Page images
PDF
EPUB

14 Jehu is king. So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (Now Joram kept Ramoth-gilead, he and 15 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 this be your mind, then let none escape and go forth out of the city, 16 to go to tell it in Jezreel. So Jehu rode in a chariot, and went to

Jezreel; for Joram lay there.

2 Kings 9. 16.

Jehu kills Joram, Ahaziah, and Jezebel, and becomes
King of Israel.

And Ahaziah king of Judah was come down to see Joram. 17 Now the watchman stood on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take an horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, 'Is it peace? 18 So there went one on horseback to meet him, and said, Thus saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu said, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me. And the watchman told, saying, The messenger came to them, 19 but he cometh not again. Then

he sent out a second on horseback, which came to them, and said, Thus saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu answered, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me. 20 And the watchman told, saying, He came even unto them, and cometh not again: and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi; for he 21 driveth furiously. And Joram said, "Make ready. And they made ready his chariot. And Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah

1 Heb. Jehoram, and in vv. 17, 21, 22,

23, 24.

2 Or, Is all well? 3 Or, Yoke

king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out to meet Jehu, and found him in the portion of Naboth the Jez22 reelite. And it came to pass,

when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are 23 so many? And Joram turned

his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O 24 Ahaziah. And Jehu 1drew his

25

bow with his full strength, and smote Joram 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 up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite : for remember how that, when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, the LORD 2laid 26 this burden upon him; Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the LORD; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the LORD. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of 27 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 smote him at the ascent of Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megid28 do, and died there. And his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his sepulchre with his fathers in the city of David.

1 Heb. filled his hand with the bow.

2 Or, uttered this oracle against him 3 Or, portion

[blocks in formation]

29

30

And in the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab began Ahaziah to reign over Judah.

And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her eyes, and tired her head, and looked out at the window. 31 And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, 'Is it peace, thou Zimri, 32 thy master's murderer? And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or 33 three eunuchs. And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her

:

down and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the 34 horses and he trode her under foot. And when he was come in, he did eat and drink; and he said, See now to this cursed woman, and 35 bury her for she is a king's daughter. And they went to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the 36 palms of her hands. Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall the dogs eat 37 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 they shall not say, This is Jezebel.

10

Jehu destroys the rest of Ahab's House.

Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, even the elders, and 2 unto them that brought up the sons of Ahab, saying, And now as soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, a fenced city also, and armour; 3 look ye out the best and meetest of your master's sons, and set him on 4 his father's throne, and fight for your master's house. But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, the two kings stood not before 5 him how then shall we stand? And he that was over the household, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and they that brought up the children, sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any man king: do thou that 6 which is good in thine eyes. Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye be on my side, and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take ye the heads of the men your master's sons, and come to me to Jezreel by to-morrow this time. Now the king's sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, which brought them up. 7 And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and slew them, even seventy persons, and put their heads 8 in baskets, and sent them unto him to Jezreel. And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entering in 9 of the gate until the morning. And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, Ye be righteous:

1 Or, Is it well

behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who smote Io all these? Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the house of Ahab for the LORD hath done that which he spake by his servant II Elijah. So Jehu smote all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his familiar friends, and his priests, 12 until he left him none remaining. And he arose and departed, and went to Samaria. And as he was at the 'shearing house of the shep13 herds 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 children of the king and the 14 children of the queen. And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the 'pit of the 'shearing house, even two and forty men; neither left he any of them.

15

Jehu destroys the Worshippers of the Tyrian Baal.

And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his 16 hand, and he took him up to him into the chariot. And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his 17 chariot. And when he came to Samaria, he smote all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the word 18 of the LORD, which he spake to Elijah. And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but 19 Jehu shall serve him much. Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshippers, and all his priests; let none be wanting: for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal; whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtilty, to the intent that he 20 might destroy the worshippers of Baal. And Jehu said, Sanctify a 21 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 not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of 22 Baal; and the house of Baal was filled from one end to another. And he said unto him that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all 23 the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth vestments. And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal; and he said unto the worshippers of Baal, Search, and look that there be here with you none of the servants of the LORD, but the worshippers 24 of Baal only. And they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had appointed him fourscore men without, and said, If any of the men whom I bring into your hands escape, he that letteth him go, 25 his life shall be for the life of him. And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the 3guard and to the captains, Go in, and slay them; let none come forth.

1 Or, house of gathering

2 Or, cistern

3 Heb. runners.

And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast them out, and went to the city of the house of Baal. 26 And they brought forth the 'pillars that were in the house of Baal, and 27 burned them. And they brake down the pillar of Baal, and brake down 28 the house of Baal, and made it a draught house, unto this day. Thus 29 Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel. Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Beth-el, and that 30 were in Dan. And the LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy sons of ✓ 31 the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel. But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, wherewith he made Israel to sin.

:

Conquest of Gilead by Hazael, King of Syria.

3

32 In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote 33 them in all the coasts of Israel; from Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from 34 Aroer, which is by the valley of Arnon, even Gilead and 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? 35 And Jehu slept with his fathers: and they buried him in Samaria. 36 And Jehoaház his son reigned in his stead. And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years.

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »