind me. And the watchman gave notice again, saying, He also came unto them and does not return, and the pace of him who is coming is like the pace of Jehu, the son of Nimshi, for he comes impetuously. And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram, king of Israel, and Ahaziah, king of Judah, went out, each in his chariot, and they went out to meet Jehu and found him in the portion of Naboth of Jezreel. And when Joram saw Jehu, he said, Is there peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the fornications of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many? Then Joram turned his hands and fled and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah. But Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot. Then said Jehu to Bidkar, his captain, Take him and cast him in the edge of the portion of the field of Naboth of Jezreel. Remember that when thou and I went together after Ahab, his father, the LORD pronounced this sentence upon him, saying, Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, said the LORD, and I will requite thee in this portion, said the LORD. Now, therefore, take and cast him into the portion, according to the word of the LORD. But when Ahaziah, the king of Judah, saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu followed after him and said, Smite him also in the chariot. And they did so at the ascent to Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo and died there. And his slaves carried him to Jerusalem and buried him in his sepulchre with his fathers in the city of David. In the eleventh year of Joram, the son of Ahab, Ahaziah began to reign over Judah. And Jehu came to Jezreel, and when Jezebel heard of it, she painted her face and tired her head and looked out of a window. And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master? And he lifted up his face to the window and said, Who is on my side? Who? And two or three eunuchs looked at him. And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down, and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses; and he trode her under foot. And he entered in, and after he ate and drank, he said, Go, see now this cursed woman and bury her; for after all she is a king's daughter. But when they went to bury her, they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. And they returned and told him. And he said, This is the word of the LORD, which he spoke by his slave Elijah, the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel. And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel so that no one shall be able to say, This is Jezebel. And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters and sent to Samaria unto the princes of Jezreel, to the elders, and to those that brought up Ahab's children, saying, Now as soon as this letter comes to you, unto those who have your master's sons and who have chariots and horsemen and who have the arms and munitions of the city, see which is the best and most upright of your master's sons and set him on his father's throne and fight for your master's house. But they were exceedingly afraid and said, Behold, two kings could not stand before him; how then shall we stand? And he that was over the house and he that was over the city, the elders also, and those who had brought up the children sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy slaves and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king; thou shalt do that which is good in thy eyes. Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye are mine and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take the heads of the male sons of your master and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time. Now the king's sons, being seventy males, were with the great men of the city, who had brought them up. And when the letter came to them, they took the king's sons and slew seventy males and put their heads in baskets and sent him them to Jezreel. And a messenger came and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said, Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning. And in the morning, he went out and stood and said to all the people, Ye are righteous; behold, I conspired against my master and slew him; but who slew all these? Know now that of the word of the LORD which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab, nothing shall fall to the ground, for the LORD has done that which he spoke by his slave Elijah. So Jehu slew all that had remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men and all his kinsfolk and all his priests until he left him none remaining. And he arose and departed and came to Samaria. And as he was at a pastor's shearing house in the way, Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah, king of Judah, and said, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah, and we go down to salute the sons of the king and the sons of the queen. So he said, Take them alive. And after they took them alive, they slew them at the well of the shearing house, forty-two men, without leaving any of them. And when he had departed from there, he met Jehonadab, the son of Rechab; and after he saluted him, he said to him, Is thy heart right as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it is, give me thy hand. And he gave him his hand, and he took him up to him into the chariot. And he said, Come with me, and thou shalt see my zeal for the LORD. So they had him ride in his chariot. And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that had remained of Ahab in Samaria, until he had completely destroyed him, according to the word of the LORD which he had spoken to Elijah. And Jehu gathered all the people together and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little but Jehu shall serve him much. Now, therefore, call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests; let no one be lacking, for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal; whoever is lacking shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtilty to the intent that he might destroy those that served Baal. And Jehu said, Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it. And Jehu sent through all Israel, and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was no one lacking that did not come. And they came into the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was full from one end to another. And he said to the one that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all those that served Baal. And he brought them forth vestments. And Jehu went with Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal and said unto the servants of Baal, Search and make sure that none of the slaves of the LORD are here with you, but only the servants of Baal. And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu put eighty men outside and said, Whoever leaves alive any of the men whom I have brought into your hands, his life shall be for that of the other. And after they had finished offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to those of his guard and to the captains, Go in, and slay them; let none escape. And they smote them with the edge of the sword, and the guard and the captains left them where they fell and went to the city of the house of Baal, and they removed the images out of the house of Baal and burned them. And they broke down the image of Baal and broke down the house of Baal and made it a latrine unto this day. Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel. However with all this, Jehu did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin with the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan. And the LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in my eyes and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth generation. But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart; neither did he depart from the sins of Jeroboam, who had caused Israel to sin. In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short, and Hazael smote them in all the borders of Israel, from the Jordan toward the rising of the sun, all the land of Gilead, of Gad, of Reuben, and of Manasses, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, to Gilead and to Bashan. Now the rest of the acts of Jehu and all that he did and all his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? And Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz, his son, reigned in his stead. The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.
And he arose and went into the house, and he poured the oil on his head and said unto him, Thus hath said the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel. And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab, thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my slaves, the prophets, and the blood of all the slaves of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisses against the wall, he that is shut up as well as he that is left in Israel. And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha, the son of Ahijah. And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be no one to bury her. And he opened the door and fled. Then Jehu came forth to the slaves of his lord, and one said unto him, Is there peace? Why did this mad fellow come to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man and his communication. And they said, We know not; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus he spoke unto me, saying, Thus hath the LORD said, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then they hastened, and each man took his garment, and put it under him in a high throne, and blew the shofar, saying, Jehu is king. So Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram was keeping Ramothgilead, with all Israel, because of Hazael, king of Syria. But King Joram was returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him, when he fought with Hazael, king of Syria.) And Jehu said, If it is your desire, then do not let anyone go forth nor escape out of the city to tell the news in Jezreel. So Jehu rode and went to Jezreel, for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah, king of Judah, was come down to see Joram. And the watchman, who stood in the tower of Jezreel, spied the company of Jehu as he came and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take a horseman and send to meet them and let him say unto them, Is there peace? So one on horseback went to meet him and said, Thus saith the king, Is there peace? And Jehu said, What hast thou to do with peace? Turn behind me. And the watchman gave notice, saying, The messenger came to them, but he does not return. Then he sent out another on horseback, who came to them, and said, Thus saith the king, Is there peace? And Jehu answered, What hast thou to do with peace? Turn behind me. And the watchman gave notice again, saying, He also came unto them and does not return, and the pace of him who is coming is like the pace of Jehu, the son of Nimshi, for he comes impetuously. And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram, king of Israel, and Ahaziah, king of Judah, went out, each in his chariot, and they went out to meet Jehu and found him in the portion of Naboth of Jezreel. And when Joram saw Jehu, he said, Is there peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the fornications of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many? Then Joram turned his hands and fled and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah. But Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot. Then said Jehu to Bidkar, his captain, Take him and cast him in the edge of the portion of the field of Naboth of Jezreel. Remember that when thou and I went together after Ahab, his father, the LORD pronounced this sentence upon him, saying, Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, said the LORD, and I will requite thee in this portion, said the LORD. Now, therefore, take and cast him into the portion, according to the word of the LORD. But when Ahaziah, the king of Judah, saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu followed after him and said, Smite him also in the chariot. And they did so at the ascent to Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo and died there. And his slaves carried him to Jerusalem and buried him in his sepulchre with his fathers in the city of David. In the eleventh year of Joram, the son of Ahab, Ahaziah began to reign over Judah. And Jehu came to Jezreel, and when Jezebel heard of it, she painted her face and tired her head and looked out of a window. And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master? And he lifted up his face to the window and said, Who is on my side? Who? And two or three eunuchs looked at him. And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down, and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses; and he trode her under foot. And he entered in, and after he ate and drank, he said, Go, see now this cursed woman and bury her; for after all she is a king's daughter. But when they went to bury her, they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. And they returned and told him. And he said, This is the word of the LORD, which he spoke by his slave Elijah, the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel. And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel so that no one shall be able to say, This is Jezebel. And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters and sent to Samaria unto the princes of Jezreel, to the elders, and to those that brought up Ahab's children, saying, Now as soon as this letter comes to you, unto those who have your master's sons and who have chariots and horsemen and who have the arms and munitions of the city, see which is the best and most upright of your master's sons and set him on his father's throne and fight for your master's house. But they were exceedingly afraid and said, Behold, two kings could not stand before him; how then shall we stand? And he that was over the house and he that was over the city, the elders also, and those who had brought up the children sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy slaves and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king; thou shalt do that which is good in thy eyes. Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye are mine and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take the heads of the male sons of your master and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time. Now the king's sons, being seventy males, were with the great men of the city, who had brought them up. And when the letter came to them, they took the king's sons and slew seventy males and put their heads in baskets and sent him them to Jezreel. And a messenger came and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said, Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning. And in the morning, he went out and stood and said to all the people, Ye are righteous; behold, I conspired against my master and slew him; but who slew all these? Know now that of the word of the LORD which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab, nothing shall fall to the ground, for the LORD has done that which he spoke by his slave Elijah. So Jehu slew all that had remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men and all his kinsfolk and all his priests until he left him none remaining. And he arose and departed and came to Samaria. And as he was at a pastor's shearing house in the way, Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah, king of Judah, and said, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah, and we go down to salute the sons of the king and the sons of the queen. So he said, Take them alive. And after they took them alive, they slew them at the well of the shearing house, forty-two men, without leaving any of them. And when he had departed from there, he met Jehonadab, the son of Rechab; and after he saluted him, he said to him, Is thy heart right as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it is, give me thy hand. And he gave him his hand, and he took him up to him into the chariot. And he said, Come with me, and thou shalt see my zeal for the LORD. So they had him ride in his chariot. And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that had remained of Ahab in Samaria, until he had completely destroyed him, according to the word of the LORD which he had spoken to Elijah. And Jehu gathered all the people together and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little but Jehu shall serve him much. Now, therefore, call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests; let no one be lacking, for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal; whoever is lacking shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtilty to the intent that he might destroy those that served Baal. And Jehu said, Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it. And Jehu sent through all Israel, and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was no one lacking that did not come. And they came into the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was full from one end to another. And he said to the one that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all those that served Baal. And he brought them forth vestments. And Jehu went with Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal and said unto the servants of Baal, Search and make sure that none of the slaves of the LORD are here with you, but only the servants of Baal. And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu put eighty men outside and said, Whoever leaves alive any of the men whom I have brought into your hands, his life shall be for that of the other. And after they had finished offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to those of his guard and to the captains, Go in, and slay them; let none escape. And they smote them with the edge of the sword, and the guard and the captains left them where they fell and went to the city of the house of Baal, and they removed the images out of the house of Baal and burned them. And they broke down the image of Baal and broke down the house of Baal and made it a latrine unto this day. Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel. However with all this, Jehu did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin with the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan. And the LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in my eyes and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth generation. But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart; neither did he depart from the sins of Jeroboam, who had caused Israel to sin. In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short, and Hazael smote them in all the borders of Israel, from the Jordan toward the rising of the sun, all the land of Gilead, of Gad, of Reuben, and of Manasses, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, to Gilead and to Bashan. Now the rest of the acts of Jehu and all that he did and all his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? And Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz, his son, reigned in his stead. The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.
