Bible in 90 Days
Elisha Purifies the Deadly Stew
38 When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. The sons of the prophets were sitting before him, and he said to his servant, “Put on the big cooking pot, and boil some stew for the sons of the prophets.”
39 One went out into the field to gather herbs. He found a wild vine and gathered from it wild gourds, filling his clothes, and came and split them into the pot of stew, but they did not recognize them. 40 So they poured it out for the men to eat. But as they were eating the stew, they cried out, “Man of God, there is death in the pot.” They could not eat it.
41 But he said, “Then bring flour.” He threw it into the pot and said, “Pour it for the people and let them eat.” And there was nothing bad in the pot.
Elisha Feeds One Hundred Men
42 A man came from Baal Shalishah, and he brought the man of God food from the first fruits—twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain—in his sack. And Elisha said, “Give it to the people and let them eat.”
43 But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred men?”
He said, “Give it to the people and let them eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They will eat and have some left.’ ” 44 So he set it before them, they ate, and some was left over, according to the word of the Lord.
Naaman Healed of Leprosy
5 Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man before his master and held favor because by him the Lord had given deliverance to Aram. He was also a mighty warrior, but he had leprosy.
2 The Arameans had gone out raiding and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel, and she waited on the wife of Naaman. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my lord were before the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would take away his leprosy from him.”
4 So Naaman went in and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.” 5 The king of Aram said, “Go, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he went and took with him ten talents[a] of silver, six thousand shekels[b] of gold, and ten sets of clothes. 6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “Now when this letter comes to you, know that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may take away from him his leprosy.”
7 When the king of Israel had read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to give life, that this man sends a man to me to take away his leprosy? But consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.”
8 But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent word to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariot and stood at the entrance to the house of Elisha. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be returned and cleansed.”
11 But Naaman became angry and went away and said to himself, “Surely he could have come out, and stood and called on the name of the Lord his God, and waved his hand over the infected area, and taken away the leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.
13 But his servants approached and spoke to him, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more when he said to you, ‘Wash and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh returned like the flesh of a little boy, and he was clean.
15 Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company. He came and stood before him, and he said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the land, except in Israel. Now take a gift from your servant.”
16 But he said, “As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will take no gift.” He urged him to take it, but he refused.
17 Then Naaman said, “If not, let two mule loads of dirt be given to your servant, for your servant will no longer offer a burnt offering or sacrifice to any god, except the Lord. 18 But may the Lord pardon your servant on one account: When my master enters the house of Rimmon to worship, and he leans on my hand, and I bow down in the house of Rimmon, when I do bow down in the house of Rimmon, may the Lord pardon your servant on this one account.”
19 He said to him, “Go in peace.” So he departed from him a short distance.
Gehazi’s Greed
20 Then Gehazi the servant of Elisha the man of God said, “My master has spared Naaman the Aramean by not taking from his hands what he brought. As the Lord lives, I will run after him and take something from him.”
21 So Gehazi pursued Naaman. Then Naaman saw him running after him, jumped down from the chariot to meet him, and said, “Is everything all right?”
22 And he said, “Everything is all right. My master has sent me and says, ‘Even now two servants from Ephraim, from the sons of the prophets, have come to me. Give them a talent[c] of silver and two changes of clothes.’ ”
23 Naaman said, “Please, take two talents.” He urged him and tied up two talents of silver in two bags with two changes of clothes and gave them to two of his servants, who carried them before Gehazi. 24 When he came to Ophel, he took them from their hand and put them away in the house. Then he sent the men away, and they departed.
25 Then he entered and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, “Where have you come from, Gehazi?”
And he said, “Your servant went here and there.”
26 He said to him, “Did my heart not go with you when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to take money, and to take garments, olives and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants? 27 The leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” So he went out from his presence, leprous like snow.
The Floating Axe Head
6 Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we are living with you is too small for us. 2 Let us go to the Jordan and take from there one beam per man, and let us make for ourselves a place to live there.”
And Elisha said, “Go.”
3 Then one of them said, “Please come with your servants.”
And he said, “I will come.” 4 So he went with them.
