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9 6 Jehu is made king of Israel. 24 And killeth Jehoram the king thereof, 27 And Ahaziah, otherwise called Jehoahaz, the king of Judah. 33 And causeth Jezebel to be cast down out of a window, and the dogs did eat her.
1 Then Elisha the Prophet called one of the children of the Prophets, and said unto him, (A)[a]Gird thy loins, and take this box of oil in thine hand, and get thee to Ramoth Gilead.
2 And when thou comest thither, look where is Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, and go, and make him arise up from among his brethren, and lead him [b]to a secret chamber.
3 Then take the box of oil and pour it on his head, and say, Thus saith the Lord, I have anointed thee for king over Israel: then open the door, and flee without any tarrying.
4 So the servant of the Prophet got him to Ramoth Gilead.
5 And when he came in, behold, the captains of the army were sitting. And he said, I have a message to thee, O captain. And Jehu said, Unto which of all us? And he answered, To thee, O captain.
6 And he arose, and went into the house, and he poured the oil on his head and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I have [c]anointed thee for king over the people of the Lord, even over Israel.
7 And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the Prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord (B)of the hand of Jezebel.
8 For the whole house of Ahab shall be destroyed: and (C)I will cut off from Ahab, him that maketh water against the wall, as well him that is shut up, as him that is left in Israel.
9 And I will make the house of Ahab, like the house (D)of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house (E)of Baasha the son of Ahijah.
10 And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the field of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her. And he opened the door, and fled.
11 ¶ Then Jehu came out to the [d]servants of his lord. And one said unto him, Is all well? wherefore came this [e]mad fellow to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man, and what his talk was.
12 And they said, It is false, tell us it now. Then he said, Thus and thus spake he to me, saying, Thus saith the Lord, I have anointed thee for King over Israel.
13 Then they made haste, and took every man his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew the trumpet, saying, Jehu is King.
14 So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram: (Now Joram kept Ramoth Gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Aram.
15 And (F)king Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds, which the Aramites had given him, when he fought with Hazael king of Aram) and Jehu said, If it be your minds, let no man depart and escape out of the city, to go and tell in Jezreel.
16 So Jehu got up into a chariot, and went to Jezreel: for Joram lay there, and [f]Ahaziah king of Judah was come down to see Joram.
17 And the watchman that stood in the tower in Jezreel spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Jehoram said, Take a horseman and send to meet them, that he may 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? [g]turn behind me. And the watchman told, saying, The messenger came to them, but he cometh not again.
19 Then he sent out another 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 behind me.
20 And the watchman told, saying, He came to them also, but cometh not again, and the marching is like the marching of Jehu the son of Nimshi: for he marcheth [h]furiously.
21 ¶ Then Jehoram said, Make ready: and his chariot was made ready. And Jehoram king of Israel, and Ahaziah king of Judah went out either of them in his chariot against Jehu, and met him in the field of Naboth the Jezreelite.
22 And when Jehoram saw Jehu, he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What [i]peace? whiles the whoredomes of thy mother Jezebel, and her witchcrafts are yet in great number?
23 Then Jehoram turned his hand, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, O Ahaziah, there is treason.
24 But Jehu took a bow in his hand, and smote Jehoram between the shoulders, that the arrow went through his heart: and he fell down in his chariot.
25 Then said Jehu to Bidkar a captain, Take, and cast him in some place of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite: for I remember that when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, the Lord [j]laid this burden upon him.
26 (G)Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his [k]sons, said the Lord, and I will render it thee in this field, saith the Lord: now therefore take and cast him in the field according to the word of the Lord.
27 But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house: And Jehu pursued after him, and said, Smite him also in the chariot: and they smote him in the going up to Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to [l]Megiddo, and there died.
28 And his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his sepulcher with his fathers in the city of David.
29 ¶ And in the [m]eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab, began Ahaziah to reign over Judah.
30 And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, and painted her face, and tired her head, and [n]looked out at a window.
