2 Kings 9-13

II Kings 9

¹And Elisha the prophet hath called to one of the sons of the prophets, and saith to him, ‘Gird up thy loins, and take this vial of oil in thy hand, and go to Ramoth-Gilead,

²and thou hast gone in there, and see thou there Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi, and thou hast gone in, and caused him to rise out of the midst of his brethren, and brought him in to the inner part of an inner-chamber,

³and taken the vial of oil, and poured on his head, and said, Thus said Jehovah, I have anointed thee for king unto Israel; and thou hast opened the door, and fled, and dost not wait.'

⁴And the young man goeth -- the young man the prophet -- to Ramoth-Gilead,

⁵and cometh in, and lo, chiefs of the force are sitting, and he saith, ‘I have a word unto thee, O chief!' and Jehu saith, ‘Unto which of all of us?' and he saith, ‘Unto thee, O chief.'

⁶And he riseth and cometh in to the house, and he poureth the oil on his head, and saith to him, ‘Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, I have anointed thee for king unto the people of Jehovah, unto Israel,

⁷and thou hast smitten the house of Ahab thy lord, and I have required the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of Jehovah, from the hand of Jezebel;

⁸and perished hath all the house of Ahab, and I have cut off to Ahab those sitting on the wall, and restrained, and left, in Israel,

⁹and I have given up the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and as the house of Baasha son of Ahijah,

¹⁰and Jezebel do the dogs eat in the portion of Jezreel, and there is none burying;' and he openeth the door and fleeth.

¹¹And Jehu hath gone out unto the servants of his lord, and one saith to him, ‘Is there peace? wherefore came this madman unto thee?' and he saith unto them, ‘Ye have known the man and his talk.'

¹²And they say, ‘False, declare, we pray thee, to us;' and he saith, ‘Thus and thus spake he unto me, saying, Thus said Jehovah, I have anointed thee for king unto Israel.'

¹³And they haste and take each his garment, and put it under him at the top of the stairs, and blow with a trumpet, and say, ‘Reigned hath Jehu!'

¹⁴And Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi, conspireth against Joram -- (and Joram was keeping in Ramoth-Gilead, he and all Israel, from the presence of Hazael king of Aram,

¹⁵and king Joram turneth back to be healed in Jezreel, of the wounds with which the Aramaeans smite him, in his fighting with Hazael king of Aram) -- and Jehu saith, ‘If it is your mind, let not an escaped one go out from the city, to go to declare it in Jezreel.'

¹⁶And Jehu rideth, and goeth to Jezreel, for Joram is lying there, and Ahaziah king of Judah hath gone down to see Joram.

¹⁷And the watchman is standing on the tower in Jezreel, and seeth the company of Jehu in his coming, and saith, ‘A company I see;' and Joram saith, ‘Take a rider and send to meet them, and let him say, Is there peace?'

¹⁸and the rider on the horse goeth to meet him, and saith, ‘Thus said the king, Is there peace?' and Jehu saith, ‘What -- to thee and to peace? turn round behind me.' And the watchman declareth, saying, ‘The messenger came unto them, and he hath not returned.'

¹⁹And he sendeth a second rider on a horse, and he cometh in unto them, and saith, ‘Thus said the king, Is there peace?' and Jehu saith, ‘What -- to thee and to peace? turn round behind me.'

²⁰And the watchman declareth, saying, ‘He came unto them, and he hath not returned, and the driving is like the driving of Jehu son of Nimshi, for with madness he driveth.'

²¹And Jehoram saith, ‘Harness;' and his chariot is harnessed, and Jehoram king of Israel goeth out, and Ahaziah king of Judah, each in his chariot, and they go out to meet Jehu, and find him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite.

²²And it cometh to pass, at Jehoram's seeing Jehu, that he saith, ‘Is there peace, Jehu?' and he saith, ‘What is the peace, while the whoredoms of Jezebel thy mother, and her witchcrafts, are many?'

²³And Jehoram turneth his hands, and fleeth, and saith unto Ahaziah, ‘Deceit, O Ahaziah!'

²⁴And Jehu hath filled his hand with a bow, and smiteth Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow goeth out from his heart, and he boweth down in his chariot.

²⁵And Jehu saith unto Bidkar his captain, ‘Lift up, cast him into the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite -- for, remember, I and thou were riding together after Ahab his father, and Jehovah lifted upon him this burden:

²⁶Have I not the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons seen yesternight -- the affirmation of Jehovah -- yea, I have recompensed to thee in this portion -- the affirmation of Jehovah; -- and now, lift up, cast him into the portion, according to the word of Jehovah.'

²⁷And Ahaziah king of Judah hath seen, and fleeth the way of the garden-house, and Jehu pursueth after him, and saith, ‘Smite him -- also him -- in the chariot,' in the going up to Gur, that is Ibleam, and he fleeth to Megiddo, and dieth there,

²⁸and his servants carry him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and bury him in his burying-place, with his fathers, in the city of David.

²⁹And in the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab reign did Ahaziah over Judah.

³⁰And Jehu cometh in to Jezreel, and Jezebel hath heard, and putteth her eyes in paint and maketh right her head, and looketh out through the window.

³¹And Jehu hath come into the gate, and she saith, ‘Was there peace to Zimri -- slayer of his lord?'

³²And he lifteth up his face unto the window, and saith, ‘Who is with me? -- who?' and look out unto him do two or three eunuchs;

³³And he saith, ‘Let her go;' and they let her go, and some of her blood is sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses, and he treadeth her down.

³⁴And he cometh in, and eateth, and drinketh, and saith, ‘Look after, I pray you, this cursed one, and bury her, for she is a king's daughter.'

³⁵And they go to bury her, and have not found of her except the skull, and the feet, and the palms of the hands.

³⁶And they turn back, and declare to him, and he saith, ‘The word of Jehovah it is, that He spake by the hand of this servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel do the dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel,

³⁷and the carcase of Jezebel hath been as dung on the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel, that they say not, This is Jezebel.'

II Kings 10

¹And Ahab hath seventy sons in Samaria, and Jehu writeth letters, and sendeth to Samaria, unto the heads of Jezreel, the elders, and unto the supporters of Ahab, saying,

²‘And now, at the coming in of this letter unto you, and with you are sons of your lord, and with you are the chariots and the horses, and a fenced city, and the armour,

³and ye have seen the best and the uprightest of the sons of your lord, and have set him on the throne of his father, and fight ye for the house of your lord.'

⁴And they fear very greatly, and say, ‘Lo, the two kings have not stood before him, and how do we stand -- we?'

⁵And he who is over the house, and he who is over the city, and the elders, and the supporters, send unto Jehu, saying, ‘Thy servants we are, and all that thou sayest unto us we do; we do not make any one king -- that which is good in thine eyes do.'

⁶And he writeth unto them a letter a second time, saying, ‘If ye are for me, and to my voice are hearkening, take the heads of the men -- the sons of your lord, and come unto me about this time to-morrow, to Jezreel;' and the sons of the king are seventy men, with the great ones of the city those bringing them up.

⁷And it cometh to pass, at the coming in of the letter unto them, that they take the sons of the king, and slaughter seventy men, and put their heads in baskets, and send unto him to Jezreel,

⁸and the messenger cometh in, and declareth to him, saying, ‘They have brought in the heads of the sons of the king,' and he saith, ‘Make them two heaps at the opening of the gate till the morning.'

⁹And it cometh to pass in the morning, that he goeth out, and standeth, and saith unto all the people, ‘Righteous are ye; lo, I have conspired against my lord, and slay him -- and who smote all these?

¹⁰Know ye now, that nothing doth fall of the word of Jehovah to the earth that Jehovah spake against the house of Ahab, and Jehovah hath done that which He spake by the hand of His servant Elijah.'

¹¹And Jehu smiteth all those left to the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his acquaintances, and his priests, till he hath not left to him a remnant.

¹²And he riseth, and cometh in and goeth to Samaria; he is at the shepherds' shearing-house in the way,

¹³and Jehu hath found the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and saith, ‘Who are ye?' and they say, ‘Brethren of Ahaziah we are, and we go down to salute the sons of the king, and the sons of the mistress.'

¹⁴And he saith, ‘Catch them alive;' and they catch them alive, and slaughter them at the pit of the shearing-house, forty and two men, and he hath not left a man of them.

¹⁵And he goeth thence, and findeth Jehonadab son of Rechab -- to meet him, and blesseth him, and saith unto him, ‘Is thy heart right, as my heart is with thy heart?' and Jehonadab saith, ‘It is;' -- ‘Then it is; give thy hand;' and he giveth his hand, and he causeth him to come up into him into the chariot,

¹⁶and saith, ‘Come with me, and look on my zeal for Jehovah;' and they cause him to ride in his chariot.