And they came to the Jordan and cut down trees. 5 But as one was cutting down a tree, the axe head fell into the water. He cried, “Ah, master! It was borrowed.”
6 Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick, and threw it in there, and he made the iron float. 7 So Elisha said, “Pick it up.” And he reached out his hand and took it.
The Blinded Arameans Captured
8 Then the king of Aram was fighting against Israel, and he took counsel with his servants, saying, “At such and such a place will be my camp.”
9 But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, saying, “Take care not to pass through this place, for the Arameans are marching down there.” 10 The king of Israel sent word to the place of which the man of God spoke. He warned him and was on his guard there more than once.
11 The mind of the king of Aram was troubled by this, so he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not tell me who among us sides with the king of Israel?”
12 Then one of his servants said, “No one, my lord, O king. Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”
13 He said, “Go and see where he is, so that I may send for him and take him.” And it was told to him, “He is in Dothan.” 14 So he sent horses, chariots, and a great army there. They came by night and surrounded the city.
15 When a servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, a force surrounded the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What will we do?”
16 And he said, “Do not be afraid, for there are more with us than with them.”
17 Then Elisha prayed, “Lord, open his eyes and let him see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha.
18 When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike this people with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
19 Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and let me bring you to the man whom you seek.” But he led them to Samaria.
20 When they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “Lord, open the eyes of these men and let them see.” And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw that they were in the middle of Samaria.
21 The king of Israel said to Elisha when he saw them, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?”
22 And he said, “You shall not kill them. Did you capture with your sword and with your bow those whom you want to kill? Set bread and water before them, and let them eat and drink and then go to their master.” 23 So he prepared for them a great banquet. When they had eaten and had drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the Aramean raiders did not enter into the land of Israel again.
Ben-Hadad Besieges Samaria
24 After this, Ben-Hadad king of Aram gathered all his army, went up, and besieged Samaria. 25 There was a great famine in Samaria, and they besieged it until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels[d] of silver, and one-fourth of a kab[e] of dove droppings for five shekels[f] of silver.
26 As the king of Israel was walking across the city wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help, my lord king.”
27 He said, “If the Lord will not help you, how can I help you? From the threshing floor or from the winepress?” 28 And the king said to her, “What is wrong with you?”
And she said, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son and let us eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ 29 So we boiled my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him.’ But she has hidden her son.”
30 When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes. And since he was walking across the city wall, the people saw that he had sackcloth on his body underneath. 31 Then he said, “So may God do to me, and even more, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat stands on his shoulders after today.”
32 Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger, but before the messenger came to him, Elisha said to the elders, “Are you aware that this son of a murderer has sent a man to take off my head? When the messenger enters, shut the door and hold it against him. Is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?”
33 And while he was speaking with them, the messenger came down to him, and then the king said, “This calamity is of the Lord! Why should I hope in the Lord any longer?”
7 Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord: Thus says the Lord: Tomorrow about this time a measure[g] of fine flour will be sold for a shekel,[h] and two measures[i] of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.”
2 Then an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, “If the Lord were to make windows in heaven, could this thing happen?”
And he said, “You will see it with your eyes, but you will not eat from it.”
The Arameans Flee
3 There were four leprous men at the entry of the gate, and they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die? 4 If we say, ‘Let us enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. But if we sit here, we die also. Now come, let us fall into the camp of the Arameans. If they spare our lives, we will live, and if they kill us, we will die.”
5 So they rose at twilight to enter the camp of the Arameans. When they came to the edge of the camp of the Arameans, there was no one there. 6 For the Lord had caused the Aramean camp to hear the sound of chariots, horses, even the sound of a large army, so that they said to one another, “Listen, the king of Israel has hired the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to come against us.” 7 So they got up and ran away in the twilight and abandoned their tents, their horses, and their donkeys. The camp remained just as it was, and they ran for their lives.
8 When these leprous men came to the edge of the camp, they went into one tent. They ate and drank, carried off silver, gold, and clothes, and went and hid them. Then they went back, entered another tent, and carried off things from there and went and hid them.
9 Then they said to one another, “We are not doing right today. This is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until the morning light, we will be found guilty. Let us go now and enter the city and tell the king’s household.”
10 So they went and called to the gatekeepers of the city, and they told them, “We came to the camp of the Arameans, and there was no one there. There was no sound of a man’s voice, only horses tied, donkeys tied, and the tents as they were.” 11 Then the gatekeepers called out and told the king’s household inside.
12 The king got up in the night and said to his servants, “I will show you what the Arameans have done to us. They know that we are starving, so they left the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, ‘When they come out of the city, we will capture them alive and get into the city.’ ”
13 One of his servants answered, “Let some men take five of the remaining horses, since those remaining will suffer the fate of the whole multitude of Israel that have perished already; so let us send them and see.”
14 So they took two chariots with horses, and the king sent them after the army of the Arameans, saying, “Go and see.” 15 So they went after them to the Jordan, and the whole way was full of clothes and vessels, which the Arameans had thrown away in their haste. Then the messengers returned and told the king. 16 Then the people went out and looted the camp of the Arameans. 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.
17 The king had appointed the officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge over the gate, and the people trampled him in the gate, and he died, just as the man of God had said when the king came down to him. 18 Then the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, “Two seahs of barley shall be sold for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel, about this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria.”
19 The officer had answered the man of God, “If the Lord should make windows in heaven, could such a thing happen?” And he had said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” 20 So it happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gate, and he died.
The Shunammite’s Land Restored
8 Then Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Get up and go, you and your household, and sojourn wherever you can, for the Lord has called for a famine, and it will come on the land for seven years.” 2 So the woman got up and did according to the word of the man of God. She went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines for seven years.
3 At the end of seven years, the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, and she went forth to appeal to the king for her house and her field. 4 Now the king was talking with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, “Tell me all the great things that Elisha has done.” 5 As he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, the woman whose son he had restored to life started appealing to the king for her house and her land.
Gehazi said, “My lord king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.” 6 When the king questioned the woman, she told him.
So the king appointed to her an official, saying, “Restore all that was hers and all the proceeds of the field from the day that she abandoned the land until now.”
Ben-Hadad Is Murdered
7 Then Elisha came to Damascus while Ben-Hadad the king of Aram was ill, and he was told, “The man of God has come here.” 8 The king said to Hazael, “Take a present with you and go to meet the man of God. Inquire of the Lord through him, saying, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’ ”
9 So Hazael went to meet him and took a present with him, all sorts of good things from Damascus, forty camel loads. He came and stood before him and said, “Your son Ben-Hadad king of Aram has sent me to you, asking, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’ ”
10 And Elisha said to him, “Go, say to him, ‘You will certainly recover,’ but the Lord has shown me that he will certainly die.” 11 Hazael stared at him until he was ashamed. Then the man of God wept.
12 Hazael said, “Why are you weeping, my lord?”
He said, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel. You will set their fortresses on fire. You will kill their young men with the sword. You will smash their children and rip open their pregnant women.”
13 Hazael said, “What? Is your servant a dog that he should do this great thing?”
And Elisha said, “The Lord has shown me that you will be king over Aram.”
14 Then he left Elisha and went to his master, who said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he said, “He told me that you would surely recover.” 15 But the next day he took a blanket, dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died. And Hazael reigned in his place.
Jehoram, King of Judah(A)
16 In the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, became king. 17 He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 18 He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. He did evil in the sight of the Lord. 19 Yet the Lord was not willing to destroy Judah, for the sake of His servant David, since He promised to give a lamp to him and his sons perpetually.
20 In his days Edom rebelled against the rule of Judah, and they put a king over themselves. 21 So Jehoram crossed over to Zair, all his chariots with him, and he rose at night and struck Edom and the captains of their chariots who had surrounded him. But the people fled to their tents. 22 So Edom has been in rebellion against the rule of Judah until this day. Libnah rebelled at the same time.
23 The rest of the deeds of Jehoram and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 24 So Jehoram slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.
Ahaziah, King of Judah(B)
25 In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, became king. 26 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king. He reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri, king of Israel. 27 He walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the Lord, as the house of Ahab did, for he was the son-in-law of the house of Ahab.
