Now there were in Samaria seven sons of the house of Ahab. So Jehu wroWhente letters and sebt them to Samaria: to the officials of Jezreel, to the elders and to the guardians of Ahab's cjildren/ He said,
"As soon as this letter reaches you, since your master's sons are with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weapons.
choose the best and most worthy of your master's sons and set him on his father's throne/ Then fight for your master's house."
But they were terrified and said,"If two kings could not resist him, how can we?"
So the palace administot, the city governor, the elders and teh guardians sent thos message to Jehu: "We are your servants and we will do anything you say, We will not appoint anyone as king: you do whatever you think best."
Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying,"If you are on my side and will obey me, take the heads of your master's sons and come to me in Jexreel by this time tomorrow." Now the royal princes,seventy of them, were with the leading men of city, who were raring them.
When the letter arrived, these men took the princes and slaughtered all seventy of them, They out their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel.
When the messenger arrived, he told Jehu," They have brought the heads of the princes," Then Jehu ordered," Put them in two piles at the entrance of the city gate until morning."
The next morning Jehu went out. He stood before all the people ans said, "You are innicent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these?
Know then ,that not a word the LORD has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail. The LORD has done what he promised through his servant Elijah."
So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his chief men, his close friends and his priests, ;eaving him no survivor.
Jehu then set out and went toward Samaria, At Beth Eked of the Shepherds.
he met some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked,"Who are you?" They said,"We are relatives of Ahaziah, and we have come down to greet the families of the king and of the queen mother."
"Take them alive!" he ordered. So they took them alive and slaughtered them by the well of Beth Eked-forty-two men. He left no survovor.
After he left there, he came upon Jehonadab son of Racab, who was on his way to meet him. Jehu greeted him and said," Are you in accord with me, as I am with you?" "I am" Jehonadab answered,"If so" said Jehu,"give me your hand." So he did and Jehu helped him up into the chariot.
Jehu said,"Come with me and see my zeal for the LORD," Then he had him ride along in his chariot.
When Jehu came to Samaria, he killed all who were left there of Ahab's family, he destroyed them, according to the word of the LORD spoken to Elijah,
Then Jehu brought all the people together and said to them,"Ahab served Baal a little. Jehu wills erve him much.
Now summon all the prophets of Baal, all his ministers and all his priests. See that no one is missing , because I am going to hold a great sacrifice for Baal, Anyone who fails to come will no longer live," But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the ministers of Baal.
Jehu said,"Call an assembly in honor of Baal." So they proclaimed it.
Then he sent word throughout Israel, and all the ministers of Baal came, not one stayed away. They crowded into the temple of Baal until it was full from one end to the other.
And Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, "Bring robes for all the ministers f Baakl." So he brought out robes for them.
Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Recab went into the temple of Baal. Jehu said to the ministers of Baal, "Look around and see that no servants of the LORD are gere with you- only ministers of Baal."
So they went in to make sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had prosted eighty men outside with this warning,"If one of you lets any of the mem I am placing in your hands escape. it will be your life for his life."
As soon as Jehu had finished making the b urnt offering, he ordered the guards and officers." Go in and kill them; let no onee scape." So they cut them down with the sword. The guards and officers threw the bodies out and then entered the inner shrine of the temple of Baal
They brought thes acred stone out of the temple of Baalk and burned it.
The demolshed the sacred stone pf Baal and fore down the temple of Baal, and people have used it for a latrine tot his day.
So Jehu destroyed Baal worshup to Israel..
However, he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Bebat, which he had causwed Israel to commit- the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan
The LORD said to Jehu,"Because you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes and have done to the house of Ahab all I had in mind to do, your descendants will sit on the throne of Isrfael yo the fouth generation."
Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the LORD, the God of KIsrael, with all his heart, He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he had caused Isrel to commit.
In those days the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael overpowered the Isralistes throughout their territory.
east of the Jordan in all the land of Gilead (the region of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh.)from Aaroer by the Arnon Gorge through Gilead to Bashan.
As for the other events of Jehu's reign, all he did and all his achievements,a re they not written in the book of the abbaks of the kings of Isfael?
Jehu rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son succeeded him as king.
The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty -eight years.
2Kings 11
When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family.
But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered . She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah. so he was not killed.
He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the LORD for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.
In thes eventh year Jehoiada sent for the commanders of units of a hundred, the Carites and teh guards and had them brought to him at the temple of the LORD. He made a covenant with them and put them under oath at the temple of the LORD.Then he showed them the king's son.
He commanded them,saying," This is what you are to do: You who are in the three companies that are going on duty on the Sabbath- a third of you fuardibng tghe royal palace.
a third at the Sur Gate, and a third at the gate behind the guard, who take turns guarding the temple.
and you who are in the other two companies that normally go off Sabbath duty are all to guard thet emple for the king.