¹⁷And he cometh in to Samaria, and smiteth all those left to Ahab in Samaria, till his destroying him, according to the word of Jehovah that He spake unto Elisha.

¹⁸And Jehu gathereth the whole of the people, and saith unto them, ‘Ahab served Baal a little -- Jehu doth serve him much:

¹⁹and now, all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests, call ye unto me; let not a man be lacking, for a great sacrifice I have for Baal; every one who is lacking -- he doth not live;' and Jehu hath done it in subtilty, in order to destroy the servants of Baal.

²⁰And Jehu saith, ‘Sanctify a restraint for Baal;' and they proclaim it.

²¹And Jehu sendeth into all Israel, and all the servants of Baal come in, and there hath not been left a man who hath not come in; and they come in to the house of Baal, and the house of Baal is full -- mouth to mouth.

²²And he saith to him who is over the wardrobe, ‘Bring out clothing to all servants of Baal;' and he bringeth out to them the clothing.

²³And Jehu goeth in, and Jehonadab son of Rechab, to the house of Baal, and saith to the servants of Baal, ‘Search and see, lest there be here with you of the servants of Jehovah -- but, the servants of Baal by themselves.'

²⁴And they come in to make sacrifices and burnt-offerings, and Jehu hath set for himself in an out-place eighty men, and saith, ‘The man who letteth escape any of the men whom I am bringing in unto your hand -- his soul for his soul.'

²⁵And it cometh to pass at his finishing to make the burnt-offering, that Jehu saith to the runners, and to the captains, ‘Go in, smite them, let none come out;' and they smite them by the mouth of the sword, and the runners and the captains cast them out; and they go unto the city, to the house of Baal,

²⁶and bring out the standing-pillars of the house of Baal, and burn them,

²⁷and break down the standing-pillar of Baal, and break down the house of Baal, and appoint it for a draught-house unto this day.

²⁸And Jehu destroyeth Baal out of Israel,

²⁹only -- the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, that he caused Israel to sin, Jehu hath not turned aside from after them -- the calves of gold that are at Beth-El, and in Dan.

³⁰And Jehovah saith unto Jehu, ‘Because that thou hast done well, to do that which is right in Mine eyes -- according to all that is in My heart thou hast done to the house of Ahab -- the sons of the fourth generation do sit for thee on the throne of Israel.'

³¹And Jehu hath not taken heed to walk in the law of Jehovah, God of Israel, with all his heart, he hath not turned aside from the sins of Jeroboam, that he caused Israel to sin.

³²In those days hath Jehovah begun to cut off some in Israel, and Hazael smiteth them in all the border of Israel,

³³from the Jordan, at the sun-rising, the whole land of Gilead, of the Gadite, and the Reubenite, and the Manassahite (from Aroer, that is by the brook Arnon), even Gilead and Bashan.

³⁴And the rest of the matters of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, are they not written on the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel?

³⁵And Jehu lieth with his fathers, and they bury him in Samaria, and reign doth Jehoahaz his son in his stead.

³⁶And the days that Jehu hath reigned over Israel are twenty and eight years, in Samaria.

II Kings 11

¹And Athaliah is mother of Ahaziah, and she hath seen that her son is dead, and she riseth, and destroyeth all the seed of the kingdom;

²and Jehosheba daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, taketh Joash son of Ahaziah, and stealeth him out of the midst of the sons of the king who are put to death, him and his nurse, in the inner part of the bed-chambers, and they hide him from the presence of Athaliah, and he hath not been put to death,

³and he is with her, in the house of Jehovah, hiding himself, six years, and Athaliah is reigning over the land.

⁴And in the seventh year hath Jehoiada sent and taketh the heads of the hundreds, of the executioners and of the runners, and bringeth them in unto him, to the house of Jehovah, and maketh with them a covenant, and causeth them to swear in the house of Jehovah, and sheweth them the son of the king,

⁵and commandeth them, saying, ‘This is the thing that ye do; The third of you are going in on the sabbath, and keepers of the charge of the house of the king,

⁶and the third is at the gate of Sur, and the third at the gate behind the runners, and ye have kept the charge of the house pulled down;

⁷and two parts of you, all going out on the sabbath -- they have kept the charge of the house of Jehovah about the king,

⁸and ye have compassed the king round about, each with his weapons in his hand, and he who is coming unto the ranges is put to death; and be ye with the king in his going out and in his coming in.'