28 He went with Joram the son of Ahab to the war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead, and the Arameans struck Joram. 29 King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram.
And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel because he was ill.
Jehu Anointed King of Israel
9 Then Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets, “Prepare yourself. Take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth Gilead. 2 When you get there, look for Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go in and make him rise from among his brothers, and bring him into an inner chamber. 3 Then take the flask of oil, pour it on his head, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord: I have anointed you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and flee. Do not wait.”
4 So the young man, the prophet, went to Ramoth Gilead. 5 When he arrived, the commanders of the army were sitting, and he said, “I have a word for you, Commander.”
Jehu said, “Which one of us?”
And he said, “For you, Commander.”
6 So he arose, went into the house, poured the oil on his head, and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, God of Israel: I am anointing you king over the people of the Lord, over Israel. 7 You will strike the house of Ahab your master, and I will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of the Lord from the hand of Jezebel. 8 The whole house of Ahab will perish, and I will cut off from Ahab all the males in Israel, both imprisoned and free. 9 I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. 10 Dogs will eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and no one will bury her.” Then he opened the door and fled.
11 When Jehu had returned to his master’s servants, one said to him, “Is all well? Why did this madman come to you?”
And he said to them, “You know this man and his babble.”
12 They said, “A lie! Tell us.”
Then he said, “Thus and thus he spoke to me, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: I am anointing you king over Israel.’ ”
13 Then they hurried. Each took his clothes, put them under him on the bare stairs, and blew a horn, saying, “Jehu is king.”
Joram of Israel Killed(C)
14 So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. Joram had been guarding Ramoth Gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Aram. 15 But King Joram had returned to be healed in Jezreel from the wounds with which the Arameans had stricken him when he fought with Hazael king of Aram. So Jehu said, “If this be your minds, let no fugitive exit the city to go tell Jezreel.” 16 Then Jehu rode in a chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram lay there. Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to see Joram.
17 A watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel, and he saw the company of Jehu as he was coming and said, “I see a company.”
And Joram said, “Take a horseman and send him to meet them, and let him say, ‘Is it peace?’ ”
18 So the horseman went to meet him and said, “Thus says the king, ‘Is it peace?’ ”
But Jehu said, “What have you to do with peace? Circle in behind me.”
So the watchman reported, “The messenger came to them, but he is not returning.”
19 Then he sent out a second horseman, who came to them and said, “Thus says the king, ‘Is it peace?’ ”
Again, Jehu said, “What have you to do with peace? Circle in behind me.”
20 The watchman reported, “He came to them, but he is not returning. The driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously.”
21 Then Joram said, “Hitch my chariot.” So his chariot was hitched, and Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot. They went out to meet Jehu and found him on the property of Naboth the Jezreelite. 22 When Joram saw Jehu he said, “Is it peace, Jehu?”
And he said, “What peace, so long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her sorceries are so many?”
23 Then Joram turned the reins, fled, and said to Ahaziah, “There is treachery, Ahaziah.”
24 Jehu drew a bow with his full strength and shot Joram between his shoulder blades. The arrow went out at his heart, and he kneeled down in his chariot. 25 Then Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, “Lift him up and throw him on the property of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. Remember when you and I were riding together after Ahab his father and the Lord pronounced this oracle about him: 26 ‘Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and his sons, declares the Lord, and I will pay you back on this property, declares the Lord.’ Now lift him up and throw him onto the property, according to the word of the Lord.”
Ahaziah of Judah Killed
27 But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled on the path to the garden house. Jehu chased after him and said, “Shoot him too.” So they shot him on the ascent to Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo and died there. 28 His servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem and buried him in his tomb with his fathers in the City of David. 29 In the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab, Ahaziah became king over Judah.
Jezebel Executed
30 When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard about it. She put black paint on her eyes, adorned her head, and looked down through the window. 31 As Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, “Is everything all right, Zimri, murderer of his master?”
32 And he lifted up his face toward the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” And two or three eunuchs looked down to him. 33 He said, “Drop her down.” So they dropped her down and some of her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses. Then he trampled her.