Kings » Who reigned over israel » Jehoram, or joram
Now Jehoram, the son of Ahab, began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not like his father and like his mother, for he put away the images of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless, he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin; he did not depart from them. read more.
And Mesha, king of Moab, was a pastor and rendered unto the king of Israel one hundred thousand lambs and one hundred thousand rams, with the wool. But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. And King Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time and numbered all Israel. And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab has rebelled against me; wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up; I am as thou art, my people as thy people and my horses as thy horses. And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom. So the king of Israel went and the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and as they walked round about seven days' journey through the desert, there was no water for the host or for the beasts that followed them. Then the king of Israel said, Alas! The LORD has called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab! But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not a prophet of the LORD here, that we may enquire of the LORD by him? And one of the king of Israel's slaves answered and said, Here is Elisha, the son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah. And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the LORD is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. Then Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? Go to the prophets of thy father and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, No, for the LORD has called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab. And Elisha said, As the LORD of the hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee nor see thee. But now bring me a minstrel. And when the minstrel played, the hand of the LORD came upon him; and he said, Thus hath the LORD said, Make this valley full of ditches. For thus hath the LORD said, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet this valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye and your livestock and your beasts. And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD; he will also deliver the Moabites into your hands. And ye shall smite every fenced city and every choice city and shall fell every good tree and stop every fountain of water and mar every good piece of land with stones. And it came to pass in the morning, when the present was offered, that water came by the way of Edom, and the land was filled with water. And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered all that were able to gird on a girdle and upward and stood in the border. And when they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water before them as red as blood; and they said, This is blood; the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another. Now therefore, Moab, to the spoil. But when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites so that they fled before them, but they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in their country. And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land each man cast his stone and filled it, and they stopped all the fountains of water and felled all the good trees until they left their stones only in Kirharaseth, for the slingers went about it and smote it. And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was overcoming him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords to break through unto the king of Edom, but they could not. Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation in Israel, and they departed from him and returned to their own land. Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried unto Elisha, saying, Thy slave, my husband, is dead; and thou knowest that thy slave feared the LORD; and the creditor is come to take my two sons to be his slaves. And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? Tell me what thou hast in the house? And she said, Thy handmaid has nothing in the house except a flask of oil. And he said, Go, borrow vessels from all thy neighbours, empty vessels; borrow not a few. Then enter in and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons and pour out into all those vessels, and as each one is full, set it aside. So she went from him and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her, and she poured out the oil. And when the vessels were full, she said unto her son, Bring me yet another vessel. And he said unto her, There are no more vessels. Then the oil stopped flowing. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell this oil and pay thy debtors and live thou and thy sons of the rest. And it also happened that one day Elisha passed through Shunem, where there was an important woman, and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat bread. And she said to her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us continually. Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall, and let us set for him there a bed and a table and a stool and a lampstand so that when he comes to us, he shall turn in there. And it came to pass one day that he came there, and he turned into the chamber and slept there. Then he said to Gehazi, his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him. And he said unto Gehazi, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been diligent for us with all this care; what shall I do for thee? Dost thou have need that I speak for thee unto the king or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among my own people. And he said, What then shall we do for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she has no child, and her husband is old. Then he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door. And he said, At the appointed time, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, No, my lord, thou man of God, do not deceive thy handmaid. But the woman conceived and gave birth to a son at the appointed time that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life. And when the child was grown, it came to pass one day, that he went out to his father to the reapers. And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a servant, Carry him to his mother. And when he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees until noon and then died. Then she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God and shut the door upon him and went out. And calling her husband, she said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men and one of the asses that I may run to the man of God and come again. And he said, Why must thou go to him today? It is neither new moon nor sabbath. And she said, Peace. Then she caused the ass to be saddled and said to her servant, Lead and go forward; slack not the pace for me except I bid thee. So she went and came unto the man of God to Mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi, his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite. Run now, I pray thee, to meet her and say unto her, Dost thou have peace? And thy husband? And the child? And she answered, Peace. And when she came to the man of God in the mountain, she caught him by the feet. And Gehazi came near to thrust her away; but the man of God said, Let her alone, for her soul is bitter within her; and the LORD has hid it from me and has not revealed it to me. Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? Did I not say, Do not deceive me? Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins and take my staff in thy hand and go; if thou meet anyone, salute him not; and if anyone salutes thee, answer him not again, and lay my staff upon the face of the child. Then the mother of the child said, As the LORD lives and as thy soul lives, I will not leave thee. And he arose and followed her. And Gehazi had gone on before them and had laid the staff upon the face of the child, but there was neither voice, nor attention. Therefore he went again to meet him and told him, saying, The child is not awaked. And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was laid dead upon his bed. He went in therefore and shut the door upon both of them and prayed unto the LORD. Then he went up and lay upon the child and put his mouth upon his mouth and his eyes upon his eyes and his hands upon his hands; thus he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. Then he returned and walked through the house to and fro and went up and stretched himself upon him again; and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. And he called Gehazi and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And as she was coming in unto him, he said, Take up thy son. Then she entered in and fell at his feet and bowed herself to the ground and took up her son and went out. And Elisha returned to Gilgal. Then there was a famine in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, so he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot and make pottage for the sons of the prophets. And one went out into the field to gather herbs and found a wild vine and gathered his lap full of wild grapes and came and shred them into the pot of pottage, for they knew them not. So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of that pottage, that they cried out and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat it. But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot, and he said, Pour out for the people that they may eat. And there was no evil thing in the pot. Then a man came from Baalshalisha, who brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of wheat in the head. And he said, Give unto the people that they may eat. And his minister said, How can I set this before one hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat, for thus hath the LORD said, They shall eat, and some shall be left over. So he set it before them, and they ate, and some was left over, according to the word of the LORD. Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high esteem because by him the LORD had given salvation unto Syria; he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper. And the Syrians had gone out by companies and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid, and she waited on Naaman's wife. And she said unto her mistress, If my lord would ask the prophet that is in Samaria, he would remove his leprosy. And Naaman went in and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. And the king of Syria said, Go, depart, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. And he also took the letter to the king of Israel, which said, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman, my slave, to thee, that thou may remove his leprosy. And when the king of Israel read the letter, he rent his clothes and said, Am I God, to kill and to give life, that this man sends unto me to remove the leprosy of this man? Therefore now consider and see how he seeks a quarrel against me. And when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, Why hast thou rent thy clothes? Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall be restored, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman went away angry and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD, his God, and strike his hand over the place and remove the leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. Then his slaves came near and spoke unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, would thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash and be clean? Then went he down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came and stood before him, and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing from thy slave. But he said, As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it, but he refused. Then Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy slave two mules' burden of earth? For from now one thy slave will offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD. In this thing may the LORD pardon thy slave, that when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, if I also bow myself in the house of Rimmon, that the LORD pardon thy slave in this thing, if I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon. And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way. But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master has spared Naaman, this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought. As the LORD lives, I will run after him and take something from him. So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him and said, Is there no peace? And he said, Peace. My master has sent me, saying, Behold, even now two young men of the sons of the prophets came to me from Mount Ephraim; give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver and two changes of garments. And Naaman said, If you wish take two talents. And he urged him and bound two talents of silver in two bags with two changes of garments and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bore them before him. And when he came to a secret place, he took them from their hand and bestowed them in the house; and he let the men go, and they departed. But when he went in and stood before his master, Elisha said unto him, From where comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went nowhere. Then he said unto him, Did not my heart go with thee when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money and to receive garments and oliveyards and vineyards and sheep and oxen and menslaves and maidslaves? The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow. The sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too tight for us. Let us go, we pray thee, unto the Jordan, and each one take a beam from there, and let us make us a place there where we may dwell. And he answered, Go. And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy slaves. And he answered, I will go. So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down the wood. But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water, and he cried and said, Alas, master! It was borrowed. And the man of God said, Where did it fall? And he showed him the place. Then he cut down a stick and cast it in there and caused the iron to swim. And he said unto him, Take it. And he put out his hand and took it. Then the king of Syria warred against Israel and took counsel with his slaves, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp. And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware to not pass through such and such a place, for the Syrians are going there. Then the king of Israel sent to the place, which the man of God told him and warned him of and kept himself from there, not once nor twice. Therefore, the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled over this thing, and he called his slaves and said unto them, Will ye not show me which of us is for the king of Israel? Then one of his slaves said, None, my lord, O king, but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber. And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and take him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan. So he sent horsemen and chariots there and a great host, who came by night and compassed the city about. And when the servant of the man of God was risen early to go forth, behold, a host compassed the city both with horsemen and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! What shall we do? And he answered, Fear not; for those that are with us are more than those that are with them. And Elisha prayed and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw; and, behold, the mountain was full of horsemen and chariots of fire round about Elisha. And when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD and said, Smite these people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city; follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. And he led them to Samaria. And when they came into Samaria, Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? Shall I smite them? And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them; would thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and return to their master. And he prepared great provision for them; and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel. And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad, king of Syria, gathered all his host and went up and besieged Samaria. And there was a great famine in Samaria as they besieged it until an ass's head was sold for eighty pieces of silver and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver. And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, a woman cried unto him, saying, Save me, my lord, O king. And he said, If the LORD does not save thee, from where shall I save thee? Out of the threshingfloor, or out of the winepress? And the king said unto her, What ails thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow. So we boiled my son and ate him. And I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son that we may eat him. But she has hid her son. And when the king heard the words of the woman, he rent his clothes; and he passed by like this upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh. Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha, the son of Shaphat, shall remain upon him today. And Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man unto him. But before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door; is not the sound of his master's feet behind him? And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him; and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; for what should I wait for the LORD any longer? Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus hath the LORD said, Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. Then a captain on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat of it. And there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate, who said one to another, Why shall we stay here until we die? If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there; and if we stay here, we shall die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians; if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die. And they rose up at the beginning of the night, to go unto the camp of the Syrians; and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there. For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host; and they said one to another, Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us. Therefore they had arisen and fled at the beginning of the night and had left their tents and their horses and their asses, even the camp as it was, and had fled for their lives. And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent and ate and drank and took silver and gold and raiment and went and hid it and came again and entered into another tent and took from there also and went and hid it. Then they said one to another, We do not well; this day is a day to give good tidings, and we are silent; if we tarry until the morning light, we shall be taken in the iniquity. Now, therefore, come, that we may enter in and give the news in the king's house. So they came and called unto the porter of the city, and they told them, saying, We went to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied and asses tied, and the tents as they were. And the porters cried out and told it inside and in the king's house. And the king arose in the night and said unto his slaves, I will now show you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore, they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive and get into the city. Then one of his slaves answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city (for they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it; they are also as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed) and let us send and see. They took, therefore, two chariot horses; and the king sent after the camp of the Syrians, saying, Go and see. And they went after them unto the Jordan; and, behold, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned and told the king. Then the people went out and spoiled the camp of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD. And the king appointed the prince on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate; and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him. And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel shall be tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria. Unto which that prince had answered the man of God, and said, Even if the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat of it. And so it happened unto him, for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died. Then Elisha spoke unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household and sojourn wherever thou canst sojourn; for the LORD has called for a famine which shall come upon the land seven years. Then the woman arose and did as the man of God told her; and she went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. And it came to pass at the end of the seven years that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines, and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her lands. And the king had talked with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha has done. And as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. So Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life. And when the king asked the woman, she told him. Then the king appointed unto her a eunuch, saying, Restore all that was hers and all the fruits of the lands since the day that she left the lands, even until now. Elisha went to Damascus; and Benhadad, the king of Syria, was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come here. And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thy hand, and go, meet the man of God and enquire of the LORD by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? So Hazael went to meet him and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Benhadad, king of Syria, has sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou may certainly recover. But the LORD has showed me that he shall surely die. And he settled his countenance steadfastly, until he was ashamed; and the man of God wept. Then Hazael said unto him, Why does my lord weep? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the sons of Israel; their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword and wilt dash their children and rip up their women with child. And Hazael said, But what, is thy slave a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The LORD has showed me that thou shalt be king over Syria. So he departed from Elisha and came to his master; who said to him, What did Elisha say to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou may surely recover. And it came to pass on the next day that he took a thick cloth and dipped it in water and spread it on his face so that he died; and Hazael reigned in his stead. And in the fifth year of Joram, the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, began to reign. He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife, and he did evil in the sight of the LORD. Yet with all this, the LORD would not destroy Judah for David, his slave's sake, as he had promised him to give him always a light of his sons. In his days, Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah and made a king over themselves. So Joram went over to Zair and all his chariots with him, and he rose up by night and smote the Edomites, who had compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots; and the people fled into their tents. Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time. And the rest of the acts of Joram and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And Joram slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Ahaziah, his son, reigned in his stead. In the twelfth year of Joram, the son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram king of Judah, began to reign. Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri, king of Israel. And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD, as did the house of Ahab; for he was the son-in-law of the house of Ahab. And he went with Joram, the son of Ahab, to the war against Hazael, king of Syria, in Ramothgilead; and the Syrians wounded Joram. And King Joram went back to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael, king of Syria. And Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram king of Judah, went down to see Joram, the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick. Then Elisha, the prophet, called one of the sons of the prophets and said unto him, Gird up thy loins and take this flask of oil in thy hand and go to Ramothgilead. And when thou comest there, thou shalt see Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, there; go in and make him arise up from among his brethren and take him to an inner chamber. Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say, Thus hath the LORD said, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door and flee and do not tarry. So the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramothgilead. And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting, and he said, I have an errand to thee, O captain. And Jehu said, Unto which of all us? And he said, To thee, O captain. And he arose and went into the house, and he poured the oil on his head and said unto him, Thus hath said the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel. And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab, thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my slaves, the prophets, and the blood of all the slaves of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisses against the wall, he that is shut up as well as he that is left in Israel. And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha, the son of Ahijah. And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be no one to bury her. And he opened the door and fled. Then Jehu came forth to the slaves of his lord, and one said unto him, Is there peace? Why did this mad fellow come to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man and his communication. And they said, We know not; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus he spoke unto me, saying, Thus hath the LORD said, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then they hastened, and each man took his garment, and put it under him in a high throne, and blew the shofar, saying, Jehu is king. So Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram was keeping Ramothgilead, with all Israel, because of Hazael, king of Syria. But King Joram was returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him, when he fought with Hazael, king of Syria.) And Jehu said, If it is your desire, then do not let anyone go forth nor escape out of the city to tell the news in Jezreel. So Jehu rode and went to Jezreel, for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah, king of Judah, was come down to see Joram. And the watchman, who stood in the tower of Jezreel, spied the company of Jehu as he came and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take a horseman and send to meet them and let him say unto them, Is there peace? So one on horseback went to meet him and said, Thus saith the king, Is there peace? And Jehu said, What hast thou to do with peace? Turn behind me. And the watchman gave notice, saying, The messenger came to them, but he does not return. Then he sent out another on horseback, who came to them, and said, Thus saith the king, Is there peace? And Jehu answered, What hast thou to do with peace? Turn behind me. And the watchman gave notice again, saying, He also came unto them and does not return, and the pace of him who is coming is like the pace of Jehu, the son of Nimshi, for he comes impetuously. And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram, king of Israel, and Ahaziah, king of Judah, went out, each in his chariot, and they went out to meet Jehu and found him in the portion of Naboth of Jezreel. And when Joram saw Jehu, he said, Is there peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the fornications of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many? Then Joram turned his hands and fled and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah. But Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot. Then said Jehu to Bidkar, his captain, Take him and cast him in the edge of the portion of the field of Naboth of Jezreel. Remember that when thou and I went together after Ahab, his father, the LORD pronounced this sentence upon him, saying, Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, said the LORD, and I will requite thee in this portion, said the LORD. Now, therefore, take and cast him into the portion, according to the word of the LORD.