⁹And the heads of the hundreds do according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and take each his men going in on the sabbath, with those going out on the sabbath, and come in unto Jehoiada the priest,

¹⁰and the priest giveth to the heads of the hundreds the spears and the shields that king David had, that are in the house of Jehovah.

¹¹And the runners stand, each with his weapons in his hand, from the right shoulder of the house unto the left shoulder of the house, by the altar and by the house, by the king round about;

¹²and he bringeth out the son of the king, and putteth on him the crown, and the testimony, and they make him king, and anoint him, and smite the hand, and say, ‘Let the king live.'

¹³And Athaliah heareth the voice of the runners and of the people, and she cometh in unto the people, to the house of Jehovah,

¹⁴and looketh, and lo, the king is standing by the pillar, according to the ordinance, and the heads, and the trumpets, are by the king, and all the people of the land are rejoicing, and blowing with trumpets, and Athaliah rendeth her garments, and calleth, ‘Conspiracy! conspiracy!'

¹⁵And Jehoiada the priest commandeth the heads of the hundreds, inspectors of the force, and saith unto them, ‘Bring her out unto the outside of the ranges, and him who is going after her, put to death by the sword:' for the priest had said, ‘Let her not be put to death in the house of Jehovah.'

¹⁶And they make for her sides, and she entereth the way of the entering in of the horses to the house of the king, and is put to death there.

¹⁷And Jehoiada maketh the covenant between Jehovah and the king and the people, to be for a people to Jehovah, and between the king and the people.

¹⁸And all the people of the land go in to the house of Baal, and break it down, its altars and its images they have thoroughly broken, and Mattan priest of Baal they have slain before the altars; and the priest setteth inspectors over the house of Jehovah,

¹⁹and taketh the heads of the hundreds, and the executioners, and the runners, and all the people of the land, and they bring down the king from the house of Jehovah, and come by the way of the gate of the runners, to the house of the king, and he sitteth on the throne of the kings.

²⁰And all the people of the land rejoice, and the city is quiet, and Athaliah they have put to death by the sword in the house of the king;

²¹a son of seven years is Jehoash in his reigning.

II Kings 12

¹In the seventh year of Jehu reigned hath Jehoash, and forty years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother is Zibiah of Beer-Sheba,

²and Jehoash doth that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah all his days in which Jehoiada the priest directed him,

³only, the high places have not turned aside, still are the people sacrificing and making perfume in high places.

⁴And Jehoash saith unto the priests, ‘All the money of the sanctified things that is brought in to the house of Jehovah, the money of him who is passing over, each the money of his valuation, all the money that it goeth up on the heart of a man to bring in to the house of Jehovah,

⁵do the priests take to them, each from his acquaintance, and they strengthen the breach of the house, in all places where there is found a breach.'

⁶And it cometh to pass, in the twenty and third year of king Jehoash, the priests have not strengthened the breach of the house,

⁷and king Jehoash calleth to Jehoiada the priest, and to the priests, and saith unto them, ‘Wherefore are ye not strengthening the breach of the house? and now, receive no money from your acquaintances, but for the breach of the house give it.'

⁸And the priests consent not to receive money from the people, nor to strengthen the breach of the house,

⁹and Jehoiada the priest taketh a chest, and pierceth a hole in its lid, and putteth it near the altar, on the right side, as one cometh in to the house of Jehovah, and the priests keeping the threshold have put there all the money that is brought in to the house of Jehovah.

¹⁰And it cometh to pass, at their seeing that the money is abundant in the chest, that there goeth up a scribe of the king, and of the high priest, and they bind it up, and count the money that is found in the house of Jehovah,

¹¹and have given the weighed money into the hands of those doing the work, those inspecting the house of Jehovah, and they bring it out to those working in the wood, and to builders who are working in the house of Jehovah,

¹²and to those repairing the wall, and to hewers of stone, and to buy wood and hewn stones to strengthen the breach of the house of Jehovah, and for all that goeth out on the house, to strengthen it.

¹³Only, there is not made for the house of Jehovah basins of silver, snuffers, bowls, trumpets, any vessel of gold, and vessel of silver, out of the money that is brought into the house of Jehovah;

¹⁴for to those doing the work they give it, and they have strengthened with it the house of Jehovah,

¹⁵and they do not reckon with the men into whose hand they give the money to give to those doing the work, for in faithfulness they are dealing.