34 Then he entered, ate and drank, and said, “Attend to that cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king’s daughter.” 35 So they went to bury her, but they found nothing of her except a skull, the feet, and the palms of her hands. 36 They returned and told Jehu, and he said, “This is the word of the Lord, which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘On the property of Jezreel dogs will eat the flesh of Jezebel. 37 The corpse of Jezebel will be like dung in the field on the property of Jezreel, so that they cannot say, This is Jezebel.’ ”
Ahab’s Seventy Sons Killed
10 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the captains of Jezreel, to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying, 2 “Now as soon as this letter comes to you—since you are with your master’s sons, chariots, horses, a fortified city, and weapons— 3 select the best and most fitting of your master’s sons, put him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”
4 But they were extremely afraid and said, “Two kings could not stand before him. How can we stand?”
5 So he who was over the house, and he who was over the city, the elders, and the guardians sent word to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants, and everything you say to us we will do. We will not appoint a man king. Do what is good in your eyes.”
6 Then he wrote a second letter to them, saying, “If you belong to me and will obey me, take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me at Jezreel at this time tomorrow.”
Now the king’s sons, seventy men, were with the great men of the city who brought them up. 7 When the letter came to them, they took the king’s sons, slaughtered all seventy, put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him in Jezreel. 8 So the messenger came and told him, saying, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.”
Then he said, “Put them in two heaps at the entry of the gate until morning.”
9 When morning came, he went out and stood and said to all the people, “You are innocent. I conspired against my master and killed him, but who struck all these? 10 Know then that the words of the Lord which He spoke about the house of Ahab will not fall to the ground. The Lord has done that which He spoke by His servant Elijah.” 11 So Jehu struck all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel and all his great men, his confidants, and his priests, until he left him no survivor.
Ahaziah’s Forty-Two Brothers Killed
12 Then he got up and went to Samaria. When he was at Beth Eked of the Shepherds on the way, 13 Jehu found the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah and said, “Who are you?”
And they said, “We are brothers of Ahaziah, and we have come down to visit the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother.”
14 He said, “Capture them alive.” So they took them alive and slaughtered them at the pit of Beth Eked, forty-two men. Not a man of them remained.
15 Then he left there and found Jehonadab son of Rekab coming to meet him. He greeted him and said to him, “Is your heart right with me, as my heart is with yours?”
And Jehonadab said, “It is.”
“If it is, give me your hand.” So he gave him his hand, and he pulled him up to him into the chariot. 16 He said, “Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord.” So he made him ride in his chariot.
17 Then he came to Samaria and struck all that remained to Ahab in Samaria until he exterminated them, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke to Elijah.
Worshippers of Baal Killed
18 Then Jehu gathered all the people and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much. 19 Now call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshippers, and all his priests. Let none go unaccounted for, because I have a great sacrifice for Baal. All who are not accounted for will not live.” But Jehu did it with cunning in order to destroy the servants of Baal.
20 Jehu said, “Sanctify a festive assembly for Baal.” So they proclaimed it. 21 Jehu sent word through all Israel, and all the worshippers of Baal came. Not a man remained who did not come. They came into the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was full from one end to the other. 22 He said to the one in charge of the wardrobe, “Bring out garments for all the worshippers of Baal.” So he brought them garments.
23 Then Jehu and Jehonadab the son of Rekab went into the house of Baal and said to the worshippers of Baal, “Search and see that there are no worshippers of the Lord here with you and only worshippers of Baal.” 24 Then they went to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, but Jehu put eighty men outside and said, “If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escapes, the one who lets him go will die in his place.”
25 As soon as he had finished making the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guards and the officers, “Go in. Kill them. No one comes out.” So they struck them with the edge of the sword. The guards and the officers threw them out and went to the city of the house of Baal. 26 They brought out the sacred pillar from the house of Baal and burned it. 27 They broke down the sacred pillar of Baal, and tore down the house of Baal and made it a latrine to this day.
28 So Jehu exterminated Baal from Israel. 29 But from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin, Jehu did not turn aside (that is, the golden calves that were in Bethel and Dan).