31 And as Jehu entered at the gate, she said, Had [o]Zimri peace, which slew his master?
32 And he lift up his eyes to the window, and said, Who is on my side, who? Then two or three of her [p]Eunuchs looked unto him.
33 And he said, Cast her down: and they cast her down, [q]and he sprinkled of her blood upon the wall, and upon the horses, and he trode her under foot.
34 And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Visit now yonder cursed woman, and bury her: for she is a [r]King’s daughter.
35 And they went to bury her, but they found no more of her, than the skull and the feet, and the palms of her hands.
36 Wherefore they came again and told him. And he said, This is the word of the Lord, which he spake [s]by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, (H)In the field of Jezreel shall the dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel.
37 And the carcass of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the ground in the field of Jezreel, so that none shall say, [t]This is Jezebel.
10 6 Jehu causeth the seventy sons of Ahab to be slain, 14 And after that forty and two of Ahaziah’s brethren. 25 He killeth also all the Priests of Baal. 35 After his death his son reigneth in his stead.
1 Ahab had now seventy [u]sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria unto the rulers of Jezreel, and to the Elders, and to the bringers up of Ahab’s children, to this effect,
2 Now when this letter cometh to you, (for ye have with you your master’s sons, ye have with you both chariots and horses, and a defensed city, and armor)
3 Consider therefore which of your master’s sons is best and most meet, and [v]set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.
4 But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold two kings could not stand before him, how shall we then stand?
5 And he that was governor of Ahab’s house, and he that ruled the city, and the Elders, and the bringers up of the children sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us: we will make no king: do what seemeth good to thee.
6 ¶ Then he wrote another letter to them, saying, If ye be mine, and will obey my voice, [w]take the heads of the men that are your master’s sons, and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time. (Now the king’s sons, even seventy persons were with the great men of the city, which brought them up)
7 And when the letter came to them, they took the King’s sons, and slew the seventy persons, and laid their heads in baskets, and sent them unto him to Jezreel.
8 ¶ Then there came a messenger and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the King’s sons. And he said, Let them lay them on two heaps at the entering in of the gate until the morning.
9 And when it was day he went out, and stood and said to all the people, Ye be [x]righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who slew all these?
10 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 brought to pass the things that he spake [y]by his servant (I)Elijah.
11 So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all that were great with him, and his familiars, and his [z]priests, so that he let none of his remain.
12 ¶ And he arose, and departed, and came to Samaria. And as Jehu was in the way by an house where the shepherds did shear,
13 He met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah, and go down to salute the children of the King and the children of the Queen.
14 And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the well beside the house where the sheep are shorn, even two and forty men, and he [aa]left not one of them.
15 ¶ And when he was departed thence, he met with Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him, and he [ab][ac]blessed him, and said to him, Is thine heart upright, as mine heart is toward thine? And Jehonadab answered, Yea, doubtless. Then give me thine hand. And when he had given him his hand, he took him up to him into the chariot.
16 And he said, Come with me, and see the zeal that I have for the Lord: so they made him ride in his chariot.
17 And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake to Elijah.
18 Then Jehu assembled all the people, and said unto them, Ahab served [ad]Baal a little, but Jehu shall serve him much more.
19 Now therefore call unto me all ye prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests, and let not a man be lacking: for I have a great sacrifice for Baal: whosoever is lacking, he shall not live. But Jehu did it by a subtlety to destroy the servants of Baal.
20 And Jehu said, [ae]Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.
21 So Jehu sent unto all Israel, and all the servants of Baal came, and there was not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was full from end to end.
22 Then he said unto him that had the charge of the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the servants of Baal. And he brought them out vestments.
23 And when Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab into the house of Baal, he said unto the servants of Baal, Search diligently, and look, lest there be here with you any of the [af]servants of the Lord, but the servants of Baal only.
24 And when they went in to make sacrifice and burnt offering, Jehu appointed four score men without, and said, If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands, escape, [ag]his soul shall be for his soul.