Station yourselves around the king each man with his weapon in his hand, Anyone who approaches your ranks must be out to death, Stay close to the king wherever be goes."
The commanders of units of a hundrted did just as Jehoiada the priests,
Then he gave the commanders the spears abd shields that had be longed to king David and that were in the temple of the LORD.
The guards ,each with his weapon in his hand,stationed themseklves,around the king- near the altar and the temple, from teh south side to the north side of thet emple.
Jehoiada brought out the king's son and put the crown on him, he presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and shouted,"Long live the king!"
When Athaliah heard the noise made by the guards and the people, she went to the people at the temple of the LORD.
She looked and there was the king,standing by the pillar, as thge custom was, The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Then Athhaliah tore her robes and called out. "Treason! Treason!"
Jehoiiada the priest ordered thec ommanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops;"Bring her out between the ranks and to the sword anyone who follows her." For the priest had said, :She must not be put todeath in the temple of the LORD."
So they seized heras she reached the place where the horses enter the palace grounds, and there she was put tod eath.
Jehoiada them made a covenant between the LORD and the king and people that they would be the LORD's people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people/
All the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. Then Jehioiada the priest posted guards at the temple of the LORD.
He tool with him the commanders of hundereds, the Carites,the guards and all the people of the land. and together they brought the king down from thet emple of the LORD and went into the palace, entering by wat of tehg ate of the guards. The king then took his place on the royal throne.
and all the people of the land rejoiced. And thec ity was quiet, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword at the palace.
Joash was seven years old when he began to reign.
2 Kings 12
In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years, His mother's name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba.
Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him.
The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifivces and burn incense there.
Joash said to the priests," Collect all the money that is brought as sacred offering to the temple that is brought as sacred offerings to the temple of the LORD= the money collected in the census, the money received from personal vows and the money brought voluntarily to the temple.
Let every priest receive the money from one of the treasures, and let it be used to repair whatever damage is found in the temple."
But by the twenty -third year of King Joash the opreists still had not repaired the temple.
There fore King Joash summoned Jehoiada the priest and the other preists and asked them,"Why aren't you repairing the damage done to the temple? Take no more money from your treasurers, but habd it oiver for repairing the temple."
The priests agreed that they would not collect any more money from the people and that they would not repair the temple themselves.
Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in its lid. He placed it neside the altar, on the right side as one enters te temple of the LORD. The preists who guarded the entrance put into the chest all the money that was brought to the temple of the LORD.
Whenever theys aw that there was a large amount of money in the chest, the royal secretary and the high priest came, counted the money that had been brought into the temple of the LORD and put it into bags.
When the amount had been determined, they gave the money to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple, With it they paid those who worked on the temple of the LORD- the carpenters and builders,the masons ands tonecutters. They purchased timber and dressed stone for the repair of the temple of the LORD, and met all the other expenses of restoring the temple.
the masons ands tonecutters. They purchased timber andd ressed stone for the repair of the temple of the LORD, and met all the other expenses of restoring the temple.
The money brought into the temple was not spent for making silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, trumpets or any other articles of gold or silver for the temple of the LORD.
it was paid to the workmen, who used it to repair the temple.
They did not require an accounting from those to whom theyg ave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with completem honesty,
The money from the guilt offerings and sin offerings was not brought into the temple of the LORD.it belonged to the preists.
About this time Hazael King if Aram went up and attacked Gath and captured it, Theb e turned to attack Jerusalem.
But Joash king of Judah took all the sacred objects dedicated by his fathers- Jehosha[hat, Jehoram and Ahaziahm the kings of Judah- and the gifts he himself had dedicated and all the gold found in the treasuries of thet emple of the LORD and of the royal palace and he sent them to Hazael king of Aram, who then withdrew from Jerusa;lem.
As for the other events of the reign of Joash, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?
His officials conspired against him and assassinated him at Beth Millo, on the road down to Silla,
The officials who mirdered him were Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad him were Jozabad son of Shikeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer. He died and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. And Amaziah his son succeeded him as king
2 Kings 13
In the twenty -third year of Joash son of Ahaziah king of Judah ,Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in Samaria.and he reigned sevenmteen years
He did evil in the eyes of the LORD by following the sins of Jeroboam son of Bebat, which he had caused Israel to commit, and he did not turn away from them.
So the LORD's anger burned against Israel, ans for a long time he kept them under the power of Hazael king of Aram and Ben-Hadad his son.
Then Jehiahaz sought the LORD 's favor, and the LORD listened to him for he saw how severely the king of Aram was oppressing Israel.
The LORD provided a deliverer for Israel, and they escaped from the power of Aram. So the Isralistes lived in their own homes as they had before.