30 And the Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well by doing what is right in My sight, and have done to the house of Ahab all that was in My heart, four generations of your sons will sit on the throne of Israel.” 31 But Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart. He did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam, who caused Israel to sin.
The Death of Jehu
32 In those days the Lord began to trim off parts of Israel, and Hazael struck them in all the territory of Israel: 33 from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, the Reubenites, the Manassites from Aroer, which is by the River Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.
34 Now the rest of the deeds of Jehu, all he did and all his power, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?
35 So Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. Jehoahaz his son became king in his place. 36 The days that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria were twenty-eight years.
Athaliah Reigns in Judah(D)
11 Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she rose up and destroyed all the royal descendants. 2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash[j] the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being murdered; and they hid him and his nurse in the bedroom, from Athaliah, so that he was not killed. 3 He was with her, hidden in the house of the Lord for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land.
Joash Anointed King of Judah
4 But in the seventh year Jehoiada sent word and took the captains of hundreds from the Carites and the guards and brought them to him in the house of the Lord. He made a covenant with them, put them under oath in the house of the Lord, and then showed them the king’s son. 5 He commanded them, saying, “This is the thing that you shall do: One-third of your unit, those who come on duty on the Sabbath, will guard the king’s house. 6 One-third will be at the gate of Sur, and one-third will be at the gate behind the guards. You will take turns guarding the house. 7 Two of your companies from all who go out on the Sabbath will keep watch over the house of the Lord for the king. 8 You will encircle the king, each man with his weapons in his hand, and the one that comes within the ranks must be killed. They must be with the king when he goes out and comes in.”
9 The captains of hundreds did according to everything that Jehoiada the priest commanded. Each took his men, those who came on duty on the Sabbath, with those that went off duty on the Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. 10 And the priest gave to the captains of hundreds spears and shields which belonged to King David that were in the house of the Lord. 11 The guards stood, each with his weapons in his hand, from the south side of the house to the north side of the house, along the altar and the house, surrounding the king.
12 Then he brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him and gave him the testimony. They made him king and anointed him. Then they clapped their hands and said, “Live, O king!”
The Death of Athaliah
13 Then Athaliah heard the sound of the guards and the people, so she came to the people in the house of the Lord. 14 Then she looked, and the king was standing by a pillar according to custom, the captains and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. So Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, “Conspiracy, conspiracy!”
15 But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of hundreds, those appointed over the forces, “Bring her out of the house to the ranks, and kill with the sword whoever follows her.” For the priest had said, “Let her not be killed in the house of the Lord.” 16 So they laid hands on her, and she came through the horses’ entrance into the king’s house. Then she was put to death there.
17 Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people, that they should be the people of the Lord, and also between the king and the people. 18 Then all the people of the land entered the house of Baal and broke down its altars. His images they thoroughly broke in pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.
The priest put appointees over the house of the Lord. 19 He took the captains of hundreds, the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land. Then they brought down the king from the house of the Lord and marched through the gate of the guards to the king’s house. Then he sat on the throne of the kings. 20 All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. They had killed Athaliah with the sword at the king’s house.
21 Jehoash[k] was seven years old when he became king.
Jehoash Repairs the Temple(E)
12 In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash became king. He reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. 2 Jehoash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all his days because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3 However, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and made offerings in the high places.
4 Now Jehoash said to the priests, “All the consecrated money that is brought into the house of the Lord, the money for which each man is currently assessed, and all the money that is brought voluntarily to the house of the Lord, 5 let the priests receive it, each from his donor, and repair the damages to the house wherever damages are found.”
6 But in the twenty-third year of King Jehoash the priests had not repaired the damages to the house. 7 Then King Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and said to them, “Why have you not repaired the damages to the house? So now money will no longer be taken from your donors. You will give it over for the damages to the house.” 8 The priests agreed that they should take no more money from the people, nor repair the damages of the house.