And Mesha, king of Moab, was a pastor and rendered unto the king of Israel one hundred thousand lambs and one hundred thousand rams, with the wool. But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. And King Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time and numbered all Israel. And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab has rebelled against me; wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up; I am as thou art, my people as thy people and my horses as thy horses. And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom. So the king of Israel went and the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and as they walked round about seven days' journey through the desert, there was no water for the host or for the beasts that followed them. Then the king of Israel said, Alas! The LORD has called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab! But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not a prophet of the LORD here, that we may enquire of the LORD by him? And one of the king of Israel's slaves answered and said, Here is Elisha, the son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah. And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the LORD is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. Then Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? Go to the prophets of thy father and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, No, for the LORD has called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab. And Elisha said, As the LORD of the hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee nor see thee. But now bring me a minstrel. And when the minstrel played, the hand of the LORD came upon him; and he said, Thus hath the LORD said, Make this valley full of ditches. For thus hath the LORD said, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet this valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye and your livestock and your beasts. And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD; he will also deliver the Moabites into your hands. And ye shall smite every fenced city and every choice city and shall fell every good tree and stop every fountain of water and mar every good piece of land with stones. And it came to pass in the morning, when the present was offered, that water came by the way of Edom, and the land was filled with water. And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered all that were able to gird on a girdle and upward and stood in the border. And when they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water before them as red as blood; and they said, This is blood; the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another. Now therefore, Moab, to the spoil. But when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites so that they fled before them, but they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in their country. And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land each man cast his stone and filled it, and they stopped all the fountains of water and felled all the good trees until they left their stones only in Kirharaseth, for the slingers went about it and smote it. And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was overcoming him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords to break through unto the king of Edom, but they could not. Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation in Israel, and they departed from him and returned to their own land. Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried unto Elisha, saying, Thy slave, my husband, is dead; and thou knowest that thy slave feared the LORD; and the creditor is come to take my two sons to be his slaves. And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? Tell me what thou hast in the house? And she said, Thy handmaid has nothing in the house except a flask of oil. And he said, Go, borrow vessels from all thy neighbours, empty vessels; borrow not a few. Then enter in and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons and pour out into all those vessels, and as each one is full, set it aside. So she went from him and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her, and she poured out the oil. And when the vessels were full, she said unto her son, Bring me yet another vessel. And he said unto her, There are no more vessels. Then the oil stopped flowing. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell this oil and pay thy debtors and live thou and thy sons of the rest. And it also happened that one day Elisha passed through Shunem, where there was an important woman, and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat bread. And she said to her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us continually. Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall, and let us set for him there a bed and a table and a stool and a lampstand so that when he comes to us, he shall turn in there. And it came to pass one day that he came there, and he turned into the chamber and slept there. Then he said to Gehazi, his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him. And he said unto Gehazi, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been diligent for us with all this care; what shall I do for thee? Dost thou have need that I speak for thee unto the king or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among my own people. And he said, What then shall we do for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she has no child, and her husband is old. Then he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door. And he said, At the appointed time, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, No, my lord, thou man of God, do not deceive thy handmaid. But the woman conceived and gave birth to a son at the appointed time that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life. And when the child was grown, it came to pass one day, that he went out to his father to the reapers. And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a servant, Carry him to his mother. And when he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees until noon and then died. Then she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God and shut the door upon him and went out. And calling her husband, she said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men and one of the asses that I may run to the man of God and come again. And he said, Why must thou go to him today? It is neither new moon nor sabbath. And she said, Peace. Then she caused the ass to be saddled and said to her servant, Lead and go forward; slack not the pace for me except I bid thee. So she went and came unto the man of God to Mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi, his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite. Run now, I pray thee, to meet her and say unto her, Dost thou have peace? And thy husband? And the child? And she answered, Peace. And when she came to the man of God in the mountain, she caught him by the feet. And Gehazi came near to thrust her away; but the man of God said, Let her alone, for her soul is bitter within her; and the LORD has hid it from me and has not revealed it to me. Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? Did I not say, Do not deceive me? Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins and take my staff in thy hand and go; if thou meet anyone, salute him not; and if anyone salutes thee, answer him not again, and lay my staff upon the face of the child. Then the mother of the child said, As the LORD lives and as thy soul lives, I will not leave thee. And he arose and followed her. And Gehazi had gone on before them and had laid the staff upon the face of the child, but there was neither voice, nor attention. Therefore he went again to meet him and told him, saying, The child is not awaked. And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was laid dead upon his bed. He went in therefore and shut the door upon both of them and prayed unto the LORD. Then he went up and lay upon the child and put his mouth upon his mouth and his eyes upon his eyes and his hands upon his hands; thus he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. Then he returned and walked through the house to and fro and went up and stretched himself upon him again; and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. And he called Gehazi and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And as she was coming in unto him, he said, Take up thy son. Then she entered in and fell at his feet and bowed herself to the ground and took up her son and went out. And Elisha returned to Gilgal. Then there was a famine in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, so he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot and make pottage for the sons of the prophets. And one went out into the field to gather herbs and found a wild vine and gathered his lap full of wild grapes and came and shred them into the pot of pottage, for they knew them not. So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of that pottage, that they cried out and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat it. But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot, and he said, Pour out for the people that they may eat. And there was no evil thing in the pot. Then a man came from Baalshalisha, who brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of wheat in the head. And he said, Give unto the people that they may eat. And his minister said, How can I set this before one hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat, for thus hath the LORD said, They shall eat, and some shall be left over. So he set it before them, and they ate, and some was left over, according to the word of the LORD. Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high esteem because by him the LORD had given salvation unto Syria; he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper. And the Syrians had gone out by companies and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid, and she waited on Naaman's wife. And she said unto her mistress, If my lord would ask the prophet that is in Samaria, he would remove his leprosy. And Naaman went in and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. And the king of Syria said, Go, depart, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. And he also took the letter to the king of Israel, which said, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman, my slave, to thee, that thou may remove his leprosy. And when the king of Israel read the letter, he rent his clothes and said, Am I God, to kill and to give life, that this man sends unto me to remove the leprosy of this man? Therefore now consider and see how he seeks a quarrel against me. And when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, Why hast thou rent thy clothes? Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall be restored, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman went away angry and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD, his God, and strike his hand over the place and remove the leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. Then his slaves came near and spoke unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, would thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash and be clean? Then went he down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came and stood before him, and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing from thy slave. But he said, As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it, but he refused. Then Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy slave two mules' burden of earth? For from now one thy slave will offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD. In this thing may the LORD pardon thy slave, that when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, if I also bow myself in the house of Rimmon, that the LORD pardon thy slave in this thing, if I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon. And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way. But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master has spared Naaman, this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought. As the LORD lives, I will run after him and take something from him. So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him and said, Is there no peace? And he said, Peace. My master has sent me, saying, Behold, even now two young men of the sons of the prophets came to me from Mount Ephraim; give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver and two changes of garments. And Naaman said, If you wish take two talents. And he urged him and bound two talents of silver in two bags with two changes of garments and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bore them before him. And when he came to a secret place, he took them from their hand and bestowed them in the house; and he let the men go, and they departed. But when he went in and stood before his master, Elisha said unto him, From where comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went nowhere. Then he said unto him, Did not my heart go with thee when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money and to receive garments and oliveyards and vineyards and sheep and oxen and menslaves and maidslaves? The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow. The sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too tight for us. Let us go, we pray thee, unto the Jordan, and each one take a beam from there, and let us make us a place there where we may dwell. And he answered, Go. And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy slaves. And he answered, I will go. So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down the wood. But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water, and he cried and said, Alas, master! It was borrowed. And the man of God said, Where did it fall? And he showed him the place. Then he cut down a stick and cast it in there and caused the iron to swim. And he said unto him, Take it. And he put out his hand and took it. Then the king of Syria warred against Israel and took counsel with his slaves, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp. And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware to not pass through such and such a place, for the Syrians are going there. Then the king of Israel sent to the place, which the man of God told him and warned him of and kept himself from there, not once nor twice. Therefore, the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled over this thing, and he called his slaves and said unto them, Will ye not show me which of us is for the king of Israel? Then one of his slaves said, None, my lord, O king, but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber. And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and take him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan. So he sent horsemen and chariots there and a great host, who came by night and compassed the city about. And when the servant of the man of God was risen early to go forth, behold, a host compassed the city both with horsemen and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! What shall we do? And he answered, Fear not; for those that are with us are more than those that are with them. And Elisha prayed and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw; and, behold, the mountain was full of horsemen and chariots of fire round about Elisha. And when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD and said, Smite these people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city; follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. And he led them to Samaria. And when they came into Samaria, Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? Shall I smite them? And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them; would thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and return to their master. And he prepared great provision for them; and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel. And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad, king of Syria, gathered all his host and went up and besieged Samaria. And there was a great famine in Samaria as they besieged it until an ass's head was sold for eighty pieces of silver and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver. And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, a woman cried unto him, saying, Save me, my lord, O king. And he said, If the LORD does not save thee, from where shall I save thee? Out of the threshingfloor, or out of the winepress? And the king said unto her, What ails thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow. So we boiled my son and ate him. And I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son that we may eat him. But she has hid her son. And when the king heard the words of the woman, he rent his clothes; and he passed by like this upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh. Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha, the son of Shaphat, shall remain upon him today. And Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man unto him. But before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door; is not the sound of his master's feet behind him? And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him; and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; for what should I wait for the LORD any longer? Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus hath the LORD said, Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. Then a captain on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat of it. And there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate, who said one to another, Why shall we stay here until we die? If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there; and if we stay here, we shall die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians; if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die. And they rose up at the beginning of the night, to go unto the camp of the Syrians; and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there. For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host; and they said one to another, Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us. Therefore they had arisen and fled at the beginning of the night and had left their tents and their horses and their asses, even the camp as it was, and had fled for their lives. And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent and ate and drank and took silver and gold and raiment and went and hid it and came again and entered into another tent and took from there also and went and hid it. Then they said one to another, We do not well; this day is a day to give good tidings, and we are silent; if we tarry until the morning light, we shall be taken in the iniquity. Now, therefore, come, that we may enter in and give the news in the king's house. So they came and called unto the porter of the city, and they told them, saying, We went