¹⁶The money of a trespass-offering, and the money of sin-offerings is not brought in to the house of Jehovah -- for the priests it is.

¹⁷Then go up doth Hazael king of Aram, and fighteth against Gath, and captureth it, and Hazael setteth his face to go up against Jerusalem;

¹⁸and Jehoash king of Judah taketh all the sanctified things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had sanctified, and his own sanctified things, and all the gold that is found in the treasures of the house of Jehovah and of the house of the king, and sendeth to Hazael king of Aram, and he goeth up from off Jerusalem.

¹⁹And the rest of the matters of Joash, and all that he did, are they not written on the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah?

²⁰And his servants rise, and make a conspiracy, and smite Joash in the house of Millo, that is going down to Silla:

²¹yea, Jozachar son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad son of Shemer, his servants, have smitten him, and he dieth, and they bury him with his fathers in the city of David, and reign doth Amaziah his son, in his stead.

II Kings 13

¹In the twenty and third year of Joash son of Ahaziah king of Judah, hath Jehoahaz son of Jehu reigned over Israel, in Samaria -- seventeen years,

²and he doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, and goeth after the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, that he caused Israel to sin -- he turned not aside from it,

³and the anger of Jehovah burneth against Israel, and He giveth them into the hand of Hazael king of Aram, and into the hand of Ben-Hadad son of Hazael, all the days.

⁴And Jehoahaz appeaseth the face of Jehovah, and Jehovah hearkeneth unto him, for He hath seen the oppression of Israel, for oppressed them hath the king of Aram, --

⁵and Jehovah giveth to Israel a saviour, and they go out from under the hand of Aram, and the sons of Israel dwell in their tents as heretofore;

⁶only, they have not turned aside from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, that he caused Israel to sin, therein they walked, and also, the shrine hath remained in Samaria, --

⁷for he left not to Jehoahaz of the people except fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen, for the king of Aram hath destroyed them, and maketh them as dust for threshing.

⁸And the rest of the matters of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not written on the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel?

⁹And Jehoahaz lieth with his fathers, and they bury him in Samaria, and reign doth Joash his son in his stead.

¹⁰In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of Judah reigned hath Jehoash son of Jehoahaz over Israel, in Samaria -- sixteen years,

¹¹and he doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, he hath not turned aside from all the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, that he caused Israel to sin, therein he walked.

¹²And the rest of the matters of Joash, and all that he did, and his might with which he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written on the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel?

¹³And Joash lieth with his fathers, and Jeroboam hath sat on his throne, and Joash is buried in Samaria, with the kings of Israel.

¹⁴And Elisha hath been sick with his sickness in which he dieth, and come down unto him doth Joash king of Israel, and weepeth on his face, and saith, ‘My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and its horsemen.'

¹⁵And Elisha saith to him, ‘Take bow and arrows:' and he taketh unto him bow and arrows.

¹⁶And he saith to the king of Israel, ‘Place thy hand on the bow;' and he placeth his hand, and Elisha putteth his hands on the hands of the king,

¹⁷and saith, ‘Open the window eastward;' and he openeth, and Elisha saith, ‘Shoot,' and he shooteth; and he saith, ‘An arrow of salvation to Jehovah, and an arrow of salvation against Aram, and thou hast smitten Aram, in Aphek, till consuming.'

¹⁸And he saith, ‘Take the arrows,' and he taketh; and he saith to the king of Israel, ‘Smite to the earth;' and he smiteth three times, and stayeth.

¹⁹And the man of God is wroth against him, and saith, ‘By smiting five or six times then thou hadst smitten Aram till consuming; and now, three times thou dost smite Aram.'

²⁰And Elisha dieth, and they bury him, and troops of Moab come in to the land, at the coming in of the year,

²¹and it cometh to pass, they are burying a man, and lo, they have seen the troop, and cast the man into the grave of Elisha, and the man goeth and cometh against the bones of Elisha, and liveth, and riseth on his feet.

²²And Hazael king of Aram hath oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz,

²³and Jehovah doth favour them, and pity them, and turn unto them, for the sake of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and hath not been willing to destroy them, nor to cast them from His presence as yet.

²⁴And Hazael king of Aram dieth, and reign doth Ben-Hadad his son in his stead,

²⁵and Jehoash son of Jehoahaz turneth and taketh the cities out of the hand of Ben-Hadad son of Hazael that he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father in war; three times hath Joash smitten him, and he bringeth back the cities of Israel.