9 So Jehoiada the priest took a chest, made a hole in its lid, and set it beside the altar on the right side as one enters the house of the Lord. The priests guarding the threshold put there all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord. 10 Whenever they saw that there was much money in the chest, the king’s scribe and the high priest went up, emptied it, and counted the money that was found in the house of the Lord. 11 They gave the money that was weighed out into the hands of the workers who were appointed to the house of the Lord. Then they paid it out to the carpenters and builders working on the house of the Lord, 12 to the masons and stonecutters, and to buy timber and cut stone to repair the damages to the house of the Lord, that is, whatever went out for repairs to the house.
13 But for the house of the Lord silver bowls, snuffers, sprinkling basins, trumpets, and all the gold and silver vessels were not made with any of the money that was brought into the house of the Lord, 14 for they gave it to the workmen, and they repaired the house of the Lord with it. 15 They did not settle accounts with the men in whose hand they gave the money to give to the workmen, for they dealt faithfully. 16 The money from the guilt offerings and the money from the sin offerings were not brought into the house of the Lord. It belonged to the priests.
Hazael Threatens Jerusalem
17 Then Hazael king of Aram went up, fought against Gath, and seized it. Then Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem. 18 So Jehoash king of Judah took all the consecrated things that Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated and his own consecrated things, all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the Lord and in the king’s house, and sent it to Hazael king of Aram. Then Hazael went away from Jerusalem.
The Death of Joash
19 Now the rest of the deeds of Joash, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 20 His servants rose up, made a conspiracy, and struck Joash in the house of Millo, which goes down to Silla. 21 Jozabad the son of Shimeath and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, struck him, and he died. They buried him with his fathers in the City of David. Then Amaziah his son reigned in his place.
Jehoahaz, King of Israel
13 In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria for seventeen years. 2 He did evil in the sight of the Lord and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. He did not turn aside from them. 3 The anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, so He gave them into the hand of Hazael king of Aram and into the hand of Ben-Hadad the son of Hazael all their days.
4 But Jehoahaz appeased the Lord, and the Lord listened to him. For He saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Aram oppressed them. 5 So the Lord gave Israel a savior, so that they got out from under the hand of Aram. Then the children of Israel dwelt in their tents as before. 6 Nevertheless, they did not turn aside from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who caused Israel to sin, but walked in them. The Asherah pole also stood in Samaria.
7 So Jehoahaz had only fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen left, for the king of Aram had destroyed them and made them like the dust at threshing.
8 Now the rest of the deeds of Jehoahaz, all that he did and his power, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 9 And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. Joash his son reigned in his place.
Jehoash, King of Israel
10 In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz reigned over Israel in Samaria for sixteen years. 11 He did evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not turn aside from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin, but he walked in them.
12 The rest of the deeds of Joash, all that he did and his power with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 13 So Joash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne. Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
The Death of Elisha
14 Now Elisha had become sick with the illness of which he would die. So Joash the king of Israel went down to him and wept before him, and said, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen.”
15 Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. 16 Then he said to the king of Israel, “Draw the bow.” So he drew it. Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.
17 Then he said, “Open the east window.” So he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot.” So he shot. Then he said, “The arrow of the deliverance of the Lord, and the arrow of deliverance from Aram; for you must strike Aram in Aphek until you have destroyed them.”
18 Then he said, “Take the arrows.” So he took them. Then he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground.” So he struck it three times and stood there. 19 Then the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck it five or six times. Then you would have stricken Aram until you had finished them. Now you will strike Aram just three times.”
20 So Elisha died, and they buried him.
Now Moabite raiders would enter the land in the spring. 21 As they were burying a man, they saw raiders. So they threw the man into the tomb of Elisha. When the man touched the bones of Elisha, he came to life and stood on his feet.
Israel Recaptures Cities from Aram
22 Now Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 23 But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them. He turned toward them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not yet destroy them or cast them from His presence.
24 Then Hazael king of Aram died and Ben-Hadad his son reigned in his place. 25 And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took back the cities from Ben-Hadad the son of Hazael that had been taken from Jehoahaz his father in war. Three times Joash struck him and recovered the cities of Israel.
Amaziah, King of Judah(F)
14 In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, became king. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king and reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan from Jerusalem. 3 He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, only not like David his father. He did everything that Joash his father did. 4 But he did not remove the high places. Still the people sacrificed and made offerings on the high places.