to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied and asses tied, and the tents as they were. And the porters cried out and told it inside and in the king's house. And the king arose in the night and said unto his slaves, I will now show you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore, they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive and get into the city. Then one of his slaves answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city (for they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it; they are also as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed) and let us send and see. They took, therefore, two chariot horses; and the king sent after the camp of the Syrians, saying, Go and see. And they went after them unto the Jordan; and, behold, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned and told the king. Then the people went out and spoiled the camp of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD. And the king appointed the prince on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate; and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him. And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel shall be tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria. Unto which that prince had answered the man of God, and said, Even if the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat of it. And so it happened unto him, for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died. Then Elisha spoke unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household and sojourn wherever thou canst sojourn; for the LORD has called for a famine which shall come upon the land seven years. Then the woman arose and did as the man of God told her; and she went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. And it came to pass at the end of the seven years that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines, and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her lands. And the king had talked with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha has done. And as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. So Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life. And when the king asked the woman, she told him. Then the king appointed unto her a eunuch, saying, Restore all that was hers and all the fruits of the lands since the day that she left the lands, even until now. Elisha went to Damascus; and Benhadad, the king of Syria, was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come here. And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thy hand, and go, meet the man of God and enquire of the LORD by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? So Hazael went to meet him and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Benhadad, king of Syria, has sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou may certainly recover. But the LORD has showed me that he shall surely die. And he settled his countenance steadfastly, until he was ashamed; and the man of God wept. Then Hazael said unto him, Why does my lord weep? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the sons of Israel; their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword and wilt dash their children and rip up their women with child. And Hazael said, But what, is thy slave a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The LORD has showed me that thou shalt be king over Syria. So he departed from Elisha and came to his master; who said to him, What did Elisha say to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou may surely recover. And it came to pass on the next day that he took a thick cloth and dipped it in water and spread it on his face so that he died; and Hazael reigned in his stead. And in the fifth year of Joram, the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, began to reign. He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife, and he did evil in the sight of the LORD. Yet with all this, the LORD would not destroy Judah for David, his slave's sake, as he had promised him to give him always a light of his sons. In his days, Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah and made a king over themselves. So Joram went over to Zair and all his chariots with him, and he rose up by night and smote the Edomites, who had compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots; and the people fled into their tents. Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time. And the rest of the acts of Joram and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And Joram slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Ahaziah, his son, reigned in his stead. In the twelfth year of Joram, the son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram king of Judah, began to reign. Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri, king of Israel. And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD, as did the house of Ahab; for he was the son-in-law of the house of Ahab. And he went with Joram, the son of Ahab, to the war against Hazael, king of Syria, in Ramothgilead; and the Syrians wounded Joram. And King Joram went back to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael, king of Syria. And Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram king of Judah, went down to see Joram, the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick. Then Elisha, the prophet, called one of the sons of the prophets and said unto him, Gird up thy loins and take this flask of oil in thy hand and go to Ramothgilead. And when thou comest there, thou shalt see Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, there; go in and make him arise up from among his brethren and take him to an inner chamber. Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say, Thus hath the LORD said, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door and flee and do not tarry. So the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramothgilead. And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting, and he said, I have an errand to thee, O captain. And Jehu said, Unto which of all us? And he said, To thee, O captain. And he arose and went into the house, and he poured the oil on his head and said unto him, Thus hath said the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel. And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab, thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my slaves, the prophets, and the blood of all the slaves of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisses against the wall, he that is shut up as well as he that is left in Israel. And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha, the son of Ahijah. And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be no one to bury her. And he opened the door and fled. Then Jehu came forth to the slaves of his lord, and one said unto him, Is there peace? Why did this mad fellow come to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man and his communication. And they said, We know not; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus he spoke unto me, saying, Thus hath the LORD said, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then they hastened, and each man took his garment, and put it under him in a high throne, and blew the shofar, saying, Jehu is king. So Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram was keeping Ramothgilead, with all Israel, because of Hazael, king of Syria. But King Joram was returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him, when he fought with Hazael, king of Syria.) And Jehu said, If it is your desire, then do not let anyone go forth nor escape out of the city to tell the news in Jezreel. So Jehu rode and went to Jezreel, for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah, king of Judah, was come down to see Joram. And the watchman, who stood in the tower of Jezreel, spied the company of Jehu as he came and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take a horseman and send to meet them and let him say unto them, Is there peace? So one on horseback went to meet him and said, Thus saith the king, Is there peace? And Jehu said, What hast thou to do with peace? Turn behind me. And the watchman gave notice, saying, The messenger came to them, but he does not return. Then he sent out another on horseback, who came to them, and said, Thus saith the king, Is there peace? And Jehu answered, What hast thou to do with peace? Turn behind me. And the watchman gave notice again, saying, He also came unto them and does not return, and the pace of him who is coming is like the pace of Jehu, the son of Nimshi, for he comes impetuously. And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram, king of Israel, and Ahaziah, king of Judah, went out, each in his chariot, and they went out to meet Jehu and found him in the portion of Naboth of Jezreel. And when Joram saw Jehu, he said, Is there peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the fornications of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many? Then Joram turned his hands and fled and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah. But Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot. Then said Jehu to Bidkar, his captain, Take him and cast him in the edge of the portion of the field of Naboth of Jezreel. Remember that when thou and I went together after Ahab, his father, the LORD pronounced this sentence upon him, saying, Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, said the LORD, and I will requite thee in this portion, said the LORD. Now, therefore, take and cast him into the portion, according to the word of the LORD.