25 And when he had made an end of the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard, and to the captains, Go in, slay them, let not a man come out. And they smote them with the edge of the sword. And the guard, and the captains cast them out, and went unto the [ah]city, where was the temple of Baal.
26 And they brought out the images of the temple of Baal, and burnt them.
27 And they destroyed the image of Baal, and threw down the house of Baal, and made a jakes of it unto this day.
28 So Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
29 But from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat which made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from them, neither from the golden calves that were in Bethel and that were in Dan.
30 ¶ And the Lord said unto Jehu, Because thou hast diligently executed that which was right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all things that were in mine heart, therefore shall thy [ai]sons unto the fourth generation sit on the throne of Israel.
31 But Jehu regarded not to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.
32 In those days the Lord began to [aj]loathe Israel, and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel,
33 From Jordan Eastward, even all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and them that were of Manasseh, from Aroer (which is by the river Arnon) and Gilead and Bashan.
34 Concerning the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his valiant deeds, 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, and Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.
36 And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria is eight and twenty years.
11 1 Athaliah putteth to death all the King’s sons, except Joash the son of Ahaziah. 4 Joash is appointed King. 15 Jehoiada causeth Athaliah to be slain. 17 He maketh a covenant between God and the people. 18 Baal and his priests are destroyed.
1 Then (J)Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah when she saw that her son was dead, she arose, and destroyed all the [ak]King’s seed.
2 But Jehosheba the daughter of king Joram, and sister to Ahaziah [al]took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the King’s sons that should be slain, both him and his nurse, keeping them in [am]the bedchamber, and they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not slain.
3 And he was with her hid in the house of the Lord six years, and Athaliah did reign over the land.
4 ¶ (K)And the seventh year [an]Jehoiada sent and took the captains over hundreds, with other captains and them of the guard, and caused them to come unto him into the house of the Lord, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of the Lord, and showed them the King’s son.
5 And he commanded them, saying, This is it that ye must do, The third part of [ao]you, that cometh on the Sabbath, shall [ap]ward toward the King’s house:
6 And another third part in the gate of [aq]Sur: and another third part in the gate behind them of the guard: and ye shall keep watch [ar]in the house of Massah.
7 And two parts of you, that is, all that [as]go out on the Sabbath day, shall keep the watch of the house of the Lord about the king.
8 And ye shall compass the King round about, every man with his weapon in his hand, and whosoever cometh within the ranges, let him be slain: be you with the King, as he goeth out and in.
9 ¶ And the captains of the hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the Priest commanded, and they took every man of his men that entered into their charge on the Sabbath, with them that went out of it on the [at]Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the Priest.
10 And the [au]Priest gave to the captains of hundreds the spears and the shields that were King David’s, and were in the house of the Lord.
11 And the guard stood, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side, about the altar and about the house, round about the King.
12 Then he brought out [av]the king’s son, and put the crown upon him, and gave him [aw]the Testimony, and they made him king: also they anointed him, and clapped their hands, and said, God save the King.
13 ¶ And when Athaliah heard the noise of the running of the people, she came into the people in the house of the Lord.
14 And when she looked, behold, the King stood by a [ax]pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the King, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, treason.
15 But Jehoiada the Priest commanded the captains of the hundreds that had the rule of the host, and said unto them, Have her [ay]forth of the ranges, and he that [az]followeth her, let him die by the sword: for the Priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of the Lord.
16 Then they laid hands on her, and she went by the way, by the which the horses go to the house of the King, and there was she slain.
17 And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord, [ba]and the King and the people, that they should be the Lord’s people: likewise between the [bb]King and the people.
18 Then all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and destroyed it with his altars, and his images brake they down courageously, and slew Mattan the Priest of Baal before the [bc]altars: and the [bd]Priest set a guard over the house of the Lord.
19 Then he took the captains of hundreds, and the other captains, and the guard, and all the people of the land: and they brought the King from the house of the Lord, and came by the way of the gate of the guard to the King’s house: and he sat him down on the throne of the kings.
20 And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was in quiet: [be]for they had slain Athaliah with the sword beside the king’s house.
21 Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign.
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