5 As soon as he seized the kingdom, he killed his servants who had killed his father, the king. 6 But he did not kill the children of the murderers, according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, in which the Lord commanded, “Fathers must not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers. Rather, a man should be put to death for his own sin.”
7 He struck ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt and captured Sela in battle. He called it Joktheel, as it is to this day.
8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us look one another in the face.”
9 Then Jehoash the king of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The thorn bush in Lebanon sent to the cedar in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son for a wife.’ But a wild animal passed through in Lebanon and trampled the thorn bush. 10 You have indeed struck Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Enjoy respect and sit at home. Why stir up trouble and fall, you and Judah with you?”
11 But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 12 Judah was beaten before Israel, and every man fled to his tent. 13 Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh. Then he came to Jerusalem and breached the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, four hundred cubits.[l] 14 He took all the gold and silver, all the vessels found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and hostages, and then returned to Samaria.
15 Now the rest of the deeds Jehoash did, his power and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 16 So Jehoash slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. Jeroboam his son reigned in his place.
17 Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. 18 And the rest of the deeds of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?
19 They made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But they sent after him to Lachish, and killed him there. 20 They carried him on horses, and he was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers in the City of David.
21 All the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. 22 He built Elath and restored it to Judah after the king slept with his fathers.
Jeroboam II, King of Israel
23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, became king in Samaria for forty-one years. 24 He did evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not turn aside from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. 25 He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Lebo Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which He spoke by His servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath Hepher.
26 For the Lord saw the very bitter affliction of Israel. There was no one left, imprisoned or free, and no helper for Israel. 27 The Lord had not said that He would wipe out the name of Israel from under heaven, so He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Joash.
28 Now the rest of the deeds of Jeroboam, all that he did and his power, how he fought, and how he recovered for Israel Damascus and Hamath, which had belonged to Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 29 Jeroboam slept with his fathers, with the kings of Israel. Zechariah his son reigned in his place.
Azariah, King of Judah(G)
15 In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah son of Amaziah, king of Judah, became king. 2 He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jekoliah from Jerusalem. 3 He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 4 But the high places were not removed. The people continued sacrificing and making offerings on the high places.
5 The Lord afflicted the king, and he was leprous until the day of his death. He lived in a separate house. Jotham the king’s son was in charge of the house, judging the people of the land.
6 Now the rest of the deeds of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 7 So Azariah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the City of David. Jotham his son reigned in his place.
Zechariah, King of Israel
8 In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in Samaria for six months. 9 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, as his fathers had done. He did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin.
10 Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, struck him at Ibleam, and killed him. Then Shallum reigned in his place. 11 Now the rest of the deeds of Zechariah are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel. 12 This was the word of the Lord which He spoke to Jehu, “Your sons will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.” And it was so.
Shallum, King of Israel
13 Shallum son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah. He reigned for a month in Samaria. 14 Then Menahem son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, entered Samaria, and struck Shallum son of Jabesh in Samaria and killed him. Then Menahem reigned in his place.
15 Now the rest of the deeds of Shallum and the conspiracy he made are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.
16 Then Menahem struck Tiphsah and all who were in it, and the territories around Tirzah. Because they did not open up the city to him, he attacked it. Then he split open all its pregnant woman.
Menahem, King of Israel
17 In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king over Israel for ten years in Samaria. 18 He did evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not turn aside all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin.
19 Pul the king of Assyria came against the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents[m] of silver, that he might help him strengthen his control of the kingdom. 20 Menahem exacted the money from Israel, from all the very wealthy men, fifty shekels[n] of silver each, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria left and did not stay there in the land.
21 The rest of the deeds of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 22 And Menahem slept with his fathers, and Pekahiah his son reigned in his place.
Pekahiah, King of Israel
23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah the son of Menahem became king over Israel in Samaria for two years. 24 He did evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. 25 But Pekah son of Remaliah, his officer, conspired against him and struck him in Samaria, in the palace of the king’s house, with Argob, Arieh, and fifty men of the Gileadites with him. He killed him and reigned in his place.
26 Now the rest of the deeds of Pekahiah and all that he did are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.