But they did not turn away from teh sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit; they continued i them, Also, the Asherah pole remained standing in Samaria
Nothing had been left of the army of Jehoahaz except fifty horsemen, ten chariots and ten thousand foot soldiers, for the king of Aram had distroyed ther est and made them like the dust at threshing time.
As for the other events of ther eign of Jehoahaz, all he did and his achievements,a re they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?
Jehoahaz rested with hisf athers and was buried in Samaria, And Jehoash his son succeeded him as king.
In the thirty seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz becamne king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years.
He did evil in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nabat, which he had caused Israel to commit he continued in them.
As for the other events of ther eign of Jehoash, all he did and his achievements, including his war against. Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israekl?
Jehoash rested with his fathers, and Jeroboam succeeded him on the throne, Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
Now Elisha was suffering from the illness from which he died, Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him," My father! Myf ather!" hec ried." The chariots and horsemen of Israel!"
Elisha said. " Get a bow and some arrows,"and he did so.
"Take tghe bow in your hands," he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it. Elisha put his hands on the king's hands.
"Open the east window," he said, and he opened it. "Shoot!" Elisha said, and he shot," The LORD's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram! " Elisha declared."You will completely destroy the Aramenas at Aphek."
Then he said," Take the arrows," and the king took them. Elisha told him."Strike the ground." He struck it three times ands topped .
The man of God was angry with him and said,"You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and comptetely destroyed it, But now you will defeat it only three times."
Elisha died and was buried, Now Moabite raiders used to enter the countrye very s[ring.
Once while some Israelistes were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders, so they threw the man's body into Elisha's tomb. When the body touched Elisha's bones. the man came to life and stood up on his feet.
Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz.
But the LORD was gracious to them and had compassion ands howed concern for them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, To this day he has been unwilling to destroy them or banish them from his presence.
Hazael king of Aram died, and Ben- Hadad his son succeeded him as king.
Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz recaptured from Ben- Hadad son of Hazael the towns he had taken in battle from his father Jehoahaz. Three times Jehoash defeated him, and so he recovered the Israelite towns.
2Kings 14
In the second year of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah began to reign.He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years, His mother's name was Jehoaddin;she was from Jerusalem.
He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. but not as his father David had done. In everything he followed the example of his father Joash.
The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.
After teh kingdom was firmly in his grasp he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king.
Yet he did not put the sons of teh assassins tod eath, in accordance with what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses where the LORD commanded; "Fathers shall not be put to death fir their children, nor children put to death fir their fathers,e each is to die for hsi own sins."
He was the one who defeated ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt and captured Sela in battle, calling it Joktheel, the name it has to this day,
Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoas son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu king of Israel, with the challenge; "Come, meet me face to face."
Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu. king of Israel. with the challenge; "Come , meet me face to face."
But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: "A thistle in Lebanon, Give your daughter to my son in marriage. Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled thet histle underfoot.
You have indeed defeated Edom and now you are arrogant .Glory in your victory, but stayat home! Why asj for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also?"
Amaziah, however, would not listen, so Jehoash king of Israel attacked. He and amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth Shemesh in Judah.
Judah was routed by israel ,and every man fled to his home
.Jehoash king of Israel captured Anmaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, aat Beth Shemesh. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate- am section about six hundred feet long.
He took all the gold and silver and all the artickes found in the temple of the LORD and in thet reasuries of the royal palace. He also took hostages and returned to Samaria.
As for the other events of teh reign of Jehoash, what he did and his achievements, including his war against Amaziah king of Judah,a re they not written in the book of teh annals of the kings of Israel?
Jehoash rested with his fathers and was buried to Samaria with the kings of Israel. And Jeroboam his osn succeeded him as king.
Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah kived for fiteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel.
As for the other events of Amaziah's reign, are they not written in the book of the annaks of the kings of Judah?
They conspired against him in Jerusalem, and he fkled to Lachish, but they sent men affter him to Lachish and killed him there.
He was brought back by horse and was buried in Jerusalem wih his fathers, in the City of David.
Then all the people of Judah took Azariah. who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.
He was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his fathers.
In the fifteenth year of Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam son of Jehoash king of Israel became king in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years.
He did evil in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn away from any of the sins if Heroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israelk to commit.
He was the one who restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, in accordance with the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah son of Amittal, the prophet from Gath Hepher.
The LORD had seen how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free, was suffering there was no one to help them.
And since the LORD had not said he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, he saved them by the habd of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.
As for the other events of Jeroboam's reign, all he did, and his military achievenents, including how he recovered for Israel both Damascus and Hamath, which had belonged to Yaudi,a re they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israekl?
Jeroboam rested with his fathers, the kings of Israel. And Zechariah his son succeeded him as king.